Vanities VANITAS VANITATUM

"I want people to feel hope and I want people to feel love. Especially during times like these." Stephan James, 25, stars in If Beale Street Could Talk and Amazon's Homecoming

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Opening Act

WHAT STEPHAN LOVES

Style icon: Pharrell

Shoes: Right now, Nike Air Max 270s

Accessory: Ray-Bans

Jeans: All Saints

Place: Toronto

Necessary extravagance:

A Burberry sweater for my French bulldog, Smokey

Favorite discovery: Sugarfina gummy bears

Whom do you text the most?

My mom, by far

Musicians at your dream dinnerparty:

Jay Z, Rihanna, and Jorja Smith

V.F.'s Krista Smith speaks with Stephan James.

Before starring opposite Julia Roberts in Homecoming and in Barry Jenkins's If Beale Street Could Talk, you got your start on the Canadian teen drama Degrassi.

I've always been pretty reserved, but after taking drama classes in middle school to get more comfortable performing in front of people, I thought I should try out for television. I'm from Toronto, and the show's been around for like 30 years. I had the opportunity to be a part of two new seasons in a small role 10 years ago, but there will always be those die-hard Degrassi fans who still remember me from that show.

And soon after, you made the transition from teen soap to film.

Yes, I had my first lead in a little indie film called Home Again. It's a really cool story about three immigrants who return to their native Jamaica. The first time I sat in a theater and watched myself on a screen was an out-of-body experience. It blew my mind.

Now you're starring in the powerful love story If Beale Street Could Talk, Jenkins's follow-up film to his Oscar-winning Moonlight.

Finding out that Barry Jenkins was making this film so soon, and the chance to be part of telling such a beautiful story, was a dream. I put a couple of scenes on tape, sent them to Barry, and asked if he would meet me for lunch. He agreed and explained his vision for the film, so then I sent him some more tapes just to show him how invested I was in the character. A week later he called and offered me the role.

Did you take the same approach with landing your role on Homecoming?

Well, honestly, the series is based on a podcast, and I was a little apprehensive to listen, because I didn't even know what a podcast was—never heard one in my life. But I wanted to be a part of it once I heard the creator of Mr. Robot, Sam Esmail, was on board and that this little-known actress, Julia Roberts, was cast to star in it.

You play a young veteran under the care of a counselor played by Julia. What was your experience working with her, in her television debut?

She's electric and she has a very loving, warm sort of aura, so the walls were broken down for me within the first five minutes of meeting her. I enjoyed every second we got to share together. I wouldn't trade that whole process for anything.

And you recently finished filming 17 Bridges with Chadwick Boseman, Sienna Miller, J. K. Simmons, and Taylor Kitsch.

It is a fantastic cast. It's an action thriller about a manhunt in Manhattan. All 17 major bridges are shut down for the search to ensue, and it all takes place over the course of one night. It's going to be something different than anything out there, I think. I'm really excited.

There's a lot of Oscar buzz surrounding Beale Street. How do you hope the film is received?

I hope that it sparks conversation, starts dialogue. At the root of it all, I want people to feel hope and I want people to feel love. I think that's the through-line of the film. Especially during times like these, when you have love and hope, it's amazing the things you can see yourself do.