Los Angeles Comic Con 2023 featured many celebrity guests, including someone I wasn’t expecting! Janeshia Adams-Ginyard is an Emmy-Nominated actress, stunt performer, and voiceover artist who starred as Nomble, a member of Wakanda’s Dora Milaje, in several MCU projects.
I noticed her booth on the convention floor thanks to a large Black Panther: Wakanda Forever poster. I was fascinated by the different aspects of her career and love Wakanda Forever, so I jumped at the chance to speak with her for a few minutes about her MCU role.
Interview with Janeshia Adams-Ginyard about her character Nomble and the MCU
[Editor’s Note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity. You can listen to the full interview below, find it most places podcasts are available, or read on.]
Uday Kataria: You’ve worked on some of the most impactful Marvel Studios productions, from Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame to WandaVision. Which one was your favorite to work on?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Wow, so my favorite one to work on, which you did not mention, was The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. I had an amazing time. Whooping Anthony Mackie’s ass, jumping on Zemo’s couch. No, but seriously. No, it was absolutely amazing to work with, Anthony Mackie is awesome. His energy on set is great. I love that intimate fight scene that we had in the space of an apartment. I just thought the whole entire Falcon and Winter Soldier series was awesome. It was like the sec- that was the second Disney+ series that got released.
Uday Kataria: Yes. But it was supposed to be the first!
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: It was supposed to be the first one, yeah. I worked on WandaVision, which was the first one. But I really had a blast working on The Falcon and Winter Soldier. Just, I mean, that whole duo of Anthony Mackie and Sebastian Stan, and when the cameras aren’t rolling, the fun and the laughter that’s going on. It’s just out of this world. No, seriously.
Uday Kataria: I bet. It seemed like it was a fun set to work on.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Yeah, it was absolutely fun. Anthony Mackie is great. He is absolutely great. And it was nice to see him in action. ‘Cause he was in Infinity War, which I worked on. But I didn’t get a chance to like experience, you know, Falcon the way that I did on The Falcon and Winter Soldier. Yeah.
Uday Kataria: So on WandaVision, you were a stunt double for Teyonah Parris.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Correct.
Uday Kataria: Does that mean that you had to get smashed through a wall when Wanda kicked her out of Westview?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: So, I did several different stunts over there. What did I do? I don’t think I got on the wall. I remember being, when she went into the kitchen to Wanda, when there was… in that cave or cavern with the… Jesus Christ. What was that thing that we had to do? I’m trying to remember. I remember having to do some stunts in like a dive, like dive rolling in some cave. Was it a cave, or… Kat Dennings? Remember? She’s on there. Yeah, there was something that we’re running through this… hall, I don’t remember. I don’t remember. I actually don’t remember all of the things that I did over there. I don’t remember being kicked through… kicked through that forcefield. But I remember doing stuff in the house.
Uday Kataria: Okay. That makes sense. That’s really awesome. You do play Nomble, a member of the Dora Milaje, in a few MCU projects, including Falcon and the Winter Soldier! I didn’t forget it, I just didn’t mention it earlier.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: No, yeah, totally.
Uday Kataria: And you’ve also done stunts on, I’m not sure if it’s the same movies, but on some MCU movies. So, were you originally hired for both positions? Or did stunt work kind of turn into acting work?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: So I was originally hired as a Dora Milaje under acting, on the first Black Panther. And then while I was there, they said, “Hey, we’re going to have you be the Okoye double”. And so I was actually flipping back and forth because my character, Nomble, which is one of five Doras that actually have a name, I have a facial tattoo over the right side of my face. So when I was my- when I was playing myself, I had the facial tattoo and the silver garments for the Doras. And then when I would flip over and be Okoye, I would have to get the head tattoo and the different costume with the whole gold. So yeah, it was two different things.
Uday Kataria: So Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is my favorite Marvel movie.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Okay!
Uday Kataria: But the one thing that I don’t love about it is that the Dora Milaje’s role in the story wasn’t quite what I expected. And we know that there are scenes with Okoye, and Ayo, and Aneka that were cut out of the movie. Can you tell us anything else about how the Doras’ role in the movie changed?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: You know what? I necessarily don’t know if the role changed. I feel like we actually… I feel like we did more, right? I feel like we had more fighting. I feel like there was more… it was like expanded for the most part, right? I mean, we actually ended up teaming up with the Jabari. They help hold us down as we fly off the side of the ship, you know. I mean, I feel like it was more fighting, more protection, more unison, more of a tribe. Like, you see myself and Ayo a lot. You know, we’re in the Talon Fighter together. I feel like we kind of really were like an army, right? Like you have, I don’t know, battalion one, battalion two, battalion… as you break down things. So I don’t necessarily know if it changed or if it was stronger. Does that make sense?
Uday Kataria: Yeah, that does make sense.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Because we started really teaming up with our Wakan- I mean, we were there to really, you know, the king is gone. Right? So we have only really left our elders and our Queen Mother. So we were strong as a unit, I feel, making sure Queen Mother was good, as far as making sure Wakanda is safe and whatever we need to do to make sure it’s safe. Right? We have this threat coming from the underwater surface with Namor, Namora, you know, Attuma, all those people. I just feel like our role was super strong, you know. We were coordinating moves on the side of the ship as we swung, with the Jabari holding us. So yeah, I think we work more as a team.
Uday Kataria: That was awesome. I like that outlook on it.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Yeah.
Uday Kataria: Do you know what MCU project you’re going to be working on next, either as a stunt double or as Nomble?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: I have no idea. I have no idea. I don’t know anything until they contact me. Yeah. Facts! Facts.
Uday Kataria: I figured, but I was hoping we’d get a little tease. I need Black Panther 3, you know? That’s what I’m waiting for.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Oh, my God. You and me both. I was so excited at the end when they said yes, “Black Panther will return”. I thought it was so cool. I’ve noticed other movies doing that too.
Uday Kataria: Marvel movies have always done that!
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Not written out like that?
Uday Kataria: Actually yeah, at the end of credits, yeah it’s usually written out. And then sometimes they like to make jokes on it. So for Infinity War, it said “Thanos will return”.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Oh, okay! Well, yeah, okay.
Uday Kataria: It’s a nice reassurance for fans, so we are gonna see Black Panther again.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Yeah, yeah, for sure. You’re right, you’re right.
Uday Kataria: Maybe one day we’re gonna see “Nomble will return”.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Yo!
Uday Kataria: If the MCU keeps going on, I’m sure we will.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: I love it! Well, to say a return means that someone’s dead or something. I don’t want that. You know, I want to just know she coming back.
Uday Kataria: And then my last question is, you’ve dabbled in many areas of the film industry. So do you prefer stunt work, acting, or voice work?
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: So I am a multi-hyphenate to the core. To the hardcore core. And so I prefer being a multi-hyphenate. And doing my own stunts while voicing.
Uday Kataria: That’s a perfect answer. I think it’s really clear from your booth that you know, you love doing all sorts of different things.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Everything. Yeah! I’m a playwright too. I wrote three plays during the pandemic that went on tour.
Uday Kataria: Oh, wow.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: And then after COVID, you know, I haven’t done it since but, yeah, I am a multi-hyphenate. I do speaking engagements, all that.
Uday Kataria: You wrote a book!
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: I wrote a book that is an Amazon Best Seller.
Find her book here: Don’t Wait for the Period, Leave at the Comma.: Your Rulebook on Disengaging from Negativity and Taking Your Power Back
Uday Kataria: That’s amazing. Congratulations.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Thank you. Yeah.
Uday Kataria: All right. Thank you so much for sitting down with me. I really appreciate it.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Of course. Thank you for having me. Look, Wakanda Forever, remember right over left.
Uday Kataria: Yes!
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: And go check out South Park: Joining the Panderverse. I am the female Cartman, the Panderverse Cartman, and you’re gonna laugh your ass off.
Uday Kataria: Okay! Thank you.
Janeshia Adams-Ginyard: Thank you.
Revelations from my interview with Janeshia Adams-Ginyard
It was a great experience to sit down with a performer as talented as Janeshia Adams-Ginyard. I remember her first close-up as Nomble in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and certainly didn’t think I’d get to interview her a few years later! Her explanation of the unity in Wakanda Forever definitely makes me look at the Dora Milaje’s role differently, since I’ve always been focused on Okoye and Ayo being (in my opinion) shortchanged with diminished roles.
As a major WandaVision fan, it’s fascinating to hear more about the deleted scene with Monica Rambeau in Agatha Harkness’s basement. This is a scene described by director Matt Shakman soon after the WandaVision finale aired. He described how Monica, Ralph, Darcy, and the Maximoff twins would sneak into Agatha’s basement to retrieve the Darkhold only to be chased out by Señor Scratchy. It sounds like Monica was going to do some demon dodging in the original version of the finale!
I hope we see more of Janeshia Adams-Ginyard’s Nomble in future MCU projects. I’m still waiting on a Wakanda Disney+ series, and the Dora Milaje would be the perfect subject for it. A central quartet of Okoye, Ayo, Aneka, and Nomble sounds incredible to me!
You can catch Adams-Ginyard currently as the voice of Panderverse Cartman in South Park: Joining the Panderverse, now on Paramount+!
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