“Sistas” stars Kj Smith, Mignon, Ebony Obsidian, and Novi Brown as the titular squad.
We come back June 29th.
There’s a lot that’s happening this season that people aren’t expecting.
It’s going to be a rollercoaster of emotions.
You also have your [own] show coming out as well, “Zatima.
To be honest, I have to give credit to Tyler.
This is something I like something about this.”
That was before Season 2 had already aired.
Crystal and I said, “Yo, we’re going to get our own show.”
We’d say, “We’re going to get our own show one day.”
We ended up filming Season 1.
I’m excited about it.
Will he appear on Sistas less because of Zatima?
It’s been crazy because Zac was not supposed to be who Zac is today.
Zac was supposed to be the dog, the down and out boyfriend who couldn’t get things right.
I wanted him to at least be charming so that people could get to like him.
Once again, Tyler saw that and he started to write.
I didn’t know it was going to be in another relationship with another woman who was a sister.
That was an added caveat that Tyler added once seeing the relationship, but the fans have loved it.
He’s gone from in and out of prison to being a multi-millionaire, buying property.
Since you’ll also be on your own show, can they still expect to see you a lot?
When you watch “Zatima,” it is extremely different because it’s just me and Crystal.
It’s our relationship outside of the Sista circle.
We get to see what happens outside of the “Sistas” circle.
This is specifically about Zac and his family.
It’s like a different world when a different world spun off of “The Cosby Show.”
It was Denise’s character in college, not Denise at home.
It’s a completely different world, no pun intended.
It’s not so much a dramedy, a soap opera like “Sistas” is.
So you get to see those actors in a different element.
So it’s going to be exciting.
That’s really fun.
Well, I remember the first day I met Crystal.
We were supposed to go and film in March of 2020, and then the pandemic happens.
They closed all of our productions, but we already had the scripts.
I’m going over the scripts and …
I’m like, “How does Zac end up meeting Fatima?
How did Tyler come up with this?”
For that day, say we go over five scenes.
It was really a divine intervention, it was God’s plan.
Will Zatima cross over with other Tyler Perry projects?
Tyler Perry creates this whole universe with all of his shows and movies and everything.
It’s really fun to see how they all interact and crossover at points.
Are there any other Tyler Perry projects you’d want to appear on?
Those are like cult classics.
Madea is the mainstay of the studio.
[and] “Why Did I Get Married Too?”
That would be dope.
Tyler writes all of the projects.
He executive produces all of the projects.
He also directs and produces all of the projects.
When we walk to set, the only voice you’ll hear is Tyler’s voice.
Okay, well let’s contact legal, let’s get with the writing department.
With Tyler, he wrote it.
I go up [and ssay], “Yo big guy.
I’m thinking for this scene here, I would like to change this word.
I like to change this here.”
He’d be like, “Alright.
If you’re free to make it make sense, make it make sense.”
It’s great and it’s only possible because he handles everything.
He’s so hands-on.
One time … during COVID productions, we didn’t have as much people on set as typical.
Typically, it’s like, “Can we get props?
Can we get costumes cut?
Can we get makeup?”
He’s like, “You got to look like you been working out”.
He grabs the stuff from makeup and he does it the way he wants it.
He’s really hands-on.
That’s the way he’s been.
It’s exciting to watch.
I’m learning a lot as a content creator myself.
You’re competing to be a part of a league.
It’s the same way when you’re in TV/film, right?
You go on an audition.
You don’t audition just for that role.
In the NFL, you hear a lot of no’s.
When did he know he wanted to act?
The more you might do in the NFL, the better.
[It’s] the same way in entertainment, the more you could do.
The only … vast difference is the physical part of football.
I’ve adapted a lot of that.
Also, being a football player, you have to speak to your teammates.
You have to have chemistry with your quarterback.
I knew I wanted to pursue acting as a child.
I remember it was 1987.
I was only three, but I remember this vividly.
The two of them come up and [in] slow motion in “Bad Boys.”
He says, “Don’t say I ain’t never there for you.”
I was like, “I want to do that.
I want to be a superhero.
I want to save the day in the movie.”
At that point, I said, “I want to do TV.”
At the time this was the ’90s there was no traditional way to get into TV film.
The NFL was a possibility.
My wife, at the time she was my girlfriend, that’s how our love story started.
I told her what my dream was and she was like, “Oh, that’s dope.
So how we going do it?”
That’s how I ended up falling in love with her because she didn’t shut down my dream.
That’s always been my plan.
There was no other plan.
That’s what I want to do, and now I’m here.
I’m excited to walk in this truth.
My performance style of training all comes from football.
I’m a smaller guy.
I was extremely fast.
My flexibility and my mobility decreased, my range of motion decreased, and I felt lethargic.
I still wake up every day.
I still do high incline sprints on the treadmill.
I still do hang cleans.
I lift heavy weight.
I still run a lot.
I still do a lot of lateral movement and speed training moves.
I got to be ready.
You know what I’m saying?
There’s four of them, so I’m excited for that challenge in life.
What has your experience been like with that, and what’s drawn you to that?
You learn a lot when you’re preparing to bring forth life.
It turns out that two out of our four sons have the sickle cell anemia trait.
I know you brought up your kids talking about that.
How do you balance being a father with everything?
I lean heavily on my village.
My mother-in-law and my father-in-law live with us.
When Kay’s mom retired from nursing, her dad retired from nursing, it made sense.
We have two nurses, medical care professionals, that could help us with four children.
Let’s move them in here because Khadeen [Ellis] and I travel a lot.
We’re going back on tour with the podcast, I film, she films.
When we come into Brooklyn, they often stay with my dad and my mom.
My brother, Brian, helps take my boys to practice.
Khadeen’s sister, Sakari, helps them so much when we come here.
It’s been great to have family who is just as involved with our children as we are.
We really lean on our village.
What can you tell us about what’s next for you?
Right now, Khadeen and I are finishing our eighth season of the “Dead Ass” podcast.
Season 9 will be coming shortly, [and] right after Season 9, no more breaks.
[Khadeen and I are] in the process of finishing our first book together.
It’s not your typical relationship book.
It’s not a how-to book.
It’s more like Brooklyn’s Black version of “The Notebook.”
It’s our story.
We’ve been together since we were 18.
We’re now 38, that’s 20 years of our life.
Like I said, it’s not a how-to book.
It’s our story.
We’re both artists, and if I was a singer, I’d be singing this.
I can’t sing, so I was like, “Let’s write a book about it.
Season 4 of BET’s “Sistas” returns on Wednesday, June 29.
“Zatima” is slated to premiere in 2022.
