‘Black Adam’ Star Sarah Shahi Talks Sacrifices of Being a Working Mother in Hollywood and That Cameo Surprise

The actor didn’t learn about the mid-credits surprise until she saw it at the New York premiere.

Sarah Shahi Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images

[This story contains spoilers for Black Adam.]

For Sarah Shahi, Black Adam is more than just the biggest film role of her career. Shahi has been a working actor for over 20 years, and in that time, she’s become a prolific TV star with notable roles on series such as Person of Interest, The Sopranos and The L Word. Currently, she’s the lead of the Netflix romantic drama Sex/Life, which put up substantial numbers upon its debut in July 2021, but like most of her projects, it’s certainly not one that she can share with her 13-year-old son and 7-year-old twins.

That’s where Black Adam enters into the equation, as Shahi couldn’t wait to enjoy the Jaume Collet-Serra-directed and Dwayne Johnson-led superhero actioner with her family at the recent New York premiere. According to Shahi, her role as Adrianna Tomaz, a Kahndaqi professor and freedom fighter, also represents 13 years’ worth of sacrifices that so many working mothers have to make not just in the film industry, but in every line of work.

“[Black Adam’s New York premiere with my family] was 13 years of broken promises, missed birthdays, missed first recitals, missed first football games and moments that I can’t get back, all because I was working …,” Shahi tells The Hollywood Reporter while on the verge of tears. “It was not only a culmination of all those times and all those tears that we shed; it was also a good example that, as a parent, hard work works.”

Shahi is also finally able to address the film’s multiple cameos including Henry Cavill’s Superman and Viola Davis’ Amanda Waller. While Davis appeared in the second trailer, both cameos were a complete surprise to Shahi, as was Peacemaker standout Jennifer Holland and her return appearance as Emilia Harcourt. 

“I didn’t even know about any of that [Superman] stuff until I saw the movie and saw what happened at the end. It was mind-blowing,” Shahi says. “They’re really good at holding on to secrets over there. I mean, I didn’t even know Viola Davis was in the movie until I saw the screening. I was just like, ‘Holy shit. I’m in a movie with Viola Davis.’”

In a recent conversation with THR, Shahi also explains why the Kahndaqi storyline has dual meaning to her now. Then she previews season two of Sex/Life and her upcoming film, Red White & Royal Blue, based on the 2019 romance novel.

I remember from our last chat how excited you were to have a project that you could finally share with your kids. So, are they impressed? 

Yes, they are — and then some! When we were at the premiere in New York together, it was a moment for me that was 20 years in the making. I flew out my kids, my mother, my sister, and I just started crying because I was like, “This is not my night. This is their night.” It was 13 years of broken promises, missed birthdays, missed first recitals, missed first football games and moments that I can’t get back, all because I was working my ass off doing whatever project it was that I had to be gone for. One day, I just felt like if I put myself out there and tried hard enough and treated every role like it was the most important role, then it would pay off in some way.

And so it was their night. I could start crying right now just thinking about it. (Shahi gets emotional.) I’ve got two boys and a girl, and my 13-year-old son especially was gobsmacked at the end of it. He was like, “Mom!” He kept yanking on my arm and saying, “You’re amazing. You’re so cool.” (Laughs.) And the same with my 7-year-old twins. They wanted me to do the accent for them, and so it was just such a moment. It was not only a culmination of all those times and all those tears that we shed; it was also a good example that, as a parent, hard work works. So that’s important for me.

That’s so great to hear. And because I remembered that you were excited to watch this movie with your kids, I was surprised to hear the Black Adam producers say that they narrowly avoided an R-rating. During filming, did you ever think you were approaching an R-rating?

Maybe once, but that was only because Black Adam kills so many people. (Laughs.) I was like, “How many kills are you allowed to have?” But it’s interesting because I really saw this movie as a family film. The way I understood the story of Black Adam is that he’s a father who got his family torn away from him, and he was reborn out of rage. And my role in the film also carries a very maternal storyline. And so, other than the fact that he killed everybody that he came in contact with, I felt like it was a family movie. (Laughs.)

Sarah Shahi and Pierce Brosnan in Black Adam. Courtesy of Frank Masi/Warner Bros.

I’m going to bypass the casting process just because we went over it in detail last time, but I will link to it for the uninitiated. Can you tell me about your first day shooting with Dwayne Johnson?

My first day shooting with Dwayne was when Adrianna conjured him out of the tomb and into existence. So he dropped in out of nowhere, and the man just wields so much power in this role in terms of how seamless his performance is. He was being lifted up by this robotic arm that was created just for him in this role, and I was just in awe. I was like, “He probably does shoot electricity. There are no special effects required.” (Laughs.) Of course, I was floored by his size. He was the only person who didn’t have a muscle suit, and he really did fill out that costume.

When I first met him, I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t know what to call him. My best friend also happens to be his stylist, so I had heard some really awesome stories about him, but I just didn’t know what to expect. So I was like, “Hey, I’m Sarah. What do I call you? Mr. Johnson? Dwayne? Mr. Rock? What do you want me to address you as?” And then he went, “Daddy.” And I just started laughing. I was like, “Holy shit. That’s awesome.” He’s funny. He makes you feel comfortable. When he engages with you, he truly makes you feel like you’re the only person in the room. He gives you full eye contact, and that’s rare for people in this business to do. 

So he became “D.J.” right away?

Right away! He is an incredibly detailed actor-producer, and with his portrayal of Black Adam, you don’t feel like you’re watching Dwayne Johnson. You feel like he really is this mythical character that’s come to life. My favorite thing about him is that he wants everybody to win. I can’t tell you how many times he would take his lines and give them to another actor who maybe didn’t have as much to do in the scene. We just came out of this world tour where we’d introduce the film, and they’d give him the mic to say something. But then, he’d make sure to pass the mic along to me or Aldis [Hodge] or anybody else. He is so giving of the spotlight because he wants everybody to win, and he acts like it. He’s the most open-hearted person I’ve ever met. 

Adrianna unlocks Teth-Adam’s tomb, and then he makes quick work of these Intergang soldiers. But in the process, Teth-Adam saves Adrianna from falling rubble. You then had a few close-ups to show that she recognizes goodness in him. Did they spend more time than usual on those shots since her belief in him is so key to his arc?

The shoot was grueling, so I felt like we spent a lot of time on every shot. (Laughs.) So we probably did because there’s just so much that goes into shooting movies like this that you’re not aware of, initially. But we did spend time on creating moments that were not on the page. The interesting thing about my character is that she becomes the Black Adam whisperer, and so we had to build those moments early on where you can see her vulnerabilities toward him or her openness and grace. So it was important to really nail that stuff in between the lines, such as the moments she shares with her son [Bodhi Sabongui].

I read that you had to shoot a lot of your coverage alone. Is that what surprised you most about making these massive films?

Yes, that did surprise me. I come from a little TV world where everyone is there, and they build a schedule in such a way that you don’t have to do the scene by yourself. But with something like this, it was such a massive scale, and everybody became so busy, especially toward the end. So you really had to prioritize in terms of what we needed to get and what we could shoot now that involved everybody. And then at a later time, we would go ahead and get anything that we missed with another unit. So there were a lot of firsts for me on this one.

Specifically, we had this one day in Adrianna’s apartment, and none of the other actors were able to be there because everyone had to go off and do something else. So they were like, “OK, Sarah, we’re getting to your close-up now,” and it was like three weeks after we had already shot that scene. So I had completely put it out of my head, and then sure enough, we had the script supervisor reading all the lines. We had the grips holding up tennis balls in various places, and I did that scene to myself. 

Sarah Shahi and Mohammed Amer in Black Adam. Courtesy of Frank Masi/Warner Bros.

Adrianna is a Kahndaqi professor and freedom fighter. She also wears a family heirloom, and it’s supposed to be magic of some kind. Is that meant to plant a seed for her superhero alter ego Isis someday?

(Laughs.) What are you talking about? I have no idea. (Shahi feigns ignorance.) It’s one of those beautiful mysteries that keeps getting brought up, and D.J. has been very complimentary in the way that he’s teeing it all up. So I’m not sure. I’m just going to answer that very safely and say that I’m not exactly sure what the long-term intention is for that. But hey, from your mouth to somebody’s ears.

She acts as a mediator of sorts between Black Adam and the Justice Society. Did you feel pretty empowered when you got in the middle of these superheroes and laid down the law?

I did. What’s interesting about her is that she’s a single mom, and I am also a single mom. And I can tell you right now, if my children were in danger, there is no length that I wouldn’t go to to protect them. So I wouldn’t care who I had to speak with or how many faces I would have to get into. There is nothing more important than the safety of your children. It wasn’t necessarily that I saw her as a mediator, but for her, it’s life and death. If she loses her son, she dies inside, so it’s not even, “Why can’t we all get along?” The lives of a mother and child are on the line, so it’s like, “I don’t care what you two need to do, but you’re going to work together until we find him. Done.” So that’s how I saw that scene.

Physically speaking, was this the most difficult job you’ve done since Sameen Shaw on Person of Interest? 

Yes. I enjoy fight scenes and stunts, which is why I took the role on Person of Interest. That was a heavy influence for me. I’d never done it before until that show. But what was hard about this was the wire work that I had to do, and our first day of shooting was me crossing that mountain and making that big jump at the very beginning of the movie. So I had about 10 minutes to practice, and I have never done that before. It really messes with your mind when you’re suspended by these ropes 300 feet up in the air, or however much it was.

So they’re like, “Don’t worry. There are two guys on the end of the ropes that are holding you up.” And it’s like, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on a second. What do you mean? Let’s talk about this. How do you guys feel? Are you feeling OK? Have you had your coffee? Did you get enough rest last night?” Your life is in their hands, in a way, and the funny thing about that moment too was that I was assured by our coordinator that I wasn’t going to have to do it. I was assured that they’d probably have the double do the jump and that I can just relax. So I got pretty cozy with that idea, and then five minutes before they were about to start rolling, Jaume was like, “I want Sarah to do it.” So I started crying. I was so scared. (Laughs.)

So I was like, “OK, no problem. Can I just have five minutes in my trailer?” And I went in my trailer and just started bawling some more because I was terrified. But I did it, and I lived. I’m a big [Charles] Bukowski fan, and one of his quotes is, “Find what you love and let it kill you.” So the whole time I was like, “Well, if anything, I’d be a living example of that. Maybe that’s what can be written on my grave.” So I’m proud that I did it, and again, it all comes back to my kids. They were pretty proud as well. 

[The following two questions and answers contain major spoilers for Black Adam.]

So when did you first learn that Superman [Henry Cavill] was going to be your castmate?

They kept that under wraps for a while. I didn’t even know about any of that stuff until I saw the movie and saw what happened at the end. It was mind-blowing. When we all saw that moment, everybody’s arms went up in the air. Everybody was just jumping out of their seats. They’re really good at holding on to secrets over there. I mean, I didn’t even know Viola Davis was in the movie until I saw the screening. I was just like, “Holy shit. I’m in a movie with Viola Davis.”

Was Jennifer Holland’s appearance as Emila Harcourt another late addition?  

She was another surprise to me!

Sarah Shahi and Mohammed Amer in Black Adam. Courtesy of Frank Masi/Warner Bros.

When you saw the people of Khandaq liberate themselves, what went through your mind? 

It’s an interesting thing. This movie has really taken on a dual meaning. As a Middle Easterner, I’ve been waiting in a way for us to have a moment. All too often, Middle Easterners get cast in stereotypical roles like terrorists and bad guys, and as a woman, your character definitely services the male story. And so it’s a beautiful thing to be able to have this story in a commercial format that really highlights Middle Eastern actors. And then on top of that, you have everything that’s happening in Iran right now, which feels like it’s happening to me. I am Persian, and I grew up hearing stories like that. And when you’re a kid, you don’t really know what that’s about.

But as I’ve gotten older and all of this is happening, it’s like those stories came alive. So when I look at that moment at the end of the film, I truly can’t help but think about the men and women that are fighting for change in Iran, and what it would feel like for them if they were allowed basic civil liberties. So it’s a lot more than the people of Khandaq becoming free. It just represents the whole geopolitical thing that’s happening right now, and wouldn’t it be nice if …

On a completely different note, Adrianna’s apartment took a beating in this film. Hawkman [Aldis Hodge] and Hawkman’s estate should foot the bill for a new place, right?

I think that’s fair to say! 

Did you and Aldis Hodge ever look at each other and say, “We’re a long way from City on a Hill”?

Oh my gosh, all the time. Al and I have known of each other even before we started working together, only because of this mutual friend. And then when we got City on a Hill, it was like, “Wow, can you believe this? After all this time, we’re finally getting to meet each other.” So that was a thing for us. And then to go from City on a Hill to this, I can’t tell you how many times I looked at him and was like, “Well, this is a far cry from the shithole in Yonkers, isn’t it?” And from us trying to make sense of that project and becoming therapists to one another on the hardships and challenges we faced on City on a Hill to now, never in our wildest imaginations did we think that we would be in the position that we’re in right now. I’m just waiting to do something with him where I don’t have to use an accent. (Laughs.)

I was surprised to learn that you have history with Jaume Collet-Serra, too.

Yeah, we do. We did a show for Amblin called Reverie, and he did the pilot episode. And the level that he created was difficult to maintain because he truly is on a level of his own. He’s like a mad scientist when it comes to this stuff.

Decades from now, when you’re reminiscing about your career next to a crackling fireplace, what day from Black Adam will you likely recall first?

Gosh, there are so many. The first time we were all on set together was pretty awesome. It was a Hawk Cruiser moment, and everybody was finally on set in their outfits at the same time. And it was just like, “Oh man, wow. This is special.” I have a lot of photos from that day that I’m finally allowed to share, and the whole thing feels like stepping into your dreams. Sometimes, it becomes bigger than your dreams, but everything is something I look back on and go, “Oh man, what an experience.” We also all really got along. I’m not sure if that chemistry is seen onscreen or not, but we all really like each other.

You’ve got Pierce Brosnan and Dwayne Johnson, who are the stars of this thing, and even they were floored by the scale of everything. 007 [Brosnan] was talking about how beautiful everything was, and there’s still a sense of wonderment about him. And Noah [Centineo], Quintessa [Swindell], Al [Hodge], Mo [Amer], Marwan [Kenzari], Bodhi [Sabongui] and I would come to work just so tickled, humbled and grateful. We would even hang out with each other on the weekends, and we missed one another when we couldn’t hang out with each other. When somebody wasn’t working, we were like, “Hey, why don’t you come up and hang?” They got to know my kids really well, too. So the whole experience just gives me goosebumps and tickles my heart in the best way. We really became a family.

Sarah Shahi in Sex/Life AMANDA MATLOVICH/NETFLIX

As we wind down, there are some impatient Sex/Life fans out there, so what can you say to tide them over until there’s a premiere date in sight?

Well, what I can say is that you’re going to be in for a surprise. Something happens that you probably won’t expect. I think season two is even steamier and possibly has even more romance than the first season did. Themes of hope and second chances are pretty prevalent, and I’m just very grateful to Netflix for taking a risk on such raw storytelling. Obviously, there are people out there that really connect to it.

And what can you tease regarding Red White & Royal Blue, which has a quite built-in audience already? 

Yeah, Red White & Royal Blue. I’m not allowed to say the character that I play because, like you said, it has a massive number of fans already. The book was just so beautifully written, and I was really floored by it. I was also really floored by what we were creating on set. Matthew Lopez, the director, also adapted the book, and he is just one of the smartest, most genius directors I’ve ever worked with in my life. I would 100 percent work with him again in a heartbeat. Between him and Jaume Collet-Serra, I just feel so lucky to have them in my pocket of filmmakers that I’ve worked with, because what they’re trying to do is so highbrow and of such quality. And more importantly, they’re collaborative.

I can’t tell you how many things I’ve worked on, including things fairly recently, where it’s not like that at all. I really subscribe to the Robert Altman way of filmmaking. He was notorious for asking the craft service guy to come in and watch rehearsal. He would then ask, “What do you think about this?” So he was not afraid to take a suggestion no matter where it came from. If it was a better idea, it was a better idea, and it’s just shocking how many people in this business don’t do that. I really think you’re losing inspiration when you’re like that. So Jaume and Matthew are definitely two people who are more than willing to play.

***Black Adam is now playing exclusively in movie theaters. This interview was edited for length and clarity.