Justifying the Black Man in Blue: Y’lan Noel Examines Police Life in His Latest Role

Image it's 1960-something; you reach into your closet to pull out and slip into your daily uniform: police blues. Now imagine walking the streets of Baltimore, only to be vilified for choosing a profession that has a history of tormenting the Black community, and then turn around to deal with a lack of respect from your fellow white officers. This is one of the notions actor Y'lan Noel grappled with in his newest role in Apple TV+'s Lady in the Lake : the justification of being a Black man in Blue. But his desire to explore human complexities made it a welcomed challenge.

"I'm curious about human nature, just for curiosity's sake. Anything can draw me to a role because I'm fascinated by complex individuals and situations," he says. "It gives me a lot to sink my teeth into," the Insecure actor tells EBONY.

Noel has graced our screens playing memorable characters, but we may have seen him instead at this year's Summer Games in Paris if a high school drama class hadn’t intervened. "As a child, I wanted to be either in the NFL or running track at the Olympics." We're so glad he got caught up in the acting bug. Here, Noel tells us more about his draw to the screen and how he finds compassion in every role he plays.

You've picked a complex character in Lady in the Lake . Can you tell us a little bit about your character?

I play Ferdie Platt, a cop in 1960s Baltimore . My understanding of Ferdie is he’s seen as a pariah in his community. He's an authentic Black man, but he's also a cop. And because he's a good cop amidst a lot of bad apples, he's a pariah at work, so when we meet him, he's lonely. But the most remarkable thing about him is he is unwilling to compromise. He has inherent values and is good at heart.

How did you research and prepare for the role?

Lady in the Lake is based on a book, so I went there for some of the source material. I worked with a dialect coach and locked down some of the mannerisms of our people in the 1960s. I spent time in Baltimore, picking up on the rhythm that's still part of its culture today. I also watched Sidney Poitier's movies because he plays a lot of cops and roles where race is at the forefront.

What did you pull from watching his performances?

The dignity that he's able to portray in circumstances that get sticky. He's always able to be graceful and elegant in a way that I find incredibly admirable. I think that element was necessary for me to have for Ferdie, other than just selfishly being a huge fan of everything that Poitier has ever done. We stand on his shoulders.

Lady in the Lake is very mired in race, and some parts are hard to watch. How hard is it for you and as an actor to deal with racism portrayed on the screen?

I'm showing up on a set; I've been through the hair and makeup trailer, and I’ve got craft services waiting for me at lunch. I have these things as an escape, but the people who went through these experiences, these racist circumstances, didn’t. For me to lend my heart, mind and body to it, I always think about it through a lens of compassion and an act of service to the people who have gone through it and transcended the limits of their circumstances.

Was there a scene that was particularly challenging for you to get through?

Playing a cop was inherently challenging for me because I also come from a community with distrust in the blue. I’ve been on the wrong side of a police power trip at the hands of cops. Putting on that uniform allowed me to see just a fraction of the perspective of what it's like to be a Black cop. Walking through the set and passing people that I'd been speaking to in my plain clothes were now looking at me differently just because I had this uniform on. I remember one scene we did where I had to apprehend another Black actor and put him up against this wall. Every time the director yelled “cut,” I was making sure he was good. Karmically, I didn't want to mess up his energy.

Do you love finding the balance between playing characters filled with Black joy and then being able to do something more dramatic like this?

Yes. I'm after the range of human experiences, to be completely honest. On Insecure , the dopest thing about what [its creator] Issa Rae did was make it reflective of the nuances of Black life. I try to find the Black joy in everything that I do. There's always going to be a semblance of joy in things that are probably circumstantially traumatic, and there's always going to be a semblance of trauma or discomfort in things that are inherently benevolent. All these shades of gray make for interesting storytelling.

In Lady in the Lake , we follow two women from completely different backgrounds fighting to liberate their dreams. In the end, what we see the most significantly is how connected they are. Watching the show, people can be reminded that we are more similar than different.

We've seen you in many different roles, from Insecure to The Photograph and now to Lady in the Lake . What do you look for when you're connecting with a role?

I'm fascinated by humanity in general. Before committing to acting, I wanted to go into psychology. I'm curious about human nature, just for curiosity's sake. Anything can draw me to a role because I'm fascinated by complex individuals and situations. It gives me a lot to sink my teeth into.

Wasn't it a high school drama class that put you on your acting path ?

Yeah, a girl I was particularly interested in was in that class. We did Hamlet , and that was the first thing that I paid attention to. It simulated sports because we were like a team going out on the stage to accomplish this collective goal. It fulfilled that fraternal energy and primitive nature of wanting to be on a team while also being a place where I could express myself in ways that I hadn't before.

Are there other Black creators that you would love to collaborate with? Or who are some of the other ones you'd love to work with?

Oh my gosh. Ava DuVernay is, is one of the first people that come to mind. Gina Prince-Bythewood. There are so many that, honestly, I’m not going to even try to go down the list. But I love that we're getting to a place where everybody has their unique lens into the world that we live in. I want to work with as many Black collaborators as possible that span the entire existence. I'm always excited about the new Black storytellers being given a seat at the helm.

Would you ever see yourself as one of those people: writing, directing, producing?

Oh, 100%. You got to stay tuned ‘cause I'm always writing; I'm always envisioning worlds. I have to get better at putting my ideas on paper. I think my personality is too dominant to take a back seat and just play a role.

Lady in the Lake is now streaming on Apple TV+.