How Dominique Fishback Manifested Her Role In ‘Transformers: Rise of the Beasts’ And Channels Her Characters

Dominique Fishback opened up about how she manifested her role in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and goes deep to channel her characters.

The Brooklyn native plays Elana in the new Transformers film, hitting theaters on June 9. The science fiction picture, set in 1994 in New York City and Peru, sees Optimus Prime and the Autobots take on their biggest challenge yet and enlisting the help of the Maximals to save Earth.

Fishback, a trained actress and playwright best known for her roles in Swarm and Project Power, as well as Judas and the Black Messiah, which garnered her a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, shared how she envisioned a flourishing acting career for herself that would include blockbusters alongside iconic characters like Bumblebee and Optimus Prime.

“I watched the movies and I always imagined, ‘what would it be like to be them?'” Fishback told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’ve always been a manifester and I’ve always believed in myself as an artist.”

It’s also the first time we’re seeing a diverse team of leads, with Fishback, 32, and Anthony Ramos, 31, starring alongside each other as Elana and Noah, two NYC civilians who find themselves entangled in the Autobots’ battle to save Earth. It’s a nod toward representation in Hollywood that Fishback is proud to be a part of.

“I look forward to all the Black and Brown girls, people in the world to see themselves and to celebrate and know what’s possible,” she shared.

The film is a full-circle moment for Fishback and Ramos, who grew up not too far from each other in Brooklyn and also attended the same theater school during their early days of acting.

“It was always in the fabric of the universe that me and Anthony would be able to make history like this together in such a beautiful way,” Fishback said.

Just on the heels of wowing audiences with her standout performance as the lead in Donald Glover’s Swarm, Fishback shared her process for channeling her characters, which includes journaling and deep prayer.

“I journal as my characters. I know that it always, always supported me to know the psychology of my character, how to show up in the world,” she explained.

When it came to her lead in Glover’s psycho-thriller series, Fishback enlisted professional help on set while channeling her serial killer role.

“With Swarm, I asked for a therapist to be on set because I know it is like channeling, it is a very spiritual thing for some actors,” she said.

“I always pray God makes me be a vessel so that the character can come through me authentically.”

With that type of channeling, we can expect more standout performances and award nominations to come Fishback’s way. Be sure to watch her shine alongside Ramos, Tobe Nwigwe, Optimus Prime, and the Autobots in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts.