Naturi Naughton Opens Up About the Decision That Cost Her a Spot in Ryan Coogler’s Rise
Actress and singer Naturi Naughton-Lewis brought the best career advice comes wrapped in regret, delivered with a smile, and served with a hefty dose of wisdom. to the ABFF Pop-Up in New York City.
Long before “Black Panther’s” Ryan Coogler became the visionary filmmaker behind billion-dollar blockbusters, he was a rising director working on his 2010 short film called “Fig,” and he wanted Naughton as his lead. She was ready to say yes, but her team had other plans.
Naughton was offered a role in Coogler’s project. The script was compelling, the filmmaker clearly talented, but the day rate was modest, which she discussed on Ally’s Erica Hughes for a panel on “Money Wellness and the Creator.”
“He was really talented, and the script was really good,” Naughton said, according to Black Girl Nerds. “They were paying me, like, a day rate — maybe a couple hundred dollars, real talk. And John Singleton was his mentor at that time. I loved John. Twinkie Byrd was casting and told me, ‘You need to do this movie. He’s about to be the next one.’”
The former “Power” star was prepared to take the leap until her management stepped in with an ultimatum.
Naturi Naughton-Lewis regrets passing up Ryan Coogler’s short film ‘Fig’. For more about Naturi’s story from the ABFF Pop-Up NYC go here: https://t.co/3t4J3DBQ5X pic.twitter.com/c1BoBcgrXQ
— Black Girl Nerds (@BlackGirlNerds) October 27, 2025
“They were vehemently against it. They told me if I did it, they’d drop me,” Naughton explained. “They said it wasn’t a good look because I was about to do a series called ‘The Playboy Club.’ They said, ‘You have to maintain a certain prestige.’”
Looking back, she sees it as a turning point that taught her the difference between prestige and opportunity.
“I just want to share with everyone, sometimes access and opportunity are more valuable than money,” Naughton said. “Prestige is bigger than money. But so is relational currency. Write that down, y’all: relational currency.”
Fig went on to win top honors at the American Black Film Festival, plus recognition at AFI Fest and the HBO Short Film Competition, according to IMDb.
That short film became the launchpad for one of Hollywood’s most extraordinary careers.
8 years before #BlackPanther, there was FIG:
“If you meet Ryan, one thing you’ll quickly find out is that he is really humble. Ryan is finna make some real big thangs happen in the near near future.” —@ClifSoulo in 2010 after seeing Coogler’s short film.https://t.co/t6SI1UDQdF pic.twitter.com/xMmbWaeqt1
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) March 29, 2018
Coogler directed “Fruitvale Station,” then “Creed,” revitalizing the “Rocky” franchise, followed by Black Panther, which shattered records by becoming the 21st highest-grossing film in movie history with over $1.2 billion in global box office revenue.
The film earned seven Academy Award nominations, winning three, and made history as the first Marvel film nominated for Best Picture. His latest work, “Sinners,” released earlier this year, has already earned an impressive $287 million worldwide.
Years later, Naughton still runs into Coogler and maintains their connection with humor. “I see Ryan all the time, and I’m like, ‘You know I’m ready! Whatever you need!’” she said with a smile.
“I told him, ‘Forgive me for not doing your movie.’ And he was like, ‘No, I love you, I love you — I wanted you because I saw you in ‘Notorious’” as rapper Lil Kim. She reflected that “it was the launch of something,” adding, “You’ve got to get in early. That’s what I learned. Sometimes you just have to go ahead and do stuff, even when the money or the prestige doesn’t make sense yet.”
While Naughton may have missed that early Coogler opportunity, she has built impressive work over recent years.
She starred as Jill “Da Thrill” Sumpter in the musical drama “Queens,” which ran from October 2021 to February 2022. Her film credits include “Call Her King,” where she played Judge Jaeda King, along with 88 and the 2024 release “Abducted at an HBCU: A Black Girl Missing Movie.” One of her biggest and highly praised roles was as Tasha St. Patrick in 50 Cent’s series, “Power.” The award-winning series ran for six seasons before she moved her role to “Power II: Ghost.”
“I’ll handled it” once Tasha told him to “stop seeing” Angela 😄😄 https://t.co/lgBzIBcWdi pic.twitter.com/hlkdZ9qBdz
— Power – Fan Source (@PowerTVFans) November 19, 2024
Beyond acting, Naughton-Lewis has embraced entrepreneurship alongside her husband, Xavier Two Lewis, launching their production company, Take Two Entertainment, in December 2023, according to Black Film and TV. Their flagship project, “Color Book,” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024. She also directed a short film called “333” under their banner.
The lesson Naughton learned from passing on “Fig” resonates deeply in an industry where relationships often matter more than paychecks. Sometimes the path not taken teaches us exactly where we need to go next, and Naughton-Lewis is using that wisdom to build her own legacy, one authentic story at a time.
