Cameron Britton on Working with Mary J. Blige in ‘The Umbrella Academy’
In the Netflix superhero sensation ‘The Umbrella Academy,’ Cameron Britton and Mary J. Blige star as Hazel and Cha-Cha respectively. They play the villains who – under orders from The Handler (Kate Walsh) – are assigned to hunt down and eliminate Number Five. Meanwhile, Number Five (Aidan Gallagher) – the snarky and cynical time and space traveler – is determined to prevent an impending apocalypse.
Cameron Britton, bringing a needed degree of emotional depth to a comic book character otherwise two-dimensional and unrealistically bubbly, has gotten to know Mary J. Blige while filming. Speaking of his relationship with the singer-actress, Britton stated:
“Most of my scenes were with Mary J. Blige, so we got to know each other a lot, and pretty fascinating human being. You could ask Mary about the first twenty years of her life, or the next two, and they’re so varied and they’re such unique experiences for anybody that it was hard to be bored around her, you can say that much.”
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Given Mary J. Blige’s journey to stardom, it’s no surprise that Britton found his conversations with her awe-inducing. From turning to alcohol and drugs to cope with her childhood molestation to achieving multi-platinum worldwide sales, Mary J. Blige boasts one inspiring and impressive success story.
Mary J. Blige fought and endured great pain before winding up where she is today, and that can not be mistaken for anything close to boring, as Britton explains.
The intimate dynamic between Hazel and Cha-Cha in ‘The Umbrella Academy’
Hazel and Cha-Cha play paid assassins; however, unlike the dramatic flair inherently tied to the term, and seen in movies like Hitman, these two see their work as just that…work.
Hazel and Cha-Cha are blue-collar citizens working for “the man,” whom they never see – think Bosley in Charlie’s Angels, but not supportive or inspiring in any capacity. Hazel plays the complainer. He’s the man who notes the shrinking hotel rooms in two-star locales, while Cha-Cha is the one who listens and restores his motivation.
Hazel’s complaints do not fall on deaf ears, as Cha-Cha listens and begins to remind him of the “good old days;” they reminisce about their most exciting kills as if they were playing GoldenEye 007 on Nintendo 64. However, Cha-Cha, seemingly separate from all human desires – love, family, children –
Their relationship changes. They are briefly turned on one another when orders to assassinate each other come in, and Hazel begins to fall in love with a donut shop owner.
Mary J. Blige and Cameron Britton excel opposite each other in ‘The Umbrella Academy’
Mary J. Blige, funny, tough, and determined is a joy to watch on her own. Seeing her battle a 6’ 5” Cameron Britton, now that just makes for amusing TV. What’s even better: given her character’s tough persona and muscular physique, you’re completely convinced that she can take him.
Cameron Britton and Mary J. Blige, whether double-teaming the superhero siblings or going head-to-head, are two of the show’s most enjoyable characters to watch. Providing comic relief and a buddy-cop relationship dynamic, they stray from typical villain characterizations and augment the show’s already unique approach.
