Actress Sanaa Lathan is steering clear of critics' reviews of her performance in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF until her stint on the London stage is over - because she refuses to be distracted by any harsh comments.
The Alien vs. Predator star made her debut in the British capital's West End late last year (09) in a new production of the Tennessee Williams play, alongside James Earl Jones and Phylicia Rashad.
Lathan has managed to avoid all press coverage of the theatre show since it opened in November (09) and she intends to continue doing so until the curtain falls for the final time on 10 April (10).
The actress has thrown herself into her role as Maggie, the sexually-frustrated wife of alcoholic former American football star Brick, played by Adrian Lester, and she is determined not to let anything get in her way.
She tells Hip Hop Weekly magazine, "I learned my lesson a long time ago not to read reviews until the run is over because I don't want to get anything in my head about the performance until it's done.
"Sometimes in this business you don't get to use all of your chops. This role is the pinnacle of roles for a woman my age. It's scary, challenging... she goes through a lot of emotions. I couldn't say no to it."
But Lathan has nothing to worry about - the play has received rave reviews with critics hailing the cast's "powerful performance" and describing the actress as "incredibly sultry", portraying a "beautifully and fractiously frustrated Maggie".