Raven Goodwin and Amber Riley each made names for themselves whereas maneuvering by way of the obstacles of Hollywood.
So it’s straightforward for them to narrate to the characters they play within the upcoming Lifetime film, “Single Black Feminine,” airing Feb. 5 at 8 p.m.
Within the film, a twist on the 1992 thriller “Single White Feminine” (starring Jennifer Jason Leigh and Bridget Fonda), Goodwin stars as Monica who, following the dying of her father and a nasty breakup, tries to land a job internet hosting a day discuss present.
She hires a brand new assistant, Simone (Riley), they usually turn into shut buddies. However after Simone strikes in subsequent door and immerses herself in Monica’s life, her creepy facet begins to emerge — with tragic penalties and a revelation of her deep, darkish secret. Okay. Michelle and Janet Hubert co-star.
Goodwin, 29, who co-starred on BET’s “Being Mary Jane,” stated she has all the time tried to audition for roles that stretched her boundaries.
“I’ve learn for elements that had been actually for a caucasian [actress] and have … nothing to do with me being an enormous black lady. None of that,” she stated. “I all the time assume that perhaps I can change individuals’s minds and utterly change the character. I believe it’s all a couple of feeling, about connecting … with the dialogue and constructing the character’s life past the web page.
“When you do this, the sky’s the restrict.”
Riley, 35, who performed Mercedes Jones on the Fox series “Glee,” stated she shares related sentiments, notably because it applies to the music trade.
“I was signed to a report label and my largest qualm with them was that they had an thought of who I used to be, and what my voice was, even after I acquired on ‘Glee,’ on which I used to be typecast,” she stated. “There have been some scenes the place I acquired to interrupt out of that, which is absolutely dope, however I used to be by no means a belter, the person who sang loud and hollered. I used to be a classically skilled singer.
“However as a result of I used to be a fats black lady it was like, ‘Oh, no that is who you must be.’ And I fought towards that.”
Riley just lately made it clear that she doesn’t need to be referred to as “Mercedes” on Twitter after somebody repeatedly referred to as her by her character’s identify on “Glee.”
“I despise when ppl name me Mercedes. Put some respect on my identify. Name me AMBER or RILEY,” she tweeted on Jan. 15.
“I did a music with R&B singer Eric Bellinger years in the past referred to as ‘By no means Be Lonely,’” she stated. “I bear in mind happening YouTube as a result of I did a music video for [the song] and somebody stated, ‘Man her voice doesn’t match her face. I used to be questioning why the large lady was within the video however then I noticed that was her voice.’
“I simply thought that was so attention-grabbing and I stated, ‘I’m going to proceed to sing this manner so that individuals will see me.’”
