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Naomi Ackie is spilling the tea on her “chemistry” with Zoë Kravitz.
Ackie spoke with PEOPLE exclusively at the ELLE Style Awards at Brasserie Zédel in London on Sept. 9, where the actress, 34, was honored with ELLE’s Performer of the Year. During the conversation, Ackle opened up about her special relationship with Kravitz, who directed her in 2024’s Blink Twice.
“It’s chemistry, innit?” Ackie says of her connection with the Kravitz, 36. “I think Zoë is one of the most creative, smartest, funniest women I’ve had the pleasure of working with, and we just clicked in a way that I can’t really explain.”
She adds, “It’s a shame, like, I wish she lived in London, or I wish I lived in New York, because I’d see her so much more often. She’s just so incredibly supportive. She’s a strong person. I wish her all the best. I know that she feels the same way about me.”
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Ackie previously opened up to PEOPLE in August 2024 about the intense nature of working on Blink Twice — a satirical psychological thriller — recalling that Kravitz and her fellow costars created a safe and special feeling of community while on set.
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“It was really special,” the Mickey 17 actress recalled. “Those things I will never forget. The reason why I became an actor was for the community, now I realize. It’s the people that you’re with, and the fact that you can trust people enough to create a story […] and know that people are going to not be laughing at you.”
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During the recent event this week, Ackie also revealed some words of wisdom shared with her by Hollywood icon Helen Miran, whom she worked alongside in The Thursday Murder Club, which premiered on Netflix in August.
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“I got great advice from Helen Mirren, who said I must invest, you know, use your money wisely,” she says, adding, “A lot of actors who I’ve worked with — who have been in it for a while — are very relaxed and have been like, ‘Learn to say no,’ ‘Take a break when you can,’ and ‘just have fun.’ ”
And as to whether she has met any Hollywood legends who left her star-struck?
“The Rock. And I always will be if I ever meet him again,” Ackie tells PEOPLE.
She adds, “Who else … Anna Wintour! [I met her] at Vogue World. I shook her hand; that was weird. There are quite a few … but the one person I know that I can never meet is Beyoncé. That’s the one person I know I can never meet.”
