Stepping down from the dimmed lights and money-covered stage at The Pynk strip club, Mercedes of P-Valley is ready to write the next chapter of her story. The same is true for Brandee Evans, who plays Mercedes on the hit Starz TV series and is as resilient as the character she portrays on TV. Evans stopped by xoNecole's She Comes First podcast in partnership with European Wax Center to talk about the similarities between her and Mercedes, and what she hopes to inspire in others through this beloved character.
*Spoilers ahead*
She Comes First Podcast | Episode 2: "Self-Care For The Caregiver" featuring Brandee Evansyoutu.be
As we all come to grips with Mercedes's long-awaited retirement in the season 2 finale, we're uncovering Brandee's reaction to her character finally getting her sweet slice of heaven after going through so much hell. "I literally cried [watching the last two episodes], I'm not going to lie," Brandee admits to xoNecole editor-in-chief Brooke Obie. "I sat up and watched episode 9 and I just burst out crying in the middle of it. I was like, 'what is wrong with me?'" After fighting to gain custody of her daughter Terricka, Mercedes is reunited with her daughter while her adoptive mother Shelle goes to rehab. Coincidentally, Evans's late daughter Lyric, who was stillborn, would have turned 14 this year - the same age as Terricka. Brandee says she channels the love she has for her biological daughter into the on-screen bond between Mercedes and Terricka. "It's so crazy how art imitates life," says Evans on the podcast. "In a sense, I get my baby girl on camera."
When she's not filming for P-Valley, Evans has a second job as a caregiver for her mother Diana Harrington, who has Alzheimer's and Multiple Sclerosis. Evans wears the caregiver title with pride, as evidenced by the shirt she is seen wearing during the podcast. But it is forever a balancing act, which is both challenging and rewarding for the Tennessee native. "I've learned to stay strong, but know that it is okay to break," she reveals.
Watch the full interview with Brandee Evans above, and visit the She Comes First podcast page for more episodes!