Andra Day Got a Temporary Tattoo for a Movie. Two Years Later, It Hasn't Faded Away (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Andra Day.Photo:Michael Rowe/Getty

Michael Rowe/Getty

Andra Dayfamouslytook up drinking and smoking and lost 40 lbs.to portray the titular jazz legend and civil rights activist in 2021’sThe United States vs. Billie Holiday.

For her new movieThe Deliverance, the actress and singer, 39, was equally gung-ho about throwing herself into her role — even getting the names of her three on-screen children tattooed onto her left forearm.

The supposed fast-fading ink that was used on her skin hasn’t faded away just yet. “They told me, they were like, ‘This will be gone within nine at maximum 13 months.’ But that was in April or May of 2022.”

“People literally ask me now, they’re like, ‘Oh, you have three kids?’ I’m like, ‘No, girl. These kids don’t even exist!’ Now I’m a fake mom of fake kids,’” she quips.

The Deliveranceproducer Tucker Tooley, who also worked with Day onBillie Holiday, says he’s in awe of the star’s dedication. “She’s unparalleled in terms of her commitment,” he says.

Day plays Ebony Jackson, an alcoholic single mother struggling to support her children and her mother, Alberta (Glenn Close), with whom she has a strained relationship.

The movie reunited the “Rise Up” singer withBillie HolidaydirectorLee Daniels. It was his involvement that convinced the devout Christian to take the role even though she had doubts about the subject matter.

“I was hesitant that it was dealing with demonic possession,” she says. “I’m like, ‘I don’t know if I’m supposed to be doing this.’ But then I prayed about it and had peace.”

The Deliverance.Aaron Ricketts/Netflix

Aaron Ricketts/Netflix

“Just knowing the angle that we wanted to approach it from, I felt so much peace about that. I was like, ‘Yeah, people do need to see — I even need to see — and hear about this imperfect woman, this super flawed woman, these super flawed characters that are just doing the best they can with what they have,” she continues.

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The Grammy-winning singer, who earned anOscar nomination for Best Actressfor her first lead role inBillie Holiday, hit another career high in February when she performed “Lift Every Voice and Sing” in front of a televised audience of millions at the Super Bowl.

Since then, she has released another album,Cassandra (cherith)and is gearing up to release another movie,Exhibiting Forgiveness, in October.

As a kid who went to a performing arts high school, Day used to strut around pretending she was in music videos — but she “didn’t imagine” her dreams of being a performer would come true quite like this: “It has happened in a way that I’m like, ‘Whoa.’”

The Deliveranceis in theaters Friday, Aug. 16 and streaming on Netflix Friday, Aug. 30.

For more on Andra Day, pick up the new issue ofPEOPLE.

source: people.com