Season 3 of Starz show “Survivor’s Remorse” premiered on July 24 on Starz.
The show from executive producers LeBron James and Tom Werner, follows Cam Calloway, a hardworking, young basketball star who is thrust into the limelight after signing a huge contract with a pro team in Atlanta. In the second season, we see Cam and his cousin and confidant Reggie Vaughn continue trying to navigate Cam’s meteoric rise. From business deals to relationships and friendship, the two confront the challenges of balancing the needs of family with the rewards and responsibilities generated by their newfound wealth and fame. Cam, Reggie and the unforgettable group of characters that is the Calloway clan wrestle with the rewards and pitfalls of stardom, love and loyalty.
*Spoilers ahead in regards to episode one of Season 3*
Sade: I want to first congratulate you guys on another great season. What do you guys say is the new nuance to season 3?
Erica: The new nuance to season 3 is self discovery. We’re going to do a lot more that, a lot more familial discovery as well. Regardless of what the outcome is, of uncle Julius’s big cliff hanger from season 2. Something like that, something tragic, whether it be an accident, whether he lives or dies, it’s a tragedy, so that shakes up a family. You’re going to start to really see our … humanity.
Jessie: Yeah. Absolutely. We start to really question like, what is our purpose in life. We start to realize how valuable life is. That just makes everybody take a really big turn. When we first got to Atlanta, I like to say we kind of, we were just excited to be there and we were so unfamiliar with this new world and all this new money and then in the 2nd season we kind of just start to enjoy it, almost taking it for granted. Cam, not so much, but everybody else was kind of just like … Especially this one over here. Everybody is kind off just taking it for granted and then this thing happens and it’s like a really big shock and awakening for everybody. We kind of flipped back to, “Okay, let’s find ourselves again. Let’s drive this vehicle in the right direction.”
Erica: We call it the Calloway re-calibration.
Jessie: We don’t but, that’ll would work though.
Erica: You could have gone with me on that.
Jessie: I could have …
Erica: You could have gone with me on that.
Jessie: I’ve never heard of the Calloway re-calibration until this moment.
Erica: Nobody ever heard of Survivor’s Remorse until we started it.
Jessie: See how that went full circle?
Erica: Our family is about starting off that new new. The Calloway re-calibration is that new new. Hashtag it. Make it a thing.
Jessie: Who’re you talking to?
Erica: The people.
Sade: Jumping to Jessie. You know, this has been a really great year for you. You just had your premiere with Independence Day: Resurgence and you have some projects coming up as well in the future. How are you able to juggle roles?
Jessie: How am I able to juggle roles? I try not to juggle. It’s kind of like a hand-off from Survivor’s Remorse, Independence Day, and then I did Almost Christmas right after. It was kind of … I was trying to get familiar with the next role during the one I was currently working on.
The thing about juggling is I feel like you’re going to lose focus on what you’re already doing and I don’t want to do that. I would be fully invested in Survivor’s Remorse, keep in the back of my mind that Independence Day was happening next but not really focused on it until it was time. You know what I mean? Then I was able to just be in the moment and not be worried about the next thing or the past thing. Then it just becomes this crazy array of projects. In my mind it blends together and just becomes one mass amount of work and I want to keep it separate. It was like running my own marathon, passing the baton to myself kind of thing. It kind of felt like that but in a good way.
It was nice to go from Survivor’s Remorse, which is so fast paced and really alive and growing. It’s like watching an infant, something always happening. You know, it’s like that. Then to go from that to Independence Day, which is extremely long, stretched out production where you’re doing 10% of what’s happening that day. Maybe a half a scene a day. The difference is crazy.
Yeah, I don’t know. Just try to … make it happen
Sade: This season with Uncle J, Cassie’s brother passing, how was it for Cassie’s role, just getting along, going in to season 3?
Tichina: The 1st episode of this 3rd season, you’re going to find with Uncle J getting in the car accident, all of our characters really delve a little deeper in to, “What does life really mean? Is this success and this new found money and fame and glory, is it worth it? Who are we? Where are we? Where’d we come to and why are we here?”
You’re going to find, a lot of our characters really ask ourselves questions and that’s what Cassie does. Cassie is considered to be the glue but you know, mommies always are. She’s the mother. She’s the matriarch but now she’s going to question about life and death. She’s going to wonder, what about her relationship with her brother who has gotten in to this car accident and how is life going to change after that? You’re going to see her worry a little more. You’re going to see Cassie try to find love. The love that’s she’s probably been searching for for a very long time.
You’re going to see a lot more … Cassie’s going to drop a bomb. That’s the best that I can say without giving away the storyline. You’re going to find out something about Cassie’s past that really has a lot to do with the woman that she is today. We’re going to find that Cassie is going to do a little soul searching. She’s going to have to address her relationship with her daughter and why it needs to be repaired or it needs to be addressed. Cassie’s still Cassie. She’s still going to be “no nonsense”. She’s still going to be that mama that don’t take not S-H-I-T but you’re going to see more of her. A little more humbler side of her.
Sade: Okay. How important is it for Cassie to keep, or maintain her sense of humor throughout this time? Going through what she’s going through and just, the family going through a loss as well?
Tichina: The reason why I insert a lot of myself in to Cassie, because I think Cassie and I are a lot alike in certain ways. I always say, “I like to laugh everyday.” If I don’t laugh, I at least like to smile or make somebody else laugh. Laughter is good for the soul so I love playing comedy. It’s my whole thing but you’re going to see some drama as well. I think it’s important that you don’t take life to seriously. You got to enjoy the moments that happen and never miss those good moments that happen so you’re going to see that with Cassie as well.
Sade: Okay. Last question. What would you do if your significant other, in real life, gave you a life-size sex robot?
Tichina: What I would do if my significant other gave me a life size robot, I would send it back or I would have it bronzed and sit in the corner of a room. Other than that, ain’t nothing happening.
Sade: Yeah, I totally agree. I’m with you on that one.
The show airs Sundays at 10 p.m.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIAwTP2-w_Q
