Tessa Thompson has at least one thing in common with her character, Anna, from the hit Netflix limited series His & Hers: They both went into hiding for a bit, though for very different reasons.

Thompson, known for starring in a mix of blockbusters (the Creed and Thor franchises) and beloved indies (Sorry to Bother You and Passing), stepped out of the spotlight for about two years (her last films were Creed III and The Marvels, both released in 2023), in a purposeful move to focus on the work she wanted to do behind the camera.

“It really required being honest with myself—if I could take the time away to not work, to not be on a set, to not be on a red carpet, to not be promoting something, but to be quiet and really be in the process of building something and developing something,” she tells Vanity Fair. “It’s been really generative for me, just to slow the pace a little bit.”

This period of behind-the-scenes work allowed her to shape her production company, Viva Maude, which she first launched in 2021. She says it helped her “to really focus on things that are an immediate and enthusiastic yes, and to understand that if those things don’t exist, then I’ll just create them.”

It all led to a very loud return for Thompson. In quick order, she’s appeared on big and small screens, and made her Broadway debut in The Fear of 13, opposite Adrien Brody. Plus, she produced the new revenge thriller Is God Is, which opens in theaters on May 15.

Viva Maude’s first project to hit theaters was the bold adaptation of Hedda in fall 2025, in which Thompson played the titular character. She earned Golden Globe, Independent Spirit Awards, and Gotham Awards nominations for her vibrant performance. Then she starred in and produced His and Hers, a mystery thriller following a reporter (Thompson) and a detective (Jon Bernthal) who investigate a series of murders in their hometown. The series landed on Netflix’s top 10 shows of all time, and has been earning Thompson early Emmy buzz.

But Thompson’s intention with Viva Maude was never for it to be a greenhouse to grow roles for her to star in. That’s why her next project, Is God Is, a revenge thriller centering on two sisters (Kara Young and Mallori Johnson) who are instructed by their mother to kill their father, is a pivotal next step for the production company.