“It was mind-blowing, and I honestly could not believe it.”
You were really listening.'"
I started training about four months prior to shooting.
But before booking the role, I had no pole experience.
It’s definitely different, dancing and acting, especially dancing in front of people.
That never goes away, but I guess that’s with anything dealing with athletes.
You’re still very hype and happy about it, but you’re also very mindful.
During dance days, I needed everything to be the same.
I did not want any change.
I needed my makeup artist to come with his earrings on …
I did not like change, and I could not have any change on dance days.
I have a stunt double.
I had three, actually, for safety reasons.
When we shoot, it’s so many takes.
You need a stunt double just like you need a stand-in for purposes like that.
Then there’s some moves that are safety issues or technical issues, where you need a stunt double.
You have some where maybe [it’s] a flexibility thing.
I’m really good at pole.
I’ve learned a lot.
[In] different episodes, we may use different [stunt doubles], because it’s tiring.
How does that differ from when you’re a recurring character or more regular on a series?
I don’t judge it.
I show up fully [and] on time.
For every character, I give a piece of me to the character.
That helps me come back to Gail from the character [and] not get stuck in the character.
I watch the show, first and foremost, most importantly.
Even though “Insecure” wasn’t already on, I watched “Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.”
I look up the creators behind it the writers, the producers, who’s going to direct it.
I look up the casting directors to see what’s the tone of the shows that they cast.
Do you see similarities between your characters or find that they hold the same core values?
They’re all true to who they are, unapologetically.
I am grateful to play well-fleshed-out, rounded characters.
But as far as core values, what they share is that they’re unapologetically who they are.
I probably feel closest to Roulette, because there’s so much of Roulette that I gave from myself.
Roulette is probably my alter ego when I was 18.
I’m a Sagittarius, so … it’s a lot of fire.
I have several tattoos.
I say what’s on my mind.
I’m very candid.
My fear is little-to-none.
I’m going to do it, and I do what I want when I want.
Her love for her brother is unmatched.
I have five older brothers, and they’re my heart.
They’re literally my heart.
That scene hurt so bad because it was really a hole.
If I was to lose any one of my brothers, a piece of me would be gone forever.
With Wanda, my biggest thing was honoring the time period.
It was much different, because now, with Wanda, I actually seek out people.
When you do a period piece, the period is also a character within the character.
Or is it less of a character than the historic background of “Snowfall”?
COVID was a silent character moreso.
With the period in “Snowfall,” the time period in “Snowfall” is a series regular.
COVID in “P-Valley” is more like a guest star.
You’ll see it mentioned in different spurts and sprinkles throughout the show.
Listen, I have been trying to wrap my head around it, and I can’t.
I cannot see how this is going to end.
Everybody says, “When you live that life, you either end up dead or in jail.”
I think Damson is going to die.
The person that’s going to live, it’s going to be … We’re all going to be heartbroken, but it will be a very harsh reality of truth.
I definitely feel there will be no repercussions for the government.
I have no idea.
We don’t get scripts, especially not in advance.
Our writers' room hasn’t even came back yet, I don’t think.
I have no idea what’s going to happen.
But if you look at current [events], they say history repeats itself.
How early do you usually get clued into what’s going on for your character?
I may get the scripts …
It varies from project to project.
Some projects, I may get the scripts four days before we shoot.
Other projects, I may get it the day before we shoot.
I had just tweeted about that.
It gets better every episode, each episode.
But no, it’s the reality.
Every episode is deeper.
Watching Season 1, you visited The Pynk.
You rolled through Chucalissa.
With Season 2, you’re staying for a whole summer.
You’re starting to see the city in all its hours of the day.
You’re really starting to see The Pynk.
We’re actually seeing it during all hours of the day to where you see everything.
We’ve pulled back the covers.
You get to know the characters a little deeper.
We haven’t even scratched the surface of where she’s going.
She’s really on a ride, to be young.
There’s no battle.
At this point, nothing is controlling her.
She’s just young and free.
I don’t see her coming back around any time soon.
She likes where she’s going.
When we’re young and we’re 18 [or] 19, you haven’t matured yet.
I definitely don’t see it coming back around anytime soon.
She’s going to continue to go on the path, and then who knows?
Maybe when she hits rock bottom, she’ll start to shoot up.
But sometimes, for some of us, there is no bottom.
We just continue to go.
Is there anything else you want viewers to know going into these shows?
I want viewers to be open, to receive and understand.
I want viewers to be open, to be honest.
I want them to be open and remove all judgment and watch with an understanding that it’s art.
“P-Valley” Season 2 premiered on Starz on June 3 and will air new episodes until August 7.
This interview has been edited for clarity.
