

There are indeed no games to be played when it comes to Sarunas J. Jackson, the star of BET's newest original series. There are no facades, no smoke screens, no gimmicks. What you see is most definitely what you get with this 6'8'' Philly native.
He's refreshingly transparent, not shy to speak his mind, but at the heart of it all--he's just a downright honest guy. Whether you want him to be or not. Which is something he feels people have come to know and love. "They should know that I'm going to be unapologetically me at all times," he tells xoNecole on a quiet midweek afternoon. "I'm not going to switch up for nobody. And that seems to be something that people appreciate when they meet me."
But even if you haven't met Sarunas, you've probably seen his face on the critically acclaimed series Insecureor on the recent Freeform favorite Good Trouble. And now in his new role on BET's Games People Play, fans and followers alike will definitely appreciate the additional screen time for this undeniably sexy yet sheisty character.
We got the chance to catch up with him where we talked about his new role, why it's important to fall in love with the process, and why good communication is king.
xoNecole: Describe your character Marques King.
Sarunas J. Jackson: He's a young man who's kind of launched into this professional high-life but he's a bit immature in how he handles things. He's a father, he's a professional athlete, he's just trying to figure out how to balance through this life of having so much access or power in a sense. I feel like it's easy to judge a character like this, especially when nobody has really been in that position of making hundreds or millions of dollars. He's trying to see as the episodes go by if he can repair some of the damage he's caused and created.
What do you want fans to take away from this show?
First and foremost, with this type of content you want to entertain. You want to entertain the people that are watching this show, that are hanging out with us every week. But I'd want them to understand the complexities that come with a character like Marques King. It's easy to judge a guy like him, but nobody knows when you're in that journey, there are things that come along with that.
I'm not saying the behavior is right or is acceptable. But I think when you look at the show and the people in these positions, it doesn't excuse their behavior, but I hope it helps people to better understand the complexities of what they have to deal with.
Courtesy of Aaron/@underground_nyc
You mentioned the rashness of people being quick to judge something they don’t directly understand. I’m sure you’ve seen or maybe experienced a lot of the judgement that comes with being a millenial. So I want to know, what’s something you feel personally that our generation misses or gets right?
It's always funny when I hear critiques about this generation. Because if you look at each generation, they're generally better than the one before it because they learned from their mistakes. Nowadays though, you have people who have a lot of opinions and not enough qualifications. But when it comes to things like holistic healing and manifesting and visualizing things, I feel like our generation implements that more. I think we are the most aware, the most accepting of all types of people, very high on self-care. We're all trying to get our mind, body, and spirit right. I feel like we care about that a lot more now than ever.
I think with all generations though, some people are aspiring to do something but they want the results but not the process. Some people aren't ready to run that marathon, they want to sprint to the finish line. These days, with instant gratification and social media and all that, they want everything to happen fast. People don't want to put that work in. They don't want to put the hours in, you get what you give. If we could mix the old generation's work ethic with our working smarter, then we could make amazing strides.
Courtesy of Aaron/@underground_nyc
"I think we are the most aware, the most accepting of all types of people, very high on self-care. We're all trying to get our mind, body, and spirit right. I feel like we care about that a lot more now than ever."
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk relationships. How do you go about dating nowadays? Are DMs acceptable? Dating apps?
There's no certain way I guess, but DMs are kind of the norm these days. Majority of the time I don't [slide in DMs]. But whoever I'm involved with, I like to keep it private. I'm very private about it but that's just a preference of mine. Just because I might be able to handle public opinion more than my counterpart might be [able] to.
Has fatherhood affected how you approach dating?
Not necessarily, it's always taken into consideration but the type of person I am, there was a certain journey I started before I even had a daughter, which made me ready for fatherhood. If anything, it (fatherhood) puts everything I was working on in myself into practice. But the thing is, I feel like I'm in an interesting position where before I even know who you are, you might know who I am so you're going to know I have a daughter.
So, for me, I don't have to change anything when it comes to dating. Whoever's trying to pursue me is either going to have to change their ways or not change at all. Just know that when it comes to me, me and my daughter are a package deal.
Courtesy of Aaron/@underground_nyc
What are your top three must-haves when it comes to your next relationship?
Communication, number one. Respect, number two. Honesty, number three. And I'm going to give you four--sex. There has to be good sex, that's just how I am. In reality, sex is important to everybody but people like to fake the funk be like 'it's not all about sex.' And it's not, which is why it's number four but it's up there. But if the sex isn't good, let's be real, people are going to tap out.
Courtesy of Aaron/@underground_nyc
"There has to be good sex, that's just how I am. In reality, sex is important to everybody but people like to fake the funk be like 'it's not all about sex.' And it's not. But if the sex isn't good, let's be real, people are going to tap out."
Speaking of sex, I know you’re a big R&B fan. What’s your go-to song or album to put your woman in the mood?
I pick and choose from a lot of different artists. I like to give shine to artists I feel deserve more respect. I like talent, you know? And I know what pops off today and that's cool but real artists that have the talent--I like that. Lucky Daye, Victoria Monet, Pink Sweat$, Kyle Dion. H.E.R., she's probably my favorite artists. 6lack, Daniel Caesar, PJ Morton. That's the playlist I'm going to put on and if I do, that means I'm focused and I'm trying to do real work. And I also want you to listen to this good music while you get this good work.
What do you do to make your woman feel special?
Honestly, to me it's nothing special but, I know how to express myself and put my thoughts into words very clearly. I can communicate very clearly and I've found that that's something that separates myself from a lot of the other men that the women I'm involved with have dealt with. Even when I do things like this and in other interviews, I'm just very candid and clear. And I've seen a lot women comment on that but to me that should be the norm. But I think because I am very clear on my thoughts and speaking on my feelings and being very open, I think that has been the thing. They know how I feel, that they can come to me, and that they can feel comfortable speaking to me--because I'm gonna listen and we can have conversations about all types of things.
So because of that, I think it transcends into a lot of different things. Whether it turns them on or makes them respect me more or whether it makes them feel more secure; it goes into all areas. There's no need for guessing games, we're too grown for that. That's childish, I'm a grown man. You won't have to guess 'cause I'm going to tell you what it is from the beginning. What you see is what you get so there won't be any surprises down the line.
"There's no need for guessing games, we're too grown for that. That's childish, I'm a grown man. What you see is what you get so there won't be any surprises down the line."
Describe for me your ideal date.
I feel like there are two ways to answer this so I have two answers for you. On a simpler level, because I am very simple--I LOVE going to the movies. But not everybody loves that. I hate going to the movies with somebody that doesn't really care or doesn't want to have open dialogue about what we just saw. So I just won't go with those people. I'd love to just go eat and catch a movie.
But on the fun side, I'd want it to be something different. I like going to intimate concerts--not necessarily sold out at Madison Square Garden or Staples Center. But a more intimate setting where you can appreciate the artists and there's more of a connection. I love [arcade bars], you know those bars with arcades--those are cool. I love going somewhere we can relax, have a drink, have good conversation and joke around. I like to laugh a lot, so things like that are good.
What are some major life lessons you’ve learned so far?
Communication, good communication, makes life easy. Whether it be with your friends, family or loved ones, closed mouths don't get fed. A lot of times I think communication is scary for people, maybe because of how some of us were raised. And also I've really learned that it's a marathon not a sprint--whether you're trying to find love or you have this set plan for your life or career. There's no certain age, your time is your time. And once people accept that philosophy, they'll go about things more differently in a way that's hopefully beneficial for them.
For more of Sarunas, follow him on Instagram. Check him out in BET's Games People Play on Tuesdays at 9.
Featured image courtesy of Aaron (@underground_nyc)
Writer. Empath. Escapist. Young, gifted, and Black. Shanelle Genai is a proud Southern girl in a serious relationship with celebrity interviews, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and long walks down Sephora aisles. Keep up with her on IG @shanellegenai.
Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney & Jill Marie Jones On 'Games Women Play' & Dating Over 40
What do you get when you mix unfiltered truths, high-stakes romance, and a few well-timed one-liners? You get Games Women Play—the sizzling new stage play by Je’Caryous Johnson that’s part relationship rollercoaster, part grown-woman group chat.
With a powerhouse cast that includes Claudia Jordan, Demetria McKinney, Jill Marie Jones, Carl Payne, Chico Bean, and Brian J. White, the play dives headfirst into the messy, hilarious, and heart-wrenching games people play for love, power, and peace of mind. And the women leading this story? They’re bringing their whole selves to the stage—and leaving nothing behind.
From Script to Spotlight
The road to Games Women Play started over 20 years ago—literally.
“This script was written 20 years ago,” Jill Marie Jones said with a smile. “It was originally called Men, Money & Gold Diggers, and I was in the film version. So when Je’Caryous called me to bring it to the stage, I was like, ‘Let’s go.’” Now reimagined for 2025, the play is updated with sharp dialogue and modern relationship dynamics that feel all too real.
Demetria McKinney, no stranger to Je’Caryous Johnson’s productions, jumped at the opportunity to join the cast once again. “This is my third time working with him,” she shared. “It was an opportunity to stretch. I’d never been directed by Carl Payne before, and the chance to work with talent I admire—Jill, Claudia, Chico—it was a no-brainer.”
Claudia Jordan joked that she originally saw the role as just another check. “I didn’t take it that seriously at first,” she admitted. “But this is my first full-on tour—and now I’ve got a whole new respect for how hard people work in theater. This ain’t easy.”
Modern Love, Stage Left
The play doesn’t hold back when it comes to the messier parts of love. One jaw-dropping moment comes when a live podcast proposal flips into a prenup bombshell—leaving the audience (and the characters) gasping.
Demetria broke it down with honesty. “People don’t ask the real questions when they date. Like, ‘Do you want kids? How do you feel about money?’ These convos aren’t happening, and then everyone’s confused. That moment in the play—it’s real. That happens all the time.”
Jill chimed in, noting how the play speaks to emotional disconnect. “We’re giving each other different tokens of love. Men might offer security and money. Women, we’re giving our hearts. But there’s a disconnect—and that’s where things fall apart.”
And then Claudia, of course, took it all the way there. “These men don’t even want to sign our prenups now!” she laughed. “They want to live the soft life, too. Wearing units, gloss, getting their brows done. We can’t have nothing! Y’all want to be like us? Then get a damn period and go through menopause.”
Dating Over 40: “You Better Come Correct”
When the conversation turned to real-life relationships, all three women lit up. Their experiences dating in their 40s and 50s have given them both clarity—and zero tolerance for games.
“I feel sexier than I’ve ever felt,” said Jill, who proudly turned 50 in January. “I say what I want. I mean what I say. I’m inside my woman, and I’m not apologizing for it.”
Demetria added that dating now comes with deeper self-awareness. “Anybody in my life is there because I want them there. I’ve worked hard to need nobody. But I’m open to love—as long as you keep doing what got me there in the first place.”
For Claudia, the bar is high—and the peace is priceless. “I’ve worked hard for my peace,” she said. “I’m not dating for food. I’m dating because I want to spend time with you. And honestly, if being with you isn’t better than being alone with my candles and fountains and cats? Then no thanks.”
Channeling Strength & Icon Status
Each actress brings something different to the play—but all of them deliver.
“I actually wish I could be messier on stage,” Claudia joked. “But I think about my grandmother—she was born in 1929, couldn’t even vote or buy a house without a man, and didn’t give a damn. She was fearless. That’s where my strength comes from.”
For Jill, the comparisons to her iconic Girlfriends character Toni Childs aren’t far off—but this role gave her a chance to dig deeper. “If you really understood Toni, you’d see how layered she was. And Paisley is the same—misunderstood, but strong. There’s more to her than people see at first glance.”
Demetria, who juggles singing and acting seamlessly, shared that live theater pushes her in a new way. “Every moment on stage counts. You can’t redo anything. It’s a different kind of love and discipline. You have to give the performance away—live, in the moment—and trust that it lands.”
Laughter, Lessons & Black Girl Gems
The show has plenty of laugh-out-loud moments—and the cast isn’t shy about who steals scenes.
“Chico Bean gets a lot of gasps and laughs,” Claudia said. “And Naomi Booker? Every scene she’s in—she’s hilarious.”
But the play isn’t just about humor. It leaves space for reflection—especially for Black women.
“I hope we get back to the foundation of love and communication,” said Demetria. “A lot of us are in protector mode. But that’s turned into survival mode. We’ve lost softness. We’ve lost connection.”
Claudia agreed. “We’re doing it all—but it’s not because we want to be strong all the time. It’s because we have to be. And I just want women to know: You can have peace, you can be soft. But stop bringing your old pain into new love. Don’t let past heartbreak build walls so high that the right person can’t climb over.”
Final Act: Pack the House
If there’s one thing this cast agrees on, it’s that this play isn’t just entertainment—it’s necessary.
“Atlanta is the Black entertainment hub,” Claudia said. “We need y’all to show up for this play. Support the arts. Support each other. Because when we pack the house, we make space for more stories like this.”
Games Women Play is more than a play—it’s a mirror. You’ll see yourself, your friends, your exes, and maybe even your next chapter. So get ready to laugh, reflect, and maybe even heal—because the games are on.
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Be Careful. Those Casual Friendships Can Be Red Flags Too.
A couple of weeks ago, I was listening to someone vent about an area of frustration that they couldn’t seem to get to the root of — why they keep getting taken advantage of by certain individuals. When you’ve been a life coach for as long as I have (and you were a journalist before that), you learn how to ask certain questions that can cause people to consider things that they may never have before.
So, when I asked her, “What is the common thread with all of those folks? And sit still for two minutes before answering,” when she finally heard her own self speak, her eyes got wide and her mouth dropped open: “They’re all people who I’m not really sure what they are in my life.”
Ding. Ding. DING.
A life coach by the name of Thomas Leonard once said that “Clarity affords focus” and, believe you me, when it comes to dealing with other human beings, if you don’t get clear on where you stand when it comes to your interactions with them, you can very easily find yourself “focusing too much” on those who don’t deserve it and too little on those who absolutely do. And y’all, this lil’ PSA couldn’t be more relevant than when it comes to what I call “casual friendships.”
Let’s dig — and for some of us, dig our way out of — what it means to have a casual friend, so that you can get clear on if you really need those in your life…and if so…why?
Article continues after the video.
It Can’t Be Said Enough: Always Remember What “Casual” Means
There’s a reason why I decided to share two videos by mental health coach Isaiah Frizzle at the top and bottom of this article. It’s because a lot of what he shares in both of them complements a piece that I wrote for the platform last year entitled, “This Is Just What Purposeful Relationships Look Like.”
It’s the author M. Scott Peck who once said, “Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it” and please believe that the older (and hopefully more mature) you get, the more you tend to see just how valuable — and fleeting — time is; and that is what plays a huge role in motivating you want to only involve yourself with people, places, things and ideas that will honor your time — and when something is casual? In my opinion, it’s highly debatable that it’s worth much of your months, days, hours, or even too many of your minutes.
The main reason why is addressed in an article that I wrote back in the day entitled, “We Should Really Rethink The Term 'Casual Sex.'” The gist? When it comes to relationships, “casual” is certainly not a favorite word of mine because I know what it means. Have mercy — why would you want to invest your time, energy, and emotions into something that is, by definition, apathetic, indifferent, careless, lacking emotional intimacy, and/or is without purpose?
I don’t know about y’all but that sounds like a complete and total crap shoot to me — especially if you are going to go so far as to consider this type of dynamic a true friendship (check out “Ever Wonder If A Friend Is Just...Not That Into You?,” “6 Signs You're About To Make A Huge Mistake In Making Them A Close Friend,” “5 Signs Of A Toxic Friendship That Is Secretly Poisoning Your Life,” “12 Friend Facts That Might Cause You To Rethink (Some Of) Your Own,” and “Less & Less Of Us Have Close Friends These Days. Why Is That?” ).
To me, when you decide to call someone “friend,” it means that they are loyal, reliable, consistent, trustworthy and willing to be there to support you to the very best of their ability — even if it’s inconvenient to do so sometimes (check out “Life Taught Me That True Friendships Are 'Inconvenient'”). How in the world can you expect that from something that has the word “casual” in it?
And you know what? That actually segues into my next point about casual friendships pretty darn well.
Ponder the Purpose “Casual Friends” Serve in Your Life
A couple of years ago, Verywell Mind published an article entitled, “How the 4 Types of Friendship Fit Into Your Life.” The four that it listed were acquaintances (which I actually don’t consider to be friends; check out “6 Differences Between A Close Acquaintance And An Actual Friend”), casual friends, close friends, and lifelong friends. After reading the piece, I think they consider casual friends to be the “pleasure” friends that I mentioned in the article, “According To Aristotle, We Need ‘Utility’, ‘Pleasure’ & ‘Good’ Friends.”
And although I certainly get that, I think my “cause for pause” is calling those people “friends” when they probably should be called something like an associate or possibly even a buddy instead. Why do I feel this way? Well, I’ve shared in other articles that I think social media has jacked up vocabulary words and their true meaning on a billion different levels.
Take “friend,” for example. Facebook had us out here calling everyone we connected to on their platform “friends” when some of them, we’ve never even spoken to before — and I personally think that influenced, affected and perhaps even infected our psyche to the point where we will call folks, both online and off, “friend” even when they haven’t earned it and/or who possibly don’t deserve it.
That said, do I think that we all could use lighthearted interactions that don’t go very deep and are filled with not much more than fun? Sure. However, if we were to move this over into a sexual thing — those types of people would probably be called a sneaky link, and there is nothing significant or substantial about ‘em. In fact, if anything pretty much automatically comes with an expiration date, sneaky links would have to be it.
And that’s kind of the point that I’m trying to make about a casual friend — so long as you know that the word “casual” is being used to describe them, while you may enjoy the people who fit that bill, they aren’t really anything that you can or even should fully rely on. Instead, take them for what they are and don’t really expect much more than that. Otherwise, you could be in for some profound levels of disappointment. And who wants that?
Final point.
How a Casual Friend Can Become a Huge Red Flag
I’m telling you, y’all gonna quit clowning Tubi. LOL. To me, the best way to describe it is it’s the Cricket of current streaming apps. What I mean by that is, back when Cricket (the cell phone service) first came out, people, like me, who used it service got incessantly clowned because it was seen as a bootleg provider. Now it’s owned by AT&T, and as someone who has rocked with them since I was in my 20s, I don’t have one regret for doing so. Cricket has always been good to me, chile.
And Tubi? Well, when you get a chance, check out CNBC’s article, “CEO at 33, Tubi’s Anjali Sud on success hacks she learned at Amazon, IAC on way to top of Fox streaming” — take note of the moves the streaming app is making and the quality of programming that is transpiring in real time.
Anyway, I find myself bringing up Tubi more and more in my content because it helps to amplify some of the points that I like to make. This time, it’s a movie that’s (currently) on there calledRight Man, Wrong Woman. If you haven’t seen it before, I don’t want to give too much of the film away. What I will say is that the main female character, she had a casual friend and then she had a close friend.
That casual friend—the one who liked to kick it all of the time—was a lot of fun; however, dealing with her came with a ton of semi-unforeseen consequences. Meanwhile, the close friend? She’s what the Aristotle article (that I mentioned earlier) would call the “good friend” because she tried her best to hold her friend accountable.
And really, it shouldn’t be a shock that the casual friend turned out to be a plum trip because if someone is loads of entertainment and pleasure and yet they are indifferent towards you, they make careless decisions around you and/or they don’t really make known the purpose for you being in their life other than to pass some time — where really do you and that person have to go past drinks after work or dinner on a rooftop restaurant from time to time? And if that is all that the two of you are doing, again, why are they deserving of the word “friend”?
Hmph and don’t get me started on the lack of reciprocity that typically transpires when it comes to dealing with people like this because, while they won’t mind you spending your coins on them, taking their calls in the middle of the night or listening to all of their issues — when it comes time for them to show up for you, they very well may gaslight you into thinking that you are being dramatic, clingy or “doing the most.” Why? Well, it’s mostly because the two of you never really established what the hell the both of you are to one another.
And so, while you’re somewhere taking them seriously, they are out here seeing you casually, and as much as it might hurt to hear, that doesn’t automatically or necessarily make them a bad person. You shouldn’t expect much where no clarity is involved. After all, casual is just that: CASUAL.
____
I’m hoping that you can now see why I entitled this piece in the way that I did. It’s because a red flag is pretty much a warning, and to me, a casual friend is about as big of an oxymoron (again, to me) as casual sex is. Friends and sex are both too intimate to be seen or treated casually. Oh, but if you step out and take that risk, you could find yourself getting far more involved than the other individual ever wanted to go, because casual is how things have always been. “Friend” was simply to get you more mentally and emotionally invested. SMDH.
American columnist Walter Winchell once said, “A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out.” A wise person once said, “One good friendship will outlive forty average loves." Former President Ulysses S. Grant once said, “The friend in my adversity I shall always cherish most. I can better trust those who helped to relieve the gloom of my dark hours than those who are so ready to enjoy with me the sunshine of my prosperity.” Does any of this sound casual to you? Yeah, me neither.
Again, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have people in your life who aren’t on deep levels. I’m just saying that you might want to consider putting them into another category than friend, because what friends do for people? There ain’t nothin’ even remotely casual about it, sis. Not even a lil’ bit.
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