Andra Day says she was initially “hesitant” to take on role in ‘The Deliverance’

In the new movie The Deliverance, Andra Day stars as Ebony Jackson, an alcoholic single mother who seeks support from the religion she’d abandoned after her children are possessed by otherworldly demons. She tells People she was skeptical about the role because she’s a devout Christian.

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

Speaking to director Lee Daniels, who she’d worked with on The United States vs. Billie Holiday, also helped in making the decision.

“Just knowing the angle that we wanted to approach it from, I felt so much peace about that,” Andra said. “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.'”

Andra then committed to playing the character, getting “temporary” tattoos of the names of her three on-screen children. But nearly two years later, the tats are still on her left forearm.

“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,” she said. “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.’” 

The Deliverance, based on the story of an Indiana woman who believed her children needed an exorcist, releases in theaters Friday and on Netflix Aug. 30.

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