Meagan Good's Looks Almost Cost Her The Starring Role In Her New Series 'Harlem'
We first reported on Meagan Good starring in the new Amazon Prime Video series Harlem in November and now the veteran actress is opening up about her character on the show. Harlem is written and executive produced by Tracy Oliver and highlights four Black women in their 30’s who are best friends and taking on New York’s famous Black neighborhood.
Meagan stars alongside Shoniqua Shandai, Jerrie Johnson, and Grace Byers who is best known for her role in Empire. Meagan Good plays Camille who is a professor struggling with her breakup from P-Valley’s star Tyler Lepley who plays Ian.
The 40-year-old revealed what drew her to the character and the show in an interview with POPSUGAR. According to the synopsis, Meagan’s character Camille is “a popular young anthropology professor at Columbia who has an extensive knowledge of the dating norms of many cultures, but has a hard time navigating her own love life.”
"I immediately fell in love with Camille mainly because she's just so quirky and honest, even when she's trying to hide and trying to play it off," Meagan shared with the outlet.
"There's still an honesty and a purity to her, but she's also very much of a grown-ass woman who is pursuing her career, smart, intelligent, and all these things."
The Jumping the Broom actress has an extensive career in acting and has been in the business since she was a child.
However, when she reached adulthood, she became a sex symbol and often acted in roles that catered to the male gaze. And her looks almost made her miss out on the role of Camille.
Harlem’s executive producer made the surprising revelation during an interview with Entertainment Weekly in October.
But because Meagan was open to notes, Tracy quickly saw her Camille. "This was before she knew she had [the role]. And she was just like, 'I'll do whatever to prove that I can embody this role,'” Tracy said.
“And then as soon as she did, we were all like, 'Oh, it's her. It's absolutely her.' And she was amazing. And I was wrong. You can be gorgeous and you can be smart and you can be strong. And all of these things put together," she concluded.
When it comes to the series, Meagan hopes that women see themselves and their friends in the characters. "It's incredibly inappropriate, but in the most amazing way . . . it's very honest, but also fun and very vulnerable," she said.
Harlem premieres Friday, Dec 3. on Prime Video.
Featured image by Arnold Turner/Getty Images for CMA Entertainment
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.
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Crystal Renay Is Prioritizing Healing, Her Kids, And Her Coins Amid Divorce
Crystal Renay is reclaiming her time and her identity after dealing with heartbreak. The model was married to Ne-Yo for seven years and they share three young children together. However, after a cheating scandal that resulted in a baby outside of their relationship, Crystal decided to end her marriage to the “So Sick” singer. Now, she is focusing on her bag and her kids. She is co-owner of Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles, launching a lip kit line, and is back on TV starring in the new WE TV reality series Bold & Bougie.
But it wasn’t an easy road, especially with reality TV. From the beginning, Crystal and her castmates bumped heads due to misconceptions and alliances with her ex-husband’s former partner, Monyetta Shaw. However, the mother of three exclusively tells xoNecole that she doesn’t regret her decision to join the show.
Crystal Renay
Photo courtesy
“Honestly, being in that space, we had a– you know, when you're first getting to know people, sometimes it can be smooth, and sometimes it can be rocky,” she says. “In our case, it was a little bit rocky and just getting to know each other, and I like to call it growing pains. And I felt like we had a couple of moments, but all in all, like the experience was really good for me, and I would do it over again.”
Crystal describes herself as “career-oriented” and says she is in her selfish season because she is now prioritizing herself first. But she admits that she is still healing from her divorce. The reality TV star shares some tips for others who may be going through the same thing.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation,” she says. “But we can't move off of emotion because 10 times out of 10, a few months later, you're not going to feel like that. So, I'm a firm believer in not doing things that I will regret later. So I would just say be patient with yourself and stay positive.”
While there may be an opportunity to find love again, that’s not Crystal’s focus at the moment. She is in the rebuilding phase of her life, emphasizing the importance of self-care, personal growth, and finding her own happiness. She has had her share of challenges, including dealing with negative emotions and the public's perception of her, but her priorities involve spending quality time with her children and running lucrative businesses.
“I would definitely say pray, pray as much as you can. Try to take your emotions out of your reactions to things because it’s always going to be something that you don't like in the situation.”
“With my kids, I'm very hands-on. I’m team mother with soccer kids, and they don't really make no goals because they like five years old, but I'm there cheering them on every week,” she jokes. “I want to travel, especially this summer, with my kids and take them somewhere internationally because they're at the age where they can handle a long flight. So, me just spending more time and more new experiences with my kids is my main focus with them and showing them all the love that I could possibly give them.”
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Photo courtesy of Crystal Renay