Inside Carry-On’s Danielle Deadwyler’s life as she opens up about her time with son

The long-awaited thriller Carry-On has landed on Netflix, starring Danielle Deadwyler as Elena Cole, a determined agent on the trail of a mysterious traveler.

Carry-On, now streaming on Netflix, stars Taron Egerton as Ethan, a security agent blackmailed by an enigmatic traveler into smuggling a suspicious package past airport security. As a tense game of cat and mouse unfolds, Danielle Deadwyler’s character, Elena Cole, is tasked with tracking down and exposing the antagonist.

Danielle Deadwyler, a 42-year-old American actress, began her career in theater before transitioning to film roles. Her film debut came in 2012 with the drama A Cross to Bear, followed by notable appearances in top soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots as well as P-Valley, Station Eleven and From Scratch.

Born in Atlanta, Georgia, Danielle grew up with three siblings. In an interview with The New York Times, she reflected on her childhood and her initial reluctance to pursue an acting career.

Despite taking her first dance class at age four and developing a passion for theater in high school, Danielle never envisioned becoming a professional actress. “It’s just been a part of my life since I was a kid,” she recalled. “It was the lifeblood.”

Danielle received widespread critical acclaim for her portrayal of Mamie Till in the biographical film Till. She auditioned for the role over Zoom in 2021, with her 12-year-old son Ezra playing in the background.

During the emotional audition scene, the actress revealed that her son remained unaffected by the disturbing sounds coming from the adjacent room.

Speaking to Vulture, she emphasized the importance of having honest discussions with her son about real-world events.

“I’m very, very honest with him,” she shared. “He’s been able to watch Buffalo. He’s been able to watch Uvalde. He’s like, ‘What the hell is going on?’ without saying, ‘What the hell is going on?'”

The actress also attributed much of her character Mamie’s depth to her own experiences growing up in a 1920s bungalow in southwest Atlanta with her parents, an older sister and two brothers.

After periods living in New York and Vancouver, the star chose to return to Atlanta and sought support from family while raising her son.

Viewers can stream Carry-On on Netflix.