By Micha Green,
AFRO D.C. and Digital Editor,
mgreen@afro.com
Though Demetria McKinney said that her original goal was to be singer not actor, the actress known for “House of Payne,” “A House Divided,” and “Motherland: Fort Salem,” is no stranger to Hollywood or the entertainment industry. However, having made it through the throws of the COVID-19 pandemic and still doing what she does, McKinney said she has a lot to be thankful for and is loving working and bringing characters to life for audiences to enjoy.
“I think that this pandemic has brought to light the need for structure and the need to prioritize. Being a working actress in this environment is something that really scared me. And here I am, here in Vancouver living the dream (filming “Motherland: Fort Salem”), still with “A House Divided” being the longest show on AllBlk. I have no complaints,” McKinney said in an AFRO Live interview.
“I saw the cast list, even before Ms. LisaRaye was joining us, and I was just so, so ready for the opportunity to learn, not just from Mr. Jacobs, but from everybody. Even the newer people, I’m watching all of these performances, and I’m watching these transitions and all of these people making all these choices that they’re choosing and I’m like, ‘Well that was kind of dope,”’ she said of the cast and crew she is working with, on “A House Divided.”
“And Mr. Larry (Lawrence) Jacobs has been so kind from the absolute beginning. And it’s beautiful to walk in and see the people who you’ve watched forever, and always will, be down to earth, and be receptive to what you’re trying to bring, and also congratulate you when they think you’re doing a good job,” McKinney added.
The actress plays Carissa Walker, who the audience meets in the very first moments of the very first episode. McKinney, as Carissa, brings a strategic, seductive and sometimes seemingly downright evil character to life.
“Getting the script for the very first time from Mr. Dan Garcia, I read it and I’m looking at it at the end, and it was crazy because you could literally see the question mark hovering over my head. I’m like, ‘Did I just kill somebody?’ Like, ‘What am I about to be in this show?’ But that was so exciting because I’m so used to being the good girl, the hope, the one carrying the torch to get us to the other side,” McKinney said. “Carissa has no plans, no intention, on being good. Like it’s just not for her, at all. So from season one, she came in as a baddie and she’s turned and morphed and evolved into a more of a savage each season. In season three, she kind of had to sit down a little bit. They patted her on the little tush a bit, the FBI and all that. But since she’s had time to sit in her orange jumpsuit, she’s had time to come up with some plans.”
Through the strong and nuanced acting and writing, audiences begin to empathize with the layers of Carissa’s complicated character.
“I really did not expect to be rooted for in all of the nonsense and mayhem I’m causing in this show, but I think it also does lend to why empathy is so important in everyday life. I’m not saying she’s got an excuse,’ McKinney said jokingly waving her finger and using slang, “but now we understand some of the reasoning for why she is who she is, losing her mother, her father’s situation and what he put her through, and what that mentality will bring about.”
Although working on A House Divided and Motherland: Fort Salem keeps McKineey year round, the actress and singer said she is passionate about bringing both of the women she plays to life.
“I love ‘A House Divided’ because Carissa is Carissa, she is a very standalone entity in my career. And I can honestly say the same thing about Anacostia, who I play in ‘Motherland: Fort Salem.’ I’m a military brat, so I understand the world, but there’s this magic and there’s this girl power to it, that I never experienced in a show… Being here and being able to transition into this world where my voice really has power, tangible power, and getting to see that vulnerability is not taken as a weakness, as a strength, and it’s part of getting you to grow and build and work,” she said. Then to go from here (Vancouver) for six months eight months, and go to ‘A House Divided,’ and know that I can take off those military boots, put on that baddest suit and heels, and go slice somebody up real quick. It’s just so great and I’m having a great time playing between the two roles,” she said.
McKinney, who has been grinding in the entertainment industry for almost two decades, said that people must be prepared to put in the hard work in order to want to work as an actor or performing artist.
“Because people think that once you get on something successful as a ‘House of Payne,’ as successful as ‘A House Divided,’ or a ‘Motherland: Fort Salem,’ that automatically it’s go-time. This is a business, ‘no,’ is a huge part of it. So the thing that I would tell people who want to do this you’ve got to do this, not for the fame, not for the notoriety, not for the clout, you’ve got to do it because you have to do it. I have to stress that. The fame, the money, that’s not always going to be there, so stack your chips, because once one job ends, you are technically unemployed. You’re sitting there trying to find the next thing, you’re constantly in the audition rotation, like it is a constant hustle,” she said.
“So if you’re not prepared to say, ‘I am in this because I can’t not do it,’ hold off until you are. Because it’s going to get hard, it’s going to be really, really difficult, competition is stiff, your ability to transform and everything may not be as important as who you know. You may not have the look, but you have the talent. There are so many different things that work behind the scenes that you don’t get access to. So keep on your grind, but understand that if you’re going to be in this, be in it, because you can’t not be,” McKinney said.
Help us Continue to tell OUR Story and join the AFRO family as a member – subscribers are now members! Join here!
The post Demetria McKinney talks A House Divided, working in Hollywood appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers .
