OPINION—As an actor on Tyler Perry’s BET’s drama series The Oval, going back to work in the midst of COVD-19, and the current racial justice movement, is a daunting idea. However, I feel extremely excited. I know that for all the perils we face, Tyler Perry is providing the safest work environment we could possibly be in, considering the circumstances. I feel extremely privileged to have such an incredible platform (being on a predominantly Black show on a culturally Black network) from which I can speak to and shed light on Black experiences at such a pivotal time in our history.
That is not to say, however, that my excitement is not also coupled with waves of fear. Am I safe? Am I saying the right thing? Doing the right thing? Is there more I could or should be doing? These are definitely thoughts I’m not immune to.
But one of the areas of growth I have really been intentional about during this pandemic, and the movement for racial justice in communities of color, is asking myself the question, “Am I moving from a place of fear or wisdom?” While fear can be useful, it can also masquerade as false wisdom, in that, if we focus more on what we don’t know and cannot control, or what we feel we do not have anything to offer, rather than what we do know and can control, adding the power we possess in being exactly who we are, we can inadvertently allow our fear to take the place of wisdom and gratitude, which are our gateway to confidence and joy.
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I believe this is the difference between acknowledging moments of fear about the unknown, versus allowing them to ride in the front seat. Keeping my fear in perspective is what has allowed me to embrace this moment for all its beauty and jagged edges.
This is truly a groundbreaking and pioneering thing that we’re doing in so many ways. There will definitely be a lot of emotions involved, we’re all human, and there’s no way that the excitement and gratitude of getting to work can turn down the volume on how seriously this virus and the movement for racial justice has impacted us all on an emotional and spiritual level. But I believe the key is to do what we do as actors — using our emotions and our experiences to bring truth and authenticity to the characters we play; to find a way to channel that into our art. So in many ways, I actually think this extraordinary moment we’re in will only serve my ability to find new and greater depths through which to tell Ellie’s story.
Though the process of gearing up for filming has been stressful, I’m really proud of Mr. Perry and how he has used his unique position of resources and ingenuity to create solutions for our industry. In the months preparing to go back to work, he and his team were extremely regimented in their approach. We had multiple tests in our respective cities, along with Zoom trainings and conversations on how to prepare and what to expect. We also have been doing our part to ensure we could all return to work healthy and safe by continuing to practice self-quarantine and social distancing.
That being said, every time I had to wait for a test result to come back, it was a completely nerve-racking experience, because you know that you are not just going to work for you, but that you’re part of a team. In order for this to work, we all have to remain healthy.
To me, filming is such an intimate process. Not only between actors in scenes, but also with hair, makeup, production — you really become a family. To now have to do that at a distance, behind masks, face shields and suits, is something I’m a little sad about, to be honest. I’m hoping that the physical barriers and uneasiness in the air don’t carry over into any emotional blocks when it comes to our ability to connect and drop in when telling these stories, or connecting with each other on and off camera. On the other hand, I think walking through what we’re walking through together, at this juncture in history, is actually going to prove to be a really uniting experience that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
Source: Getting Back To Work As An Actor In The Midst Of COVID-19
