Kim Fields

Kim Fields drops in to talk about her iconic TV roles, avoiding the pitfalls of childhood celebrity, and so much more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Question Love Supremea is a production of I Heart Radio. Wait,
we're doing this one garage man audition, Suma, s Frema
road called, sub Drema su Prima road Call, Southrema Subrema

(00:21):
roll call, or my feelings. Yeah, I can't control Yeah,
because we've been to talk to Yea ms mocas Soul
Suprema road Call, sub Frema su Prema road Call. My
name is Sugar, Yeah, and I don't care. Yeah, because

(00:42):
I just met two D Yeah, and we're friends with
Blair Rod Suma road call every Wednesday. That's when we're on. Yeah,
my name's Boss Bill. Yeah, and that's one to grow on. SMA,

(01:05):
SMA roll call, Suba Subrema roll call. Yeah, with Kim
the Queen. Yeah, if you're on shore reference regime call,
Surema roll call. My name is. My name is Kim. Yeah,

(01:28):
I'm in the house. Yeah, I'm in New York. Yeah,
I saw a mouth Subrima role call, sum Suprema roll call,
Suprema roll Call. I'm so glad someone gives me. I'm

(01:53):
currently as we speak, I'm currently house shopping right now.
And my second question is and he burned. Yeah, I'm
I'm I'm out. I've given houses away because oh that
your currents are you talking about? She stops there, Yes,

(02:18):
yeah that house. Yeah, I saw a few rats in there.
I was like, hey, merry Christmas. That's what I gave
my house my sister. Alright, guys, course love here. Uh

(02:39):
you may have heard me. We gotta Bill, we gotta
lie here. We got Steve and a family member is
still out getting cigarettes. He said that he come home eventually,
but I don't know. Um, I'm not being kurt, but
there's really no time to waste, and it's not every
day a guy gets to interview his uh childhood celebrity anyway,

(03:01):
I don't want to that next. I don't want to.
I don't want to act. I do want to waste
a second on acting royalty. Um, I will say that
our guest today, Uh, it is pretty much maybe the
reason I sort of kind of talked to uh bottles
of syrup every pancakes Saturday. But in Black Households is set.

(03:21):
Is pancakes on a Saturday like an event? Yes? Yes, yeah,
any day regular No for Black Households, like that was
a treat. That was a Saturday. I survived off of
like tasty cakes quarter waters in a week for Saturdays.
That's that's that's when we're rich. That's when the cat

(03:41):
you know, check out cash. Um the first black roller
skater I ever knew. Uh, the reason why I fell
in love with any girl who wore braces in my
in my school. Um oh yeah, the only the only
person who's charactor truly understands uh what uh dejection from

(04:02):
a Jackson means, especially one works works so hard to
give them gifts that they mean with their own money anyway. Um,
and the fact that most people don't know. Uh. Without
this person, the the empire known as Friends would have

(04:25):
never existed. Yes, Like did you know this? Yeah, your
your beloved Chandler, Joey, Monica and Rachel. You know, I'm
just saying, Sad and Becky whoever else is one with
Without without our guest today, none of that would have
been possible. Uh yeah No, Seriously, ladies and gentlemen, acting

(04:48):
Royalty or question of Supreme today, welcome in comfortable, Madam
Kimberly Victoria Field Westlake Supreme. Finally what invitro? Finally, man,
we've been trying to do that. I know we've been
doing five minutes. Thank you, for that intro getting better

(05:11):
TV for real? Yeah seriously, um, no, seriously, we have
so many questions that asking so little time. So, uh, Kim,
where were you born Harlem? Right here? Really and I'm Kim.
I was born Kim Victoria, not Kimberly, Kim Victoria. Yes,
just Kim is okay, Yes, I'm quest love, you can

(05:32):
call me Kim. Believe that we were not proper respect respect.
Um what were your memories of Harlem? How long did
you live there? Six years? Yeah, from zero to six.
So what what were your memories of Harlem growing up?
Is it anything close to the gentrified? Well not the gentrified,

(05:53):
right no, but I mean like my my building is
still there, My park is still there, my beloved St.
Nicholas Park, the the whole grass lawn that we used
to sled down in you know, cardboard boxes because who
had or you get them old busted up tires and
you slide down. Um, the cracks on the sidewalk in
front of my grandmother's building, which was um six fifty

(06:15):
four St. Nick so you know, um, it's uh is
nothing but love. The other day one in front of
my elementary school PS ninety two, yep, still looks the same.
Any other notable peers of yours growing up in that
area or I don't remember where they lived. But Danielle Spencer,
who played deon What's Happening? So Um, basically my mom

(06:37):
and a whole bunch of other amazingly talented actors would
go to acting school in St. Philip's Church. Alphan used
to hold his classes there, the Alphan Theatrical Ensemble. And
so basically all of like the dopest actors on the planet,
we're in New York and in that environment in the
early seventies. Uh, and so you know, some of them

(06:59):
who had kids they couldn't afford babysitters like us, and
so um, we would be at the at the acting classes,
imitating what we saw our parents doing to keep ourselves entertained.
And so Danielle was there because her stepdad Timpel got
rest soul. He was there, um and um, and your
mother was a part of this troupe. Yes, okay, so
we would be remiss. Are you tired of people coming

(07:21):
up to you saying how much their mom is Your
mom is traumatized them all their lives right now? But
I'm just saying, and I thought it and and okay, yes,
of course, now that we're adults, we know what acting is. Yes,

(07:43):
but let's take it back like thirty years or whatever.
How many of your friends were traumatized at the side
of your mom. For those that haven't seen Good Times,
I'm just Kim's mother played. Uh Penny, Well, no, I
know Penny, but what was what was the character's name?
I can't remember, Mrs Gordon, Mrs Gordon, Yes, her name

(08:06):
was name. She was Penny's mom. Penny, of course, was
was Janet Jackson and the Penny was being abused by
her mother and I and I says, miss chip Fields
played the hell out of that. Yes she did. Ye, yeah,
that if I ever see her in the street, you know,

(08:27):
it's hat, tip of the hat and you know, what
do you need? What can I get for you? So
you're just saying that watching your mother in these workshops
prompted you to also not No, that was just the
intro and and kind of the environment to just be
exposed to it all. It wasn't until I actually saw

(08:47):
her um and saw the environment. Uh, when mom was
doing Hello Delli with Pearl Bailey on Broadway and on
tour that I really started getting a sense of all
that goes into this, you know, and the people who
were a part of the craft and makeup and hair
and wardrobe and sets and props and all of that,
and then when you see it all come together as

(09:08):
a little kid, you know, looking at it on on stage,
and that's that's really what what got me into it.
So was it commercials first? That? Yes? What was your
very first commercial? So with technology not being as advanced
as it was back then, were you just speaking to uh,
a still bottle? Okay, yes, I was, you know, yeah,

(09:33):
it was just just a bottle that was just there.
Oh another of course left first. So I'll say that
Baby I'm Back was technically the first sitcom I was
allowed to watch. I wasn't allowed to watch TV much
back then because you guys came on right after The
Jackson's and in seventies seventy seven the Jackson's had Yes,

(09:57):
the specials you have righty show? So you were I
think your character was Angie, yes, uh? And Baby I'm
Back with uh it was Damien Wilson's. Yeah, that's how
he pronounced his name like he was a Shakespearean actor.

(10:18):
He may have been. He was a preacher too, right, Yeah,
Jaman Wilson. What's your brother on the show? Tony Holmes? Okay,
I don't know what became up him whatever, but yeah,
my mom loved Denise Nickels. I guess everybody was everybody, yes,
and everybody's uncle loved Oh. He was so happy when

(10:39):
I got that job. Everyone until the heat of a night, yeah,
up until Yeah. I mean, well that's when the last
time you really started start seeing Okay, you like, why
are you starting? Um? So that was your very first sitcom? Yes?

(11:00):
So how easy was it for you to adjust to
that environment? Um? It was definitely a learning uh experience,
you know. Um. For example, I didn't know about continuity,
and so we did a scene and I was supposed
to come into the kitchen area from having been awakened,
and so we did the take, you know, one time,

(11:21):
and then I thought I was backstage and I thought, well,
if I was asleep, my hair should be a little messy,
so I must my hair. And then they came out
and they were like cut who touched her hair? So
that was the first time I learned about continuity. Yeah, absolutely,
and things like you know, don't look in the camera
and don't laugh at your own jokes and don't laugh

(11:43):
at other people's jokes and you know stuff like that,
and UM, so definitely was Um was a lot of fun,
you know, but it was it was on the job
training because I had never done a series before. And
by that point you moved to Los Angeles. So what
was that transition link? Because the seventies, I mean a
lot of people don't even realize that for a lot

(12:04):
of African Americans, like you know, we've only known the
current environment that we're in right now for just fifty years.
So I'll say for at least the first ten years,
I'm sure that it was a learning curve for anyone
in in Hollywood in the seventies. Uh kind of trekking

(12:27):
uncharted territory that wasn't previously available to them any decades
or time before. So what was it like coming? Like?
Where were your memories of moving to L A. L. Well.
I went to school back at PS ninety two. I
went to school that morning, and when I came back
to our apartment, the little few things that we had,
including like my little easy bake ovin and you know

(12:47):
those who like everything, my my view master, everything was
packed up. It wasn't a whole lot, and my mom said,
we're moving to l A tonight. I was like, just
just because we hadn't. I just went to school like
any other day, So why did y'all end up moving
to l A. So Mom had been there when she
toured with Hello Dolly, and she just felt like that

(13:08):
area had more opportunities work wise. Um, Harlem in the
early to mid seventies was a lot different than it
is now. Uh, And so Mom just thought that that
was gonna be a better look for us. Uh. And
so she she you know, packed us up and we
went out there. One of the other guy persons who
was a part of the acting troupe that al Fan

(13:29):
had was Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and him and my mom
were like brother and sister, and so when we came
out to l A, he was like, you know, Chip,
I got you and the guy Kimmy and you know,
whatever you guys need. And so what you're talking about
right there, you know that there was really no blueprint
and everybody just kind of you know, that village holding
it together. And yeah, exactly. Yeah, because he had gone

(13:50):
out there and booked welcome about Carter and uh, and
so he knew kind of the ropes, but it was
still different for you know, a female and a female
out with a little kid. Um. And so we moved
and got an apartment eventually in West Hollywood, and then
Mom started working. Then I started working. How does that work?
That's what I was wondering, because I'm like, you guys

(14:11):
are both working actors. Of course her more than you.
But how does she do that? How was she mom?
An agent, manager and her own career? Right well, she
was never she was not. She was mom. And it
stopped right there. And one thing I always to this day,
I'm marvel at like like Mom had me when she

(14:32):
was eighteen and and and you know it's like she
she's such a good parent, but she knew nothing about parenting.
She was a kid herself. And you know, just just
how did that? How did she know the stuff to
to teach me and to pour into me and to
know things like, hey, she is not my competition, she's
my child, especially when we are you know, both at

(14:56):
you know, at some point we both began working. Um.
My aunt Pat, my mother's sister, was an integral part
of all of this. Mom asked her to come out
and to move to l A and so and Pat
was actually the one who was on my on set
with me all the time I was working until I
was eighteen. She would travel with me to all my
appearances and and everything. Man, so it's I guess you

(15:22):
can say that, Well, that's weird because I always thought
she was your manager. So but that's that's good that
she had the insight at least two to no distance,
because most parents don't do that, like they even live
their dreams to their kids or yeah, and she and
she was not that, you know. And she also, um,

(15:44):
she never stopped parenting me even though she was finding
her way as a parent. You know, one time I
had said, um, it was like maybe the second or
third season of Living Single, Facts of Life, and um,
and she had raised me to be a really good kid,
like don't talk back, be very disrespectful. You know. I
had home training and she said to me one day, UM,

(16:06):
give me clean up your room, and I promise you all,
I promise you. I was not trying to be smart.
It was a genuine question when I said, isn't that
what we have a housekeeper? And I really was And

(16:26):
then sure enough, before I could finish. I got popped
in my mouth was my next question. I wanted to know, Okay,
that wasn't a whooping baby, because I was a good kid. Um,
she bought me in my mouth. And in your book,
you're you're talking about a situation when you were on
set and you had to talk back to a parent
and you weren't really sure how to do that right exactly.
I had to talk back to Mrs Garrett and Jermaine

(16:46):
Jackson episode and my mom was like, no, no, it's okay,
you can do this now here. This is fine. But
she knew. I mean, you know, I wasn't talking back,
but it was just that sense of we're not You're
not gonna be that child, you know. And then she
called then to top it off, girl, she called the
studio and talked to one of the producers and said,

(17:07):
I'm sorry, but Kim won't be returning as as two
D any longer. She doesn't know how to deal with this.
And when was that's that's something my mama would Yeah, absolutely,
And of course him, being a parent, was right there
with her and said, okay, Chip, no problem, we understand.

(17:28):
Tell her thank you so much for her her time
and everything, And of course they were dealing with being
They were parenting me to make sure that I didn't
start tripping at age you know, eleven or twelve or
whatever it was. And I was like, oh my bad,
I didn't know, no problem. I got it, my socks,
got it, my toys, I'll put these away, you know,

(17:49):
and that sort of thing I always wondered, like, what's
the what's the power dynamic where you're an established person
at your job but you still got to come home
and take the garbage out? That's right? Yeah, well it
keeps you grounded. I mean, think about when the Obama's
one and Michelle was like, but you're still taking the

(18:10):
babies to school in the moment, I know, you just
became't play, but you ain't babies to school. I mean
there's certain things that you know conceptually, no matter if
it's fame or or or or whatever it is being
connected to, some form of groundedness has to be in play.
Otherwise you turned of from cry. When Randy Jackson was

(18:32):
on the show Which One, Uh heat it okay No,
and he was saying that they had just did for
soulde out nights at the Forum and got home back
to in Cino and you know, like the it's your turn,
you didn't take the garbage out and he's like, I

(18:54):
just played sold out that And then I was like
what you say? Okay? Right? What was what was the
by the way, I mean, Randy Jackson was my That
was everything. He was everything to me. That was my crush. Yes,
oh my god. What listen when they let him sing
on can you feel it? Right there? I was the

(19:19):
only one in the forum screaming like fancy as a
working actor? What was the Hollywood shuffle process? Like? I
love when you asked that question that way. I love it. No, dude,
It's it's like, yeah, like what was the process? Like? Now,

(19:40):
of course you were lucky enough to land key memorable
roles in your career, but orn in the average because
you talk about the audition process and even as an
established that like did you still have to absolutely you
still have to audition, And it was there was a
big part of it that was most like family reunion

(20:01):
because you go in, hey T Shirt, Hey Jada, Hey Vivica,
you know, and it's like kind of the yeah, you know,
because at that time it was, you know, just a
handful of roles and we were all going out for them,
you know, and some of them you knew, up, yeah,
this one's got oh yeah, this is gonna be yours,
and you know that sort of thing. Well, what was
it like in your younger years, like we're going after

(20:22):
commercials and sure I'd still audition, um, but not as much.
Number one, when you're on a series, and see, you
have to remember, in that day and age of television
so to speak, a season was twenty four episodes, so
you were busy for a much longer period of time
than you know nowadays, was like, oh there's six episodes,
there's eight episodes, so you know, then you were doing

(20:45):
TV movies. Um, so I would do like the ones
I did with Gary Coleman and that sort of thing.
And at that point I didn't have to audition, you know,
Children of Divorce or the ones with Gary Coleman, I
didn't have to audition for those. Was there ever, did
you feel like a feeling of security, It's like, Okay,
we got through this year. Was there always like a
midpoint season? Where are you checking the Nielsen ratings every

(21:06):
twelve seconds? Too young? I was? I was too young?
I was. I was really just into again, make sure
I had good grades, UM, make sure I was professional,
make sure I was a good kid. And so my
priorities were not about the that part of the industry
because I just I was too young to really focus
on that. And the things that I did, um that

(21:27):
that were important to me aside from the kids stuff. UM,
I really enjoyed being around the crew and learning from them.
You know, it's like it's like a kid being around
musicians and they love music. You're just gonna keep gravitating
tours them every chance you get. And so that was
really you know, my lane right there. Here's a fact
of question I have. I remember when it first came

(21:51):
on the air, there was a larger ensemble past and
then it was just whittled down to the four of you.
What was what was the thought process or like what
made that transition happen, because at one point, like Molly
Ringwald was part of the way bigger. But I never

(22:13):
I mean now it's like when you watch television, you
gotta watch every episode and binge watch every second of it,
whereas back then it's just like, oh, it's on its orn.
But I never understood what was what was the decision factor?
Behind turning it a seven cast. I don't think it
was quite that um. But basically we had a half

(22:37):
hour show, and it's a lot of characters to service
in a half hour. Uh. And so after we did
that first season, they the network exacts evaluated it and
felt that, um, there were just too many people to
try to focus on in twenty two minutes. Um. And
so then it became okay, well what if we changed
some of the diet, the dynamics, you know, changing the

(23:00):
amount of people that are there. You mentioned it being
a bigger house, so the that main set was more
like the common area, the commons or something like that.
And so then they shifted it to something that, you know,
they had more They felt they had more storyline ideas.
So the idea of the the yes yes, and so
the idea of like the cafeteria where you could still

(23:22):
have the all the kids coming and going, um, but
it still was more interesting than just having the common
area and us living above it. So that was that
was the idea. Now, that was one of the few
times where I remembered thinking, I'm gonna probably get cut too,
because I'm the black kid, and black people always get

(23:42):
cut first. That was like one of the first times
I've only had that was a harm. You guys knew
that the pendulum and not pendulum, that the guilotine button
was about the press and somebody was leaving. Not quite
like that. You know when we heard that there was
a pick up and everybody was, you know, ecstatic, and

(24:02):
then they said, yes, the show has been picked up,
but there have been some changes that have been made. Um,
these girls are not coming back to the show. You're
gonna come back. This one's coming back on the phone.
Oh yeah, on the phone. Yeah, So you're waiting for
a phone call and you didn't know. Yeah, that's the

(24:23):
facts of life for real. You always knew you was
the long black girl in the room. No, not like that.
That was one of the few times. That's why I said,
it was one of the few times where I really
registered the idea of being the black girl, being the
black persons. And that was very early on. But but

(24:44):
for the most part, it one I wasn't taught to
look through, you know, the lens with color. Um. Everybody
was just people, um, not fire, just not invited for
exactly be there in in in retrospect, yes, in retrospect,

(25:07):
though or in hindsight, you being a first living a
life of being our first or whatever. What was the
environment like on the set? It was great, It really
was great. Um, everybody was. It was a level playing field, truly, truly,
like even as the youngest, I didn't feel like the baby,

(25:31):
you know, like Tudi felt that more than Kim did.
Does that make sense? Oh good, because I didn't have
nothing else. What was the average Well, as a minor,
you can only work, you know, a certain number of
hours a day, and then you also have to go
to school. So we would go to school in the morning.

(25:51):
And by the second season, when Nancy arrived, Uh, Nancy
and I were in studio school together. Mindy. Her family
wanted her to stay in her school environment, and so
she would come to work after Um. Lisa was already
um what do you call it. She had taken the
proficiency test or whatever, so she wasn't in school anymore,
even though she was sixteen. Uh. And that's also really

(26:13):
a huge contributing factor to why Nancy and I are
so close, and we're so close even though to d
M Joe, we're not Nancy and I are. I'm Oh
my gosh, I just thought it was bendy in my mind.
It's always been because because but I spent actually more time,
far more time than than in it with anyone than

(26:34):
with with Nancy, because you're in studio school and so
you start roughly about two hours before everybody even comes
to work school. Always wanted to know what, like, Yeah,
so you you're in you know, like one of the
rooms in the production office. When we filmed for three
seasons at Universal Studios, we were in a row of trailers.
Uh so there was um facts, alife, different strokes, one

(26:57):
day at a time, silver spoons. We were all in this,
not together, but we were just in a row of
trailers that you know, we're separated by a door, but
we were all right there. Don't year old me over there.
I would have had so much fun. It was great.

(27:18):
Different show, each show has a different teacher, uh and
so and um, depending on um, you know, if the
grade levels of the kids, if there are multiple kids
on a show, you might have different tutors to cover
different ages. But Nance and I had the same tutor,
Margaret got rest Our soul. Margaret was our tutor for
the whole time. Uh. And so you know, you you

(27:39):
go and you you you have two hours of school.
Then when everybody comes to work, you literally man are
ping pong back and forth between school and and rehearsal
until you've done enough hours in the day because you
have to be in school for three hours a day,
and then you can be in this rehearsal hall or
filming full time. Now what they end up doing is

(28:01):
like if you're on a hiatus week. Those are tough
because there's no outlet. You're there and you go to
school and then you have to what you call bank time,
so you might be there for like five hours doing
school because when you're in production on your filming day,
you might only get twenty minutes of school and which
is the minimum that you have to be there, and

(28:22):
then they pull from your hours in the bank so
that you still have your time. Someone is there literally
clocking like a union person, like baby. We used to
have booth time and Margaret time. And Margaret if it
was booth time, was like in the control room where
the producers would go, Okay, we're gonna lose Kim in
five minutes. We have to get this scene done or

(28:43):
you know that sort of thing. And Margaret time was
y'all have to finish now. I don't know that that
that that clock is not right. My clock says it's
nine o'clock now, and so you've got to pull the plug.
Are they still doing that system today or is that
back then? I mean to a certain extent, you know,
because the labor laws they got such a bad rap from,

(29:05):
you know, earlier generations, so they tried to be better
at it. But when our son Quincy was in the
Pride and Prejudice movie for Lifetime this past summer, he
filmed it at the end of last year and I
was set mom, and I was in the trailer and
you know, there was his tutor and and all those things.
And I actually took video and showed it to Nancy.

(29:25):
I was like, oh my god, your nephew studio right now?
Are they all absolutely? Absolutely? I was asking because, uh,
during like I just never understood it and always sort
of frowned and all right, first of all, yes, I'm
I commit that. You know, I'm very bad at punctuality

(29:46):
and in time and all that stuff. I'm working on myself, Bill,
you know this. UM So when working on Hamilton's UM,
I didn't realize that they are also very annual retentive
with times, so like they were there was always a
onset person with a stop watch and say if like

(30:09):
George Washington had to resing apart over against like okay,
well we have six minutes and thirty seconds, guys, until
now it's five minutes and fifty seconds. And I was
just like this is yeah, because they're also annual, and
you know there's like actual people whose jobs it is
just to look at the stopwatch and enforce rules, of

(30:30):
which as a black person, I'm like, I don't know about.
But the unions are are to your point, really, you
know they're there to really protect the artists, is what
you know, the idea of the union is, and so
being able to protect, making sure that that you know,
you're not overworked and and and all of those things.

(30:53):
So so they are sticklers. So does that leave you
enough time to actually study your lines and or you
guys just given sides and you recap them for two
seconds and right. So when you're doing a movie, then
you know you shoot bits of it every day, but
on a multi camera comedy like that, then you you
film just kind of once or twice a week, so

(31:15):
you have the script and you were heard the whole
thing over and over and over. Okay, so as a teenager,
let's let's push on in the years. Um No, I'm trying.
I'm trying to cover every every aspect of your career.
Was there a general fear of Hollywood trappings that have

(31:38):
sort of sort of grabbed everyone you seem to, at
least in my eyes. You got out of it unscathed
and you know, without a scratch or I don't know,
but like, how hard was that to avoid in such
a decadent time period the social media? Yeah? Right, yeah,

(32:04):
um it was. It was. Um there was a part
of it that was really easy because I was scared, meaning, um,
I was. I was that kid that was like, I
don't even want to try weed because I'd be that
one person that they find out, Oh my god, it
can't kill you if you puff one. We didn't know
and now God rest her soul, you know. So I

(32:24):
was like, so, you know, it's like, I'm not gonna
try that, and certainly not anything stronger than that. Um
but but basically I just felt like, um, I didn't
want to be a has been At eighteen, I clearly
remember having that thought, you know, as you get fifteen

(32:45):
and sixteen, and you you know, you're just becoming a
young adult. And I remember thinking, I'm not going to
be a has been at eighteen, and um, I'm not
gonna let my village suffer because I'm a statistic. My
village has put way too much in me for me
to go out like that. That's that's not an option.
So that's how I avoided. Now. I'm not unscratched, not

(33:07):
not at all. It's just, um, I didn't have some
of those monumental um um, tragic incidents, you know, that
sort of thing. Um, but I certainly had struggles and challenges.
That's why I started my book with the piece from
Lungs and Hughes. Well's not I'll tell you life from
me been no Crystal Stair because people think they look
at me and they go, oh, she ain't been through nothing.

(33:30):
He was the first. How could you not go through something,
even if exactly I'm the whole woman woman holding I
think she's been my friends. She just didn't know, um

(34:00):
how well, not how important, but how hard was it
to shake the T word? I love you for that man?
Once once the series in six Yeah okay, yeah by
the way. First, everybody remembers the first show they ever

(34:21):
recorded when they got a VCR. So I got my
box over right in time for the eld Barge episode.
We talked about this when I say it was on
our show, that's right, yeah, um yeah, so it was first.
Like back when you in the eighties when you got

(34:42):
a VCR, you recorded any and everything because like you know,
you didn't want to miss anything. So we start we
have like the mountains of tapes. I was like, this
is a Saturday lineup pile, this is every funny. Maxwell
just sent me a text of a p maketure of
like just piled like like piled the vhs and he's

(35:04):
and cassettes and he's like, I got mine, you know
you got yours. Oh my god. But if you think
about it, we are like as a species, we're the
most documenting, never going back to watch people like the amount.
Wait that's from Maxwell, Wait with a floppy disc. Col

(35:38):
Kim just showed us her phone and Maxwell's center photo
of a bunch of vhs, a cassette, and a floppy disc,
which reminds me that to this day, to this day, uh,
the Angels still creates his music on his A S
R Tin and needs floppy discs sound decide? Uh he

(36:02):
just said again, But my point being that, Uh, when
when the series was over, Um, how hard was it
too to shake the character as far as figure out
what you're going to do next? Well, thankfully the character
had grown up. So you know, I wasn't like a

(36:25):
Shirley Temple type of of of of child start trapped
in you know, being a child. Um so so um.
And I had gone to college and you know, I
got my degree, so I stayed busy number one, so
my mind wasn't idol and I wasn't just kind of
trapped my own self. What did you major in? A

(36:46):
pepperdine a double majored in broadcast journalism and TV and
film production, and I'm minored in religion? Why why? Um?
I wanted to go to San Diego State, but I
couldn't go out of state for school or out of
out of town for school because the facts of life
was still did you wear that from me? Oh? Your
car like you got on your head? It's just facts?

(37:09):
Oh Christ, not even shout out to Dan Ricky. Uh.
Now I did this weird thing when I'm meditating the morning,
and it's like the first word I saw, so facts.
And then when I like, I grabbed a whole bunch
of letters and whatever comes out in my hand, I'm

(37:30):
just like, I'll use that. I swear to got it.
That's next level of meditation. And again I didn't. But
look how connected we are that I permeated your meditation
time and you and you had me on your mind. Wow.
I don't think you ever left. I don't even read

(37:50):
the calendar in the morning. I was like, oh wait,
I'm going to work right. Oh oh, Kim, I'm playing.
Although he's been asking me almost once a week. So
when camp did you get caned? Um? Yeah? Because it's true, Yeah,
sadly true. How did you decide which crown to wear
each day? Different one? Anyway? No, I totally forgot. I

(38:16):
was hearing the crown of my head. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
I know I interrupted you. What were you saying no
no about Pepper Knight. Yes. So I wanted to um
go out of state, and I couldn't go out of state,
And then I couldn't even go out of town because
facts life was still filming when I started college because
I took seventh and eighth grade together. So I got
out of high school a year early. So I was
still doing Facts of Life when I started college and

(38:38):
so um we had done the Australian movie and then
I started school. But this was fun. I remember the
Paris one. He was on punishment for the other one
never cared. Weren't we older? How was you on punishment?
Then we want to Paris. I remember being in trouble

(38:58):
that parents was like what eighty I was taught two
of those special Facts of Life trips was on punishment
for so okay, the other one I was. I was
seventeen eighteens. I don't wedn't even want to know why
he was no, no, no, my bad. Y'all went to Hawaii.
Everybody went to Hawaii. Jeffs went to Hawaii, and you

(39:22):
saw they took their hairdresser because here's here's here's some weird. Okay,
So don't say his name. We won't get we will
in a second, Okay, Okay, So Appolloni and I have

(39:44):
a really good mutual friend in Chef Gordon, who lives
in Mali. And one of Apple's favorite thing is to
uh when you go, I don't say thrifting when you
go to the thrift stories to antiquing right um. And
somehow and somehow Apollonia wound up with Roxy brokers Um

(40:08):
polaroid uh scrapbook of when Jefferson went to No, she
just always had it, and that's how I introduced her
to Lenny and Zoe to get the book. So Mrs
Roxy's hair was straight. And so when the special episode,

(40:31):
you guys were allowed special amenities for your well facts
of life. I wasn't. And that's why when that wind
blew to these bands look like all to be damn
and my mother was like, oh never again. That's the
one time she was kind of managerish and was like,
my baby will not be looking like that if you
guys go anywhere else. Did they have a hair dresser
for you? Yes, like Joeann Stafford. That's who created this

(40:56):
zig zag part. That's look at you any winner, that's right,
he did the night right. How do you know that?
The book? And then I did Google afterwards. Okay, I
don't know to say, because you pioneer for me, like
the the even though people now are sort of crediting
like Salt and Pepper for the mushroom ish. Oh yeah, no,

(41:19):
she had. I felt like you were the pie. Yes,
what's that called the page boy circle? I thought the
halle Berry cut was a page boy right, Well you're
talking living single, I'm talking about That's what I'm talking
about the room right right, Yes, And I mean I
had bangs that big barrel on the curl curl and

(41:41):
I are so yeah. But the zig zag part picked
up all of my styles, was Joan, But they didn't
take Joe in the Paris and old Kim set. It's
good to know that. See when we go in on
location and I'm after big and fleet, like you know, afro,
don't come out. Let me tell it's just as on

(42:04):
the show as I am. That's right. And then when
we went to Australia, Kim was laid though Kim had
her hair tight on that one. But I took my
hair stylist. Was that was you relax or was that
a blow out? I'm sorry, I just always had that question. Yes,
it took a whole or did she ever? Did you

(42:25):
ever get your hair chemical up? I don't think so.
I don't think my mom. I have to ask my
mom that that was good to watch, because that wouldn't
spoon on my ear that's what I really remember and
the blue grease no, because it's thank And now back
to our regularly we are we are the rabbit Hole
Kings on this show. So as I was mentioned earlier,

(42:48):
and you know, I know that people seem to think, uh,
I'm talking out the side of my neck, but not
many people know that the reasons that Friends exist it
is because the creators of Friends. My great, how is
that NBC where I currently worked to this day? What
m job and benefits? Um? No, Well, you know, I

(43:15):
thought it was Brandon Tartakov's last move. He had a
chance to have uh Living Single or NBC. But they
were like, well, we have enough black shows already. We
already have uh Labelle's Up All Night, and we have
the Fresh Prince of bel Air, and we have L's

(43:35):
in the house, so maybe three is enough, you know,
and we still have Cosby in a different world. So
that's that's a lot of blackness, so we'll pass on
this one. And he was like, I don't know something
about this show in the chemistry they have, and I
guess the decision was, well, let's create the white version
of Living Single And thus that's how Friends uh came

(43:58):
to be. Is that correct? I did not know that.
Which is it is? Is? No? No? I asked Brandon
say that again. He said it. He admitted it. Yeah,
even jump in the grave and get him. I don't
know that. And I knew Joanne won the Emmy because

(44:23):
I read the book and then I did google after.
Actually remember when he died? Yeah, I actually remember when
he died. I was like probably like eleven or twelve,
but I remember that shot. Damn. Yeah. Well that's that's
what I'm to have Tartakov connected to Friends. Well, whoever,
whoever was the president of NBC in ninety three admitted

(44:49):
it on like one of those like panel things. Yes,
and thus the reason why jay Z made the Moonlight
video with all the Black Friends characters. I didn't know,
does that? Okay? I didn't know that. I didn't say that.
I just didn't know that. He was up on his
pop culture trivia like that, because it's it's quasi common knowledge.

(45:12):
But uh, were you aware of those facts at all?
Not those particular facts, um, other facts. Um. What what
I know uh is that um uh. Evette created this
this this brilliant show, and Evett had a deal with
Fox to develop a show with Dana and Kim Cole's

(45:33):
Lativa and Kim Cole's Um, I don't know what the
preamble was prior to that. What was difficult, you know,
and a bit of a challenge to work through sometimes
was that both Friends and Livid single was Warner Brothers. UM.
And so, you know, oftentimes real talk, we we kind
of felt like that, I'm sorry, Bill, look it up,

(45:58):
it up. I wan you to right, I'm partly insulting
as I'm listening to you like yeah, continue, I'm like please.
So sometimes we kind of felt like the red headed
step child, right, UM. From from the standpoint of we

(46:23):
were you know, quote unquote first um. And you know,
if you're able to inspire people to create great content, great,
what do they say? You know? Um? Uh something is
the highest form of flattery, imitation, that's it. He came
with that quick. He has to google that. But being

(46:47):
able to um, you know, when my kids wake up
from nightmares, the first thing I say is what's your truth?
Speak your truth, know your truth, and we know our
truth bottom line, So we don't have to have anybody
validated and do memes about it and start a hashtag
campaign and we used to because we're not starting people copy. Well,
there's that, there's that part, um. But at the end

(47:11):
of the day, UM, that's the part that was the
most frustrating, you know, to be um, a part of
the same production, the same studio essentially, uh, and to
be treated so grossly different in terms of pay, in
terms of you know, there's there's ah, this is a
true story. Um. One day we came to work in

(47:31):
the set. The sound stage was freezing, and even things like,
you know what the big Warner Brothers is the main
Warner Brothers lot, and then they have the ranch. Who
do you think filmed at the main lot? And who
do you think filmed at the ranch? The ranch was
the better option or not the better option? The ranch
was you know kind of that that the branch is

(47:54):
not the big studio. That's right, That's right. So we
came in there and um, the sound stage was freezing, um.
And they said that they weren't going to turn the
lights on and UM, so we had to rehearse in
these big, big puffer coats and stuff because they were
saying that they didn't want to spend the money to
turn the lights on and and or heat and that's

(48:16):
when we actually that. That was the one and only
time that we collectively said we're not coming to work.
We're not going to do that because at this point
this is a safety hazard. Meanwhile, the other folks walk
off to get a million per episodes, and it's like

(48:36):
they want money, we want heat. If that don't sound
like an episode of Good Times, he was a whole
black woman in that money, you know what I'm saying,
not even the seventh you know, and so so, so
you have those moments where it's like, never mind all
the other stuff that goes around the comparisons, those are

(48:59):
the moments where was like that was some bood? Can
you ask them? I just real quick, I just want
to know since you knew this, right, My question is
because usually on the opposite side, the other people have
no idea what the other folks are going through. So
was it the same way? I don't know. I never
met that you've never met, weren't We weren't at the lot,
so we didn't. We didn't run into them in the commence.

(49:21):
So somebody told them, you know your show is based
off the show called Living Things. Maybe like what, well, okay,
I know that there there have been a few times
on these episodes that you directed. Yes, and often, like
when I watched sitcoms, like a key character will go
away for a vacation right this week on the convention? Right,

(49:49):
how one? How is that? How is that negotiated? And
how hard is it to direct? And really the real
question is how characters have to leave to go on
vacation to direct their own things like why can't you? Right?
You know what's funny is I remember when Anton Williams
and Ron Howard those guys started directing like Happy Days,

(50:11):
and you'd see, like you just said, you know, Pods
is going off because he was directing. Um, regime didn't
go anywhere. Regime. But the first time I directed an
episode of Living Single, I was the B story and
I was like, wait a minute, what happened to the rules?
What I'm I'm I'm directing and I'm the B story? Wait?
And really they try to do that because it's a
lot to direct an episode, and then you've got to

(50:33):
put yourself in it, you know, and then you've got
to have your stand in to be you. And then
when you're in it, then you have to make sure
that the assistant director or stage manager is watching, so
it's just it's it's a lot instead of just being
in one scene and then you go away and then
you can really focus on that, you know. And for
the type of um sitcom that we were doing, this
was when they would have a control room and so

(50:56):
you'd actually leave the sound stage go to another part
of the building to you know, where were basically master
control was where you're talking to the cameras and just
everybody and all the monitors are there and you're switching
shots and things like that. She's determined that as well.
So it's a big giant division of absolutely which makes

(51:16):
Tyler Perry look even more genius in his way. I guess, huh, yes,
I know, I know, but he does. Yes, you can't
take it away. You don't have to defend it. I
agree with you. Oh sorry, Tyler. You know he's making
power moves. Yes, Steve, in the hindsight, what lessons or

(51:45):
valuable lessons have you learned in your career that you
wish you knew then at that at that particular time period,
or you're fine with your outcome and yeah, um, I

(52:07):
feel like everything happens for a reason. And so even now,
like I'll see someone that has done better than me
in my career whatever I'm like, maybe at that moment
I'll be like, oh man, I wish I wrote that
song or something like that. But then I feel like
I'm on the path I'm supposed to be one. But
if there's something like Okay, I wish I knew about, Like, Okay,

(52:29):
there's some real like he's about to do, I'm not
going I've known you for all my life, all right.
I really wish I had gotten early in the game
on like stocks and investments, way earlier in my career.
I'm on it now, but you know I had I

(52:50):
known then when I know now, you know I wouldn't
left to Ashton Kutcher were like whatever, get out of here,
like that sort of thing. But like, what things do
you shoot? I wish I hadn't warn embraces so long
because fucking over bites are sexy? Now what the hell like?
Live live Tyler? I mean, you know, just like, isn't

(53:12):
that like a thing? But not her daddy, He's got one,
But I didn't bring him up because we're talking about
physical things. Can I ask you a question that I
read and I'm so curious just as a woman, a bountiful,
plentiful woman. Yes, why do you Why did you have
to get two reductions? And I know one of them
was covered on the Living Single, but yes, I'm scared

(53:34):
for myself. Uh well the first one was just physically, Um,
I was five feet tall and and so just I'm
still in but my I had a lot of back
issues with that. And then yes, look at the pictures
of us together, look how like I mean, because she's

(53:55):
and I always wear heels when i'm you're big on
it's just something big about you. I'm a guy, I'm
dumb um. But the second one was for aesthetics. I
just felt like, I'm just you know, being on camera
so much. Uh, and I just wasn't wasn't wasn't pleased.
But you know, but I mean, the procedures have come

(54:18):
such a long way. Don't be scared. If that's what
you want to go for it, well, yeah, the dame
what you want to do, then don't do it. Yeah,
I thought about I mean, it's funny because guys go
but why would you do that? But we all know
sometimes you just want to wear one sports bra, or
sometimes you just want to run, or sometimes you just
want to stand straight and you know, have your shoulders down.
It's heart, Okay. I was answering the questions because you know,
because you know you were Wait, it just hit me.

(54:47):
You on your Instagram. You put up a photo kind
of blew up, blew my mind, and it's you at
west Lake Studios casually, Uh, visiting Michael Jackson while recording
Thriller during the p y T background vocal sessions. Yes,

(55:07):
was that just like just like a regular Tuesday, just
about just hey, what are you guys doing? That's nice.
So Janet, it was one of the times when she
was on different strokes and this was yeah, and uh.

(55:28):
She had asked Mindy and I, um, because again different strokes,
facts left well filmed in the same right there in
the same areas, and so she asked us if we
wanted to hang out and go to the studio because
Michael was recording. So we show up and he was recording,
like you said, the backgrounds for p y T. And
James was there, and um Mr Jones was there and

(55:49):
uh uh um uh what LaToya was Bunny Bunny and
Stephanie s spru Yes, So they were all there and
they were like Hey, you know we're at this part
where we're doing the column response and the p y

(56:10):
T saying no, no no, no, I want you guys all
get in there. Okay, So we all go into the
studio and we do yes and we do the non
non nos. Mr Joon tis the butt. I hear an
aunt Chovy. I would never forget that he's aunt Chovy.

(56:34):
And so we all wasn't. There was like everybody, come
on out, just come on out. And then it became
like you know, being picked for a sported school. Okay,
you you, you, and you go back in it in
we'll take the girl. You guys take a mirror. Yeah,

(57:02):
give me team manager, man, that's funny. It was team
manager of our baseball team at Burbank Kai really yeah,
but I'm sure it's not funny because of what you
would just it's funny. I'm still here. It's funny. I'm
still here. You know. I'm sure Grant Woods could see me. Now,

(57:22):
you'd regret, you regret. I was a good first baseman.
I know the sports right, Steve, understand, we're calling out
childhood bullies, all right, Shane, we don't want I started that. Sorry.

(57:42):
She was little er than me any other casual flexes
like that. No, yea, we saw me scared of anyone
smaller than us, bigger dudes. I'm like whatever, but small
people they have something to prove. Any other casual flexes
that you've had in your life so far? Now? Like
I had a red like, oh, here's Printon is cattle agger.

(58:06):
You know when Johnny Gill and I met, it was
in the Glendale Galleria and we've been friends ever since.
And I just did a promotional thing for my Christmas
movie there and they were like, you grew up in
this serreaty of any special memories. And I'm like, you
know what I meant? Johnny Gill here and oh my god.
And then he and I text each other and joked
about it. John is everywhere. Yes, he's uncle Johnny. And

(58:28):
this time you are directing and starring at this Yeah
this one. I didn't direct. I ep it, but but yes,
so what has this whole experience been like? Doing the
Christmas movie? And oh my goodness, um and how did
you orgestrate this? Um? Well, with this one, you light
up my Christmas lifetime. And I've been in development for
a couple of projects for a while now, and then um,

(58:48):
they said, we really want you on the air this year,
just bottom line, and that that really meant a lot
to me to have a network executive say that, after
this many decades, you know, in the top it off
and we want you to be the leading lady. You're
you're the start and you know, you're not the fringe
and not the boss. You're not the sister, you know.
And so that that just really just did something for me.

(59:12):
Of course it would, um, and so they said, we
have a script. We have this writer that we really like.
She's got the script. Um, if you like it, let's
put you in pre production and and go. And so
I read it and I loved it. We made some
tweaks to it, and they said, great, go up to Vancouver.
Here you go, and we had this this amazing six
weeks up there, fifteen days in production and we have

(59:36):
this beautiful, amazing movie called You Light Up My Christmas. Wait,
fifteen days in production, but six weeks to edit. Sude
or Yeah. So there was pre production, you know, where
you casting and location shooting and wardrobe and designing the
characters and all that, and then uh, they by the
time they saw the dailies bits of you know, the

(59:57):
things that we had been filming. They said, oh, we
love this. We're moving your production your air date up
two weeks to December first. So the Sunday after Thanksgiving,
How was it, uh, being back with your cohorts? And
it was fun. You know, It's not like we haven't
been together since. I mean we we'd certainly we're sisters

(01:00:18):
and so we've seen each other over the years. Our
children know each other. Um, you know again, we're all
you know, yes there is, but the living single one
is better. She's really been killing you. I just had
to say that while you were here. Yeah, I mean
just that she's been doing a lot of dramatic roles.

(01:00:40):
Alexander has been my hero for a long time. And
then she's like, oh, Kim Fields, please be quiet. She
called me a little Fields because she's, you know, much
taller than me. But by the way, that's why my
mind is blown to the fact that there's a living
single group chat right now. I know, we actually thought
about going all that appropriate group chat, I mean all

(01:01:02):
the inappropriate group chats. So I'm like, does big lads
ever drop in? Because I mean for nothing, But she
she's apart. She is, but no, okay, sorry, that's all right,
That's all right. But it was great being executive producing
being able to say to them, hey, guys, because I
called each one after I got the go ahead from

(01:01:23):
from Lifetime, because I said to Lifetime, I'd really love to,
you know, invite my sisters to be a part of this,
because you know, the holidays about family and nostalgia and memories,
and I think it'd be a really cool look. And
we've had we had two scenes in this ice skating rink,
and I said, what if we, you know, kind of
have them there is like this is their ice skating
rink that they either own or manage and work there.

(01:01:46):
And we call the ice rink Charlotte for Charlotte Rink.
And so they were like, yes, go please ask And
so I called you we're talking about thank you and
they said yes, and so we and then I said
to them what kind of character would you like to play?
You know, um? And and here here's our ideas for

(01:02:09):
its story. You know what what what do you think? Uh?
And so it was really great to have them collaborate
about their special appearances and things like that, and uh,
like Lisa's character in the movie. She's named after Nancy's daughter. Um.
Mindy wanted to name her character Rose for her grandmother. Um.
There's a food drive component in the movie because Nancy said,

(01:02:32):
I think that compassion and kindness are just something that
people miss nowadays. Is that something you can put in
your script? I was like, yeah, sure, you know, and
then we've got a little fun inside jokes and things
like Lisa mentioned, you know, having a delivery from Edna's
edibles and you know, so there's just a whole bunch
of fun little touches there in addition to brilliants going

(01:02:54):
to be in trouble? Was that you know what? We
we tried a couple and it was like, oh, that
one's too on organic. Yeah, exactly, but we did try. Okay, see,
so what what is before you go? You mentioned you
asked I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I just want to
get I just want to ask this question before I

(01:03:15):
lose it. You said you asked everybody else what kind
of character they wanted to play? What kind of character
do you want to play? Well? Thank you? I played.
Um you mean in this movie, in any movie or
in general, which like, actually that wasn't my question. Sorry, no,
bucket listening, like, is there anything that you haven't done
that you wish to do? Absolutely? The ironic thing about
being in the industry for over forty years is that

(01:03:36):
there's still a lot of characters that I have not
played because I Number one, I started when I was
a kid, So you only, you know, for a certain
period of time, you can only play kid characters. Uh,
and then um, being on long running shows, I mean
it's a blessing, but then you're those characters. So there's
a lot of characters that I want to play. There's
more genres that you know that that are being unearthed

(01:03:59):
than created that I want to be a part of.
So like the whole graphic novel world, I can't wait.
There's something that we're working on, and there were you
know what. We love working together. And that's another thing
with the whole reason why I asked my facts life sisters,
I really have, UM, I had a great track worker
record working with a lot of great people and so
being able to ask them, you know, to be a

(01:04:21):
part of something that I'm doing now, that's that's that's
a great you know feeling to to be able to
do it, don't I just remembered another story from your book. Yes,
can you tell the story of when you were cast
a Storm and X Men? Oh it's okay. So sometimes

(01:04:44):
I don't read all the detail and stuff. I'll just
gloss over it and be like, Okay, I got it.
It's a horrible thing. It's horrible, I know, horrible, horrible.
And so, UM, I got an audition that came in.
My manager says, UM, have an audition for X Men.
Uh and um he sent me the information and I
was so excited and they said it's Storm and I

(01:05:04):
was like, oh my god, hell, he's not going to
do this anymore. What the hell's wrong with her? But oh, well, one,
you know, one man trash, another match treasure. I mean,
I went through all the you know, little colloquialism. So
when I go into an audition, I really prepped for it.
And so I had my boots and I had my outfit.
I mean, I was going in and then I went
to read, um where the location was for the for

(01:05:28):
the audition. Turned out it was for a voiceover for
the animated series. Yeah, she wasn't going nowhere. Storm was
not available, and if it was, they were not checking
for your asking for you. But yes, I love creating characters.

(01:05:56):
I absolutely do, and so UM Like tomorrow, I'm cited.
We're dropping on my Lifetime dot com as well as
on their YouTube channel. We're dropping a short film called
Designing Emma, and it's all about how we created the
character for the Christmas movie. Uh for hair, makeup, wardrobe,
just everything Designing Emma because that, again, I go back

(01:06:18):
to our earlier conversation. I love creating characters. That's what
drew me into this when I saw other people doing
that as a kid. UM. So, any any character I've
not yet played. UM, I'm doing a new series at
the top of the year. I can't I can't tell
you what it is just yet, but it's really exciting. UM.
But in a way, it's still kind of uncharted territory.

(01:06:41):
Even though it's a comedy, even though it's you know,
certain things that I've done, there's still a great deal
of it I haven't done. If I haven't done it,
you can believe I'm probably gonna say yes because I
just I just love that, you know. And even with
this character in this Lifetime movie, UM, being able to
um place one who is dealing with discovery rediscovering um,

(01:07:04):
rekindling a romance, UM, going after the issues of family legacy, uh,
and dealing with your inner light. And you see everybody
around you just kind of like numb is the new
joy and it's like, no, that's not no. We we
we have we have another level of life and and
and lifestyle and laughter enjoy to tap into. And so

(01:07:26):
that's a lot of you know what my character in
this movie is, but really just anything I haven't done.
I'm I'm all in for wow. All right, inspirational words
from Kim Fields. Kim Victoria Fields. That's right, I see Kimberly. No,
Kim Victoria Fields. Wait real quick, Well there's two minor questions. Uh.

(01:07:49):
Now that Atlanta, which I assume is still your home
base for now kind of because we still you know,
have a place here. Harlem is home. Harlem is where
you know in my heels. But go ahead, okay, Well,
now that Atlanta has up to game and be sort
of the industry factor with this, with this giant uh

(01:08:12):
studio system in its backyard, Um, do you think that
will change at all? For opportunities and as far as
work is concerned with actors and production and well a
lot of cities have stepped up the game. I mean,
just being in Vancouver for as long as we were
there and just all the work that's there, I'm like, oh,

(01:08:34):
I'll be right back. I'm gonna just go get my
kids and my bed. Oh my gosh, I can't wait
to do more stuff there and get a place there.
I mean, it was, it was phenomenal. I loved it.
Um And Tyler's had other studios there, so this is
not his first go around with this, and Marvel has
you know, set up there, and there's a lot of atta. Yeah. Yeah,

(01:08:58):
there's a lot of production that's that's out there. Um
And and smaller companies who do a lot of movies,
Swirrel films they do about, I don't know, Jesus twenty
movies a year or something. So a lot of production
has been there. But you know, an actor's life, for
the most part, it's really the gypsy life. You know,
you go where the work is. There's so much work
in uh Spain, there's work in Florida. I mean, it

(01:09:22):
really is just if you're able to have the lifestyle
to commit to it. And our kids are great because
they're like, yeah, we got a tutor We're good. Where
we going? All right? My last This is my last
random question unless you have another one. I mean this
question about dear Michael and he loves me? He loves
me not at all? Sort of go ahead, no, you

(01:09:43):
first this question because well, I mean, okay, yeah, you
put out these two singles and was it one single
or two? I can't remember. Well, I wasn't sure if
it was two releases or right and a B. Yeah,
he loves me and he loves me not and dear Michael, Um,
can you explain how how that all came about? Sure?

(01:10:06):
It's so funny because just yesterday I was telling Adrian,
my lady man in um, uh you light up my
Christmas uh that the gentleman who wrote got to be
there wrote Dear Michael, how David and yes, Elliot Willinsky,
but Hal Davis also produced both of them and and

(01:10:26):
the stuff with me. Uh and so you know it's
it's um, the eighties, it was a time where everybody
if you were a teenager on TV, then you were
making a record. I mean, it's just that the seventies
and eighties, just all the kids. Ralph Carter had one.
I mean, Eric, you don't remember that you lie. Somebody

(01:10:47):
swindled the cowboy guy. He don't remember that rap that
Gary Coleman did. I brought that to Olive and I
found it in Portland. I remember all Founds Oberos Breakdance record. Nah,
Gary Coleman did. He spent the last of his money
on this rap record where he was like a rapping
calc Um. I want you to not bring that up

(01:11:08):
and um because we were talking about when we were kids,
so everybody you know I was doing that. And this
was also when um um Um Thriller was was popping out,
and so you know, he was about to win all
the awards and everything. So the people at Motown was like, oh,
you know what, we should redo dear Michael and get
somebody to sing it, because remember Michael did it first

(01:11:31):
and it was as if he was reading a fan letter.
So they had the brilliant idea of what if we
have someone that it's actually them and their fan letter.
And at that time I was just about the only
black girl available around that was on TV whatever, and
it was like you uh, and so they asked me

(01:11:55):
to do it, and I did, and then that did
so well beyond just kind of the gimmick of he's
winning you know, all these awards, and this is you know,
a big deal, and and I could carry a tune.
So they said, well, let's still follow up single. And
then that one blew up on the dance charts and
then it was like, wow, I was performing at the

(01:12:16):
trump a canus. That was what any thought to doing
more music or No? No, I was, I was. I
was good on it. Yeah, until I did my my
smooth jazz spoken word, which is still want to just
for me as an artist, truly one of the greatest
things I've ever done. As impossible to find, by the way,

(01:12:38):
you know what I will. I will just send you
the tracks I can. I can do that, Yes, yes,
solutions like that like that. Yes, yes, that's the only

(01:12:59):
one link open. It's seriously, this is what I'm obsessed
with finding out. Um, do you have a copy of
that Jemine Jackson paper mache bust? You are Jesus? First, No,
I do not, really, you didn't take it home. No,

(01:13:20):
nor do I have any of Regime's wigs. Next, did
you keep anything from those sets, either either living single
or facts? No? None, okay, not even a sharene doll. No,
you know what No, um from Living Single? No, Wow,
I've been master Reggie. That is so funny. You are

(01:13:41):
in baby um No. But when I did my when
I did my final episode of Living Single, uh, the
prop guys gave me the large um mug and saucer
that regime I would always I love drinking hot cocoa
and tea and stuff, and so any chance I could
in a scene, I would, And so they gave me that.
And it says yes, and it says we'll miss you

(01:14:03):
very much, we love you. So I do have that. Okay,
so you're properly given a sind off. Not just came
into work and saw the cake one day. It was
like yeah, no, no, no, that was planned. Yes, that's
that's another episode of Q Ellis. Well, miss Fields, I
appreciate you coming here finally, finally, Can I thank him?

(01:14:25):
Can you pass this on to your mom, to your sister.
Thank you guys for your time and your energy with
us on these because even people forget, but Alexis, we
were watching. So I just want to thank you for that.
I will share it takes a lot. I will tell her,
thank you. Thank you on behalf of the QIS Fan
Sugar Steve, that's your name, Steve. Steve has been engineering

(01:14:55):
the Burger King. I'll tell the story. I have ibetes,
we have to and we have to wrap. He became
my engineer. Perhaps perhaps my diet wasn't as savory as
it is right now, and after three months of working

(01:15:18):
with each other, Steve has to start getting this all
the shots. Look, there was the yeah, I spitaker, I
don't want to laugh. I swear as you see drinking
sugar now doing like the Common records and the de'angelo

(01:15:40):
Voodoo records. And once he became my full time engineer,
he sort of after my diet and we used to
go to the best soul food spots in Philly. And
then three months and that did you get struggle? Yes,
everything his time to apologize to Michelle Huff and everybody
was right now anyway behalf. He shook his Steve Foss

(01:16:01):
Bill unfaith bill uh fantacolo. I hope you're doing those cigarettes, bro,
And like Kim, thank you so much for coming on
this show, Thank you for having me this fantastic of course,
love signing off. We will see you next time on
the next go round. Of course, love supreme for more

(01:16:37):
podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app,
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