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Miranda J. is a producer, social media expert, writer, and on-air talent. With nearly 10 years of media-related work, her background includes extensive experience in journalism as well as TV production, print, and digital media. She has worked for Walt Disney Television, ABC News, Essence, MTV News and XXL.
Pam Grier Thought She Would Be A Camera Operator, 55 Years Later She's Still Stealing The Show On-Screen
The name Pam Grier has rang bells in the entertainment for over five decades. Her iconic name is undeniably recognizable in any room from here to Tokyo. The beloved Foxy Brown is a timeless treasure that turned 50 this year. Fast forward to the present and Pam is still captivating audiences with her latest role as Athena in Them: The Scare, but would you believe me if I told you it all happened by chance?
(L-R) Pam Grier, Joshua J. Williams, Deborah Ayorinde and Luke James attend a special Los Angeles screening of 'Them: The Scare'Michael Tullberg/Getty Images
Pam Grier started her career in her early 20s after moving to Los Angeles to work for a production company as a switchboard operator in the late 1960s. That gig didn't last long, as she was discovered and cast in her first film four years later in 1971's The Big Doll House. Pam reflected on her early beginnings, telling xoNecole in an exclusive interview that she actually never sought to be an actor. "When I started out, I was a novice—a student. I had no intention of becoming an actor," she explained. "I was working five jobs, living in a garage. I thought I'd be a camera person. Never an actor because I was in fear." Pam continued, "I had fear of emotion. Fear of being attacked, fear of fighting, fear of being injured or injuring someone else. I had a lot of issues I had to grow into and grow out of."
"When I started out, I was a novice—a student. I had no intention of becoming an actor. I was working five jobs, living in a garage. I thought I'd be a camera person."
She quickly learned that the fear was only holding her back and after her on-screen debut—her career quickly took off. The following year, in 1972, she appeared in four films and the success continued through 1973 when she landed one of her most popular films to date, Scream Blacula Scream. Looking back, it's safe to say Pam Grier is one of the originators of the Black horror film genre. "To see from 50 years ago to now, the technology and the innovation—and the IN YO FACE action, stories, and narratives," she recalled. "Back then you had to prepare your audience to see a genre of horror and you had to build your audience to see a woman doing martial arts."
Actress Pam Grier in 'Scream, Blacula, Scream.'Herbert Dorfman/Corbis via Getty Images
In 1974, she landed the role of Foxy Brown and the rest is history.
According to Pam, the early years had a big impact on her trajectory and taught her many valuable lessons including that fortune is on the other side of fear. Pam's epiphany is one that she stills holds close to her heart and it even partly inspired her latest character in some ways. "Athena in many ways encompasses a lot of the characters I've portrayed and [my] experiences because in theater and in this particular body of work—the first cut is the deepest. Take 1, that's it. There's no more you're done. You did it. You got there."
It is amazing to witness her iconic talent on-screen as Athena. It's had to believe that Pam Grier will celebrate her 75th birthday later this month. She has taught us many things as a Black woman with an unapologetic presence on-screen through generations and this should be yet another lesson: Fear just might be holding you back from your destiny!
Watch the full interview below.
Pam Grier Thought She Would Be A Camera Operator, 55 Years Later She's Still Stealing the Showyoutu.be
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Over the years, we've watched Luke James play countless characters we'd deem sex symbols, movie stars, and even his complicated character in Lena Waithe's The Chi. For the first time in his career, the New Orleans-born actor has taken on a role where his signature good looks take a backseat as he transforms into Edmund in Them: The Scare—a mentally deranged character in the second installment of the horror anthology series that you won't be able to take your eyes off.
Trust us, Edmund will literally make you do a double take.
xoNecole sat down with Luke James to talk about his latest series and all the complexity surrounding it—from the challenges taking on this out-of-the-box role to the show's depiction of the perplexing history of the relationship between Black Americans and police. When describing the opportunity to bring Edmund's character to life, Luke was overjoyed to show the audience yet another level of his masterful acting talents.
"It was like bathing in the sun," he said. "I was like, thank you! Another opportunity for me to be great—for me to expand my territory. I'm just elated to be a part of it and to see myself in a different light, something I didn't think I could do." He continued, "There are parts of you that says, 'Go for it because this is what you do.' But then also that's why it's a challenge because you're like, 'um, I don't know if I'm as free as I need to be to be able to do this.' Little Marvin just created such a safe space for me to be able to do this, and I'm grateful for everything I've been able to do to lead to this."
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Them: The Scare, like the first season, shines a light on the plight of Black Americans in the United States. This time, the story is taking place in the 1990s, at the height of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. While the series presents many underlying themes, one that stands out is Black people and the complicated relationship with the police. "For the audience, I think it sets the tone for the era that we're in and the amount of chaos that's in the air in Los Angeles and around the country from this heinous incident. And I say it just sets the tone of the anxiety and anxiousness that everybody is feeling in their own households."
James has been a longtime advocate against police brutality himself. He has even featured Elijah McClain, the 23-year-old Colorado man who died after being forcibly detained by officers, as his Instagram avatar for the past five years. So, as you can imagine, this script was close to his heart. "Elijah was a soft-loving oddball. Different than anyone but loving and a musical genius. He was just open and wanted to be loved and seen."
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Luke continued, "His life was taken from him. I resonate with his spirit and his words...through all the struggle and the pain he still found it in him to say, 'I love you and I forgive you.' And that's who we are as people—to our own detriment sometimes. He's someone I don't want people to forget. I have yet to remove his face from my world because I have yet to let go of his voice, let go of that being [because] there's so many people we have lost in our history that so often get forgotten."
He concluded, "I think that's the importance of such artwork that moves us to think and talk about it. Yes, it's entertaining. We get to come together and be spooked together. But then we come together and we think, 'Damn, Edmund needed someone to talk to. Edmund needed help... a lot [of] things could have been different. Edmund could have been saved.'
Check out the full interview below.
Luke James Talks Ditching Sex Symbol Status For "Them: The Scare", Elijah McClain, & Morewww.youtube.com
Featured image by Getty Images
This year’s Oscars presented so much potential when it came to Black cinema, from the talented casts featured in the hottest films of the season to the brilliant minds behind the scenes. While some notable wins like The Holdovers star Da’Vine Joy Randolph taking home "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" and American Fiction writer Cord Jefferson’s win for “Best Adapted Screenplay” took place—there were also some potentially history-making moments that didn’t come to fruition as one would have hoped.
Colman Domingo, recently dubbed “The First Black Gay Movie Star” by Out Magazine, was up for “Best Actor in a Leading Role.” Many may not have realized but Colman taking home the golden trophy would have meant him becoming the first openly gay Black man to win “Best Actor in a Leading Role” in The Academy’s nearly 100-year history. Actually, Colman is only the second openly gay man to earn an Oscar nomination for playing a gay character. With the first happening 25 years ago, when Ian McKellen was nominated in 1999 for his leading role in Gods and Monsters.
Domingo took on not one but two roles in films garnering huge Oscar buzz this season— portraying Mister in The Color Purple remake and the depiction of Martin Luther King Jr. advisor Bayard Rustin, the biopic that earned his first nomination. Only five Black men have taken home the “Best Actor in a Leading Role” prize to date, having a 15-year gap between Will Smith's 2022 win and Forest Whitaker's 2007 victory. While we would have loved to see first-time nominee Colman Domingo make history at The 96th Academy Awards, his captivating on-screen presence is sure to earn another nomination one day in the near future.
Colman DomingoCourtesy of The Academy
American Fiction costars Jeffrey Wright and Sterling K. Brown were also the first Black actors from the same film to be simultaneously nominated in the lead and supporting actor categories. Wright's portrayal of frustrated novelist Monk in the movie adapted from the 2001 book Erasure and Brown's portrayal of his younger surgeon brother, who is freshly divorced after coming out as gay, were two modern characters, unlike anything we've seen on screen before. Not to mention, the film Sterling described as “expanding the collective consciousness and imagination of what Black life on screen can be” was also nominated for "Best Picture." Jeffrey once said, “We lack a fluency in how we discuss race and history… and identity," and it can't be denied that American Fiction is truly a step in the right direction.
Danielle Brooks' nomination for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" can't go without mention. Her show-stopping reincarnation of the character Oprah Winfrey made famous, Harpo's wife Sofia, can't be overlooked. In the 1985 version of The Color Purple, Whoopi Goldberg, Margaret Avery, and Oprah Winfrey were all nominated for their film debuts; however, none of them won. In fact, in spite of eleven nominations, the original film won none of the Oscars that year. Brooks had a chance to change things for the undeniable cult classic film, but ultimately, Da’Vine Joy Randolph took it home.
Danielle BrooksCourtesy of The Academy
Randolph tearfully accepted her trophy, stating, “For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different." She continued, “And now I realize I just need to be myself, and I thank you. I thank you for seeing me.” Da’Vine basically swept awards season, also winning a Critics Choice Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG Award for her performance as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.
Other winners of color included The Last Repair Shop director Kris Bowers, who took home "Best Documentary Short" alongside two-time Oscar-winner Ben Proudfoot, and American Fiction writer Cord Jefferson, who won “Best Adapted Screenplay.” Cord's acceptance speech included what might have been the most important moment during the night: a plea for cheaper films and more opportunities for those trying to follow in his footsteps. “It’s a plea to acknowledge and recognize that there are so many people out there who want the opportunity that I was given." He continued, "I want other people to experience that joy. The next Martin Scorsese is out there. The next Greta [Gerwig] is out there. The next Christopher Nolan is out there. They just want a shot. And we can give them one.” Well said, Cord, Well said!
Cord JeffersonCourtesy of The Academy
Kris Bowers (R)Courtesy of The Academy
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Feature image courtesy of The Academy
Kierra Sheard-Kelly Talks Being A New Mom And How Her Children's Book Is Based On A True Story
Kierra Sheard-Kelly is a Grammy award-winning artist who has been a force in gospel music for almost two decades. Although she comes from the legendary musical family, The Clark Sisters (her mom being Karen Clark Sheard), she has managed to make a name for herself in gospel with hits like "Hang On" and "It Keeps Happening," as well as being a judge on the popular BET gospel singing competition show, Sunday's Best.
Besides music, Kierra has also ventured into fashion with her clothing line Eleven60 and is an author, penning her latest book, Kiki Finds Her Voice, which is a children's book based on a childhood memory. With so much success in her career, the singer has now started on a new journey, motherhood. In a xoNecole exclusive, Kierra opens up about becoming a children's book author, a new mom, and much more.
While Kierra already has two books under her belt, the Line Sisters star chose to make her third book, Kiki Finds Her Voice, a children's book. The story is about Kiki deciding to sing about God in a school talent show after her parents told her she couldn't sing a love song with her friends. Kierra says the story is based on a moment in her childhood.
"I was auditioning with some girls from school, and I think we all kind of go through this where we're discovering if we are extroverts or introverts, or even if we're in between, ambiverts and then sometimes we feel like it sometimes we don't," she tells us. "Children still have that space as well. But at this moment, I was trying to make friends. I was trying to fit in. I wanted to be popular and cool and be accepted. And I think every child goes through this at some point in their lives, and I auditioned for a talent show."
Kierra explains that they sang an R&B song during the audition, and when her mom caught wind of it, she made her change her song. "My mother was being my mother and being the protective adult that she was in that space, and she was like, 'This is not an appropriate song for you to sing as a child.' So, she bust into that talent show audition, and she made sure that I switched my song," she reveals.
"Of course, the girls, they dropped off, and they weren't interested, and they were like, we don't want to do your churchy song swap out kind of thing. And I had to learn the lesson my parents were saying, 'Hey, everybody's not gonna agree with your choices, and that's even now. Even when you become an adult, but don't let that define you."
Kiki Finds Her Voice was influenced by Kierra becoming a mother herself. The "Miracles" singer is a new mom to Khloé-Drew Valencia Kelly, who she shares with her husband, Jordan Kelly. The couple tied the knot in December 2020, and Kierra has been candid about their pregnancy journey. The gospel singer experienced several miscarriages before welcoming little Khloé in November 2023, and after a few months in, she is opening up about motherhood, calling it "great," "beautiful," and even "tricky."
"It's almost like motherhood has strengthened me to be more bold with what I know God has told me and to not question or doubt it. It's like you don't have too much time to second guess that because literally, someone else is dependent on your relationship with God, you know?" She explains.
"So it has me diving in. My prayer points are different. My prayers are more precise. Even with who's around me, I'm very careful now. I'm always looking around my shoulder, not, you know, out of fear, but just to make sure. And I read something the other day, and it said, not only is the baby born, but the mother is born also. So this new being that is a part of myself has been awakened, and it's beautiful. I'm writing and singing different. I don't worry about the little stuff, you know, the minutiae. I let stuff go. It's like I got other things to worry about. Like I feel grown grown now. If you know what I mean?"
Kierra calls Khloé-Drew her "miracle baby," and she hopes to build a relationship similar to the one she has with her parents. The "Something Has To Break" artist says her parents, Karen Clark Sheard and John Drew Sheard Sr., are her best friends, and fostering a relationship with her daughter is what's most important to her.
Keep up with Kierra and her family on Instagram and check out her children's book Kiki Finds Her Voice.
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Feature image by Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Lifetime
'Raising Kanan''s Hailey Kilgore Talks Seeing Herself In Jukebox & Broadway Background
Hailey Kilgore, who has brought the character Jukebox to life on Power Book III: Raising Kanan for the past three seasons, was working hard in show business long before landing the role on coveted Starz franchise. She's already a Tony- and Grammy-nominated talent whose credits include the Jennifer Hudson-led Aretha Franklin biopic Respect and the Tony-winning revival of Once on This Island.
Hailey may play a teen on the Mekai Curtis-centered series but she's been training in singing, acting, and performance since the tender age of 9—that's 16 years now. If you take a look at her social media profiles, it will almost make you do a double take as her real personality couldn't be further from what's depicted on the show—proving just how talented she really is. The Broadway veteran, who is gearing up to release her first album, is what many would describe a girl's girl wearing loads of sequins, gowns, and serving face!
This will prompt you to dig a little deeper to find out more about the girl who is a multi-hyphenate and earned two major nominations before even making it on the big screen.
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xoNecole caught up Hailey as season 3 came to an end and was surprised to learn that although they may be completely different people, her real life is mirroring what's going on with Jukebox in Raising Kanan. "I really made the epiphany season 3." She continued, "[Jukebox] just wants to be seen. She works so hard, she's a really sweet girl. She has a beautiful spirit and she just wants people to see her—to see how hard she works. I feel that right now. I'm like, please just see me. I know you love Jukebox...but there's a super cool girl in here and she's got a lot to say. A lot to contribute to the world artistically."
She even delved more into her background, telling us about the extensive training and hard work she's put in to get to this point. "I started training when I was 9. I trained in acting, singing, and performance." She further explained, "I did my first job when I was 12, so I've been doing this for awhile. Performing is what I love. I've always said I wanted to be Beyoncé when I grew up...I'm really blessed to have the resume and the background that I do."
The latest season of Power Book III: Raising Kanan has come to a close but in true fashion, Hailey is still hard at work. Her first single "Drama Queen" is out now and her debut album will be released on May 3. It's safe to say that Hailey is having her moment. One can't deny that she's worked hard for it and we can't wait to see what's next!
Watch the full interview below.
Hailey Kilgore AKA Jukebox on 'Raising Kanan' Talks Broadway Background
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Exclusive: Donna Summer's Family Is Open To Kelly Rowland Portrayal In A Limited Series
Following the success of the Love to Love You, Donna Summer HBO documentary, which was released in February of 2023, there has been much talk about a biopic on the five-time Grammy-winning singer's life. The in-depth look into Donna Summer's career and home life directed by Oscar-winning titan Roger Ross Williams and Summer's daughter, Brooklyn Sudano, even received a nomination at the Critics' Choice for Best Music Documentary. Love to Love You, Donna Summer, which featured home footage, archived photographs, and never-before-seen clips— sparked an outcry on social media for Hollywood to take action and fast.
The cries for a film were partnered with a viral campaign for Kelly Rowland to portray the late singer. Kelly responded to the news telling OK!, "First of all, I love Donna Summer, I always have. I respect her, her daughters, her estate and her husband. I would love to be able to [play her]. We will see what happens, but I would love to be able to tell that story." She later also addressed the news on the Tamron Hall show stating, “Can we just talk about the fact that this woman single-handedly breathed life into disco–a whole genre.” And they weren't the only ones rooting Kelly on, as Tina Knowles also joined in on the conversation writing on Instagram, “I have been saying for many years Kelly Rowland embodies Donna Summer!... Where are you Hollywood? What are y’all waiting on?”
It's safe to say that people want a Donna Summer film or series and they've crowned Kelly Rowland as the most favorable star of it. So, when xoNecole caught up with Donna Summer's family on the Grammys red carpet, it was only right to check-in.
Donna Summers Family Is Open to Kelly Rowland Portrayal In A Limited Seriesyoutu.be
"Yes, we're interested but our inclination is to do a limited series," said Summer's husband Bruce Sudano. He continued, "Because there is so much nuance and different phases of Donna's life and career that would give us a little more latitude in telling her story. And connecting with people on a different level—not only on the music level but on the human level. That's the road that we're exploring now. As far as Kelly, we love Kelly. We'll see!"
While no solid plans have been confirmed, xoNecole's vote is in and it's a Y-E-S for us! The resemblance between Kelly Rowland and Donna Summer is undeniable. Plus, Kelly's vocal abilities are also perfect for the job.
The interview concluded with Donna Summer's daughter Brooklyn saying "More to come soon," and we can only hope the next update will come with a trailer and release date. Get on it, Hollywood! In the words of Tina Knowles, "What are y’all waiting on?”
Featured image by Getty Images