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a situation that many of us go through in real life, but we don’t always see played out in this way: here she is receiving the biggest once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that she should be celebrating alongside her husband, while he is going through one of the worst experiences in life — losing a parent. Anyone in a relationship knows that having to balance the excitement and joy of one’s life work coming to fruition with supporting your spouse through the worst kind of grief is a tough situation, but it also is a great space for lots of drama. Miami Living: Can you share any memorable experiences working alongside Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker on this series? Paulina Lule: I did not work as extensively with Forest as my casemates who play his children, but on the occasions I did, it was such an honor and a gift to work with someone so incredibly talented. I do have one memory that is such a good one, even though I’m only a side character in the event. Dyllan Yelverton plays my son Bentley in the show. I remember the very first day, we filmed the funeral scene, and Dyllan sat next to me in the pew. He said to me: “I can’t believe I get to work with the coolest guy in the world.” I thought he meant Grantham because he was sitting on the other side of me. I said, “Who, Grantham?” And Dyllan said, “No, this guy.” And he points to a picture of Forest on the program in his hand. I chuckled a bit, but soon stopped when Dyllan started rattling off Forest’s filmography! “He’s in Jingle Jangle, Black Panther, etc…” He talked about Forest non-stop through filming, hoping he’d get to meet him. Flash forward to about halfway through filming and I’m sitting in the makeup trailer with Forest. Dyllan comes in for the day, but walks right past Forest, not even noticing him. At that point, everyone was aware of Dyllan’s fandom, so Jessica (the head of makeup) said “Dyllan, look who’s in my chair!” Dyllan’s face dropped. He was speechless! Forest gave him the biggest hug, took pictures with him, and gave him so many encouraging words. Everyone in the trailer was misty-eyed! Miami Living: The series also explores the theme of conspiracy, which is quite relevant today. What are your thoughts on conspiracy theories? Paulina Lule: I think that a healthy amount of skepticism is appropriate to maintain a level of critical thinking on important issues, but I worry about the ability for conspiracy theories to be misrepresented as fact in our current climate. Social media, propaganda, and the willingness to believe the things that fit a narrative you subscribe to while rejecting others is a dangerous road to travel. Miami Living: Do you have any challenging moments worth sharing while filming “Emperor of Ocean Park”? Paulina Lule: Filming in minus 30-degree wind chill weather is probably one of the most challenging moments in my career so far. I remember one day we had our trailers set up alongside the lake, so it was just frigid gusty winds coming off the lake, and all of the toilets in our trailers froze! The coldest I have ever been was while filming the cemetery scene in the first episode of the series — hopefully, you can’t tell! Miami Living: You recently attended the American Black Film Festival in Miami. How was that experience for you? Paulina Lule: The American Black Film Festival was such a fun time! It was my first time going, but it still somehow felt like a family reunion. I got to meet so many filmmakers and fellow actors from all over the country. Miami Living: What takeaways stood out to you during your visit to Miami? Paulina Lule: I’m not sure if it’s normal or not, but I arrived during the historic rainfall and flooding that occurred in June. I was wading through calf-deep water to get to Walgreens! Some of my drivers told me this was normal for Miami, but is it? I’m not so sure! I didn’t get the classic sunny beach weather that most people expect when coming to South Beach, but the food more than made up for it! I could eat Cuban food every day until I die ha! I also got to take in some shopping.