"Love Is..." Actor Will Catlett Talks God's Timing & The Power Of A Black Woman's Love
Graciously entering his third interview of the day, Will Catlett is warm and inviting in his greeting. Courteously assuring me that this interview would be the best one of his day, our conversation immediately took off on the heels of positivity.
You see, Will Catlett gives off the kind of vibes that make you feel as if you've known him for years instead of mere minutes. His demeanor is one that is laced with intentionality and authenticity. You can feel the undertones of gratitude, empathy, and awareness in his voice that speaks to the fact that he understands the present moment is not one that should be taken lightly.
And why would it? Just the night before, he had met Oprah for the first time in his life. But it was a year ago that Catlett questioned whether or not his moment and the dream inside of him would ever come to fruition.
"I remember sitting on the floor in my apartment having a conversation with the Lord. I was essentially asking Him to help me stay the course. You can look at other people's journey for inspiration, but you can't compare yourself. The time that you take your eyes off your path, you get out of alignment."
IMDB
"The time that you take your eyes off your path, you get out of alignment."
"So I kept saying 'I know what's in me, I know you didn't give me these dreams for nothing.' But you know, we as actors and artists and people, we go through things and complaining is one the first things that'll come up. But that can lead you into this downward spiral and I didn't want that. There's no honor in that."
It would then be that continuous dedication towards honoring the process that would eventually lead him into landing the lead role of Yasir on OWN's highly anticipated show Love Is__, set to make its debut this June.
Will with Oprah and 'Love Is...' co-star Michele WeaverGetty Images
It's a show inspired by the true love story of Salim and Mara Brock Akil, creators behind classic shows like Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane, and as of late Black Lightning, the latter of which Will was also a part of. "I waited on that opportunity, I just literally laid there in it and waited. And when it came with Salim and Black Lightning, I went into it clearly ready to add onto what they were already doing. I think that's the drawing line between Salim and myself, and even as Yasir on Love Is__. We all just needed that one shot. And when we got it, we never wanted to look back."
Now, with this new venture, Catlett was granted the opportunity to work with both Salim and his wife, not only to help paint a portrait of their love story onscreen, but to unknowingly improve the lens in which he viewed his own as well. "You know, going through this process of filming Love Is__ specifically, it made me aware of some things that I thought I had dealt with. Character things that I thought I had gotten past, it was like, 'Well no, we have to dig deeper into that.' And I think when you try to put love in the mix and showcase that, it's always going to teach you about you. Love will always teach you about you. But I wouldn't have never came to those conclusions had I not gotten this opportunity."
"Love will always teach you about you."
And an opportunity, it seems, was all he needed. However, when I asked about his own personal love story with his wife RonDi Luz, he made it abundantly clear that she played a major role in his success as well. Much like Mara Brock and Salim Akil, Catlett's own ascension to bigger and better things was directly related to having a good woman, the right woman by his side.
"A lot of things took off for me when I got with my wife. And sometimes men miss that point that we can't get past a certain level because we're not with the right woman. She can get into places that we could never get into, she can pray into things that we could never get to because she is that side. She is that part of God that you need. You know, sometimes we as men think we have to have it all together, like we have to have all our ducks in a row before we approach a woman. But we forget what the raw essence of a woman is, she's a multiplier. We can't get to the next level as a man without linking up to that part of ourselves and that woman is the missing part."
"We forget what the raw essence of a woman is, she's a multiplier. We can't get to the next level as a man without linking up to that part of ourselves."
And that essentially is what love is. Two kindred spirits recognizing, reverencing, and respecting the innate abilities, character traits, strengths, weaknesses, and everything else in between. That is what makes life worth living.
To have love and to give love is one of the greatest privileges we as human beings could ever possess. The journey to not only have love but finding it is one that's littered with missed chances, leaps of faith, and boundless opportunities. But above all else, it is a journey paved for you and you only. It's a road map to which only you have the compass to.
IMDB
And according to Will Catlett, it's a path to reconnection, not just to others but to the very heart of who we are as a people. "Love is— a joint effort. Love is a vibration, love doesn't care about rules, and we need to see that love, that Black Love. We do so much giving out, we love everybody else without loving ourselves first. We build up other communities instead of building ours first. People seeing black love on television, that's a good vibration. We need this love to get back to the realness of us and then we can venture out and hug and love on everybody else."
For more Will, follow him on Instagram.
Featured image via Will Catlett/IMDB
- Love Is___: Meet Yasir, Played by Will Catlett | Love Is___ | Oprah ... ›
- TV Stars To Watch: Sarayu Blue, Will Catlett, Michele Weaver, Joy ... ›
- Will Catlett | Black Lightning Wiki | FANDOM powered by Wikia ›
- 'Love Is___': Michele Weaver & Will Catlett To Star In OWN Series ... ›
- OWN Drama 'Love Is___' Casts Michele Weaver, Will Catlett as ... ›
- Will Catlett (@chillwillbey) | Twitter ›
- About — Will H Catlett ›
- William Catlett - IMDb ›
- Will Catlett (@willcatlett) • Instagram photos and videos ›
Writer. Empath. Escapist. Young, gifted, and Black. Shanelle Genai is a proud Southern girl in a serious relationship with celebrity interviews, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and long walks down Sephora aisles. Keep up with her on IG @shanellegenai.
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for daily love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
You've Never Seen Luke James In A Role Quite Like This
Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
Courtesy
Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
Getty Images
Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images