Jill Scott has been wowing us with her sent-from-the-depths-of-heaven octave range, tell-it-like-it-really-is songwriting, and addictively intriguing range of Hollywood roles, from the heartbroken abused wife, to the brothel-owning comic-book villain, to the resourceful Motswana detective. So you know we're always here for a powerful on-screen moment from our good sis, whether the screen is big or small.
And in her latest role as angel Angela Stewart on the Lifetime reboot of Highway to Heaven, there's a remix to the '80s classic that makes her that much more intriguing. Who else could take a role about an angel sent to Earth on assignment, popularized by legendary—and white—actor Michael Landon, and give it just the update it needs for today, especially at a time where we could all use a bit of hope and encouragement? None other than the woman who had many of us Googling whether the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency really exists and planning trips to Botswana.
Let's look at receipts, shall we? She hasn't let us down in the life-changing department since her days of defining what it truly means to take up space in music, going platinum and capturing the hearts of millions of Black women who could relate to the powerhouse shutting down her man's ex in those Philly streets, or planning that date to "roll a tree" in the breeze, listening to a symphony. (I hear you humming, sis. Go 'head!)
And she certainly didn't let me down during a recent interview that got cut quite short due to technical difficulties. (Gotta love Zoom. And in whoever's defense, the platform has had its fair share of glitches.)
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In just a few well-spent minutes, sis did what she usually does: unapologetically offered inviting realness that empowered, inspired, and reminded me that authenticity never gets old. (And apparently, neither does Ms. Scott, who looked as youthful as the day she hit the scene more than 20 years ago—rocking box braids with vivid blue highlights, classic gold door-knocker earrings, chic black-rimmed glasses, and a warm, sometimes coy, smile.) It was literally like talking to my favorite sister-girlfriend or rich auntie (in my head) over mimosas at Sunday brunch. And just like in the first few seconds of any song of hers that you'd listen to, it didn't take long for things to get deliciously profound and spirit-lifting.
In this exclusive xoNecole interview, we talked all about the singer-songwriter and executive producer's take on the reboot, how she balances her multiple projects, including her hit podcast, with motherhood, and all the things that make Ms. Scott someone we love to continue to watch:
For those unfamiliar with the classic TV show 'Highway to Heaven,' what should we expect with you in the roles of star and executive producer?
Jill Scott: Expect an imperfect angel. Expect her edges to be raggedy. Expect, sometimes, for her clothes to be ill-fitting. What I discovered along the path of finding Angela (her character) is that angels typically are flawed. It can be the guy who works at the corner store, or your Uber driver. You don't know when or how someone is going to come into your life and make a difference that changes everything. I wanted Angela to represent that.
You've recently talked about being "all of yourself" in your career. What are three things that allow you to thrive wearing multiple hats?
You know that old Kenny Rogers song that says, "You gotta know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em"? That's a key component: Knowing when you need help. That's a big one. Also, understanding when you need a break. That's very, very important because, for some reason, we get this idea that we have to burn ourselves out to produce.
Sometimes you need to take a walk around the block. Sometimes you need to sit down and shut up, and just be still, because that's where inspiration comes—that's where that new wind comes. It sounds poetic, but that's not my intention. I'm telling you how plain it is to me.
And I learned that, as an executive producer—one of several—you have to be mindful of your crew. That means everybody. They need a kind word. They need a genuine 'Good morning.' They need a 'Thank you.' When you create and foster a healthy environment—a caring environment—people work harder. It ain't rocket science. It's not manipulative. What it is is good makes good. It's really that simple. If you can't do it yourself, you make sure there are people around you that are doing exactly that and reciprocating that kind of positive energy. It makes the boat float real smooth.
Along with executive producing 'Highway to Heaven' and, of course, starring in it as well as other projects, you're also an entrepreneur, a podcast host—and the most important, being a mom. How do you find balance within all of that?
For me, it really means having my village. And they don't just show up. Villages show up over time. I have a wonderful village in my life—friendships that have lasted me 20, some 30, some 40 years. Having a village of solid people is very helpful. As a single parent—single, meaning not married—I have to say this: Because of my village, I've never felt like I'm a single parent. I have people around that love us—not just me or just him—and will follow my directives as a parent. It's super-important that I take time to kick it—quality time for just he and I. We go on dates just to hang out, we play games, we listen to music together, we cook together.
And then I make sure he has strong men around him—men that I respect and admire and feel proud of so that he can see that as well. There's a balance to it, always. Having a group of great mothers or great women around is awesome, but there also needs to be, in my opinion, representatives of both sides—the estrogen and testosterone. I think that makes for a well-balanced and healthy person of character, if you will. So, that's what I have to do as a parent, and I have to prioritize that. You only get but so much time with your kid before they're out in those streets.
The Highway to Heaven film series will premiere November 6 at 8 p.m. EST. For more information, follow Lifetime on IG @lifetimetv.
Featured image by Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for BET
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“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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Fortunately, five simple words have simplified my dating process and ushered in clarity faster: “Would my husband do this?”
A couple of years ago, I met an entertainment lawyer who was tonguing down a twenty-something-year-old woman for breakfast while I slurped my green smoothie and chomped on a flatbread sandwich. Okay, Black love, I grinned and thought as I sauntered out of the Joe & The Juice. As soon as I stepped down from the front door, a torrential downpour of Miami summer rain cascaded and throttled me back inside to wait out the storm.
I grabbed a hot green tea and vacillated between peering out the wet door and anxiously checking my watch. My lengthy agenda started with attending the Tabitha Brown and Chance Brown’s “Black Love” panel, and I was already late. That’s when the lawyer introduced himself to me, after he made a joke about neither one of us wanting to get soaked by the rain. His female companion had braved the storm, leaving us to find our commonalities.
We both lived in L.A. and had traveled to the American Black Film Festival to expand our network. He represented various artists, including entertainment writers, while I was working as a writer/creative producer in Hollywood.
While there is no shortage of internet advice on how to strategically meet a prominent man at conferences, if I spend my hard-earned funds on career growth, I have tunnel vision, and that doesn’t include finding Mr. Right. So, I stowed his contact details away as strictly professional.
Keep It Cute Love And Hip Hop GIFGiphyAs the humidity and mosquitoes were rising around L.A., two months later, another suitor-turned-terrible match cooled off after three unimpressive dates and a bevy of red flags. I posted what some of my friends called a thirst trap, but it was really me wearing a black freakum jumpsuit with a plunging neckline to my friend’s 35th birthday soiree despite feeling oh, so unsexy and bloated on my cycle.
I’d been waiting to post a sassy caption and finally had the perfect picture to match: “You not asking for too much, you just asking the wrong MF.”
That’s when the entertainment lawyer swooped into my DMs and asked me to dinner. I was quite confused. Is he asking me on a date? Or is this professional? Common sense would’ve picked the former. Once it clicked that this would in fact be a date, I told my mentor, who’s been happily married for over twenty years and has often been a guiding light and has steered me away from the wrong men.
Upon telling him about how we met, he emphatically stated, “He ain’t it.” He followed up with a simple question, "You have to ask yourself: Would my husband do this? Would you tell others that you met your husband, tonguing down another woman, and later married him?"
Aint It No Way GIF by UFCGiphyOuch. The thought-provoking question cleared any haze. Prior to going out with the lawyer, the first thing I inquired about was the woman.
“You saw that?” He said, taken aback that I’d witnessed his steamy PDA. Surely, anyone with two open eyes peeped him caressing her backside as he kissed her in the middle of the coffee shop.
He brushed her off as a casual someone he’d gone on a couple of dates with but had since stopped talking to. He said he hadn’t been in a serious relationship in over three years. Though I was still doubtful, dating in L.A. is treacherous and ephemeral. Making it past three months is considered a rarity.
With my antennae alert, I dined with him at a cozy beachside steakhouse restaurant where we were serenaded by a live jazz band. I’d emphasized forming a platonic friendship first.
Break Up Friendship GIF by TLCGiphy“I’ll come to you,” he obliged. I liked that he had made me a priority by driving over 50 miles to see me. I also liked the effort he made to check in with me daily. But I still couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that he initiated on a professional pretense and then alley hooped through the back door on a romantic venture, which bombarded me with confusion.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my dating life, God is not the author of confusion; any man who brings confusion, rather than clarity, is simply not The One. It doesn’t matter how many boxes he checks–eventually, that confusion will manifest itself into bigger problems, in time.
After diving into deeper conversations on the phone, post our first dinner date, I quickly realized this man was indeed not The One for me. But I’m grateful for the valuable lesson I learned.
I don’t expect some unattainable fairytale of a husband; we all have our own flaws and conflict is inevitable, but after dating for two decades, through failure and success, I’ve realized that the person I ultimately marry must mirror the values I exert into the world. He must reciprocate kindness, patience, and respect. He must be quick to listen and slow to respond. He needs to be forgiving and trustworthy, practice healthy communication, and be a man of his word at the bare minimum.
If I’d had “Would my husband do this?” in my toolbox when I was dating and floundering in stagnant relationships, in my twenties, it would’ve saved me a lot of precious time. But now that I’m equipped with the reminder, it’s allowed me to ground myself in my non-negotiables and set/maintain the standard for the special person, I’ll one day say, “I do,” to.
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