Did you guys catch The Quad on BET last week?
Tony Award winning actress and singer Anika Noni Rose, in another one of her firsts, plays the first female President at fictional historical black college/university (HBCU) GAMU – Georgia A&M University. Playing Dr. Eva Fletcher, Anika is a distinguished ivy leaguer faced with having to leave her Ivy League position to join the staff & faculty at an HBCU in the south suffering some financial burdens that Dr. Fletcher is left the fine task to handle.
The weekly drama series, executively produced by Rob Hardy (The Vampire Diaries, Empire, Stomp The Yard) and Felicia Henderson (Soul Food) is a far reach from the comedic style of classic television show A Different World, but has its own flare rather, dipped with that same indistinguishable dose of HBCU pride.
Catching up with the former Dreamgirl, and first African American Disney princess wasn’t easy, but no good thing comes easy.
Hi Anika, thank you for giving us this interview. So I heard that you got your acting bug during a High School performance, what performance was that?
Anika: Yes, I played Coco in Fame.
Were you singing before acting?
Anika: No, I did it all at the same time in the musical; that’s when I discovered that I could actually sing. I didn’t know, it was sort of a surprise to all of us (she laughs); I just knew that I knew the music. My mom had the music, the soundtrack, so I just sort of jumped in. And yeah, it could have been a debacle (laughs). But we were lucky it wasn’t, it was this gift that I didn’t know that I had.
Yeah, that’s awesome.
And since then you’ve played so many different roles throughout your career from Broadway to Film/TV, what would you say, if you could say is your favorite role to- date? Can you recall?
Anika: My favorite role to date? That’s really difficult to say actually. I don’t know, that’s really hard to say. One of the most fun roles that I’ve had recently – can I say that? Was playing Jukebox on Power. That was so much fun. It just allowed me to step all the way out of myself, which I love.
Okay, so I wanted to really give it up to you for all the Girl Power that you portray in some of your roles, playing the first female President Dr. Eva Fletcher on the Quad. Can you tell us about her, and what it was like playing her on the show?
Anika: Well, she is a Ivy Leaguer from the Northeast who takes a job in the south, which is something she is not familiar with at all. And she has to take this job, she has to go somewhere because she had some issues come up at her last job that are preventing her from working in the same track. So, she finds this job in the south at an HBCU; she knows nothing of the south, southern culture; she knows nothing of the culture HBCU’s. And so she is thrust into this brand new world with all these amazing skills that she’s acquired.
She needs to cut money for the school, the band would be the most obvious choice because the band makes the most money, and has the most money to spend on it. The band leader, played by Ruben Santiago Hudson, is absolutely against losing a dollar. She also has her daughter with her, who she had when she was in college. Her daughter doesn’t want to be there, she is pissed that she was taken out of her own environment. And, so that is a struggle.
So it looks like everything is really cool, and neat, smart and sharp; but everything is really sort of cracked and falling apart and she is really trying to hold everything together.
So far, you are doing a really great job, I really enjoyed Episode One. Tell us how the role came about for you?
Anika: Rob Hardy (Executive Producer) called me and said, ” I have a role for you that I think would be perfect, do you want to do it?” So I read the script, and I thought that it was really interesting, and different. I was ready to be the lead something, I didn’t know what it was going to be. But I also didn’t want to do something typical or simple, not simple like dumb-simple. But simple as in easy. It was interesting to me that he brought me this woman with all of these layers to her. And I then had a meeting with Felicia Henderson (Executive Producer) and her partner Charles Holland to talk about what the plan was for this and for her. If it was really going to be what I read, or if there was going to be a switch; was it going to turn out to be something formulaic. And we really agreed on where we wanted to see this woman and this show go.
And I was impressed, also with Felicia’s pedigree, knowing Soul Food, and the other things that she’s worked on; and she is so very smart, comes from some quality stuff. You know, all of those stuff make a difference when you decide whether or not you are going to sign yourself away for several years.
I was going to ask how it was working with Felicia and Rob, even your cast members like Jasmine Guy and even Ruben Santiago Hudson. How was that? Had you ever worked with any of them before now?
Anika: No. Everybody that I worked with was new to work with. Um, and we were really lucky with the cast that we got. We had a really positive group of folks, we have people who want to have fun when they come to work; and that’s what I want to do. There’s nothing that deep that you shouldn’t be able to have fun doing it.
We were really lucky in that respect. And there’s a lot of respect for the person next to you, which is great.
Yeah, it’s a really great cast.
So I wanted to talk about the HBCU conversation. You went to an HBCU, correct?
Anika: Yes, I did.
FAMU, right? I wanted to talk about just your experience going to a Historical Black College/University, and how you feel about the importance of getting another HBCU type television series on TV again.
Anika: I think people think that there has been more than there has been. You know what I mean, there was ‘A Different World’ which was a comedy, and about 30 years ago. And now there’s this, which is a drama. Very much of today. So I think that it’s something that people have been thirsty for. You know, they want to see their experiences, they want to be able to watch a show that is as universal in college life as it can be; when they see the marching band and other stuff come up on the screen, they know that this is talking to them and for them. So I think it is great.
You playing the first African American princess, and now the first female President on the show, the first being a thing for you, how does it feel to have acquired these notable firsts; and does it kind of dictate your choice in roles?
Anika: I’ve been really lucky in the things that have come about for me, and then usually like midway through, I’m like, “Ohhhh, that was pretty amazing.” I’m generally just thinking about the work, and what is it about the work that excites and moves me, and draws me. And that’s a lovely blessing to also have, “Oh yeah, i was the first.” I’ve just been really lucky. And I’ve made very deliberate choices, but usually that deliberation is about context rather than where its going to put me in the space of a history – if that makes any sense.
Perfect sense.
Episode one left us with quite a lot to marinate on as we come into week two. Learning that Dr. Eva Fletcher (Anika’s role) is more than what meets the eye; more than just a fierce scholar, even. It will be interesting to see how the rest of the semester at GAMU unfolds for Dr. Fletcher and the rest of them at the school.
Don’t miss tonights premiere on BET at 10PM.
