Streaming now on Peacock, M.I.A. is a gritty crime drama that plunges viewers into a high-stakes world of power and survival. Created by Bill Dubuque (Ozark) and led by showrunner Karen Campbell. The nine-episode series is produced by MRC and boasts a powerhouse ensemble. While the show features heavy hitters like Shannon Gisela, Cary Elwes, and Danay Garcia, it is Brittany Adebumola’s portrayal of Lovely that provides the series with its unexpected pulse.
In an exclusive look at the character, Adebumola reflects on the emotional weight and heart-forward nature of a role that forced her to lower her own defenses.
A Contrast in Character: Heart vs. Head
For Adebumola, stepping into Lovely’s shoes meant departing from the more cerebral, guarded archetypes she has played in the past, such as the analytical Etta. In the world of M.I.A., where characters often survive by their wits and cold calculations, Lovely stands out as an anomaly.
“She is so emotionally intelligent and just tapped into what’s going on in here,” Adebumola said, gesturing to her heart. “Whereas Etta is very much up here [in her head]. That was new for me.”
The Challenge of Vulnerability
Playing a character who leads with empathy wasn’t just a professional shift, it was a personal challenge. Adebumola spoke candidly about the internal friction she felt when approaching Lovely’s open-hearted nature, noting the stark difference between her character’s outlook and her own lived experience.
“I feel like as a young Black woman myself, I have a lot of guards up because I have to in order to survive in this world,” she explained. “Lovely makes a choice to still be open and to be accepting. Initially, I was like, ‘Don’t rescue that girl, you don’t know her!'”
Overcoming that protective instinct became a core part of her process. Understanding Lovely’s “why”—how she maintains her curiosity and empathy despite the dangers surrounding her—proved to be a transformative hurdle for the actress.
Finding Liberation in “Whimsy”
Once she embraced the character’s vulnerability, Adebumola found the experience surprisingly freeing. In a genre often defined by cynicism, Lovely’s capacity for kindness offered a rare creative outlet.
“Finding her ‘why’ was very challenging, but also liberating,” Adebumola shared. “I don’t get to lean into that kind of whimsy and that level of openness very often.” This openness makes Lovely the de facto moral compass of the ensemble, a role that provides a necessary foil to the grittier, more self-serving motives of the characters around her.
While Lovely currently serves as the heart of the group, Adebumola teases that there is a sharper edge hidden beneath the surface. As the first season progresses, viewers will catch glimpses of a woman who isn’t always a “rule-follower” and knows exactly how to look out for herself.
Adebumola is already looking toward the future, expressing a keen interest in exploring Lovely’s backstory should the series return for a second outing. “What was her life like in Haiti? I’m looking forward to exploring that other side of her.”
All nine episodes of the crime drama M.I.A. are now streaming exclusively on Peacock as of May 7, 2026.
