- I randomly went into your sister's wine-tasting room
in Napa last week.
- No way!
That is so cool.
So, you saw my face.
- I did.
(laughs) I did.
- What's your favorite kind of wine?
- Ooh.
I like a Syrah.
I like a Malbec.
Red wine is definitely my favorite.
I love red wine.
- I like to drink a big ole heavy red and pass out.
(laughs)
- [Announcer] This is "What A Joke."
- [Announcer] With Tom Papa and Fortune Feimster.
- [Announcer] On Netflix Is A Joke Radio.
- Well, congratulations on another,
I know we don't call 'em seasons anymore,
part three of-
- I know.
Why is that?
I have no idea.
You know, I've been in this business for ever,
so I was like, "Part three?
What does that mean?"
- I know.
- I think that's a Netflix model, right?
- Yeah, I guess so.
- I don't know.
- What's it like to have a career
where everything you do is a hit?
- I gotta find wood to knock on.
I have got to find wood to knock on.
- It's so cool.
- The roles that I tend to take,
it's always authentic to who I am in some kind of way.
And I feel like that's what makes it relatable.
And then also, you guys,
everything that I do, I have fun with it.
Some people are really great at working in an environment
where everything is serious,
but that's not me.
Like I have to have a lot of fun.
And I think people resonate with that, you know.
- Yeah.
For sure. - Definitely. Yeah.
You know, we're all in the comedy kind of world.
I couldn't imagine being on a set of like "CSI,"
or like one of these things where it's always gruesome.
I'm like, "What do they do every day?"
They must drive home like,
"What am I doing?"
- You know, I know.
I had done some guest spots on,
I won't name what show,
but you guys can look it up on IMDB,
but I have done some guest spots on some shows,
where they were dramas,
and it was very serious and you could hear a pin drop,
and there wasn't that sense or feel of fun.
And I'm like, "Oh my gosh.
- And long days. - "Okay.
I'm where I am for a reason."
And long days.
- Very long days.
Uh, everyone's like trying to memorize these long words.
- Oh yeah. (laughs)
Especially when they're like, yeah,
but when they're like medical,
or if it's like a law show,
and you have to get used to that jargon,
and that life.
I love...
Some people are like, "I never wanna play a mom."
I love playing a mom.
It's so much fun.
Honey, are you sure that's the way that fits together?
- Yeah. Why?
- Well, because you're having a hard time fitting it
that way.
It seems like it would fit if it were flipped.
- Oh, I'm sorry.
I've only been working on this for two days now.
I read the manual from cover to cover,
and studied eight different YouTube tutorials.
If it belonged on this side,
then it would just click
(metal clicks)
(audience laughs)
like that.
Thanks.
- You're welcome.
This is why they call us the better half.
- That's why I'm single now.
I don't have the patience.
(audience laughs)
- What was it about this project
that drew you to it?
- I would say it was very much like me.
You know, I grew up in a very traditional household.
Like, very traditional.
So, I understand the language.
I understand the lingo that M'Dear is telling Cocoa
about putting on some clothes.
(laughs)
Cocoa's all about having fun.
And she loves to embarrass her kids.
That's me in real life.
And I love working with children.
It's very nostalgic for me,
because I grew up in this business as a child,
and it's almost like I'm overly protective.
It's like I become their parent, for real.
Because I know what they're about to go through.
- Yeah, 'cause you hear so many stories
of people that grew up in the business,
and things going awry eventually.
But you, your sister, your brother.
I mean, you guys all seem so grounded.
- I don't even think we had a choice, or a chance,
to veer off to the left, should I say?
Our parents were in the army.
My mother was a drill sergeant.
My father was a first sergeant.
So,
they didn't play.
- So, how did you find your way into the business
with two military parents?
- Again, this is why representation is so important to me.
I always talk about representation.
I would see "The Cosby Show,"
and I loved "The Cosby Show."
I saw someone, Lisa Bonet,
that looked like me,
with the curly hair, acting,
and you know, I said, "Mommy, that's what I wanna do."
So, she would put me in pageants.
You know, pageants.
And we would do,
my sister and I also,
we would do print work.
So, she ended up quitting her job,
and it's not easy to quit in the army.
She was able to get out.
We moved to LA,
and just in three years we booked "Sister, Sister,"
after being in LA.
So, I guess that this business was for us,
and all of us are still working.
All of us are still working.
- How old were you when you got the show?
- I was 14 years old.
- 14, wow.
- 14 when I shot the pilot.
15 when we went into series.
21 when I finished.
- Whoa, what a run. - They grew up on set.
- I know, crazy.
At Paramount.
We shot at Paramount Studios,
and I shoot "Family Reunion" at Paramount as well.
And all of the security guards,
they are still there,
and they're like, "Tia."
I'm like family there.
They're like, "Tia."
- Job security.
Get it.
(laughs)
- Good one, Fortune. - Ba-dum boom.
That was great.
(laughs)
(upbeat music)
And right.
Ay.
Shimmy to the right 'cause you wanna do right.
Do a little glide,
don't backslide.
And freeze.
(cheering and clapping)
And we're done.
Great class today, gang.
- Oh, I don't know if you can call this little group a gang,
Cocoa.
If we were the Crips,
we'd be the Ips.
(audience laughs)
- I don't mind.
More room for me and my moves.
(feet stomping)
(audience laughing)
- A small class gives me personalized attention.
Thanks to Cocoa,
I've lost five pounds,
and got two dates.
- Whoo!
That's great news.
- Hello, First Lady Amelia, everyone.
- Ooh, Trudy.
First Lady of United Bethel.
Are you ready for lunch?
- Yes.
I came early to support your Zumba ministry,
but I guess I missed everyone.
- No, everyone's still here.
(audience laughs)
- In my day, children were seen and not heard.
And those that were heard
were never seen again.
(audience laughs)
- Enough said.
(audience laughs)
- When you talk about how important it is
to have representation,
do you see yourself starting to produce things
in the future,
and start creating your own stuff,
and guiding other people along the way?
- Yes, totally.
You know, I am so excited about this deal
that I have with Lifetime,
and it's a three-picture deal,
and I am in the process of working on the first movie.
We will be shooting that this summer.
That was one of the main reasons, you know.
It's all about creating these stories
where people can see themselves on television.
We have so much to say.
But not only that,
it's also important to me
what's happening behind the cameras.
I was working on a project,
and I could literally count the women
that were on this project on one hand.
Me being a woman in this business,
and a woman of color,
I was like, "No. This has gotta change."
We live in a world that's a melting pot, right?
There's so many different, beautiful, amazing cultures.
And why not be able to share all of these wonderful stories?
We all have something beautiful and amazing to say.
That is definitely one of my passions,
and I'm currently working on it.
- Yeah. - That's so cool.
- Yeah. - Right on.
That's awesome.
- Thank you.
- Yeah.
I mean, just the way that you guide
these young actors on your set.
I mean, that's gotta permeate when you're in production,
like you said, with every level of it.
That's really good.
That's so great.
- I enjoy it.
I really do.
I've learned at a young age
that my joy comes from inspiring.
My joy comes from helping people,
and helping others.
Life is hard.
It really is.
Life is not easy.
And when there's this sense of community,
where you are helping,
and inspiring,
it just puts a smile on my face
when I see that I'm helping other people.
Everything becomes purposeful.
It becomes bigger than you.
- There are a lot of big laughs in the show.
Were you able to shoot in front of an audience for this one?
How'd you do it?
- We shot the first few episodes
in front of a live audience,
but that was prior to being shut down
because of the pandemic.
And it's lovely.
I love working in front of an audience.
Again, it gives you that sense of community, right?
Like everybody is in this together.
And then also what I love about it is,
there's just this energy that happens
when you're wanting to make people laugh,
and then when you hear them laugh at a joke,
you're like, "Phew, okay.
All right."
- Getting a season done in a pandemic
is not an easy feat, so.
- It wasn't.
It wasn't at all.
It was an adjustment,
but also I felt like it was a great distraction.
And I think that's what television offers.
And I think that's why this show is doing so well right now,
because we need this.
We need that feel-good TV,
and let's just laugh.
Let's have a great time, you know.
(upbeat music)