Khailah Johnson has been a standout on The CW’s new 4400 series as LaDonna Landry, a 2015 influencer and reality TV fixture who is brought six years into the future alongside 4,399 other displaced people with no recollection of how or why it happened. The November 8 episode “That LaDonna Life” was a great showcase for her character’s backstory, as we learned what was like for this outgoing young woman who has many layers and aspects of her backstory.
KSiteTV’s Craig Byrne was able to speak with Khailah about this role and what might be coming up for LaDonna as future episodes of 4400 continue to air Mondays at 9PM ET/PT on The CW.
KSITETV’s CRAIG BYRNE: At least on the outside, LaDonna puts herself out there and presents herself as outgoing and fun. How much fun is that to play?
KHAILAH JOHNSON: It’s really a lot of fun. I think playing LaDonna gives me room to be more outgoing, more adventurous, I don’t know… more of a kind of exaggerated version of myself, somebody I aspire to be… she’s very much not afraid to be her. She’s unapologetically herself, and I think that’s something that everybody strives to be. She teaches me a lot, and it’s really fun to just be out there and not apologize the way she is. It’s a lot of fun.
When you received the script for Episode 3, were you surprised by how deep they went with her backstory?
No, no, not at all. Even from the first episode, from the way she carries herself and the way she introduced herself to these strangers, I knew there was more to her. I knew there was something under that layer that she was showing; something under the surface that she was portraying. I just didn’t know what yet. And when I got [the script to 3], it was really cool to dive into a woman in the media, because that’s a tough world to be in, especially as Black woman, and her relationship with her mother. That was also interesting, because I have a great relationship with my mother! But just delving into that lifestyle. and that truth of some people… no, it was not surprising. I knew there was there was something that was aiding her mask that she put on.
You also come from a family of talented people. Is that correct?
I very much do, yes! A lot of my family’s musically inclined. My Mom, my Nana who ran the choir at my church… all of my cousins and aunts and uncles sing, and we all sing together at Christmases and Thanksgiving. They’re all very talented and creative.
How might LaDonna’s family react to being reunited with her?
I think that the differentiation between her mother and her father will be very large. I think her mother will maybe try to make a spin off show, like “LaDonna’s Return.” Maybe maybe a more welcoming environment on her father’s end, but I think especially with her mother, it will be pretty transactional, unfortunately, rather than a warm hug.
Going back to the most recent episode, how did LaDonna feel after she put on a show for the cameras and then found out that she wasn’t even going to get her phone back?
Pissed! [Laughs] I think she was so used to living in a world where everything was given to her, and everything she asked for, she got. And so she expected that, nothing else, and when that didn’t happen, she was really seeing what it’s like to be taken out of her normal environment of “you’re not the star anymore. You’re not who everybody’s working for, and honestly, people are here working against you now. Rhis is the way the world works, and this is the way a lot of people live.” So I think that was a very eye-awakening moment for her.
And then we saw she retaliated by sending that video to Shanice’s daughter. Can you tease anything about what might be coming up with that?
Obviously, we saw that she sent it to a lot of people, so I think the truth is now out, and the public will do with that what they will.
So far, I really love her relationships with Claudette and Andre, especially because of the age difference. I don’t think she’s ever had friends that were…honestly, friends period, but especially not connecting with people out of her age range, especially since they’re both from vastly different time periods that she maybe doesn’t understand. And so I really think that both of her relationships with them are very serendipitous.
They are very genuine in the fact that they’re genuinely trying to understand each other and trying to connect with one another when so many things are different, and they’re trying to see each other and who they really are. I think that’s why she gravitates towards them, because they see beyond the outside of her. The outfit, the hair, everything.
Being from 2015, do you think LaDonna has any advantage over the others?
Definitely. She’s a little bit more current. She understands technology, which is going to be a really big part of the show. In 2021, technology is all we know right now, you know? She kind of has an upper hand in that. Even when she did the press conference, she has a sense of media; a sense of publicity, and even though she may be a little ignorant to it, she does have a sense of what the world was like not too far ago. So, yeah. I think she has a little advantage.
And she has this knowledge of computer science.
Most definitely. She’s very, very smart. So that’s gonna come in handy.Is there any actor on the series that you would like to work with more?
Honestly, all of them. My answer is all of them, but I will choose one: Brittany [Adebumola].] I think we have really good chemistry and like doing a lot of stuff together for fun. I would love to work with her more.
What did you think when you discovered what LaDonna’s ability is?
I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. It’s a really strong power, and it’s something that is so useful. It kind of blends in with her past; the whole “I want it, I’ve got it.”
When you first got the role, did you have any discussions with the writers about LaDonna and where her story would go?
I did. Ariana [Jackson, showrunner] and I had a conversation about her arc and her journey, and it really touched me. LaDonna is not me, but there are parts of her that I resonate with, so her journey and her arc were very moving. I just agreed with everything she said, and I thought her arc was very powerful and it was something that I was excited for people like me, as a young black woman, to see on television.
If someone is sleeping on watching this show, what would you tell them to get them to tune in?
There’s so much. There’s literally everything. There’s comedy, there’s drama, there’s sci-fi. There’s everything for everyone. It’s not just a sci-fi show. I know sometimes people are like “sci-fi isn’t my thing.” That’s cool. There’s so much other stuff in this show. I really think it’s so universal, and so-well rounded. There’s something for everybody to latch own to.
What is the best part of being a part of this show for you?
My cast and my crew I get to work with. I say this all the time: I get to work with really, really wonderful people, and I’m very blessed and lucky that I got put with this group of people, specifically. I am very glad I get to tell this story with some amazing people.
Do you have anything else you would like to say to the fans who will be reading this?
Tune in on Monday night at 9/8 Central!
