
Meagan Good Says She Was ‘Pigeonholed’ As The ‘Young Sexy Girl’ After Shedding Her Child Star Image

Meagan Good is speaking out about the challenges she encountered in her career as she transitioned from a child star to an adult actress.
The 41-year-old has been a part of the entertainment industry for over three decades but didn't gain recognition until her teen years when she starred in the 1997 film Eve's Bayou alongside Lynn Whitfield, Samuel L. Jackson, and Jurnee Smollett.
Since then, Good has been in about 83 projects, which consisted of movies and television shows, according to IMDb. The star's most recent work includes the hit Amazon series Harlem and Shazam! Fury of the Gods.
In a recent interview with TV One's Uncensored, Good opened up about the extremes she had to take to shed the image that comes along with being a child star and how she felt being typecasted as the "young sexy girl" as she looked for acting roles in her 20s.
Meagan On Transitioning Into An Adult Actress
During the discussion, Good shared that when she was about 21 to 22 years old, she continuously got teenage roles. So as an attempt to seek out more age-appropriate projects, Good decided to star in 50 Cent's "21 Questions" music video, released in 2003. The Intruder star claimed that she used the music video as an opportunity to showcase to everyone that she has "arrived as a young woman," which she admitted worked in her favor.
"When I started getting 21, 22, and I was still playing 16, 17, I was trying to figure out like how do I make this transition because we all go through this awkward stage, and sometimes it's really hard to transition out of it into the next phase of your career. But how do I get people to see me as like a young woman?" said Good.
"Really, one of the things that I used as a tool that ended up being a blessing was the '21 Questions' video. You know, I was 21, and I thought, 'How do I get people to see me as older?' and I was like, 'Oh, I'll use a video as a national commercial saying I have arrived as a young woman in essence.' That's what I set out to do, and boy, did it work."
Meagan On Being Typecasted
Good revealed that although the music video helped change how people viewed her in the entertainment industry, it also created a setback.
The Think Like a Man actress disclosed that throughout her 20s, she was typecasted as the seductive girl in most of her projects, and when she sought out other opportunities that could potentially challenge her abilities, she was discouraged from auditioning or participating in any meetings.
"But then when it worked, it worked so well that I kind of got pigeonholed in that kind of space it was like, 'oh, well, she's the young sexy girl. So let's just let her do that in everything,' she continued. “Then when I would look at other material that was more serious or way more challenging and all these things, and I would be more excited to audition and meet on that, they’re like, 'no, you're just the sexy girl. Like don't think too hard.'"
Good added that although she was typecasted and had to find her way out of the "box" many people had placed her in, she didn't regret the overall experience because she had some "great" moments.
"Throughout my 20s, there were points where I enjoyed it, and then there were others parts where it was like they tried to put the glass ceiling and just like put me in a box and say 'just be this one thing.' It was an interesting time because it was both great and both really, really challenging," she said.
To this day, Good continues to move away from the sexy girl image by displaying her talents as an actor, producer, and director in various projects.
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.
Feature image by Paras Griffin/Getty Images
Adrian Marcel On Purpose, Sacrifice, And The 'Signs Of Life'
In this week's episode of xoMAN, host Kiara Walker talked with R&B artist Adrian Marcel, who opened up, full of heart and authenticity, about his personal evolution. He discussed his days transitioning from a young Bay Area singer on the come-up to becoming a grounded husband and father of four.
With honesty and introspection, Marcel reflected on how life, love, and loss have shaped the man he is today.
On ‘Life’s Subtle Signals’
Much of the conversation centered around purpose, sacrifice, and listening to life’s subtle signals. “I think that you really have to pay attention to the signs of life,” Marcel said. “Because as much as we need to make money, we are not necessarily on this Earth for that sole purpose, you know what I mean?” While he acknowledged his ambitions, adding, “that is not me saying at all I’m not trying to ball out,” he emphasized that fulfillment goes deeper.
“We are here to be happy. We are here [to] fulfill a purpose that we are put on here for.”
On Passion vs. Survival
Adrian spoke candidly about the tension between passion and survival, describing how hardship can sometimes point us away from misaligned paths. “If you find it’s constantly hurting you… that’s telling you something. That’s telling you that you’re going outside of your purpose.”
Marcel’s path hasn’t been without detours. A promising athlete in his youth, he recalled, “Early on in my career, I was still doing sports… I was good… I had a scholarship.” An injury changed everything. “My femur broke. Hence why I always say, you know, I’m gonna keep you hip like a femur.” After the injury, he pivoted to explore other careers, including teaching and corporate jobs.
“It just did not get me—even with any success that happened in anything—those times, back then, I was so unhappy. And you know, to a different degree. Like not just like, ‘I really want to be a singer so that’s why I’m unhappy.’ Nah, it was like, it was not fulfilling me in any form or fashion.”
On Connection Between Pursuing Music & Fatherhood
He recalled performing old-school songs at age 12 to impress girls, then his father challenged him: “You can lie to these girls all you want, but you're really just lying to yourself. You ain't growing.” That push led him to the piano—and eventually, to his truth. “Music is my love,” Marcel affirmed. “I wouldn’t be a happy husband if I was here trying to do anything else just to appease her [his wife].”
Want more real talk from xoMAN? Catch the full audio episodes every Tuesday on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and don’t miss the full video drops every Wednesday on YouTube. Hit follow, subscribe, and stay tapped in.
Featured image by xoNecole/YouTube
I Tried It: 3 Low-Maintenance Wigs That Will Elevate Your Look This Season
There's nothing like the feeling you get when your hair is done. It can instantly boost your confidence and put you in a great mood. I've never been a stranger to hair trends and I often experiment with the latest braided styles and colors.
But there are moments when I just don't feel like doing my hair. I'm natural and a lot of times I will braid or twist my hair up and cover it with a scarf or turban. However, when I crave a different look without the hassle of styling, I reach for a wig.
I've always had a love-hate relationship with wigs. Sometimes, I struggle to get them to lay flat and don't get me started with the bonding glue process. So when it comes to wearing wigs, I like to keep it nice and breezy around this b--- (word to Katt Williams), especially in the summertime.
That's why I jumped at the chance to try these three versatile wigs from Luvme Hair. Each one offers a unique look and is surprisingly low maintenance, which aligns perfectly with my philosophy that wearing wigs should make life easier. Let’s dive into the three styles below.
Headband Wig
Courtesy
This was the first wig I tried on, and I instantly fell in love with it. So much so that it took me weeks to even consider trying the other two. I’m partial to colored hair, especially blonds, browns, and reds, so I was skeptical about the jet black hair. However, I think the color, combined with the curl pattern, worked surprisingly well for me.
One of the things I really liked about this wig was that I didn’t have to braid my hair down first. I could simply throw it over a low ponytail, which is the epitome of a low-maintenance style. The headband has combs inside and velcro on the ends, ensuring a secure fit.
Half Wig
Courtesy
I had never worn a half wig before, so I faced some challenges. I cornrowed the bottom half of my hair where the wig would sit, but I believe this made it more difficult to use the combs. It might just be me though. I straightened the top part of my hair to blend it with the wig, which looked cute for about five minutes.
Firstly, I have a brown/blonde color mix on the ends of my hair, and the half wig is black. So, I had to hide some of the color (I didn’t have time to dye the wig). Secondly, straightening my hair myself is always a hassle because it never lasts long. Add to that the summer humidity, and you get a hot mess. Despite all this, I managed to get some cute pictures before things got out of control, and that’s all that matters, right?
Would I consider this a low-maintenance hair style? Yes and no. I think it’s unrealistic for me during the summer, especially since I enjoy summer activities. However, when the weather cools down, I’ll definitely rock it, dyed, of course.
Bob
Courtesy
Now, this is the wig I was nervous about. I never had a bob and I didn't think I would like it. But once I put bobiana on, my mind instantly changed. I finally understood why the gworls rave about the bob so much. It was giving boss. It was giving grown woman. It was giving the bob means business. Iykyk. It was the ultimate statement.
I will say when I first put it on, one side of my wig just would not lay flat. It took some trial and error, but I finally managed to get it to look good. With the bob, I highly recommend braiding your hair down first as small as you can so it can lay as flat as possible. I really liked the ash blonde color, which is perfect for summer. The length also makes it a great low-maintenance style for the season, so you don't have to worry about the hair making your neck sweaty.
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Feature image courtesy