November 25, 2025 • 38 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Every day click up the Breakfast Club morning.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Everybody's d j n V. Just hilarious, charlamage the guy.
We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest
in the building. Indeed, she's in season three A Reasonable Doubt,
which starts on September eighteenth, So it's.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Out right now. Brandy Evans, welcome you.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I'm amazing. I'm in New Yorker. I love New York.
You do, yes? I do?
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Like literally now, I'm trying to figure out how I
can be like in the l A Coast and in
the we in the East Coast.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You're from Memphis, I am wanting raised. Yes, okay? Cool?
And so you you you like New York? I do?
Speaker 5 (00:41):
I feel like, you know, New York people keep it real,
and I feel like sometimes I love you La, but
sometimes y'all be a little sensitive.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
So I think, I I that's what I like about
New York.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's what kind of keep it fake, real, fake real
to each other. Really, yea, he.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
From New York. Okay, from somewhere You from, Oh you
Southern like me?
Speaker 6 (01:03):
You already know?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So what does that mean that you're just you're trying
to figure out Folks, out here.
Speaker 6 (01:07):
No, I've been figuring them out and thinking about a
long time ago.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's not true.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Long time ago, queen Okay, okay, we were just talking
about going to Queen's.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Okay, ask me.
Speaker 6 (01:20):
If you've been to a Didty party?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
What Ask him?
Speaker 6 (01:23):
He's gonna lie and say no, ask him.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I've not been to Okay, okay, And if I have,
it was way do you see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
There'm no judgment. I used to dance for Diddy, so
she was.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Assistant, Lari and Gibson all that I never saw the
things that people.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
You missed the lie because the lie was so good.
First that I ain't never been no Didty party, and
if I did, it was.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
Way way way back in.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I was joking, joke, I never been no damn Diddy
party party.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I ain't never been on one iground.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
I went home to get my mama down the stage.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I feel good. I feel amazing.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It's caregiver appreciation months speaking up taking care of my mama.
So this is my respite break to just being out
here in New York doing what I want to do,
seeing some art, enjoying some cold weather.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Because I feel like we don't really get that in LA.
Speaker 6 (02:24):
Who's all the caregivers out there? Man? Break down?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
What exactly do caregivers do? Because it's such an unappreciating
service that they that they provide.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
That's a good question.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
Everything care like for me my mom, Diane Harrington, she
has multiple sclerosis, she has Alzheimer's and she's paraplegic. So
basically it's like having my newborn with me at all times.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
And it just depends on what you're dealing with.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
It could be from feedings, the doctor's appointments, emotional support,
just sitting with them, taking them out.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
You just never know.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
But caregivers need love and check on us too because
we ain't all right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
All the time.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
And you know, people, I'm sure I don't know if
you're through the system, but you know, people get paid
for that.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Not everywhere. That's I'm glad you mentioned that New York
is a blessing. LA is a blessing. I think I
heard Florida has a little bit, but everywhere else it's
been frustrated.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And that's why I had to move Mama from Memphis.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
So and then I moved it to Atlanta season one
when I was filming Pea Valley and had to move
a back because I lost all my benefits. So it
is that's that we just did care Fest out here,
and that's what we were talking about, getting the care
because people aren't doing that, and either all of us
are either going to be caregivers for somebody or somebody's
gonna care for us at one time in our lives.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So I don't know what's up with the government. So
who does care for you?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Then?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Because you've been doing this for a long time, you
take care.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
But I've watched your journey just over the years, even
before I met you, and you are like your mom
is your baby in between rolls, and I even shot
a project with you, and on a break, you on
a phone mama, making sure everybody is in place while
you're doing the things that you have to do to
keep making the money right. And then as soon as
(04:00):
you finish, you and you go, you wit your mom,
you wake up, you go back on set. That's right,
Because during Pretty Stone, I had Mama in the hospital,
so I was on the phone with doctors and they
were like cut and I was like holding the doctor
stayed while I did a scene on the phone and
came back. So yeah, rehearsed in lines and remembering the
script and everything like that. I write my friends and family,
I will say more so my friends. No, not to
(04:23):
my family, but my friends are the ones that are
out there with me, people like Ivri, who's with me here?
Speaker 4 (04:27):
When I'm filming season one, A p.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Valley had a caregiver walk out and I checked the
live camera stream, I'm like, what's going on? What's going
on in Mama's room. He had connected all of my
friends together. Then they took turns taking care of my
mother while I filmed because the caregiver walked out.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So my friends on.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
My ride or Diyes Sasha, you know, my Bestisasha. Sasha's
at the house of Mama now, like they, I just
have a good village, a good chosen family, which is
a blessing.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Would you ever put your you know a lot of
people talk about putting their moms or parents in the home.
Would you do that?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
And while glad that actually I promised my mama ever
would and she did go in one. So that's my story.
On her birthday in twenty and fourteen, she had a fall.
I was dancing background for Lettercy at the time. My
little brother called me. He was like, Mama fail, she
has to be in a rehabilitation center. And I'm like,
the one promise I made to Mama, which was never
put in a nurse home, she had to be in it,
(05:17):
but never again. So that's when I fought for my
life to start teaching dance classes all over the country
and asking every celeb I knew, like, I don't need
your money, but.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Just a repost is a blessing.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
And we raised fourteen thousand dollars in four days, and
I got my mama out of that nursing home. When
that was December twenty first, it'd be nine years. I've
had her since that day.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
The reason I ask is, you know, sometimes parents will say,
you know what, I don't want to, you know, be
a problem with your Like I don't want to, you know,
you know, mess up what you have, So put me
in a home so that way there is help.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And then there's some people that say, you know, I'll
never put my mind in a home.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
But having that kid twenty four to seven, I mean,
I'm sure you know it's almost impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Right then it's nine thousand dollars a month, right to
be exact.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
So my wife's had dementia in all times, and we
had a full day, and if.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We didn't have a nanny helping, it would.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Be almost impossible, because you know, there's been times when
she didne walked out the house and just kept walking,
while there.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Was times where you know, she didn't know where the
toilet was. So you know, it's like having a newborn
at times.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
There's been times when you know there's so much going on,
So how do you deal with that twenty four seven
and still work and still.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Take care of God?
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Because at this point it's just got to be all
God because I'm so exhausted in New York. That's the
first time I don't have the baby monitor about my ear,
and so when you hear that cough, you don't know,
just like with your baby, are you choking or are
you coughing? So then you're getting up, running into the
room trying to have that rest.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
It is exhausting. It is very exhausting.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But I also don't knock people that have to do
that because everybody's situation is different. I think that if
you have to put them there, you got to stay
on top of them.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I was stalking the home like I was showing up.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
I was popping up. At one point. They was like,
we feel like you're watching us.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
I am.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I am because it's my mom and that where she was.
My mom probably wouldn't be alive right now if I
wouldn't have gotten her. One time I popped up and
Mama was like laid over with a fever and I
had to break her fever.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
By the way, you can.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Break your fever with alcohol, just rub it on the
baby's back. Mama taught me that when I was a
little girl, rub rubbing alcohol on the back.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
But yeah, I honestly don't know. I'm still trying to.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
I'm working through it with therapy and just trying to
find my peace and taking more vacations and things for
myself too. And that's hard too, because now Mama had
a meltdown about me coming to New York because she's like,
why are you leaving me? And I can you know
with kids. I know y'all overstanding, you don't want to
leave the babies, but we gotta work.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
We gotta have some time for us because I came
for from the empty cup.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I loved this conversation so much because years years and
years years years ago God blessed the dead. Andre Herrel
called me and had a whole conversation about this exactly
and introduced me to the world of cadgive was and
introduced me to a woman named Gina Lisa Montacero. And
she's the founder of the Medicated Visory Group and they're
a consulting company who assists elders and family caregivers. And so,
(08:01):
you know, she helped my family with some stuff, and
she helped a lot of my friends.
Speaker 6 (08:05):
I think it's just something that people don't know about
it and.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
We don't think about it until we have to be
in that situation, right, because I never thought about it,
and then I realized, oh, this is Medicare, Medicaid, all
the different things like it's hard and if you don't
have it, you can't get your supplies, you can't pay
and paying for these supplies at the house is very
expensive if you don't have that help.
Speaker 6 (08:24):
So that's what Gina Lisa does.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
She helps you just navigate the help get system because
it's complex.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, yeah, and they don't want us to know about
it at all. They definitely don't want us to know
about it. So yeah, and so you said therapy, so
you are currently. Yes, I gotta find new therapist.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Though the last one I had, I'm like, it's been
a minute and she ain't really answer that phone.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
So I need to find me.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
But then it's finding the right people, and they're trusting
people too, because I'm like, it's like, I don't really
want you to talk about.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
What I do.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
I just want to I want to be Brandy. I
don't want to be the actor. I just want to
be Brandy the caregiver and.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Just talk about things.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
What about y'all?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Is that hard for y'all to do when you go
to therapy? Y'all go to therapy.
Speaker 6 (09:01):
I'm on my.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Second yeah, trying to find that right fit.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
It's like, yeah, I haven't I heard it. It's like
I haven't started therapy yet. I would like to, but
I just I haven't started yet. But I hear that
a lot in people like my son's father. He's like, Yo,
I just can't find the right person, you know what
I mean. And then he also battles with trusting, like, yo,
how can this person tell me anything?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
How can he fix me? If he never been through
what I've been through?
Speaker 5 (09:29):
If they don't look like me or you know, so
he's battling like trying to find a black man to
talk to you.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
I got a good one for him.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We need to share talk about my first my first therapist.
I wanted somebody that was completely opposite, so I was looking.
I actually was looking for like an Asian woman, but
I ended up with a white woman and she was cool.
But it is something about having a black male therapist
who's culturally competent.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
You don't got to explain too much. A lot of
things he already understands.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah, yeah, now, but.
Speaker 6 (09:58):
You always gonna be kind of hard because he to
deal with you.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
So I needed to you know what, Excuse me.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
I didn't.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Like how I'm doing.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I'm doing good. I'm very better now. Ye Season three,
Reasonable Doubt. I'm so proud of you. What drew you
to the character Monica? Well, first of all, I wasn't
drawn at all to the character Monica because she's a mess.
(10:28):
But I was drawn to the show total opposite. So
I've always wanted to be Unreasonable Doubt. I've been watching
the show. It was on my vision board, and I
want to do something different than p Valley. So but
then when Ramula called about the director session, I was like, oh,
my lord, Monica, and I didn't find out till after
I auditioned what was happening. They gave me the storyline
(10:49):
in the arc of this, and I was like, Oh,
this is gonna be good.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
And they finish dragged me and these internet streets.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
But that's when I knew it was gonna It's gonna
be worth it, and it's a great story, not a
great but an important story to tell. Because have y'all
seen it yet? It's okay if you haven't, No, okay,
all right. So I'm playing an agent and there's this
child star named Ozzie Edwards and just like most child
stars they growing up with, you know, they got the money,
the fame. But the gag is I'm his agent who's
(11:16):
been molesting him since he was thirteen years old, which
is terrible.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
But a lot of.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Times people let that pass with boys because they think,
you know, it's dope that there's an older woman trying
to turn him on. But it's not cool, so he
kept it hidding. The secret comes out and it's a gag.
And I have six nephews.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You're trying to be funny, They can't share nothing with you.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I'm asking yeah, I'm fine, are you No? No, no,
but I didn't want to make sure he wasn't triggered.
That's what happened to him. He was blested by an
older woman. Yes, but the reason he wanted it to white,
the reason because she had a Jerry I.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Didn't like to smell her jerak that's what I saw. Yeah,
but I actually didn't like what she was doing to me. Okay,
but I told myself it was just smelling her Jerry
crow when I was eight.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Okay, yes, but you know what different things to cope
this This young man on episode nine, the younger version
of me says to him, Oh, I'm sorry to know
you were gay, which is terrible. And that's what I
feel like some women will do to young boys too,
to try to push them off and make them feel like,
you know, that's why you want. Yeah, they do all
(12:34):
types of stuff. And and she was wrong, not you
so well.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
He was talking about drink girl.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
And then therapist.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Okay, but then when he got old it happened again.
He would sitting on laps.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
It was just.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
This is how much work it was.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Like it you would have been ugly to be to
you boy.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And I'm doing all this work.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
What well, the finale dropped last week, okay, okay, And
at the end because his his attorney Jax, who is Amiazi,
she plays the star in the show, Well, she finds
out what happened, she puts Monica on the stand and
it comes out to the family everybody, and then at
the end, Monica decides to go in and shoot the
place up. Yeah, and we don't know who she shot.
Speaker 6 (13:22):
So emotional place you've ever had to go to for
a role with it.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
That probably that absolutely.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
I got six nephews and so just to think about
my baby boys like i'd be in jail or hell,
did it?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Absolutely not?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Because I think it's my job as an actor to
tell the stories, even the ones that are difficult. And
I've had fans that are like, I can't believe you
do that. After Mercedes, we love Missades, why would you
come do this? Maybe they'll make you pay attention to
your baby boy when they come home. Maybe they'll make
you ask different questions or if you see him shifting.
So that's why I always want to take on roles
that tell important stories.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
We work out. I love working out, going hiking.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Honestly, I've been with Mama so much, did I just
have to just tamp away from it? But yeah, just
stay in touch with who I am and step twelve
of the actor the actor Handbook for me is let
it go.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
So it's not real.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
I was gonna ask, so, how are you with your nephews?
Do you have different conversations with them now? Like, hey,
let me talk to you for a second.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Oh, always, because I know DJ, because I know you listening. Yes,
that my nephews are cute too. So I've already had
that situation with them with older women and I pick
up the phone and call. I told one girl, I
was like, I will find you and you will go
to jail. And I'm just gonna leave it at that.
So nephews, absolutely, Jesus, absolutely, they do it all the time.
(14:41):
I mean, so, I'm not crazy so seeing this, I
also did my research on it. But I've also seen it.
I'm the only girl, so I've seen how the women act.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
You know, you know your brother final he's married and
he's younger. You know, so yeah, you look at.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
People, sorry, do you look at people differently when you
see like so not a big thing in our community
is you'll see like a thirty year old dating an
eighteen year old or a forty year old dating a
twenty year old. Do you look at people differently now
because of that, because of the role you play.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
No, I don't think so long as they are of age,
I need them to be of age, because I mean,
as long as they've grown, that's that's their business.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I stay out of it. But longer but under age,
I'm absolutely und I'm snitching.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
I think it is very important that you did bring
up the fact that when it's like a double standards. Yeah,
when it when it's a woman, right, who is older
going after a guy? I mean, you know a young guy,
people tend to like leave that.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Yeah it's okay. Oh you you did that, that's what
you told her. It's not okay.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
And the whole time you don't even know how the
young person is thinking. These young men, their minds are
not even like they trying to be cool at the
end of the day, and the whole time it's like, damn,
I was really molested.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
I was That's appropriate.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
You wouldn't even make jokes about it if it was
a woman.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
No, that's that point. That is a huge point.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
No one's making a joke about it when it's someone.
Why are we joking about it when it's man? That's
a wonderful question.
Speaker 6 (16:01):
No, for sure, don't try to act figure even now.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yo, you make fun of.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yours? Are you cold?
Speaker 6 (16:10):
I'm really hurting on the inside. No, Brandy.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
When you think about your evolution from dancer the actors,
what part of your past shows up the most in
your your acting today.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I think as a dancer, we learn how to take direction,
and we learn how to take direction quick because you
ain't got time for that. And if you if you
were Loria and Gibson and she said I need you
to point that toe and get to the end of
the stage by the next eight count, you're gonna figure
it out.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
So I feel like I took that, especially with.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
On P Valley, because we had to do dancing and
things of that sort, I was able to take that direction.
So I think directors enjoy that. And I've always heard
that dancers are the best actors because they can take
direction easily. And we not, we not, we have thick skins.
So you literally could yell at me and be like
that sucks, and be like, for real, no, what you
need on the next take to make it not sound
like I just it's real hard for me to get
(16:59):
in my feelings about that.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
How was your auditions for p Valley chow a vary
over there?
Speaker 5 (17:05):
My friend he helped me choreograph it, so I was
already teaching dance classes and so, but I did a
slow routine because I felt like everybody the first routine,
I did a chair routine and it's actually on the
internet if y'all google Brandy Evans Valentine's Day neo hip
hop and heels, and I did the slow routine and
(17:26):
they were like, where you come from? Because I couldn't
get an audition, they told me that I didn't fit
any of the roles that they were currently casting for
pre vally.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
They said, we.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Don't fit any And I found out on Valentine's Day
twenty eighteen. So my agent was like, I was like, yeah,
this is show. My friend just called me about if
you heard about it. She's like, yeah, we already tried.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
They said no.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
So then a couple months went past, my homegirl sends
me the script. She was like, my sister auditioner for this,
and I really think it.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Should be you.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
So I was like, oh that little strip of show.
That's how I had an attitude at that point. I
was like, they don't want me, and so she was like,
just read the script. And so then I took pictures.
I'm a PK preacher's kid. Took pictures of me being
a PK. Mercedes is a PK. Took pictures of me
teaching Miss Tina how to dance at the Hip BT experience.
Took pictures of me and my daddy at church, like
(18:11):
whatever you needed. Then I got the audition, did the
chair routine when there was no one even in the
room to see me. When I tell you, they could
care less that I came in that audition. At first,
I just had the reader in there, and now I
remember her looking.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
From the side.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
She was like, where are you from? I was like Memphis,
She's like where you been? I said, waiting on y'all
to call me in. And so then I got the
call back and I called ivari. I was like, listen,
we got it up to Andy now. And so I
read the script that said that it was six inch
hills was in the pilot script. So I said, I'm
gonna do the routine and six inch chills and so
by the time we finished that routine, I was doing
front hand springs and six inch chills. I worked with
(18:45):
my acting coach, Raquel Gardner to make sure I was
locked in and the rest is history.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, this is this is great for me being a dad, right,
for daughters, two sons. My two girls dance, right, and
it's a lot of money. Yesterday, it's a lot of money.
And they dance. I mean they get out of school
at three o'clock. They dance from four to eight, six
days a week, competitions, we fly all over the place.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
But I always just like, well, what's the end goal?
Speaker 6 (19:10):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Because you spend so much money.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
And I like it because it keeps them away from boys,
It keeps them out out off the phone, off the internet,
or out the malls.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
But I always like, well, what is the the.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Well I paid a school was paid for so I
got a full scholarship at the University in Memphis, and
they can get the scholarship there. They can get scholarships.
If they don't they don't want to go to college.
They just want to go and train, you know, Alvin Ailey,
you know different things.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So there is an end goal. Katie Perry.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
I toured the world with her, so and then I
became a choreographer, So all of that is very important.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
They're gonna need that on that resume. So there's an
end go.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
They paid mama's medical bills, it might be paying yours
one day.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
You never know, how did you feel? Because when they
do dance and they just don't do hip hop. They
they do tap, they do baallet, they do everything. Actually
you need it, they really into it. But how does
it feel because there's not too many of us out there?
Like when we go to these competitions and.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
We go, oh, yeah, I was the only black girls.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
That only black girls. It's good because they're recognizable. Soon
as they see me, they be like, oh, that's your kids.
But how did that affect you mentally?
Speaker 5 (20:08):
I think because I went to perform in our school
where we were very diverse, but like on Memphis Elite,
I was many times I was one or two black
girls when I was the only black girl on scholarship
my freshman year at the University of Memphis, and back
then it was just known that it was going to
only be one and I remember I was fighting for
that one scholarship but I was like, how many black
girls one?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
But I really didn't think anything of it.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
I think because my dad kept me in such diverse schooling.
Are they at a diverse school? Yes, I think that
that's the world, though I feel like a lot of
times we may be the only one. So for me,
I felt like it's been a blessing for me because
some of my friends are actually unable to navigate that
diversity and like, you know, it's only one of us,
And I'm like, I ain't paying no attention to that
because I've been around that my whole life. So I
(20:51):
think that it's cool they know how to navigate in
those different worlds right now.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You know, people talk about the physicality of Pep Valley
all the time, but what's something mental about that role
of Mercedes that people don't realize.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Oh, that's a really good question. My back is still
in the workman's comp though.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
But I think mentally for me, let me just say,
because I talked to high school English, so then I
jumped into that accent so hard back home that a
lot of times my friend be like, you can you
get out of chuck Atleasta? Because what happened to your
like what happened to your dialect? So I feel like
it shifted that. But mentally, we were filming so late
(21:29):
at night, you almost like you almost felt like you
were a part of that world so much. You're going
to bed when the when the sun is up, and
then you're going to work, and we're we're literally on
set at two three in the morning and then going
to bed at seven am, like you were really immersed
in that world. So I think that this season you're
gonna see some some things and you'll understand when you
(21:51):
see it that it took a lot for me to
get some of those things out of my head. Season
two was tough because of my daughter and the abortion
scene and all of that information. But I also my
daughter passed away, so I had a steel birth and
so she would have been the same age.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Lyric would have been the same.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Age as Azaria or Tererica on Pa Valley, So that part,
you know, mentally for me was tough because I felt
like Azaria, it was like my daughter in real life,
so things like that, detaching from that at times so
that those.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Scenes were emotional.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Those were the most emotional, but they were the most
beautiful to me. Because it felt like I got my
baby in a sense. It's like God gave me a
Zaria who played Terarika in that same age, So it
was like I was able to have my baby girl.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
In season two of Pivley.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Now that you say that, yeah, you were more your
Mercedes definitely was more emotional, and it was a lot
more scenes where the stories were crying too, trying to
think all the steaks at hand of trying to save
her baby, and that was the whole thing, just trying
to make life better for herself and her child and
then her mother exactly the exactly. It was very tumultuous,
(23:00):
and that was my real life a little bit not
like that. And now she wasn't Patrice Woodbine, but me
and my mom had a tumultuous relationship. So I was
able to And where was that.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
In life?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
No, not just in life. I think it was just
that mother daughter dynamics. Sometimes that could just be like that.
But when I start caring for her, you know that
had to shift because you gotta forgive. But I was
able to use p Valley season one to get out
everything I'd never say to my mama, And oh, I
get to say what now okay, so just healing, healing
(23:33):
through p Valley.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I feel like that was a very healing.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
That was a great segue because I was going to
a playing that dynamic change how you see generational trauma.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Absolutely absolutely, I was just talking to someone about that
certain things isn't necessary, isn't necessary to get that whooping,
isn't necessary to beat them? Can you actually talk to
them and tell them what's going on?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
You know?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Can we can we communicate better? So I do think
playing those different roles, you don't have to yell and
scream and and be little, you know, because the hope
this is the same person that you're belittling. It's the
same person you want to come to you and trust
that you can. They can tell you their deep secrets.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Come to me, come to me. We don't want to
be scared.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
So that that to me made me pay attention to
you know what, if im I'm blessed to be able
to be a parent, I would parents so differently. But
I also the older I get, I also know we
all do the best we can because I feel like
all of us, you know, our kids could probably say
the same thing, like when you did this, you did that,
you're doing the best you can, and the older you get,
you start realizing, you know what, my mama, Mama really
(24:34):
did the best you could.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
But I do realize as a parent, every child challenges
you do.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
You think you're gonna parent all of them the same,
you can't.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
No, No, I mean there's a core foundation of love, right,
I know you love them, but no, they all will challenge.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You in different way.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, words, did you challenge your mother? I don't know.
Mama will swing on me so quick. I don't.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
I don't know that I got that challenge. I might
have tried to challenge one time and never again. Yeah,
I still to this day. But I also love that
healthy respect because to this day, I don't care if
she in that wheelchair. I'm nothing to go talking crazy
to her at all. That's my mama. And I feel
like you only give one you respect your parents. Yeah,
So how does she feel about your success? Have you
(25:20):
ever just sat down and just talk to her about it?
How does she I'm not gonna cry, I'm not. I
don't know that she knows. Yeah, the Alzheimer's of it all, Yeah,
I don't know that she knows. Almost every day I'm
reminding her.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Of who I am, but she remember, Does she remember you?
I was gonna ask that at a days.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Yes, Sometimes she doesn't, and I go and hide in
the closet, and that's the biggest acting job I've ever done.
I'll go put myself on speakerphone and I'll go call
her daughter, Brandy, and then I'll hide in the room
and talk to her, and I'll come back and it's
like almost like the notebook. Sometimes like she'd remembers sometimes
sometimes she doesn't. I'll say, you know, where do we live?
(25:55):
She'll say Memphis because she remembers Memphis. But then I'll
point to myself on the screen and like she saw
reasonable down had an attitude.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
She was so upset. I was like, Mama, it's not real.
I really did not touch that boy.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
But then then I'll come back and then she'll be like,
I was like, that's me and she was like really,
you know. So it's just I've learned to not not
make them confused more by it and just be like, yeah,
you know what, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
That was one of the toughest things I've ever seen
my wife deal with. We were actually on the plane.
We were coming back from overseas Dubai and we were
in first class and she got up and she was
trying to go downstairs because she said she.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Had to go to work and they're like, go to work,
there's work. So she woke up. I was like, no, mom,
this standing heel and she did not know who her
daughter was.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
And my wife started crying because she was like, how
does my mom not know who she was?
Speaker 1 (26:41):
And then when I got up, she knew who I
was and it was the weirdest. It was the weirdest thing,
like she knew me.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Here was showing I'm just trying to go to work
and I'm like, no, mama, this is we're in the plane.
But she didn't know who my mom was, and but
when we landed she did. But it was just it
hurt so much because I was like, this is my mother,
Like I'm her carry give but I'm the one.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
That makes her take a medicine.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Watch it and where you grow on a plane. Yes,
it's very My MoMA asked me for car keys the
other day. I just want to lay them on her lap,
like you just got it. At this point, we just
smiled and played again. I said where you going. She's
some about to drive to turl from She's from turl Arkansas.
I was like, okay, then, well it's a little late
right now, but I'm put the keys right here. I'm
gonna go to bed, you know, like I've learned to
play with it. But then I go back in that
(27:21):
room and cry. You know, I try not to cry
in front of her, but it is it is the
hardest thing ever. It's like, Mama, don't remember me. When
she asked me that time, like what's your mama name you?
And I was like Brandy. She's like, oh me too,
And I was like, oh my gosh, she doesn't know
it's me.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
What if you to sleep that car crank up.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Miss, I've probably been happy.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
I would have been happy if like girl getting getting
a passion seats over?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Yes, and I dream about that? Does your wife dream
about that? Does she dream about Oh? I dream about
her walking?
Speaker 1 (27:55):
You know she walked and she did.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
You know, there was a couple of times like I
remember one time she walked out the house. So my
daughter was watching, and my daughter was young at the time, sixteen,
and she said, Grandma, and you know, she walked out.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
My daughter Grandma, where you going? And so you know,
Grandma said, get off me. She was like no. So
Grandma slapped her right and she's like, where are you going?
She was like, I'm going home, Grandma. You can't go home,
and there's beers out there. She was like, well, pray
for the beers.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
I't worried about my baby. They don't like for you
to correct them, now, don't.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That was one and another thing that we still have
to watch what she well, watch what she watches on
television because her favorite show was Judged.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You they Maury love that.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Well, what happened at night? You know the way we
like feed the dogs and feed that. She would cry
every day because you see that and think she had
to give to the dying dogs and dying cats and
dying kids in Africa with the flies, like that would
affect her like she would be balling.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
I'm so glad you said that because I tell my
caregivers that. I said, we keep it light in here.
We don't watch the news in the house. No, we
don't turn on. I was like, if there's a movie
and you see something said, if you about to cry,
turn it, like because I don't want her crying. So
we are very clear were watching Martin, We're watching girlfriends,
you know what I mean, Watching joyous.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Things and things that make you smile. For sure, that's
so important. I love that. And you actually document a
lot of that too.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Girl.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
You talking about you, your fans and followers.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
They love more than they love me. I'm like, I'll
post something.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
I'd be like, yeah, watch my new show. They don't
be saying no. I look up Asta mama, two million followers.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I've looked too many likes.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm like, god, Mama, but yeah, thank you for loving
my mom.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
How does the experience of being a kid given for
your mother's sharpen your emotional strength as a performer?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I think patience. That's a good question, emotional strength.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
I just feel like if I can make it through
caregive and I can make it through anything, because most
times I will jump on the carpet and you don't
know if I've just left the emergency room or I'm
trying to manage a UTI or trying to set up scheduling.
You know, just yesterday walking down walking down the street
in New York, and I'm like what, I'm like, Lord,
I just want one day where I don't have to
manage it. But then I have to check myself because
(29:54):
I'm like, there's gonna be one day where you wake
up and wish that you could be stressed out. But
I just tell myself if I can handle all this,
Like I don't know what it's like to study lines
and not have Mama in the other world. So the
blessing is okay, So you've done this well caregiving.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
What will happen later on in life?
Speaker 5 (30:13):
I don't know, because my whole career has been while
caregiving for Mama. Season one, I had her with me,
So when we were wrapped the show, I know my
castmates were probably like.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Dang show, never want to go nowhere with us.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
I was with Mama, and I was embarrassed to tell
them what was going on with Mama. But if Iri
knows that all my furniture got broke when I came
to Atlanta, and I was hiding that I was sleeping
on the floor the whole first half season of Pea Valley,
only my best friends knew that. Wow, because I didn't
want the network to find out and think that I
couldn't handle it.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
So a lot of times I do hide what's really
going on. You know.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I mean, it's got to be like this. It makes
you thinks like what is what is your purpose?
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Right?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Because I have the service in a way. But then
it could also feel like your purpose because I feel
like what you're doing, documenting it and telling people who's
gonna help so many other people.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
But then you're also an actress, so it's like, what
is Brandy?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
I think I'm still trying to figure that out. That's
that's why I'm still trying to figure out. I know
that I love acting, but I love my mother more,
and so she's gonna always always say I'm a caregiver
first and then I'm an actor. But then I was
crying to my friend should other day. I was like,
so if mama passes, what do I have? Like though,
(31:25):
that's just authentic being authentic right now, like what do
I have? I keep saying I'm hustling for mama, hustling
for mama.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
What about me?
Speaker 5 (31:33):
So I don't even know what that is right now
because all I can see is where's this next job?
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Because I gotta feed my mama and I got to
take care of it. I mean, we are.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
When I audition for Pee Valley, Mama was on a
camera in my phone because I couldn't afford a caregiver.
So I woke up early, I fed her, and I
put the phone in my purse, rushed to will share
the audition was like Mamma, on the way back, rush back, Like,
I don't know what it's like to just live and
be in the career.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
So what does what makes Brandy happy? Like what do
you do? Do you ever just go out to dinner?
Speaker 5 (32:07):
Yes, I'm by myself a lot, Like you know, I
love a good dinner. Yeah, I'll find the time because
the caregivers like, I'm like, y'all please, can y'all just stay?
And some nights I'm like they're like, well you're back home.
I'm like, can you spend a night so I can
just sleep through the night because I'm not going to sleep.
But I love to watch movies. I love to go
(32:27):
to a movie. I love to go to run your
canyon and just hike. I love to sit at the
beach and just hear the water. So and ride my bike,
but just moments that I can just hear myself because
I feel like I'm always listening for my mother.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Yeah in every way.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Yeah, yeah, how did faith guide you during like moments
when acting roles weren't coming in as fast as you.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Hope everything, because I didn't get my first acting role
until I got Mama. But that was my prayer, like, God,
please bless me to be able to take care of
my mother and have the job now.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Need to be a little bit more specific, Lord, please.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Let it be able to be smoother so I'm able
to have the jobs to take care of her now.
But it's so stressful, like sometimes it's not fun because
it's it's like everybody's like, look what you're doing. I'm like,
but you don't know that by the time I go back,
Like when I get off of this, I got to
go FaceTime make sure do y'all have all the groceries
y'all need in La?
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Do y'all have this?
Speaker 5 (33:20):
So I'm praying for a moment of peace to truly
know that I can go away and Mama will be okay,
and then I don't have to micro manage everybody.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But God is everything to me everything.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
Of course, now I know people Valley's coming back, but
why did it?
Speaker 1 (33:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
I have no idea it's coming back. And baby is
so good.
Speaker 5 (33:45):
We wrapped up on it last season. Yes, we or
last year, rather, we shot last season. We finished in
was it November maybe October of last year.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Before, and it's just been sitting on it when it's
coming out.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
You know what, I will say, they're sitting on it.
I think they're just perfecting it even more. You know,
our show runner co Tory Hall is very specific, and
that's the reason y'all love it so much is because
she pays attention to those details. She makes sure that
everything's perfect. I mean even our closed caption. We want
to make sure it's right, so y'all know what we're saying.
So she just posted a couple of months ago that
(34:20):
post production is done, So I think we're just.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Waiting to get the word. But I'm waiting, like y'all
because it's a it's a good one.
Speaker 6 (34:28):
You're happy with what the next chapter of Mercedes.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Oh I'm so happy with the next chapter of Mercedes,
Like it's beyond my wireless imagination.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
It's gonna be crazy and y'all, y'all gonna lose it too.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
And the show couldn't have been casted any better. Like everybody,
everybody's so good, oh so great?
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Yes, I know. I tried to, but I couldn't speak
to girl.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, y'all want them down now?
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I wanted them down there, girl.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
Yeah, I think that our audition for Oh my God is.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
She played on and the girl who got the role.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
That I auditioned for she played she kills it too,
she would She played the crag kid on Snowfalls.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
She was let.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
And girl, I couldn't get the trust the chuck a
Lisa all down. I was like, damn for real, I couldn't.
And then they wanted me to, like, you know, do
some dances.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Now.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
I wasn't flexible like you, Brandy.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
I couldn't shot like Gail killed it though, I love you,
But yeah, that was Gail John.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
I love.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I love, I love her.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
She's phenomena just as well. But yeah, it was. It's
perfectly cast and I can't wait.
Speaker 5 (35:35):
But even more, I can't wait to see your role
in a reasonable doubt. Yes, thank you, Yes, I want
you to see different. Yeah, it's crazy, Like I knew
it was crazy. I went in a store yesterday and
somebody was like, don't just be walking up in here
after you shot somebody. I was like whyzy, Like I
will post a picture of my mom and they like,
does she know you like to shoot people?
Speaker 4 (35:54):
I was like, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
They going hard for Brandy to be Oh and you
know the finale, I took the wig off and I
came out with the set it off braids and it
was like, yo, yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
Yeah, don't break it down.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
I've got two more questions. It's about Mercedes.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
But what's the lesson from real life Brandy that Mercedes
that's really needs.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Oh oh, that's a good question. A lesson from Mercedes
is pretty dope.
Speaker 5 (36:24):
Maybe that even when things look like they aren't gonna
go the way you want them to keep going, don't
let it break you. Because I feel like at times
you saw Mercedes break a little, but she always picked
herself back up. But I think I've gotten better with
as of late just being like, all right, it's gonna
(36:45):
have to work out, because we a lot of times
we freak out first and then we circle back. I'm
getting better. Ain't there yet, but I'm getting better with
just being like.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
It's just is what it is. It's gonna work out.
Speaker 6 (36:54):
Yeah, So let's flip it. What's a lesson from Mercedes
that real life Brandy.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Needs that hustle. Oh that's good.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
You know what, don't be afraid because I think about
you know, Mercedes going after her gym, and I want to.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
Write my book. So as you as you called me
out on this in this moment, what you're so scared
of Brandy write your book right?
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (37:20):
Brand okay, all right?
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Yeah, because she went after it anyway when things and
I always keep saying, yeah, I know why I got
time to write.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I got mama, I got this and that Mercedes figured
it out. Thank you to get my girl up here.
Thank you so much, Thank y'all for having me.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
That's right, it's Brandy Evans. Thank you for joining us.
Thank you so much everything.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Thank you, thank you, and y'all make sure y'all get
y'all some caregiver merch. I have a Caregiver Strong March
shop dot Brandyevans dot com. And I have one that
says the shirt that says I don't have a capacity
because it's okay to not have the capacity sometimes, and
one that says caregivering Strong, because it's a different type
of strength when you're a caregiver, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
And the Evans is the breakfast Club, Good morning, Hold
up every day I wake up, pake your ass up.
The breakfast club.
Speaker 6 (38:07):
Y'all finish, y'all done,
Don't know.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
Every day click up the Breakfast Club morning.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Everybody's d j n V. Just hilarious, charlamage the guy.
We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest
in the building. Indeed, she's in season three A Reasonable Doubt,
which starts on September eighteenth, So it's.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Out right now. Brandy Evans, welcome you.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I'm amazing. I'm in New Yorker. I love New York.
You do, yes? I do?
Speaker 5 (00:29):
Like literally now, I'm trying to figure out how I
can be like in the l A Coast and in
the we in the East Coast.
Speaker 4 (00:35):
You're from Memphis, I am wanting raised. Yes, okay? Cool?
And so you you you like New York? I do?
Speaker 5 (00:41):
I feel like, you know, New York people keep it real,
and I feel like sometimes I love you La, but
sometimes y'all be a little sensitive.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
So I think, I I that's what I like about
New York.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
That's what kind of keep it fake, real, fake real
to each other. Really, yea, he.
Speaker 4 (00:59):
From New York. Okay, from somewhere You from, Oh you
Southern like me?
Speaker 6 (01:03):
You already know?
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So what does that mean that you're just you're trying
to figure out Folks, out here.
Speaker 6 (01:07):
No, I've been figuring them out and thinking about a
long time ago.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That's not true.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Long time ago, queen Okay, okay, we were just talking
about going to Queen's.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
Okay, ask me.
Speaker 6 (01:20):
If you've been to a Didty party?
Speaker 4 (01:22):
What Ask him?
Speaker 6 (01:23):
He's gonna lie and say no, ask him.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
I've not been to Okay, okay, And if I have,
it was way do you see what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (01:38):
There'm no judgment. I used to dance for Diddy, so
she was.
Speaker 5 (01:44):
Assistant, Lari and Gibson all that I never saw the
things that people.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
You missed the lie because the lie was so good.
First that I ain't never been no Didty party, and
if I did, it was.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
Way way way back in.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I was joking, joke, I never been no damn Diddy
party party.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
I ain't never been on one iground.
Speaker 5 (02:06):
I went home to get my mama down the stage.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
I feel good. I feel amazing.
Speaker 5 (02:13):
It's caregiver appreciation months speaking up taking care of my mama.
So this is my respite break to just being out
here in New York doing what I want to do,
seeing some art, enjoying some cold weather.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Because I feel like we don't really get that in LA.
Speaker 6 (02:24):
Who's all the caregivers out there? Man? Break down?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
What exactly do caregivers do? Because it's such an unappreciating
service that they that they provide.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
That's a good question.
Speaker 5 (02:35):
Everything care like for me my mom, Diane Harrington, she
has multiple sclerosis, she has Alzheimer's and she's paraplegic. So
basically it's like having my newborn with me at all times.
Speaker 4 (02:47):
And it just depends on what you're dealing with.
Speaker 5 (02:48):
It could be from feedings, the doctor's appointments, emotional support,
just sitting with them, taking them out.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
You just never know.
Speaker 5 (02:55):
But caregivers need love and check on us too because
we ain't all right.
Speaker 4 (02:59):
All the time.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
And you know, people, I'm sure I don't know if
you're through the system, but you know, people get paid
for that.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
Not everywhere. That's I'm glad you mentioned that New York
is a blessing. LA is a blessing. I think I
heard Florida has a little bit, but everywhere else it's
been frustrated.
Speaker 4 (03:12):
And that's why I had to move Mama from Memphis.
Speaker 6 (03:14):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
So and then I moved it to Atlanta season one
when I was filming Pea Valley and had to move
a back because I lost all my benefits. So it
is that's that we just did care Fest out here,
and that's what we were talking about, getting the care
because people aren't doing that, and either all of us
are either going to be caregivers for somebody or somebody's
gonna care for us at one time in our lives.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
So I don't know what's up with the government. So
who does care for you?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
Then?
Speaker 4 (03:35):
Because you've been doing this for a long time, you
take care.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
But I've watched your journey just over the years, even
before I met you, and you are like your mom
is your baby in between rolls, and I even shot
a project with you, and on a break, you on
a phone mama, making sure everybody is in place while
you're doing the things that you have to do to
keep making the money right. And then as soon as
(04:00):
you finish, you and you go, you wit your mom,
you wake up, you go back on set. That's right,
Because during Pretty Stone, I had Mama in the hospital,
so I was on the phone with doctors and they
were like cut and I was like holding the doctor
stayed while I did a scene on the phone and
came back. So yeah, rehearsed in lines and remembering the
script and everything like that. I write my friends and family,
I will say more so my friends. No, not to
(04:23):
my family, but my friends are the ones that are
out there with me, people like Ivri, who's with me here?
Speaker 4 (04:27):
When I'm filming season one, A p.
Speaker 5 (04:29):
Valley had a caregiver walk out and I checked the
live camera stream, I'm like, what's going on? What's going
on in Mama's room. He had connected all of my
friends together. Then they took turns taking care of my
mother while I filmed because the caregiver walked out.
Speaker 4 (04:42):
So my friends on.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
My ride or Diyes Sasha, you know, my Bestisasha. Sasha's
at the house of Mama now, like they, I just
have a good village, a good chosen family, which is
a blessing.
Speaker 1 (04:52):
Would you ever put your you know a lot of
people talk about putting their moms or parents in the home.
Would you do that?
Speaker 5 (04:56):
And while glad that actually I promised my mama ever
would and she did go in one. So that's my story.
On her birthday in twenty and fourteen, she had a fall.
I was dancing background for Lettercy at the time. My
little brother called me. He was like, Mama fail, she
has to be in a rehabilitation center. And I'm like,
the one promise I made to Mama, which was never
put in a nurse home, she had to be in it,
(05:17):
but never again. So that's when I fought for my
life to start teaching dance classes all over the country
and asking every celeb I knew, like, I don't need
your money, but.
Speaker 4 (05:24):
Just a repost is a blessing.
Speaker 5 (05:26):
And we raised fourteen thousand dollars in four days, and
I got my mama out of that nursing home. When
that was December twenty first, it'd be nine years. I've
had her since that day.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
The reason I ask is, you know, sometimes parents will say,
you know what, I don't want to, you know, be
a problem with your Like I don't want to, you know,
you know, mess up what you have, So put me
in a home so that way there is help.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
And then there's some people that say, you know, I'll
never put my mind in a home.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
But having that kid twenty four to seven, I mean,
I'm sure you know it's almost impossible.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Right then it's nine thousand dollars a month, right to
be exact.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
So my wife's had dementia in all times, and we
had a full day, and if.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We didn't have a nanny helping, it would.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Be almost impossible, because you know, there's been times when
she didne walked out the house and just kept walking,
while there.
Speaker 1 (06:12):
Was times where you know, she didn't know where the
toilet was. So you know, it's like having a newborn
at times.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
There's been times when you know there's so much going on,
So how do you deal with that twenty four seven
and still work and still.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
Take care of God?
Speaker 5 (06:26):
Because at this point it's just got to be all
God because I'm so exhausted in New York. That's the
first time I don't have the baby monitor about my ear,
and so when you hear that cough, you don't know,
just like with your baby, are you choking or are
you coughing? So then you're getting up, running into the
room trying to have that rest.
Speaker 4 (06:43):
It is exhausting. It is very exhausting.
Speaker 5 (06:46):
But I also don't knock people that have to do
that because everybody's situation is different. I think that if
you have to put them there, you got to stay
on top of them.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I was stalking the home like I was showing up.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
I was popping up. At one point. They was like,
we feel like you're watching us.
Speaker 4 (06:59):
I am.
Speaker 5 (07:00):
I am because it's my mom and that where she was.
My mom probably wouldn't be alive right now if I
wouldn't have gotten her. One time I popped up and
Mama was like laid over with a fever and I
had to break her fever.
Speaker 4 (07:12):
By the way, you can.
Speaker 5 (07:13):
Break your fever with alcohol, just rub it on the
baby's back. Mama taught me that when I was a
little girl, rub rubbing alcohol on the back.
Speaker 4 (07:18):
But yeah, I honestly don't know. I'm still trying to.
Speaker 5 (07:22):
I'm working through it with therapy and just trying to
find my peace and taking more vacations and things for
myself too. And that's hard too, because now Mama had
a meltdown about me coming to New York because she's like,
why are you leaving me? And I can you know
with kids. I know y'all overstanding, you don't want to
leave the babies, but we gotta work.
Speaker 4 (07:38):
We gotta have some time for us because I came
for from the empty cup.
Speaker 2 (07:41):
I loved this conversation so much because years years and
years years years ago God blessed the dead. Andre Herrel
called me and had a whole conversation about this exactly
and introduced me to the world of cadgive was and
introduced me to a woman named Gina Lisa Montacero. And
she's the founder of the Medicated Visory Group and they're
a consulting company who assists elders and family caregivers. And so,
(08:01):
you know, she helped my family with some stuff, and
she helped a lot of my friends.
Speaker 6 (08:05):
I think it's just something that people don't know about
it and.
Speaker 5 (08:08):
We don't think about it until we have to be
in that situation, right, because I never thought about it,
and then I realized, oh, this is Medicare, Medicaid, all
the different things like it's hard and if you don't
have it, you can't get your supplies, you can't pay
and paying for these supplies at the house is very
expensive if you don't have that help.
Speaker 6 (08:24):
So that's what Gina Lisa does.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
She helps you just navigate the help get system because
it's complex.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
Yes, yeah, and they don't want us to know about
it at all. They definitely don't want us to know
about it. So yeah, and so you said therapy, so
you are currently. Yes, I gotta find new therapist.
Speaker 5 (08:38):
Though the last one I had, I'm like, it's been
a minute and she ain't really answer that phone.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
So I need to find me.
Speaker 5 (08:44):
But then it's finding the right people, and they're trusting
people too, because I'm like, it's like, I don't really
want you to talk about.
Speaker 4 (08:51):
What I do.
Speaker 5 (08:52):
I just want to I want to be Brandy. I
don't want to be the actor. I just want to
be Brandy the caregiver and.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Just talk about things.
Speaker 6 (08:58):
What about y'all?
Speaker 4 (08:58):
Is that hard for y'all to do when you go
to therapy? Y'all go to therapy.
Speaker 6 (09:01):
I'm on my.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
Second yeah, trying to find that right fit.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
It's like, yeah, I haven't I heard it. It's like
I haven't started therapy yet. I would like to, but
I just I haven't started yet. But I hear that
a lot in people like my son's father. He's like, Yo,
I just can't find the right person, you know what
I mean. And then he also battles with trusting, like, yo,
how can this person tell me anything?
Speaker 4 (09:27):
How can he fix me? If he never been through
what I've been through?
Speaker 5 (09:29):
If they don't look like me or you know, so
he's battling like trying to find a black man to
talk to you.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
I got a good one for him.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
We need to share talk about my first my first therapist.
I wanted somebody that was completely opposite, so I was looking.
I actually was looking for like an Asian woman, but
I ended up with a white woman and she was cool.
But it is something about having a black male therapist
who's culturally competent.
Speaker 6 (09:52):
You don't got to explain too much. A lot of
things he already understands.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Yeah, yeah, now, but.
Speaker 6 (09:58):
You always gonna be kind of hard because he to
deal with you.
Speaker 4 (10:00):
So I needed to you know what, Excuse me.
Speaker 6 (10:03):
I didn't.
Speaker 1 (10:06):
Like how I'm doing.
Speaker 5 (10:07):
I'm doing good. I'm very better now. Ye Season three,
Reasonable Doubt. I'm so proud of you. What drew you
to the character Monica? Well, first of all, I wasn't
drawn at all to the character Monica because she's a mess.
(10:28):
But I was drawn to the show total opposite. So
I've always wanted to be Unreasonable Doubt. I've been watching
the show. It was on my vision board, and I
want to do something different than p Valley. So but
then when Ramula called about the director session, I was like, oh,
my lord, Monica, and I didn't find out till after
I auditioned what was happening. They gave me the storyline
(10:49):
in the arc of this, and I was like, Oh,
this is gonna be good.
Speaker 4 (10:52):
And they finish dragged me and these internet streets.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
But that's when I knew it was gonna It's gonna
be worth it, and it's a great story, not a
great but an important story to tell. Because have y'all
seen it yet? It's okay if you haven't, No, okay,
all right. So I'm playing an agent and there's this
child star named Ozzie Edwards and just like most child
stars they growing up with, you know, they got the money,
the fame. But the gag is I'm his agent who's
(11:16):
been molesting him since he was thirteen years old, which
is terrible.
Speaker 4 (11:20):
But a lot of.
Speaker 5 (11:21):
Times people let that pass with boys because they think,
you know, it's dope that there's an older woman trying
to turn him on. But it's not cool, so he
kept it hidding. The secret comes out and it's a gag.
And I have six nephews.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
You're trying to be funny, They can't share nothing with you.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
I'm asking yeah, I'm fine, are you No? No, no,
but I didn't want to make sure he wasn't triggered.
That's what happened to him. He was blested by an
older woman. Yes, but the reason he wanted it to white,
the reason because she had a Jerry I.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
Didn't like to smell her jerak that's what I saw. Yeah,
but I actually didn't like what she was doing to me. Okay,
but I told myself it was just smelling her Jerry
crow when I was eight.
Speaker 5 (12:14):
Okay, yes, but you know what different things to cope
this This young man on episode nine, the younger version
of me says to him, Oh, I'm sorry to know
you were gay, which is terrible. And that's what I
feel like some women will do to young boys too,
to try to push them off and make them feel like,
you know, that's why you want. Yeah, they do all
(12:34):
types of stuff. And and she was wrong, not you
so well.
Speaker 4 (12:37):
He was talking about drink girl.
Speaker 6 (12:41):
And then therapist.
Speaker 1 (12:44):
Okay, but then when he got old it happened again.
He would sitting on laps.
Speaker 6 (12:48):
It was just.
Speaker 1 (12:50):
This is how much work it was.
Speaker 4 (12:54):
Like it you would have been ugly to be to
you boy.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
And I'm doing all this work.
Speaker 5 (12:58):
What well, the finale dropped last week, okay, okay, And
at the end because his his attorney Jax, who is Amiazi,
she plays the star in the show, Well, she finds
out what happened, she puts Monica on the stand and
it comes out to the family everybody, and then at
the end, Monica decides to go in and shoot the
place up. Yeah, and we don't know who she shot.
Speaker 6 (13:22):
So emotional place you've ever had to go to for
a role with it.
Speaker 4 (13:25):
That probably that absolutely.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
I got six nephews and so just to think about
my baby boys like i'd be in jail or hell,
did it?
Speaker 4 (13:34):
Absolutely not?
Speaker 5 (13:35):
Because I think it's my job as an actor to
tell the stories, even the ones that are difficult. And
I've had fans that are like, I can't believe you
do that. After Mercedes, we love Missades, why would you
come do this? Maybe they'll make you pay attention to
your baby boy when they come home. Maybe they'll make
you ask different questions or if you see him shifting.
So that's why I always want to take on roles
that tell important stories.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
We work out. I love working out, going hiking.
Speaker 5 (14:01):
Honestly, I've been with Mama so much, did I just
have to just tamp away from it? But yeah, just
stay in touch with who I am and step twelve
of the actor the actor Handbook for me is let
it go.
Speaker 4 (14:11):
So it's not real.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
I was gonna ask, so, how are you with your nephews?
Do you have different conversations with them now? Like, hey,
let me talk to you for a second.
Speaker 5 (14:17):
Oh, always, because I know DJ, because I know you listening. Yes,
that my nephews are cute too. So I've already had
that situation with them with older women and I pick
up the phone and call. I told one girl, I
was like, I will find you and you will go
to jail. And I'm just gonna leave it at that.
So nephews, absolutely, Jesus, absolutely, they do it all the time.
(14:41):
I mean, so, I'm not crazy so seeing this, I
also did my research on it. But I've also seen it.
I'm the only girl, so I've seen how the women act.
Speaker 4 (14:50):
You know, you know your brother final he's married and
he's younger. You know, so yeah, you look at.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
People, sorry, do you look at people differently when you
see like so not a big thing in our community
is you'll see like a thirty year old dating an
eighteen year old or a forty year old dating a
twenty year old. Do you look at people differently now
because of that, because of the role you play.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
No, I don't think so long as they are of age,
I need them to be of age, because I mean,
as long as they've grown, that's that's their business.
Speaker 4 (15:16):
I stay out of it. But longer but under age,
I'm absolutely und I'm snitching.
Speaker 5 (15:21):
I think it is very important that you did bring
up the fact that when it's like a double standards. Yeah,
when it when it's a woman, right, who is older
going after a guy? I mean, you know a young guy,
people tend to like leave that.
Speaker 4 (15:35):
Yeah it's okay. Oh you you did that, that's what
you told her. It's not okay.
Speaker 5 (15:39):
And the whole time you don't even know how the
young person is thinking. These young men, their minds are
not even like they trying to be cool at the
end of the day, and the whole time it's like, damn,
I was really molested.
Speaker 4 (15:49):
I was That's appropriate.
Speaker 6 (15:51):
You wouldn't even make jokes about it if it was
a woman.
Speaker 4 (15:53):
No, that's that point. That is a huge point.
Speaker 5 (15:56):
No one's making a joke about it when it's someone.
Why are we joking about it when it's man? That's
a wonderful question.
Speaker 6 (16:01):
No, for sure, don't try to act figure even now.
Speaker 4 (16:03):
Yo, you make fun of.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
Yours? Are you cold?
Speaker 6 (16:10):
I'm really hurting on the inside. No, Brandy.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
When you think about your evolution from dancer the actors,
what part of your past shows up the most in
your your acting today.
Speaker 5 (16:22):
I think as a dancer, we learn how to take direction,
and we learn how to take direction quick because you
ain't got time for that. And if you if you
were Loria and Gibson and she said I need you
to point that toe and get to the end of
the stage by the next eight count, you're gonna figure
it out.
Speaker 4 (16:34):
So I feel like I took that, especially with.
Speaker 5 (16:37):
On P Valley, because we had to do dancing and
things of that sort, I was able to take that direction.
So I think directors enjoy that. And I've always heard
that dancers are the best actors because they can take
direction easily. And we not, we not, we have thick skins.
So you literally could yell at me and be like
that sucks, and be like, for real, no, what you
need on the next take to make it not sound
like I just it's real hard for me to get
(16:59):
in my feelings about that.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
How was your auditions for p Valley chow a vary
over there?
Speaker 5 (17:05):
My friend he helped me choreograph it, so I was
already teaching dance classes and so, but I did a
slow routine because I felt like everybody the first routine,
I did a chair routine and it's actually on the
internet if y'all google Brandy Evans Valentine's Day neo hip
hop and heels, and I did the slow routine and
(17:26):
they were like, where you come from? Because I couldn't
get an audition, they told me that I didn't fit
any of the roles that they were currently casting for
pre vally.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
Right.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
They said, we.
Speaker 5 (17:35):
Don't fit any And I found out on Valentine's Day
twenty eighteen. So my agent was like, I was like, yeah,
this is show. My friend just called me about if
you heard about it. She's like, yeah, we already tried.
Speaker 4 (17:44):
They said no.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
So then a couple months went past, my homegirl sends
me the script. She was like, my sister auditioner for this,
and I really think it.
Speaker 4 (17:50):
Should be you.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
So I was like, oh that little strip of show.
That's how I had an attitude at that point. I
was like, they don't want me, and so she was like,
just read the script. And so then I took pictures.
I'm a PK preacher's kid. Took pictures of me being
a PK. Mercedes is a PK. Took pictures of me
teaching Miss Tina how to dance at the Hip BT experience.
Took pictures of me and my daddy at church, like
(18:11):
whatever you needed. Then I got the audition, did the
chair routine when there was no one even in the
room to see me. When I tell you, they could
care less that I came in that audition. At first,
I just had the reader in there, and now I
remember her looking.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
From the side.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
She was like, where are you from? I was like Memphis,
She's like where you been? I said, waiting on y'all
to call me in. And so then I got the
call back and I called ivari. I was like, listen,
we got it up to Andy now. And so I
read the script that said that it was six inch
hills was in the pilot script. So I said, I'm
gonna do the routine and six inch chills and so
by the time we finished that routine, I was doing
front hand springs and six inch chills. I worked with
(18:45):
my acting coach, Raquel Gardner to make sure I was
locked in and the rest is history.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Yeah, this is this is great for me being a dad, right,
for daughters, two sons. My two girls dance, right, and
it's a lot of money. Yesterday, it's a lot of money.
And they dance. I mean they get out of school
at three o'clock. They dance from four to eight, six
days a week, competitions, we fly all over the place.
Speaker 1 (19:07):
But I always just like, well, what's the end goal?
Speaker 6 (19:10):
You know what I mean?
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Because you spend so much money.
Speaker 3 (19:11):
And I like it because it keeps them away from boys,
It keeps them out out off the phone, off the internet,
or out the malls.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
But I always like, well, what is the the.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
Well I paid a school was paid for so I
got a full scholarship at the University in Memphis, and
they can get the scholarship there. They can get scholarships.
If they don't they don't want to go to college.
They just want to go and train, you know, Alvin Ailey,
you know different things.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
So there is an end goal. Katie Perry.
Speaker 5 (19:35):
I toured the world with her, so and then I
became a choreographer, So all of that is very important.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
They're gonna need that on that resume. So there's an
end go.
Speaker 5 (19:43):
They paid mama's medical bills, it might be paying yours
one day.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
You never know, how did you feel? Because when they
do dance and they just don't do hip hop. They
they do tap, they do baallet, they do everything. Actually
you need it, they really into it. But how does
it feel because there's not too many of us out there?
Like when we go to these competitions and.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
We go, oh, yeah, I was the only black girls.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
That only black girls. It's good because they're recognizable. Soon
as they see me, they be like, oh, that's your kids.
But how did that affect you mentally?
Speaker 5 (20:08):
I think because I went to perform in our school
where we were very diverse, but like on Memphis Elite,
I was many times I was one or two black
girls when I was the only black girl on scholarship
my freshman year at the University of Memphis, and back
then it was just known that it was going to
only be one and I remember I was fighting for
that one scholarship but I was like, how many black
girls one?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
But I really didn't think anything of it.
Speaker 5 (20:30):
I think because my dad kept me in such diverse schooling.
Are they at a diverse school? Yes, I think that
that's the world, though I feel like a lot of
times we may be the only one. So for me,
I felt like it's been a blessing for me because
some of my friends are actually unable to navigate that
diversity and like, you know, it's only one of us,
And I'm like, I ain't paying no attention to that
because I've been around that my whole life. So I
(20:51):
think that it's cool they know how to navigate in
those different worlds right now.
Speaker 2 (20:55):
You know, people talk about the physicality of Pep Valley
all the time, but what's something mental about that role
of Mercedes that people don't realize.
Speaker 5 (21:02):
Oh, that's a really good question. My back is still
in the workman's comp though.
Speaker 4 (21:08):
Right now.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
But I think mentally for me, let me just say,
because I talked to high school English, so then I
jumped into that accent so hard back home that a
lot of times my friend be like, you can you
get out of chuck Atleasta? Because what happened to your
like what happened to your dialect? So I feel like
it shifted that. But mentally, we were filming so late
(21:29):
at night, you almost like you almost felt like you
were a part of that world so much. You're going
to bed when the when the sun is up, and
then you're going to work, and we're we're literally on
set at two three in the morning and then going
to bed at seven am, like you were really immersed
in that world. So I think that this season you're
gonna see some some things and you'll understand when you
(21:51):
see it that it took a lot for me to
get some of those things out of my head. Season
two was tough because of my daughter and the abortion
scene and all of that information. But I also my
daughter passed away, so I had a steel birth and
so she would have been the same age.
Speaker 4 (22:09):
Lyric would have been the same.
Speaker 5 (22:10):
Age as Azaria or Tererica on Pa Valley, So that part,
you know, mentally for me was tough because I felt
like Azaria, it was like my daughter in real life,
so things like that, detaching from that at times so
that those.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Scenes were emotional.
Speaker 5 (22:26):
Those were the most emotional, but they were the most
beautiful to me. Because it felt like I got my
baby in a sense. It's like God gave me a
Zaria who played Terarika in that same age, So it
was like I was able to have my baby girl.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
In season two of Pivley.
Speaker 5 (22:38):
Now that you say that, yeah, you were more your
Mercedes definitely was more emotional, and it was a lot
more scenes where the stories were crying too, trying to
think all the steaks at hand of trying to save
her baby, and that was the whole thing, just trying
to make life better for herself and her child and
then her mother exactly the exactly. It was very tumultuous,
(23:00):
and that was my real life a little bit not
like that. And now she wasn't Patrice Woodbine, but me
and my mom had a tumultuous relationship. So I was
able to And where was that.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
In life?
Speaker 5 (23:13):
No, not just in life. I think it was just
that mother daughter dynamics. Sometimes that could just be like that.
But when I start caring for her, you know that
had to shift because you gotta forgive. But I was
able to use p Valley season one to get out
everything I'd never say to my mama, And oh, I
get to say what now okay, so just healing, healing
(23:33):
through p Valley.
Speaker 4 (23:34):
I feel like that was a very healing.
Speaker 2 (23:35):
That was a great segue because I was going to
a playing that dynamic change how you see generational trauma.
Speaker 5 (23:42):
Absolutely absolutely, I was just talking to someone about that
certain things isn't necessary, isn't necessary to get that whooping,
isn't necessary to beat them? Can you actually talk to
them and tell them what's going on?
Speaker 4 (23:54):
You know?
Speaker 5 (23:54):
Can we can we communicate better? So I do think
playing those different roles, you don't have to yell and
scream and and be little, you know, because the hope
this is the same person that you're belittling. It's the
same person you want to come to you and trust
that you can. They can tell you their deep secrets.
Speaker 4 (24:09):
Come to me, come to me. We don't want to
be scared.
Speaker 5 (24:12):
So that that to me made me pay attention to
you know what, if im I'm blessed to be able
to be a parent, I would parents so differently. But
I also the older I get, I also know we
all do the best we can because I feel like
all of us, you know, our kids could probably say
the same thing, like when you did this, you did that,
you're doing the best you can, and the older you get,
you start realizing, you know what, my mama, Mama really
(24:34):
did the best you could.
Speaker 6 (24:35):
But I do realize as a parent, every child challenges
you do.
Speaker 4 (24:39):
Absolutely.
Speaker 6 (24:41):
You think you're gonna parent all of them the same,
you can't.
Speaker 2 (24:43):
No, No, I mean there's a core foundation of love, right,
I know you love them, but no, they all will challenge.
Speaker 6 (24:50):
You in different way.
Speaker 4 (24:51):
Yeah. Absolutely, words, did you challenge your mother? I don't know.
Mama will swing on me so quick. I don't.
Speaker 5 (25:00):
I don't know that I got that challenge. I might
have tried to challenge one time and never again. Yeah,
I still to this day. But I also love that
healthy respect because to this day, I don't care if
she in that wheelchair. I'm nothing to go talking crazy
to her at all. That's my mama. And I feel
like you only give one you respect your parents. Yeah,
So how does she feel about your success? Have you
(25:20):
ever just sat down and just talk to her about it?
How does she I'm not gonna cry, I'm not. I
don't know that she knows. Yeah, the Alzheimer's of it all, Yeah,
I don't know that she knows. Almost every day I'm
reminding her.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
Of who I am, but she remember, Does she remember you?
I was gonna ask that at a days.
Speaker 5 (25:35):
Yes, Sometimes she doesn't, and I go and hide in
the closet, and that's the biggest acting job I've ever done.
I'll go put myself on speakerphone and I'll go call
her daughter, Brandy, and then I'll hide in the room
and talk to her, and I'll come back and it's
like almost like the notebook. Sometimes like she'd remembers sometimes
sometimes she doesn't. I'll say, you know, where do we live?
(25:55):
She'll say Memphis because she remembers Memphis. But then I'll
point to myself on the screen and like she saw
reasonable down had an attitude.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
She was so upset. I was like, Mama, it's not real.
I really did not touch that boy.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
But then then I'll come back and then she'll be like,
I was like, that's me and she was like really,
you know. So it's just I've learned to not not
make them confused more by it and just be like, yeah,
you know what, it's okay, it's okay.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
That was one of the toughest things I've ever seen
my wife deal with. We were actually on the plane.
We were coming back from overseas Dubai and we were
in first class and she got up and she was
trying to go downstairs because she said she.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Had to go to work and they're like, go to work,
there's work. So she woke up. I was like, no, mom,
this standing heel and she did not know who her
daughter was.
Speaker 3 (26:37):
And my wife started crying because she was like, how
does my mom not know who she was?
Speaker 1 (26:41):
And then when I got up, she knew who I
was and it was the weirdest. It was the weirdest thing,
like she knew me.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Here was showing I'm just trying to go to work
and I'm like, no, mama, this is we're in the plane.
But she didn't know who my mom was, and but
when we landed she did. But it was just it
hurt so much because I was like, this is my mother,
Like I'm her carry give but I'm the one.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
That makes her take a medicine.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Watch it and where you grow on a plane. Yes,
it's very My MoMA asked me for car keys the
other day. I just want to lay them on her lap,
like you just got it. At this point, we just
smiled and played again. I said where you going. She's
some about to drive to turl from She's from turl Arkansas.
I was like, okay, then, well it's a little late
right now, but I'm put the keys right here. I'm
gonna go to bed, you know, like I've learned to
play with it. But then I go back in that
(27:21):
room and cry. You know, I try not to cry
in front of her, but it is it is the
hardest thing ever. It's like, Mama, don't remember me. When
she asked me that time, like what's your mama name you?
And I was like Brandy. She's like, oh me too,
And I was like, oh my gosh, she doesn't know
it's me.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
What if you to sleep that car crank up.
Speaker 4 (27:44):
Miss, I've probably been happy.
Speaker 5 (27:45):
I would have been happy if like girl getting getting
a passion seats over?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
Yes, and I dream about that? Does your wife dream
about that? Does she dream about Oh? I dream about
her walking?
Speaker 1 (27:55):
You know she walked and she did.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
You know, there was a couple of times like I
remember one time she walked out the house. So my
daughter was watching, and my daughter was young at the time, sixteen,
and she said, Grandma, and you know, she walked out.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
My daughter Grandma, where you going? And so you know,
Grandma said, get off me. She was like no. So
Grandma slapped her right and she's like, where are you going?
She was like, I'm going home, Grandma. You can't go home,
and there's beers out there. She was like, well, pray
for the beers.
Speaker 5 (28:15):
I't worried about my baby. They don't like for you
to correct them, now, don't.
Speaker 3 (28:20):
That was one and another thing that we still have
to watch what she well, watch what she watches on
television because her favorite show was Judged.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
You they Maury love that.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Well, what happened at night? You know the way we
like feed the dogs and feed that. She would cry
every day because you see that and think she had
to give to the dying dogs and dying cats and
dying kids in Africa with the flies, like that would
affect her like she would be balling.
Speaker 5 (28:44):
I'm so glad you said that because I tell my
caregivers that. I said, we keep it light in here.
We don't watch the news in the house. No, we
don't turn on. I was like, if there's a movie
and you see something said, if you about to cry,
turn it, like because I don't want her crying. So
we are very clear were watching Martin, We're watching girlfriends,
you know what I mean, Watching joyous.
Speaker 4 (29:01):
Things and things that make you smile. For sure, that's
so important. I love that. And you actually document a
lot of that too.
Speaker 6 (29:06):
Girl.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
You talking about you, your fans and followers.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
They love more than they love me. I'm like, I'll
post something.
Speaker 5 (29:13):
I'd be like, yeah, watch my new show. They don't
be saying no. I look up Asta mama, two million followers.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
I've looked too many likes.
Speaker 4 (29:19):
I'm like, god, Mama, but yeah, thank you for loving
my mom.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
How does the experience of being a kid given for
your mother's sharpen your emotional strength as a performer?
Speaker 4 (29:30):
I think patience. That's a good question, emotional strength.
Speaker 5 (29:33):
I just feel like if I can make it through
caregive and I can make it through anything, because most
times I will jump on the carpet and you don't
know if I've just left the emergency room or I'm
trying to manage a UTI or trying to set up scheduling.
You know, just yesterday walking down walking down the street
in New York, and I'm like what, I'm like, Lord,
I just want one day where I don't have to
manage it. But then I have to check myself because
(29:54):
I'm like, there's gonna be one day where you wake
up and wish that you could be stressed out. But
I just tell myself if I can handle all this,
Like I don't know what it's like to study lines
and not have Mama in the other world. So the
blessing is okay, So you've done this well caregiving.
Speaker 4 (30:11):
What will happen later on in life?
Speaker 5 (30:13):
I don't know, because my whole career has been while
caregiving for Mama. Season one, I had her with me,
So when we were wrapped the show, I know my
castmates were probably like.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Dang show, never want to go nowhere with us.
Speaker 5 (30:23):
I was with Mama, and I was embarrassed to tell
them what was going on with Mama. But if Iri
knows that all my furniture got broke when I came
to Atlanta, and I was hiding that I was sleeping
on the floor the whole first half season of Pea Valley,
only my best friends knew that. Wow, because I didn't
want the network to find out and think that I
couldn't handle it.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
So a lot of times I do hide what's really
going on. You know.
Speaker 2 (30:48):
I mean, it's got to be like this. It makes
you thinks like what is what is your purpose?
Speaker 4 (30:52):
Right?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
Because I have the service in a way. But then
it could also feel like your purpose because I feel
like what you're doing, documenting it and telling people who's
gonna help so many other people.
Speaker 6 (31:00):
But then you're also an actress, so it's like, what
is Brandy?
Speaker 5 (31:04):
I think I'm still trying to figure that out. That's
that's why I'm still trying to figure out. I know
that I love acting, but I love my mother more,
and so she's gonna always always say I'm a caregiver
first and then I'm an actor. But then I was
crying to my friend should other day. I was like,
so if mama passes, what do I have? Like though,
(31:25):
that's just authentic being authentic right now, like what do
I have? I keep saying I'm hustling for mama, hustling
for mama.
Speaker 4 (31:32):
What about me?
Speaker 5 (31:33):
So I don't even know what that is right now
because all I can see is where's this next job?
Speaker 4 (31:38):
Because I gotta feed my mama and I got to
take care of it. I mean, we are.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
When I audition for Pee Valley, Mama was on a
camera in my phone because I couldn't afford a caregiver.
So I woke up early, I fed her, and I
put the phone in my purse, rushed to will share
the audition was like Mamma, on the way back, rush back, Like,
I don't know what it's like to just live and
be in the career.
Speaker 4 (32:00):
So what does what makes Brandy happy? Like what do
you do? Do you ever just go out to dinner?
Speaker 5 (32:07):
Yes, I'm by myself a lot, Like you know, I
love a good dinner. Yeah, I'll find the time because
the caregivers like, I'm like, y'all please, can y'all just stay?
And some nights I'm like they're like, well you're back home.
I'm like, can you spend a night so I can
just sleep through the night because I'm not going to sleep.
But I love to watch movies. I love to go
(32:27):
to a movie. I love to go to run your
canyon and just hike. I love to sit at the
beach and just hear the water. So and ride my bike,
but just moments that I can just hear myself because
I feel like I'm always listening for my mother.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Yeah in every way.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Yeah, yeah, how did faith guide you during like moments
when acting roles weren't coming in as fast as you.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Hope everything, because I didn't get my first acting role
until I got Mama. But that was my prayer, like, God,
please bless me to be able to take care of
my mother and have the job now.
Speaker 4 (32:59):
Need to be a little bit more specific, Lord, please.
Speaker 5 (33:01):
Let it be able to be smoother so I'm able
to have the jobs to take care of her now.
But it's so stressful, like sometimes it's not fun because
it's it's like everybody's like, look what you're doing. I'm like,
but you don't know that by the time I go back,
Like when I get off of this, I got to
go FaceTime make sure do y'all have all the groceries
y'all need in La?
Speaker 4 (33:20):
Do y'all have this?
Speaker 5 (33:20):
So I'm praying for a moment of peace to truly
know that I can go away and Mama will be okay,
and then I don't have to micro manage everybody.
Speaker 4 (33:31):
But God is everything to me everything.
Speaker 6 (33:34):
Of course, now I know people Valley's coming back, but
why did it?
Speaker 1 (33:38):
I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:39):
I have no idea it's coming back. And baby is
so good.
Speaker 5 (33:45):
We wrapped up on it last season. Yes, we or
last year, rather, we shot last season. We finished in
was it November maybe October of last year.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
Before, and it's just been sitting on it when it's
coming out.
Speaker 5 (33:59):
You know what, I will say, they're sitting on it.
I think they're just perfecting it even more. You know,
our show runner co Tory Hall is very specific, and
that's the reason y'all love it so much is because
she pays attention to those details. She makes sure that
everything's perfect. I mean even our closed caption. We want
to make sure it's right, so y'all know what we're saying.
So she just posted a couple of months ago that
(34:20):
post production is done, So I think we're just.
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Waiting to get the word. But I'm waiting, like y'all
because it's a it's a good one.
Speaker 6 (34:28):
You're happy with what the next chapter of Mercedes.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Oh I'm so happy with the next chapter of Mercedes,
Like it's beyond my wireless imagination.
Speaker 4 (34:34):
It's gonna be crazy and y'all, y'all gonna lose it too.
Speaker 5 (34:37):
And the show couldn't have been casted any better. Like everybody,
everybody's so good, oh so great?
Speaker 4 (34:42):
Yes, I know. I tried to, but I couldn't speak
to girl.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, y'all want them down now?
Speaker 4 (34:51):
I wanted them down there, girl.
Speaker 5 (34:52):
Yeah, I think that our audition for Oh my God is.
Speaker 4 (34:59):
She played on and the girl who got the role.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
That I auditioned for she played she kills it too,
she would She played the crag kid on Snowfalls.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
She was let.
Speaker 5 (35:11):
And girl, I couldn't get the trust the chuck a
Lisa all down. I was like, damn for real, I couldn't.
And then they wanted me to, like, you know, do
some dances.
Speaker 1 (35:22):
Now.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
I wasn't flexible like you, Brandy.
Speaker 5 (35:23):
I couldn't shot like Gail killed it though, I love you,
But yeah, that was Gail John.
Speaker 4 (35:27):
I love.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
I love, I love her.
Speaker 4 (35:31):
She's phenomena just as well. But yeah, it was. It's
perfectly cast and I can't wait.
Speaker 5 (35:35):
But even more, I can't wait to see your role
in a reasonable doubt. Yes, thank you, Yes, I want
you to see different. Yeah, it's crazy, Like I knew
it was crazy. I went in a store yesterday and
somebody was like, don't just be walking up in here
after you shot somebody. I was like whyzy, Like I
will post a picture of my mom and they like,
does she know you like to shoot people?
Speaker 4 (35:54):
I was like, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1 (35:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (35:56):
They going hard for Brandy to be Oh and you
know the finale, I took the wig off and I
came out with the set it off braids and it
was like, yo, yeah, but.
Speaker 4 (36:08):
Yeah, don't break it down.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
I've got two more questions. It's about Mercedes.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
But what's the lesson from real life Brandy that Mercedes
that's really needs.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Oh oh, that's a good question. A lesson from Mercedes
is pretty dope.
Speaker 5 (36:24):
Maybe that even when things look like they aren't gonna
go the way you want them to keep going, don't
let it break you. Because I feel like at times
you saw Mercedes break a little, but she always picked
herself back up. But I think I've gotten better with
as of late just being like, all right, it's gonna
(36:45):
have to work out, because we a lot of times
we freak out first and then we circle back. I'm
getting better. Ain't there yet, but I'm getting better with
just being like.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
It's just is what it is. It's gonna work out.
Speaker 6 (36:54):
Yeah, So let's flip it. What's a lesson from Mercedes
that real life Brandy.
Speaker 4 (36:58):
Needs that hustle. Oh that's good.
Speaker 5 (37:04):
You know what, don't be afraid because I think about
you know, Mercedes going after her gym, and I want to.
Speaker 4 (37:11):
Write my book. So as you as you called me
out on this in this moment, what you're so scared
of Brandy write your book right?
Speaker 5 (37:19):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (37:20):
Brand okay, all right?
Speaker 5 (37:22):
Yeah, because she went after it anyway when things and
I always keep saying, yeah, I know why I got
time to write.
Speaker 4 (37:27):
I got mama, I got this and that Mercedes figured
it out. Thank you to get my girl up here.
Thank you so much, Thank y'all for having me.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
That's right, it's Brandy Evans. Thank you for joining us.
Thank you so much everything.
Speaker 5 (37:42):
Thank you, thank you, and y'all make sure y'all get
y'all some caregiver merch. I have a Caregiver Strong March
shop dot Brandyevans dot com. And I have one that
says the shirt that says I don't have a capacity
because it's okay to not have the capacity sometimes, and
one that says caregivering Strong, because it's a different type
of strength when you're a caregiver, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
And the Evans is the breakfast Club, Good morning, Hold
up every day I wake up, pake your ass up.
The breakfast club.
Speaker 6 (38:07):
Y'all finish, y'all done,
The Breakfast Club News
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DJ Envy
Jess Hilarious
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