It's raining men, hallelujah. Lucky for us, ESSENCE just rolled out their May/June issue, otherwise known as "The Men's Issue" with four new covers and their inaugural "Sexiest Men of the Moment" list featuring 18 Black men across various industries. Leading the pack and adorning the mag's coveted issue on different covers embodying different definitions of "sexy" are British actor Damson Idris, pro-athlete Russell Wilson, and the Usher Raymond.
The older you get, the more it's understood that sexiness isn't about appearance as much as it is an energy you embody. Sexy is as sexy does. It's something that recent NAACP Image Award winner Damson Idris understands to a T. "I think if you care about what you do, that’s sexy—and that’s inspiring," the 32-year-old actor reveals to ESSENCE in his cover story.
Here's what else the "man of mystery" shared with the publication:
Photographed by: Adrienne Raquel
Courtesy of ESSENCE
Damson on his love for Black women:
Damson was raised by his mother, Silifat "Philippa" Abike Idris, whom he affectionately called "my hero, my best friend, my guru" to the mag. He went on to detail to ESSENCE how being raised by a single mom informed his love for Black women:
"I just have a love for women. My mother is a Black woman, and that love stays with me. I feel protected by Black women. I feel loved by Black women. I feel at home."
Damson on keeping some things about his life private:
As the Snowfall actor's stock has steadily risen, so has his desire for privacy.
"I think privacy is key. I’ll speak to my industry, just as an actor and an artist. Someone once said, 'If they pay to see you for free during the week, they won’t pay to see you on the weekend.' So I stick to that philosophy—keep some of that mystique."
(L-R) Damson Idris and his mother Philippa Idris at the 55th NAACP Image Awards
Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET
Damson on the importance of staying humble:
Damson shared with the mag that the most important life lesson he has learned in the industry is "to remain humble," something he also said was instilled in him from his mother.
"I love the saying, 'The giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing.' Humility is such an important thing that can take humans far."
Read the full cover story here. ESSENCE's May/June issue is available on newsstands April 23.
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“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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Motherhood is one thing, but Black motherhood is its own unique institution. From fears that only Black mothers can understand to the unspoken language that connects them, our series delve into the vulnerable conversations that are often not highlighted in mainstream media.
Laurencia Bright
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“They are products of their environment, of your parenting, of your personality, things like that. So check yourself,” Laurencia reminds us. Motherhood may come with a whole set of challenges and having to face yourself can be one of them. Laurencia opens up about how motherhood taught her to break generational cycles.
Joy Ferrell
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Joy, like most mothers, put their kids first. However, the mom of two is now learning that it's okay to put herself first. "It's okay to not fill your life up with your kids," she says. "It's okay to still be an individual and to actually actively and aggressively pursue being an individual versus a mom."
Michelle Ganey
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When it comes to Black mama rules, Michelle Ganey reflects on a classic one, "Do not embarrass me in public," she says. "I think one of my hardest struggles with kids is not caring about how they look when they leave the house and it feeling like its a direct reflection on me as a mother."
Watch the full The Mother Load series below:
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