TV Land’s “The Soul Man” will have its LIVE season premiere tomorrow on March 26 at 10:30/9:30C.
The Source Magazine sat down with the show’s star Niecy Nash at an intimate reception at The Crosby Hotel.
The Source Magazine sat down with the show’s star Niecy Nash at an intimate reception at The Crosby Hotel.
What can we expect from this season?
Well how about our premiere episode is live and if you don’t know what that means well let me tell you! That means that Cedric the Entertainer will forget his lines and probably start cussin’ (laughs). So somebody better have their finger on that little button and bleep him out because I don’t know what’s going to happen.
So you’re doing it twice?
No. We’re doing it once and I’m excited because even if the wheels fall off of it Cedric is so funny and my background is already in improv from doing “Reno 911,” so it’ll be very interesting. The one thing I’m excited about is that Brandy will be apart of the episode she’s my really good friend, and the other thing is there is going to be a surprise musical guest! Everyone thought it was her and I’m like “No, there is a performer coming to perform on the show and you know I can’t tell you who that is” I’m just very excited.
If you had to describe the season in three words, what would it be?
SO MUCH FUN!
You spoke a little about what you’ve been through. How do you feel about what’s going on with Erica Campbell from Mary Mary who is getting a lot of backlash from the church about how sexed up she is and the way that she dresses her body? What would you say to people out there because you are actually on television every week playing a character that has the same image.
I think the challenge is that people believe that their opinion about other people matters and that’s the reason they weigh in on what somebody else is doing … I am grateful that God made me sexy … It’s funny because on my Instagram, I instagrammed a picture and it was three pictures in a row and people were commenting – I don’t remember you being that size, I don’t remember you being that big and I just blinked, it feels like yesterday … But in all of the pictures no matter what size I am the one thing that is consistent is that smile … because I feel like when you’re confident that makes you sexy, that makes you attractive and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that now. You may have some things that may go too far, but if you are blessed to have a beautiful shape and you love your curves then I don’t think anything is wrong with it.
Knowing what you know about the industry now, what would you have old your 21 year old self?
I would say “Stay the course,” because what happens is from the time you lay hold to the vision. Now there are some things that you do as a hobby which is very different from a call on your life. Now when you’re walking in your calling, one thing that’s supposed to happen is that all hell is supposed to break loose, so it will look like it will not manifest and it will look like it’s the darkest day I’ve ever seen, but stay the course because even though the vision may tarry, wait for it because it’s coming, so that’s what I would tell my 21 year old self: “Knock it off! Have a glass of act right and stay the course.”
Why do you feel it’s important to have a show like “The Soul Man” to tell this woman’s story?
I think we need the show for balance and I think we needed to show for our children, a sense of family, belonging, what it all looks like. I remember having a conversation with Cedric when he asked me would I be his TV wife. I said, “Well, what kind of marriage is it?” He said, “What?” and I’m like, “Because honestly I don’t know what your marriage is like…” – because I didn’t hang out with him and his wife – I said “I’m not interested in doing something where the sassy wife says something smart about the husband and he cracks on her and they have this contentious relationship. I don’t want to do that all day everyday, I don’t want to do it!” I said, “Well, can we love each other?” and once he said yes, I said I’m in! Because I feel like with everything else that they see from the ratchet, to the hood, to the sensational you need an option because if you said right now if you were a young brown girl and you said I really want to get married one day if you turn that TV on where do you see it? It’s hard to find! Especially if it’s not a re-run, if you’re looking for something new … because sometimes children don’t identify with some of those shows that came on years ago, so where do they see that example?
TV Land’s “The Soul Man” will have its LIVE season premiere tomorrow on March 26 at 10:30/9:30C.
-Jasmine Clarke
Photo Credit: John Simon Instagram
