Where To Catch Her: As Candace on the final season of EMPIRE, which premieres tonight on FOX.
How are you feeling about going into the last season of EMPIRE? “I’ve now been made a series regular for the final season, so I’m very excited about that. I love working with the girls, Taraji [P. Henson, Cookie] and Tasha [Smith, Carol] and the fact that we film in Chicago and I’m from the Midwest and we get to bring a little bit of Hollywood to the Midwest. I’m from Indianapolis, Indiana, and we film right next door, so my family gets to come over and see me work, hang out with me on the weekends, so that has really been an amazing journey.”
What are you looking forward to the most? “Just seeing everyone. I’ve really enjoyed it. For me, it’s like a wonderful high school reunion. It was the very first time Taraji and I got to share the screen together, and I’ve known her for over 20 years! Terrence [Howard, Lucious] and I have done several projects in the past together. We’ve done a lot of movies. It has been amazing. But I’m telling you: You have to show up with your A game, because if you don’t, it’s not going to work. They don’t have time to babysit you, so you’ve got to show up prepared. I love everything about the show. I love the comedy, the drama, the fashion, the rawness. It’s been probably the most unique experience I’ve had in my career.”
You’ve also been very busy starring in and producing films for Lifetime. “I have been so blessed that Lifetime Movies has now granted me this wonderful franchise. We started off last season with the ‘So Wrong It’s Right’ Marathon. We’ve made about 14 films directed by David DeCoteau and co- produced by myself. They did a marathon of them. We were trending. People loved it so they gave us some more. So we, in July — which was my birthday month, and I celebrated way too damn long … Leo nation, baby! — but, every Friday we debuted a new film. It went from THE WRONG STEPMOTHER to THE WRONG BOY NEXT DOOR to THE WRONG MOMMY and we finished it with THE WRONG TUTOR, and for all of them I was starring and producing. We have a wonderful little camp with veteran actors like Eric Roberts [ex-Vance Y&R], Jessica Morris [ex-Jennifer, ONE LIFE TO LIVE], Jackée Harry [ex-Lily, ANOTHER WORLD] and Cindy Busby [ex-Marlise, WHEN CALLS THE HEART], and we work with new actors, too.”
Do you enjoy wearing the producing cap? “The audience loves these films and now the main goal for me is to bring some guys over to watch. It’s been a real fun adventure for me. I’m in charge of casting, the scripts. It’s a little bit of everything, and I love making movies.”
What did you learn from your soap days that you’ve taken with you in your career? “I am the best at remembering lines, and I attribute that to me starting off my career in soap operas. People underestimate how hard [soap actors work] and how talented soap actors are. I have cried, done the hair toss, been naked, made out with some guy and then jumped in a pool … and that was all in one scene [laughs]! And then, you have to go home and memorize something else. It could be a train chase, killing somebody, kidnapping somebody, and that’s all in the same day. So for me, it really was like attending acting school because I was so very young and fresh and green. I had modeled beforehand, so it was a wonder- ful experience of learning how to hit my marks, memorize, getting in touch with myself and still look damn good while doing it. That’s why I did that hair toss so fabulously in Independence Day while running from a wall of flames, carrying a kid and still saving the dog, okay?”
Do you still talk to anyone from your soap days? “Oh, absolutely. But I have to mention the late Kristoff St. John [ex-Adam, GENERATIONS; ex-Neil, Y&R], who I just absolutely adored. He was the sweetest man ever and I miss him. I was so disappointed. We were going to do A CHRISTMAS CRUISE 2, and he was one of the people who helped take that franchise to another level. I miss him so much. It was a beautiful service they had for him. He was so loved. I thank him for his gifts, and I will miss my friend always. More recently, I just ran into Jonelle Allen [ex-Doreen, GENERATIONS] at a screening. I run into a lot of the actors that I worked with.”
What’s next for you? “I just ran into Brittany Snow [ex-Susan, GUIDING LIGHT] and we have a film coming out called Bailey & Darla. I play Sam Richardson’s mom, so we’ll be doing the film festival circuit with that. I also have another film coming out called Arkansas with Liam Hemsworth and Vince Vaughan. I play a very interesting character by the name of ‘Her’. That’s going to be coming out in November. I also have a Christmas movie coming out for Lifetime. My book is out in paperback. It’s called Every Day I’m Hustling and basically it’s a motivational memoir. It was time for me to enlighten and encourage others about the wonderful journey of life and let them know that I’ve fallen down a couple of times, and you have to learn how to get out of your own way. It tackles fitness, fashion, love, career and family. We are not perfect. I, too, have faults and I fall on my face every once in a while, but I am having a good time while doing it!”
