July 30, 2024 • 50 mins
Did you love Zaria from "The Parent 'Hood" as much as Mickey Factz? Get ready to dive into the fascinating journey of Reagan Gomez-Preston. From her early days making waves on "The Parent 'Hood" to achieving lasting success in Hollywood, Mickey reveals his childhood admiration for her, sparking a lively brainstorm about potential 90s TV character crossovers that blend nostalgia with modern storytelling.
Reagan offers heartfelt and sassy insights into her rise to fame, the iconic role of Zaria, and the significance of "The Parent 'Hood" in representing Black creativity. Hear touching reflections on her interactions with fans and the profound impact of the show, especially poignant given Suzanne Douglas's recent passing. Reagan's behind-the-scenes contributions come to light as she recalls the opportunities she had to grow her skills and expand her horizons in the industry.
We take a nostalgic and spirited trip through Hollywood's evolution. Reagan dishes on her friendships with stars like Meagan Good and Gabrielle Union, her music video appearances, and the pivotal role of shows like "Scandal" in enhancing visibility for Black women in lead roles. She also chats about her voice-over work on "The Cleveland Show" and "Steven Universe," as well as her role on "Queen Sugar." The conversation delves into the importance of education, networking, and genuine relationships in sustaining a career in entertainment. Join us for an episode filled with inspiration, nostalgia, and valuable industry insights!
"Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," is produced and distributed by Merrick Creative and hosted by Merrick Chief Creative Officer, Tom Frank, hip hop artist and founder of Pendulum Ink, Mickey Factz, and music industry veteran, Jeffrey Sledge. Tune in to on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod to join the conversation and support the show at https://unglossypod.buzzsprout.com/
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This week on Unglossy .
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Did you direct some of the episodes on Parenthood?
Speaker 3 (00:04):
I co-wrote an episode at 16.
Really, I don't know if youguys will remember, but it was
the episode where Zaria worekind of a revealing dress to a
party.
Oh, I remember that one.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It was his favorite episode right there, one of the
best episodes.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff
at that young age.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I feel like this might've been season three.
So by that time I was kind of apro with sure and breakdown um
of a 30 minute or 22 minute withcommercials, um comedy.
So I just wrote somethingmyself and I gave it to Robert,
who gave it to the writers, andwe helped come up with that
story from the top.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
I'm Mickey Fax.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Welcome to Unglossy, to coning, brand and culture.
I'm Tom Frank, partner andchief creative officer at Merit
Creative.
This is Mickey Fax, hip hopartist and founder and CEO of
Pendulum Inc.
And that is Jeffrey Sledge, aseasoned music industry veteran
who has worked with some of thebiggest artists in the business.
We're here to explore themoments of vulnerability,
pivotal decisions and creativesparks that fuel the
(01:10):
relationship between brand andculture.
Get ready for athought-provoking journey into
the heart and soul of brandingthe unscripted, unfiltered and
truly unglossy truth.
Guys, we had a childhood crushof Mickey's on the show today.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Thank you, Jeff, I got you B.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I got you B.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
We had Reagan Gomez.
She's like a top five.
That's like top five, yeah Inthe 90s?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Absolutely Female child actress.
Absolutely top five.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, in the nineties , oh, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Email child Absolutely Top five, which is
why, which is why TI put it inthat video.
I'm amazed.
Yeah, I'm amazed that 30 yearsshe's been in the business and
she loves every bit of it asmuch as she did today, as she
did then.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
I like the transitioning right Her being an
actress, get direct.
I like the transitioning rightHer being an actress, co-writing
an episode at the age of 16,now owning a production company,
writing, directing, voiceacting that's not easy to
maintain.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I'm impressed and apparently we're going to help
her with a big show here.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh yeah, I pitched that idea.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, we pitched a few ideas in this episode, so
stay tuned for those.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, honestly, I really, really hope she takes
that into consideration.
That idea is fire actually.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
That idea would.
Even if it was just like a one,two episode thing, it would
just be like boom, somebodywould pick it up.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And you're right, right.
People would jump all over thatbecause you're pulling on their
, their, their childhood yeah,it's you know.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I mean, I have thousands of these ideas now.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I want to be a voice actor on that show.
Somehow nobody will have to seeme, you'll be on the phone
maybe I'll be the narrator.
You'll be on the phone.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Could I be the narrator?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
you'll be on the phone I was gonna say he could
be the narrator, he could belike the overarching, like like
I'm connected, I'm this, what isit?
I'm?
This is I'm listening yeahvoice that I control hollywood.
I'm gonna pick zaria out andplace her here and then pick
this one, and then you couldkind of make it to where they
(03:22):
run into each.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I think that would oh this is a brilliant idea,
mickey man.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
I just hope she takes it serious.
I think I think jeff needs tostay on her, all right, I don't
know, I don't know if she kindof like understands that the
reason why the mcu was sosuccessful is because there were
franchises and there wereseparate franchises and then
bringing them together andinteracting, and it for whatever
(03:51):
reason.
People are always trying tobring together superheroes, but
it's never been done withexisting properties from a space
where people actually love thecharacters now it was.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
It was done on the big channels, right?
I mean, nbc used to have somecrossovers between sitcoms.
Law Order has done that in thepast, the crossovers.
But I guess what you'rethinking is going back to the
past, bringing them to thefuture and then having that
crossover.
Was there never any crossoverson any of those WB?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Not that I remember.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Not that I remember, no, that's why this is such a
big thing.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, it's like they all live now in one universe
instead of separate kind ofuniverses.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Right, and they're just running into each other
Like in the mall the Pilates.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's like, hey girl, what's happening?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
And then they start becoming friends, and then it's
the whole relationshipthereafter.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
That's never been done before and that would be
incredible.
And Tom and Jeff, y'all need tobe on Reagan about this man.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, I'm going to follow up on that?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I'm going to step to it, man.
Don't worry, I'm going to stepto it, man.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Don't worry, I got you All right.
Let's do it, reagan Gomez,right here, right now.
Unglossy is brought to you byMerit Creative.
Looking to skyrocket yourbusiness's visibility and drive
growth?
At Merit Creative, we solveyour brand and marketing woes
With big ideas, decades ofexperience and innovative
(05:18):
solutions.
We'll draw in your targetaudience and keep them hooked.
Remember, creativity is key tosuccess.
Partner with Merit Creative andunlock your brand's potential.
Learn more at meritcreativecom.
And now back to the show.
All right guys.
Today we are welcoming Americanfilm and voice actress Regan
Gomez.
(05:38):
Regan is well-known for herrole on the Parenthood at age 14
.
That's impressive.
The Cleveland Show, stevenUniverse and Queen Sugar.
Reagan was born in Michigan,grew up in Philadelphia.
She now lives in LA, writesfeature films and has her own
production company.
Mickey, I know you're excitedabout this one.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I'm super excited.
Let's get right into it.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Let's get into it, Tom.
You keep saying Michigan.
You got to say Detroit.
That's right right, notmichigan, I gotta say detroit
not, not just michigan, allright both my parents are born
and raised in detroit.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
They are black baby boomers from detroit.
They're very proud of that.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So that's right, jeff all right, detroit I stand so,
speaking of your parents, though, you got to tell like how does
a kid from Detroit, father inthe medical field, mom in the
police department, how in theworld do you end up on the
parenthood at age 14?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, I mean, my mother is the creative.
She went to Cass High School,which is a performing arts high
school.
It's very famous in Detroit.
Aaliyah went there, a lot offamous people, I think Aretha
Franklin, went there.
So, it's like one of thoseschools.
So my mom was the creative.
And when we moved to Philly Ibecame a member of Freedom
(07:03):
Theater, which is a prestigioushistoric Black theater program
in Philadelphia.
Erica Alexander went there BoyzII Men so that's where I
learned my acting chops.
And then Philly is right nextto New York, so I started
working there.
And it was the summer Igraduated eighth grade.
I'd been doing so well in NewYork.
(07:24):
My mom was like, let's go to LAfor the summer to see what
happens.
I'd been doing so well in NewYork.
My mom was like, let's go to LAfor the summer to see what
happens.
And I wound up booking theparenthood that summer and we
moved to LA that summer.
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
How does that happen, though you show up in LA?
Yeah, how did you get it bookedthat fast?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't
know, and it's.
I've come to peace with it.
But as a kid I can see actorsolder than me whenever I would
tell that story as a kid, thembeing like oh my God, you gotta
(08:07):
be kidding how it happened now,being in the business 30 years
now?
Um, I know, you know thisdidn't.
The business?
Um, jeff, you know, the musicbusiness is the same way.
It's very inconsistent.
Um, but yeah, that's how Istarted and I'm very thankful to
still be here okay, so zariaright let's, let's get, let's
get right to it, let's get rightto it
Speaker 4 (08:21):
right.
So before we even get started,right Tom has been taken.
You know, certified lover boy,certified pedophile.
Shots at me because you were 14when you got on and I'm telling
him like yeah, I was 12.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I know, but the way he was describing it as a
40-some-year-old man seemed alittle weird to me.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
But I was 12.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
So look, yeah, go ahead, so okay.
So like now, as a 12-year-oldkid, pre-teen, I watched.
Obviously I had, you know, aswe our hormones raging, we have
crushes on Lisa Turtle on Savedby the Bell, not a lot of black
young Lisa Turtle's, underrated,that's true.
(09:09):
It wasn't a lot of women thatblack kids could have crushes on
right.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So we had.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Lisa Turtle we had.
I wasn't really into Laura.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Tatiana Ali, Fresh Prince.
Tatiana Ali, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Laura was kind of mid .
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean, she's probably a very nice person.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
She was very like old , it was Myra.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
It was like Myra.
I was into Myra, right.
Rest in peace to Myra, right,yeah.
But then the Parenthood comesout and I'm like, okay, what is
happening here?
Um, and I was.
I liked the show for tworeasons, right, obviously you
were on the show, but I was afan of Robert Townsend from
media man.
(09:56):
From media man Right, that wasa great movie for me as a, as a
young kid.
So talk to us about yourtransition as a child actress,
right, and I'm, and I'm this ispre-internet, so I'm sure did
you have a fan club?
Were you getting letters fromguys?
Talk to us about that, how youwere able to kind of deal with
(10:18):
that as a young woman.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Well, I mean, my mom was in control of all of that.
I definitely was receiving fanmail.
I did not.
None of it got to me.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
None of it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
My mom is from Detroit and she's a young
daughter.
She was not playing, no games,so none of that came to me.
But you know, I'm very muchaware of how much the show meant
to people, how much thecharacters meant to people, how
much Zaria meant to people.
People come up to me all thetime and say they named their
(10:53):
daughter Zaria or they namedtheir daughters Reagan.
That's cool.
So, you know, and people arealways talking to me about the
show and now, you know, being in2024, when we're kind of in the
middle of what?
Um?
Representation and wantingdifferent stories from different
communities, underrepresentedcommunities, like that's my
(11:14):
foundation.
On the parenthood, on the WBand on, yeah, black writers, we
have black directors Um, it wasvery easy to be an actor on a
show and then move up to alsodirect the show, um, so that's
my foundation, um, but I'm happyto hear that I.
You know it's nice to to hearhow much zariah meant to people.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
um, she means a lot to me, so right, now there is
talks about a lot of these 90sshows, having reunion shows.
Yeah, have there been any talksabout a parenthood reunion show
for you guys?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, suzanne Douglas passed away, I think two years
ago.
Who played our mother?
She passed away two years ago.
Who played our mother?
He passed away two years ago,and I've kept in contact with
Ashley, who played Cece, my babysister.
I've kept in contact with herthroughout all these years.
She's a mom now, but afterSuzanne passed, all of us kids
(12:24):
organized the Zoom just to meetup with Robert.
It's's been a very, very longtime, um, so we were able to do
that.
All of the kids were there,robert was there, um, and some
other cast members, so, um, itwas nice to catch up with
everyone.
Robert is very busy.
He's on the bear and he'sdirecting he's killing the bear
I think yeah oh, that is he's onthe bear?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I think yes, oh, that is he's on the bear, that's
right.
Yeah, incredible, he's Sidney'sfather.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, that is a great show, by the way.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
It's fantastic Curtis who played Nicholas, my little
brother.
He works for, I think,universal, and so everyone is
doing great.
It was nice to catch up.
I don't know if it's going togo any further than that, but
you know we shall see.
You know we shall see.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
There's hope, mickey, there's hope.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
That's childhood right there.
Okay, you can go.
Jeff, Go ahead.
I was just going to ask Did youdirect some of the episodes on
parenthood?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I did not, but I co-wrote an episode at 16.
It it was really I don't guys,but yes, I did and I don't know
if you guys will remember, butit was the episode where zaria
wore kind of a revealing dressto a party.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Um, oh, I remember that one party, I yeah I
co-wrote that yes, yes it washis favorite episode right there
One of the best episodes.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff
at that young age like writing.
How did that work?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Did you just say to them I'd love to take a chance
at writing this, or how did thatcome about?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Sure, I mean, I feel like this might have been season
three.
I feel like this might havebeen season three.
So by that time I was kind of apro with and breakdown of a 30
minute or 22 minute withcommercials comedy.
So I just wrote somethingmyself and I gave it to Robert,
who gave it to the writers, andwe helped come up with that
story.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
That's how that worked.
Yeah, wow, I want to skiparound a little bit because I
want to talk about StevenUniverse, which is a cult
classic show.
Oh good, how did you getinvolved with that and how did
you get involved with the voiceacting?
Just in general, because I'mnot an actor obviously, but I
(14:40):
think people think that'sprobably an easy transition, but
I don't think it's anywherenear as easy as people think it
is.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It's definitely not.
I started voice acting in thefirst place because when I was
pregnant with my daughter, Iwanted to do voice acting and I
thought that would be theperfect time to start.
It took me a while to get avoiceover agent, um, which was
(15:08):
kind of funny, uh, looking back.
But people have always told methat my voice was like.
People remembered, um, my voice.
So one of the first auditions Iwent on was for the Cleveland
show.
Um, everybody was there.
Uh, I don't want to say but alot of actresses were in the
room.
Yeah, I went um and I I had agreat what I thought was a great
audition, um, and that was it.
(15:29):
And like a month later theycalled me like you got the show
and I had no idea, um, I neverdone a voiceover character
before and I didn't realize howbig family guy was yeah so when
I went to my first Comic-Con forthe Cleveland show, that's when
I saw oh, this shit is big.
(15:49):
It's not just about cartoons,it's comic books, it's anime,
it's this whole world.
So, yeah, and they offered methe role on Steven Universe
because Lamar Adams, who was oneof the writers on the show, he
liked Roberta on the ClevelandShow.
So that's how I got StevenUniverse, yeah, and I had a
great time, that's dope theCleveland Show.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
is that still running ?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
No, I think it did like two seasons, maybe three.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I think it did four, but then I thought that that
came back at some point.
Maybe it didn't.
We did four seasons and we arestill in syndication we're in,
so maybe that's why I'm seeing.
I've seen it a lot more latelythan I have in the past.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yeah, residual check coming through and shit.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
That's nice you something I had no idea?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I had no idea, yes that's gotta be a check came in
the mail and you was like what?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
that's gotta be the greatest thing ever, right there
.
Residual checks.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Our show was only four seasons.
Can you imagine the Simpsons?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Are you kidding?
It's crazy, it's really crazy.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
So the Parenthood is not in syndication.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
No, we are on HBO Max .
We were we kind of bouncebetween, like tv one works,
bounce that world.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Sometimes they'll do um oh, it's because upn is
doesn't exist anymore.
Is that the reason why?
Speaker 3 (17:17):
upn doesn't exist, the wb doesn't exist wb didn't
exist.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Oh I see, do you have any say in that?
Or you just sit back andwhatever happens happens.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
No, you're just watching it.
But let's say, one day, forinstance, it does get into
syndication or Netflix picks itup.
I mean, are you rooting for acertain thing?
That would be better for itthan not.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I mean even with Netflix.
You remember we all had onstrike uh last year because,
being on a netflix or somethingdidn't mean that you were
guaranteed any residuals, sookay process.
But look, people love the show.
Um, I would love for the showto be available so people can
(18:03):
watch it.
Um, you know, I'm, I'm.
I'm here for the show, forwhatever folks want the show to
do, I'm here for it.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
You're on for the ride.
No, no, no.
I mean I think it's incrediblethat the Cleveland show in
general is in syndication, andthe more I think about it.
When you travel and you go tolike a hotel and you turn your
television on, nine times out often it's going to be tnt, tbs,
fx and they're going to haveshows like the cleveland show.
(18:33):
So that's how that syndicationhappens and primarily, a show
like the parenthood probablywouldn't make it to that space.
So I kind of understand and Iget I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
I mean it's a different time TV my kids don't
even watch live, I know.
It's a different.
It's.
You know it's a different timeand, like the Simpsons, is still
on.
You know syndication.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Which is insanity, insanity.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's just different.
It's just a different time,especially the places that house
black shows, black shows fromthe 90s.
There's not a lot of space, Ithink, other than streaming.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
That's where BET should step in.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Go ahead, tom.
What do you think about that?
Actually Two questions.
One have your kids watched theshow?
Do they know Mom was on thatshow?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
They know the Cleveland show and they know
Steven was on that show.
They know the cleveland showand they know steven universe.
They, because my daughter wasaround, yeah, cleveland show,
and she, she and I love stevenuniverse, just as fans just as
fans yeah yeah, so they knowmore of my voiceover work um
they've seen the parenthoodthey've seen it, they know
(19:45):
that's me and they know it's mebecause people send them TikToks
or they'll send me TikToks oflike fake hands put together of
me in the 90s.
So that's how they know me fromthe parenthood, but they are
not actively going to.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
They're not actively.
So what do you think, then, ofthis whole idea that you grew up
in an age where you were on achannel?
Yeah Right, it came on at acertain time every week.
We don't do that anymore.
Like people, like your kids, mykids, if I, if I got rid of any
kind of cable or anything, theywouldn't even blink an eye.
(20:19):
It's all about youtube andnetflix and hulu and everything
else.
Like I mean, I don't know howdo you?
It would have been a verydifferent era coming up in that
world than it was probably inyour world.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I feel like you have to.
For instance, I don't want togive up cable.
I don't ever want to give uplive TV?
I just never would.
So I think it's up to me tomake me and my kid watch house
of the dragon.
We're not watching on hbo max,we're watching on hbo at six
o'clock or nine o'clock when itcomes on, so we can watch with
(20:54):
everyone else in the countryright now.
So I think it's parents likeyou kind of have to teach them
like this is also cool too, youknow, so I I mean, but they live
tv that's.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
That's interesting, um real quick.
What are you?
What are you?
What are your favorite?
What's some of your favoriteshows now that you watch?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I was gonna say too, abbott elementary is kind of
keeping with that, yeah, yeah so, um, I think that's important,
but we just finished interviewwith the which that show came
out a while ago.
It was really good.
It was really really good.
We're doing the Bear right now.
There's this show.
Love the Bear.
Netflix called Supercell.
(21:37):
It's an African showSupercell's fire, supercell's
fire.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
I got to watch that.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I got to watch that too, yeah we're supposed to
start that today.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I gotta watch that.
I gotta watch that too.
Yeah, we're supposed to startthat today we're doing scheduled
out.
Yeah, I have to.
I have every kind of.
I'm a mom like that I gotta ifI want to get it done, I gotta
schedule it to make sure it getsdone.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah.
So can we go back in time alittle bit, cause I I I'm
curious to know child starparenthood is done.
How did you make, was that adifficult transition from child
actor as you continued to growup, and how did that work?
Speaker 3 (22:18):
I don't know if it was difficult.
I feel like I got a reallygreat education on the business,
on the parenthood, with Robert.
Back in those days.
They hired a lot of blackcomedians from back in the day
so we were getting real storiesand real information and they
wanted us to do well.
(22:40):
So I feel like I got a reallygreat foundation.
But in those times like myearly 20s that's when I did
Carmen with Beyonce and Mos Defand you know for MTV, and I did
Undressed and I did you know,the 70s Show and ER I did a lot
of guest star work.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Now, you did Soul Train too, didn't you?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, that was earlier.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
That was earlier.
So how was that?
How didn't you?
Yeah, that was earlier, thatwas earlier.
How was that?
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It was awesome.
I think Immature performed thatepisode.
It was awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You a good dancer.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I've been around a minute.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
That's a pretty cool thing to have on your resume a
soul train.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I don't know where any of this.
I don't even have that episode.
People will send me clips andstuff, like someone sent me a
gift of me outside and littleKim walking past me and I'm
looking like, oh my God, I don'teven know where I was, so.
But there's a lot of momentslike that that I don't remember
that someone will send me a clipand I'll be like, oh yeah, I
(23:49):
did do that, okay.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
So I'm not going to try to get messy.
So who were a couple of yourbesties actresses back then?
Who can you tell?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
you what?
Oh gosh, All of them.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
I've megan good since 1994 she was on a show called
cousin skeeter I played cousin.
That's right, you were oncousins 30 years.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I've known gabrielle union for like 30 years, like I
mean all of them Tashina Arnold,everyone who was around.
I knew them.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I knew them Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Hollywood was so fun.
We all knew each other.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
What are your feelings about how Hollywood has
changed so much since then tonow?
Like Mickey said, the lack ofBlack shows and just the
streaming thing.
Everything is just different.
It's like with music, it's justdifferent.
How do you feel about it?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Everything changes.
That's the only constant.
Everything is going to change.
But I feel like I remember when, because I was on a UPN show in
2006.
I was on a show called Love Incwith Holly Robinson-Pete.
Our show was on UPN.
We were the last season ofshows on UPN before they folded
(25:23):
with the WB into the CW, so ourshow was cut.
I remember that time and Iremember how, getting rid of UPN
and the WB, a lot of Blackcreators, especially a lot of
Black writers, were out of work.
Were out of work, so I rememberthat time.
But we came back and we cameback with Scandal and we've been
(25:46):
doing how to get away withmurder.
It's always going to be astruggle.
It's always going to be astruggle, but I think now, with
social media, I feel like theycan't hide that kind of thing
anymore.
They got rid of WB and UPN in2006 and people didn't get a
(26:08):
girlfriend's finale and thenetwork was able to ignore those
people.
They can't do that now.
They can't do that now.
So it's always a fight.
They're always going to want topay you the least amount.
They're always going to want tonot give you opportunities.
But I feel social media givespeople more, I guess, of a say
(26:30):
they give.
It gives people more of a sayum, so they can't hide those
things anymore.
So it kind of just is what itis.
Just like music, you gottaadapt.
Things are always changing.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
You gotta adapt so now you said scandal.
Now I binge watched Scandal fortwo and a half months recently,
so you know when I wash dishesand I cook I will put it on.
So were you working on Scandalat any point in time?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
No, I wasn't.
I remember when Ava DuVernaydirected her episode, I went to
that screening, but no, I'dnever been on Scandal now.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Okay, I was just double-checking.
I was like I don't rememberseeing you on Scandal.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
No, but I mean when Scandal changed it for black,
especially black women actresses, then you started to see more
shows starring black women.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah, true, okay, let's talk about Queen Sugar.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
We're going to skip around.
We're gonna go all over theplace.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
But matter of fact, no, no, no, no.
Actually, before we talk aboutqueen sugar I've talked to you
about this before, but I knowmickey want to talk about this
let's talk about your video run.
Okay, the what?
The video, the ti video, and oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Do you want to ask a questionor do you want me to go?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You can go, because then, after you ask that
question, I got to bring up oneof the Jones.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
So the TI video, I'm assuming is the most famous
video that you've done, Like thebiggest.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Maybe I feel like that or Sorry, 2004.
Stutter since he won AmericanIdol that year, I feel like
Whatever you Like is the mostfamous hip hop one, but I get
the Ruben Stutter one all thetime too.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Really, really, really.
And how was it acting in videos, as opposed to doing sitcom
work?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I think for the videos it's about fantasy, so I
got to look pretty.
I got to look beautiful, I mean.
I think that was kind of thebiggest difference, whereas if
you're a character, you'resupposed to be a regular person
and not necessarily gorgeous orfabulous or whatever.
Yeah, exactly, you show up to avideo and they've hired you.
(28:54):
You know what you're goingthere to be.
You're going there to be fine,you're going there to be eye
candy and you're kind of goingthere for them to not worship
you, but let you know, you'reone of the girls.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
You're one of the it girls.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
All right, let me just segue to one other thing
magazine, yeah that uh-huh,that's what I was gonna get into
, that's what, okay, so go aheadgo ahead, go ahead, run with it
I mean so she, you did a coupleof them right and um were you,
were you.
I think the was was the firstone you did with Melissa Ford,
(29:37):
were you in that one?
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Okay, that was not my first one.
My first one, maya, was on thecover, maya.
Hi and then I was so popularthat they wound up bringing me
back for the most viewed.
I forgot what it was like themost popular, the hottest color
girls.
Melissa Ford, it was Maya, itwas Trina and it was Buffy.
(30:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Buffy, yes, so I think I have the.
I didn't want to be weird.
That wouldn't be weird at all,because why not?
I'm a collective, but whatever.
So I know that you had issueswith King, right?
Did you have any issues withKing Magazine or no?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
No, I never had any issues.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
no, I thought there was something where you was like
you're never going to doanother King Magazine shoot with
him.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
You're making a controversy right here on the
air.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I don't know I'm talking about me, but no, I've
never said that I had a blastdoing King.
I still talk to Daytuan andAdele.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Daytuan, I was just about to ask Was it Daytuan who
booked that one for you?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Oh gosh, maybe I feel like him and Adele.
They were kind of runningthings together.
Yeah, maybe I feel like him andAdele.
They were kind of runningthings together.
Uh, yeah, I can't rememberwhich one individually booked me
for which one, but I mean,those are my people.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
I still talk to them to this day we need to probably
get Daytuan on here, tom, soDaytuan, put me on the cover of
the XXL.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Oh, that's right wow, I didn't realize the connection
there.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
He's running Dick Clark Productions now In LA.
Yeah, I remember King Magazinewas like a block down from Jive.
I used to go down there all thetime.
All the time they revealed tome you can't tell nobody what
the next cover is.
Blah, blah, blah.
We talked.
(31:37):
They were like who should be onthe cover, who else?
Good times, good times, goodtimes.
So that video magazine run wasthat you just kind of doing
stuff in between acting gigs,just trying to keep some bread
coming in, or you just got intoit?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I mean, that's kind of in those years after the
parenthood was over, because Ibooked my UPN show in 2005,.
So I was 25.
So the parenthood ended, I was18, 19.
So that period between 18, 19,and 25, that's when I was doing
(32:14):
King and some of these videosand stuff.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
So, yeah, you had to do what you had to do.
So let's talk a little bitabout Queen Sugar, which is now
off the air, but it was amonumental show.
It really was.
It was very expensive.
They filmed it on film with thebeautiful Ava DuVernay.
Like you said, it was hercreation.
Talk about your experiencethere with the beautiful Ava
DuVernay.
Like you said, she, you know,was her creation.
(32:37):
Talk about your experiencethere.
And you played a time the timeprobably doesn't notice so in
this, in this, in this show,Regan played a lesbian.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
It's one of her love interests played by the amazing
Rutina Wesley.
I had a ball I guest starred.
I was reoccurring in everyseason, I believe since season
one.
I had a great time.
I'd never been to New Orleans,so you know every time I go to
New Orleans.
Yeah, I'd never been to NewOrleans but because of the show
(33:12):
I was there all the time.
So every time I go to NewOrleans now I'm going to think
about Queen Sugar.
It was such an experience.
The cast I just really, reallyloved being on that show and the
fact that they had only womendirectors on that show and Ava
was really know she was, thatwas very important to her and
(33:36):
Oprah they had, you know, onlywomen directors on that show, so
to be back there, that was the.
That experience kind of was theclosest to the parenthood or
being on like a parenthood typeset.
I would say Queen Sugar feltvery much like that, so I had a
ball, and I love the energy.
I love my character.
I wish she would have ended upwith Nova, but you know.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
I thought she should have, but you know it doesn't
always work out I thought.
I thought at the end like theywere going to link back up at
the end.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
That too.
That's all right, though, but Ihad a.
I had a great time on the show.
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
So was there anything that you auditioned for that
you didn't get, that you wouldhave loved to get?
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Oh, I mean, apparently she gets everything
she goes in for.
This is amazing.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
I used to be that girl back in the day the book,
three auditions in a day.
I've done that before back inthe day.
Has there ever been anythingthat I didn't get that I wish I
would have gotten, I mean sure,but I I'm I'm happy with the
work that I've done.
Um, I'm still a young woman, Istill have a lot more work to do
(34:45):
.
Um, so what I think I the rolesmaybe that I may not have
gotten, I think I've made up forin the fact that I also write,
I also direct, so I've had myhands on the other side of the
camera for a really long time.
So I feel like I'm kind of abalanced creative actress.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
What do you prefer to do, though, if you only could
do one?
Write, direct or act?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Oh gosh, I don't know , because even voiceover acting,
I write, direct or act.
Oh gosh, I don't know, becauseeven voiceover acting, I don't.
That's, I don't, I don't.
If I, if I could only do one,um, I would probably want to
write because I feel like storyis so important and I know what
I want to see, I know thecharacters that I want to see.
(35:34):
So if I could only do that, itwould probably be right.
But every time I do somethingelse, like I go on set or I'm
doing a voiceover, I'm remindedoh shit, I really love this too,
or I really miss it.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So the balance is what you love the most.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
It is important to be still in the game 30 years and
still be in love with it andstill be excited about the
future, for sure.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Wait, do y'all have like an L group?
Do you have an L group textwith like all that black action,
talking shit?
I knew it.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
I met you on Twitter.
I met a lot of other people onTwitter.
I definitely do, yes.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
I know there's an L group text out there, boy.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
So me and Tom, we were doing some work with Alicia
Keys' production company forher project.
What was the name of thatproject?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
I have a big picture of it right here, Uncharted the
movie.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Uncharted.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
No, it was actually a movie.
That, um, it was.
It was about alicia keys ran asong, a song writing camp, and
it was.
They filmed the entire processwith the idea that it was all
women all in a studio and thegoal was to make music, and it
(36:57):
was following that journey fromthe camp all the way through a
couple of the differentmusicians and they could have
been producers, they could havebeen editors, they could have
been singers and following themthrough to see where some of
these songs went, and some ofthem really actually has made,
have made it out there, and itwas released at at um sundance
(37:18):
was it no?
tribeca last year and theyactually what was great about?
They released the movie.
But they released the movie, wewatched it and then they
performed right afterwards,which was absolutely phenomenal
so the reason why I bring thisup is because it was a space for
black women.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
There were black singers, black rappers all women
, black producers, blackengineers, black managers and,
obviously, alicia Keys.
So my question to you is whatkind of advice would you give to
young Black women who arelooking to get into the movie
(38:01):
industry, whether it's theentertainment industry, whether
it's writing, directing,producing?
What would be some of the gemsthat you would give them to
assist them in their journey?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Oh my gosh, I feel like it's a completely different
world now.
If you're wanting to get in thebusiness, I would say find
like-minded creative people thatyou already know and start
working with them there.
A lot of people think they haveto come to California or you
(38:33):
have to know an A-list actressor have to know me or something.
No, you start where you are.
Start where you are and withsocial media, you keep putting
out great content.
People are going to notice you.
People are going to notice you.
But if you want to be an actor,I would tell you, go to acting
classes.
If you want to be a director,you don't necessarily have to go
(38:55):
to college for these things,but you need to know.
You know you need to educateyourself on the business part of
it, the technical part of it,and luckily, because of social
media, you could follow someonelike a Spike Lee or go on
masterclass and and see Issa Raytalk about her whole process or
something.
There's so much information outthere.
(39:18):
Just try to educate yourselfand work with like-minded people
.
That's what I would say.
Just be consistent, beconsistent, be nice.
People take that for granted.
Be nice because, especially inthis business, the turnaround
you never know where that personthat you see who is I don't
know a PA.
You never know where they'regoing to be in three years.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
You never know.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Do you think it's harder now, though?
Because, at the same time, youhave access to all this
education and all these people.
There's also just the world.
We're not the US anymore, we'rethe world, we're global, and
everybody can connect witheverybody, and there's just.
There's so much more content inthe world, and, let's be honest
(40:02):
, everybody thinks they're anactor to some degree, everybody
thinks they're a director,everybody thinks they're a
videographer.
Does that make it harder, or isit just simply different?
Speaker 3 (40:10):
I mean you kind of have to be a little crazy to be
in this business anyway.
I mean you kind of have to be alittle crazy to be in this
business anyway and I'm not theonly beautiful actress out there
but you kind of have to be alittle bit crazy to be like I'm
going to fucking make it.
I'm going to write this movie,I'm going to star in this movie.
I want to make a movie.
You kind of have to be a littlecrazy.
(40:31):
So is it harder?
Sure, but it always was and italways um, you know, but that's
art in general, in general,people don't, you know, I think
people don't appreciate art, for, you know, for the business, um
, that it is, but it is what itis.
You know, it's gonna bedifficult, it's gonna be
(40:53):
difficult, but either you wantit or you don't.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Right Now, you have your own production company
Right.
What are some passion projectsthat you are working on
currently, right now?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Well, I'm doing a lot of.
I've been working.
I was telling Jeff I've beenworking on three projects for
maybe the last two years.
That's another part of thebusiness.
You see things when it comesout, but if you are the creator
of it and if you are Black andif you are a woman, it is very,
very difficult on the other endto even get to that point.
(41:29):
So a lot of the work is unseen,but I'm very excited about the
things that I'm working on.
I just did the Shy earlier thisyear.
I just did Rick and Morty a fewweeks ago, so you know I always
have something popping.
But, yeah, that the creativepart being on the other side of
(41:49):
the camera, it is.
It's very, very difficult.
It's very, very difficult, butI think who is telling our
stories is so important, so thatfight is definitely worth the
battle.
So, yeah, I'm excited about thethings I have coming out.
I'm excited about my future,you know.
So I'm very.
If you can't tell, I'm stillvery excited about this business
(42:11):
.
I still love it very much.
If you follow my Twitter, I'malways talking about movies and
actors and things like that, soI'm in a really good space right
now.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
That's kind of refreshing to hear, because a
lot of people that would be inyour situation 30 years in this
business might not be as upbeatand as excited about the future.
What keeps driving you?
What is it that?
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Another thing I would tell actors is have a real life
.
Have a life.
Have real friends who love you,have friends who are not in the
business.
Have friends with real jobs, soyou can keep perspective on a
lot of things.
I've been a mom.
My oldest is 17.
I was telling Jeff and she'sgoing into her year and we're
talking about college I didn'tgo to college, husband didn't go
(42:55):
to college.
My husband didn't go to college.
We were Hollywood kids.
These are real life things thatI'm also dealing with every day
and I'm with both of my kids.
I was young, but I was ateenager, so I was able to pay
attention.
I feel like seeing Robert stillout there working, angela
(43:20):
Bassett, all these people whohave had these long careers.
I mean, the business is likethis you have to have your real
life to kind of maintainthroughout it all and as long as
you're consistent, I meanyou're going to work.
That's just how it is.
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
I love it 're you're going to work.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
That's just how it is .
Yeah, I love it.
I love it.
So if you could work onanything coming up, I know you
got a lot of stuff going on.
Is there a particular like?
Is there a series out therethat you're like?
I want them to call me foranother.
If, like, if they developanother season, I want to.
I want to get in there as maybea guest, but then permanent.
Is there something that you'relike?
I love what they're doing and Iwould love to be involved in it
(43:57):
.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
I love Abbott Elementary I'm from Philly my
YouTube days I love her.
I feel like I haven't been ableto be funny in a while Like my
Queen Sugar stuff was a littleserious and a little bit too,
but I'm funny.
I like being funny, um, and Iwant to work with people like
(44:18):
her, like isa um, I don't knowif there's a particular show,
it's more creatives that I like.
That I respect work with um andI'm gonna work with me and yeah
, there's a lot of really coolpeople out there, um, that are
doing some amazing stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I do like that.
Quinta gives people shots asguests on the show.
Oh shit, she even put that girlon.
I don't know her name.
Actually the white girl she'sall over Instagram.
She's the one she put her onthe show.
What's her name?
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Was it Bobby?
Speaker 2 (44:54):
No, it's not Bobby, but it's the girl that's like oh
okay, yeah, tiktok, rather.
Yeah, she had a guest on thereas a substitute teacher.
She was substituting for Quintawhen Quinta went to work at the
board, so she really gives avariety of people shots.
So we might see Reagan on thereas a teacher or something.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
I love the half-hour comedy.
That's where I come from.
I just love that.
What prototype.
I just love the Vince Staplesshow.
I thought that was funny ashell Vince Staples did.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like thatshow.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
I could see you on Abbott though I could definitely
see you on Abbott though Icould definitely see you on.
Abbott, some sexy teacher orwhatever, but what's his name?
Everybody hates Chris.
I'm blanking on his name rightnow.
I could see that happening.
What's his name?
Tyler Tyler.
Yeah, I could see him.
I could see that we're, yeah, Icould see that we're going to
(45:56):
bring that into reality.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
We're working yeah, we're working her into this show
.
Speaker 4 (46:01):
It's just a matter of time.
That's what we do.
My, my experience obviously was, you know, the parenthood love
Don't cost the thing.
King magazine Cause you know,for me as a, as a young young
adult, right, well, not a youngadult, I was a young teen, like
it was.
Again, it goes back to a lot ofum people my age, when I when I
(46:26):
told like my friends, like yeah, I'm interviewing reagan gomez
today, guys started gushing.
Like you know, I'm saying likethat was like a real thing for
people in my age range.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
So tell y'all something.
It's so nice because I seethose lists when they're on
social media with, like zariaand ashley banks and all the
girls from the 90s.
It makes us feel so goodbecause so many times they don't
put Black actresses in thoselists.
They kind of forget us fromthat time period.
(46:58):
So I just want to thankeverybody for reminding folks
that, yes, we were there.
Speaker 4 (47:06):
Awesome, and this idea just popped into my head
right, I don't know the exactlegal jargon that goes along
with the ownership of acharacter, but I think that the
same way the MCU brung togethereverybody for the Avengers,
(47:30):
y'all need to bring everybodytogether, yeah, all the day.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Like a complete crossover, that thing would Like
.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
could you imagine Ashley Banks, older, running
into Zaria, older, running intoMegan Good from Cousin Skeeter
and then you kind of continuethat story but just call it like
the 90s?
That would be insane.
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Somebody needs to make that happen.
I don't know if you guys haveseen.
Everyone still looks great,tatiana.
Hey, how would could?
Speaker 1 (48:02):
you legally do that, like, let's say, you wrote it,
could you and you produce, couldyou do that with all those
characters?
Even though, how would thatactually work?
I?
Speaker 4 (48:11):
think she can do it on YouTube.
I'm not sure if it would getpicked up by like a network.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
I think the characters and the intellectual
property the idea that all of usare still around and we still
look great.
I mean it's somebody needs todo something with that.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
I like it, Mickey.
Speaker 4 (48:27):
Oh yeah, it would break the Internet.
It would literally break theInternet because you got to
remember the internet.
It would literally break theinternet because you got to
remember these are people,people.
When people have childhoodattachments to people that they
looked up to or listened to orwatched it, they stop everything
.
So now, not only are you kindof grasping at the people who
(48:50):
grew up on you, but now you havethe newer generation looking
like oh, look look at them andget on TikTok, but I think a
YouTube series like that wouldjust whoosh and you can make a
lot of money on YouTube doingsomething like that.
Speaker 3 (49:02):
No, you're right, you already got the group chat.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
You already got the group chat, now you got four
projects instead of three.
I like it.
How do we?
We want to stay involvedsomehow.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
Don't forget about it .
Speaker 1 (49:16):
He can watch it.
I want to stay involved.
I'm in.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
I just want to be on set, I just want to just inhale
everything.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
You can be on set.
I want to be behind the scenessomehow.
Speaker 4 (49:30):
Okay, brother, that's funny.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
Reagan, thank you, it has been an absolute pleasure
to meet you.
This guy is still gushing overhere.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
And Jeffrey.
Thank you, Thank you forbringing us, reagan Gomez.
Glad we were able to work itout Absolutely.
It was dope.
Speaker 1 (49:49):
And best of luck on all your big projects coming up,
including the big reunion thatwe're all going to be involved
in somehow.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
There you go.
So much I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
All right, that's Reagan Gomez.
All right, folks, that's ourshow.
Tune in to Unglossy, the codingbrand and culture, on Apple
Podcasts, spotify or YouTube,and follow us on Instagram at
Unglossypod, to join theconversation.
Until next time, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
Smicky.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
That was good.
This week on Unglossy .
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Did you direct some of the episodes on Parenthood?
Speaker 3 (00:04):
I co-wrote an episode at 16.
Really, I don't know if youguys will remember, but it was
the episode where Zaria worekind of a revealing dress to a
party.
Oh, I remember that one.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
It was his favorite episode right there, one of the
best episodes.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff
at that young age.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
I feel like this might've been season three.
So by that time I was kind of apro with sure and breakdown um
of a 30 minute or 22 minute withcommercials, um comedy.
So I just wrote somethingmyself and I gave it to Robert,
who gave it to the writers, andwe helped come up with that
story from the top.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
Yeah, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
I'm Mickey Fax.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
And I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
Welcome to Unglossy, to coning, brand and culture.
I'm Tom Frank, partner andchief creative officer at Merit
Creative.
This is Mickey Fax, hip hopartist and founder and CEO of
Pendulum Inc.
And that is Jeffrey Sledge, aseasoned music industry veteran
who has worked with some of thebiggest artists in the business.
We're here to explore themoments of vulnerability,
pivotal decisions and creativesparks that fuel the
(01:10):
relationship between brand andculture.
Get ready for athought-provoking journey into
the heart and soul of brandingthe unscripted, unfiltered and
truly unglossy truth.
Guys, we had a childhood crushof Mickey's on the show today.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Thank you, Jeff, I got you B.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
I got you B.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
We had Reagan Gomez.
She's like a top five.
That's like top five, yeah Inthe 90s?
Speaker 3 (01:42):
Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Absolutely Female child actress.
Absolutely top five.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Yeah, in the nineties , oh, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
Email child Absolutely Top five, which is
why, which is why TI put it inthat video.
I'm amazed.
Yeah, I'm amazed that 30 yearsshe's been in the business and
she loves every bit of it asmuch as she did today, as she
did then.
Speaker 4 (02:00):
I like the transitioning right Her being an
actress, get direct.
I like the transitioning rightHer being an actress, co-writing
an episode at the age of 16,now owning a production company,
writing, directing, voiceacting that's not easy to
maintain.
Speaker 1 (02:16):
I'm impressed and apparently we're going to help
her with a big show here.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Oh yeah, I pitched that idea.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, we pitched a few ideas in this episode, so
stay tuned for those.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, honestly, I really, really hope she takes
that into consideration.
That idea is fire actually.
Speaker 2 (02:31):
That idea would.
Even if it was just like a one,two episode thing, it would
just be like boom, somebodywould pick it up.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
And you're right, right.
People would jump all over thatbecause you're pulling on their
, their, their childhood yeah,it's you know.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I mean, I have thousands of these ideas now.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
I want to be a voice actor on that show.
Somehow nobody will have to seeme, you'll be on the phone
maybe I'll be the narrator.
You'll be on the phone.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Could I be the narrator?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
you'll be on the phone I was gonna say he could
be the narrator, he could belike the overarching, like like
I'm connected, I'm this, what isit?
I'm?
This is I'm listening yeahvoice that I control hollywood.
I'm gonna pick zaria out andplace her here and then pick
this one, and then you couldkind of make it to where they
(03:22):
run into each.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
I think that would oh this is a brilliant idea,
mickey man.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
I just hope she takes it serious.
I think I think jeff needs tostay on her, all right, I don't
know, I don't know if she kindof like understands that the
reason why the mcu was sosuccessful is because there were
franchises and there wereseparate franchises and then
bringing them together andinteracting, and it for whatever
(03:51):
reason.
People are always trying tobring together superheroes, but
it's never been done withexisting properties from a space
where people actually love thecharacters now it was.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
It was done on the big channels, right?
I mean, nbc used to have somecrossovers between sitcoms.
Law Order has done that in thepast, the crossovers.
But I guess what you'rethinking is going back to the
past, bringing them to thefuture and then having that
crossover.
Was there never any crossoverson any of those WB?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Not that I remember.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
Not that I remember, no, that's why this is such a
big thing.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Yeah, it's like they all live now in one universe
instead of separate kind ofuniverses.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Right, and they're just running into each other
Like in the mall the Pilates.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
It's like, hey girl, what's happening?
Speaker 1 (04:42):
And then they start becoming friends, and then it's
the whole relationshipthereafter.
Speaker 4 (04:47):
That's never been done before and that would be
incredible.
And Tom and Jeff, y'all need tobe on Reagan about this man.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Yeah, I'm going to follow up on that?
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I'm going to step to it, man.
Don't worry, I'm going to stepto it, man.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
Don't worry, I got you All right.
Let's do it, reagan Gomez,right here, right now.
Unglossy is brought to you byMerit Creative.
Looking to skyrocket yourbusiness's visibility and drive
growth?
At Merit Creative, we solveyour brand and marketing woes
With big ideas, decades ofexperience and innovative
(05:18):
solutions.
We'll draw in your targetaudience and keep them hooked.
Remember, creativity is key tosuccess.
Partner with Merit Creative andunlock your brand's potential.
Learn more at meritcreativecom.
And now back to the show.
All right guys.
Today we are welcoming Americanfilm and voice actress Regan
Gomez.
(05:38):
Regan is well-known for herrole on the Parenthood at age 14
.
That's impressive.
The Cleveland Show, stevenUniverse and Queen Sugar.
Reagan was born in Michigan,grew up in Philadelphia.
She now lives in LA, writesfeature films and has her own
production company.
Mickey, I know you're excitedabout this one.
Speaker 4 (05:57):
I'm super excited.
Let's get right into it.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Let's get into it, Tom.
You keep saying Michigan.
You got to say Detroit.
That's right right, notmichigan, I gotta say detroit
not, not just michigan, allright both my parents are born
and raised in detroit.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
They are black baby boomers from detroit.
They're very proud of that.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
So that's right, jeff all right, detroit I stand so,
speaking of your parents, though, you got to tell like how does
a kid from Detroit, father inthe medical field, mom in the
police department, how in theworld do you end up on the
parenthood at age 14?
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Well, I mean, my mother is the creative.
She went to Cass High School,which is a performing arts high
school.
It's very famous in Detroit.
Aaliyah went there, a lot offamous people, I think Aretha
Franklin, went there.
So, it's like one of thoseschools.
So my mom was the creative.
And when we moved to Philly Ibecame a member of Freedom
(07:03):
Theater, which is a prestigioushistoric Black theater program
in Philadelphia.
Erica Alexander went there BoyzII Men so that's where I
learned my acting chops.
And then Philly is right nextto New York, so I started
working there.
And it was the summer Igraduated eighth grade.
I'd been doing so well in NewYork.
(07:24):
My mom was like, let's go to LAfor the summer to see what
happens.
I'd been doing so well in NewYork.
My mom was like, let's go to LAfor the summer to see what
happens.
And I wound up booking theparenthood that summer and we
moved to LA that summer.
That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
How does that happen, though you show up in LA?
Yeah, how did you get it bookedthat fast?
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't
know, and it's.
I've come to peace with it.
But as a kid I can see actorsolder than me whenever I would
tell that story as a kid, thembeing like oh my God, you gotta
(08:07):
be kidding how it happened now,being in the business 30 years
now?
Um, I know, you know thisdidn't.
The business?
Um, jeff, you know, the musicbusiness is the same way.
It's very inconsistent.
Um, but yeah, that's how Istarted and I'm very thankful to
still be here okay, so zariaright let's, let's get, let's
get right to it, let's get rightto it
Speaker 4 (08:21):
right.
So before we even get started,right Tom has been taken.
You know, certified lover boy,certified pedophile.
Shots at me because you were 14when you got on and I'm telling
him like yeah, I was 12.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
I know, but the way he was describing it as a
40-some-year-old man seemed alittle weird to me.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
But I was 12.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Okay, okay.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
So look, yeah, go ahead, so okay.
So like now, as a 12-year-oldkid, pre-teen, I watched.
Obviously I had, you know, aswe our hormones raging, we have
crushes on Lisa Turtle on Savedby the Bell, not a lot of black
young Lisa Turtle's, underrated,that's true.
(09:09):
It wasn't a lot of women thatblack kids could have crushes on
right.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
So we had.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
Lisa Turtle we had.
I wasn't really into Laura.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Tatiana Ali, Fresh Prince.
Tatiana Ali, yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:27):
Laura was kind of mid .
Speaker 4 (09:29):
I mean, she's probably a very nice person.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
She was very like old , it was Myra.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
It was like Myra.
I was into Myra, right.
Rest in peace to Myra, right,yeah.
But then the Parenthood comesout and I'm like, okay, what is
happening here?
Um, and I was.
I liked the show for tworeasons, right, obviously you
were on the show, but I was afan of Robert Townsend from
media man.
(09:56):
From media man Right, that wasa great movie for me as a, as a
young kid.
So talk to us about yourtransition as a child actress,
right, and I'm, and I'm this ispre-internet, so I'm sure did
you have a fan club?
Were you getting letters fromguys?
Talk to us about that, how youwere able to kind of deal with
(10:18):
that as a young woman.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Well, I mean, my mom was in control of all of that.
I definitely was receiving fanmail.
I did not.
None of it got to me.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
None of it.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
My mom is from Detroit and she's a young
daughter.
She was not playing, no games,so none of that came to me.
But you know, I'm very muchaware of how much the show meant
to people, how much thecharacters meant to people, how
much Zaria meant to people.
People come up to me all thetime and say they named their
(10:53):
daughter Zaria or they namedtheir daughters Reagan.
That's cool.
So, you know, and people arealways talking to me about the
show and now, you know, being in2024, when we're kind of in the
middle of what?
Um?
Representation and wantingdifferent stories from different
communities, underrepresentedcommunities, like that's my
(11:14):
foundation.
On the parenthood, on the WBand on, yeah, black writers, we
have black directors Um, it wasvery easy to be an actor on a
show and then move up to alsodirect the show, um, so that's
my foundation, um, but I'm happyto hear that I.
You know it's nice to to hearhow much zariah meant to people.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
um, she means a lot to me, so right, now there is
talks about a lot of these 90sshows, having reunion shows.
Yeah, have there been any talksabout a parenthood reunion show
for you guys?
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Well, suzanne Douglas passed away, I think two years
ago.
Who played our mother?
She passed away two years ago.
Who played our mother?
He passed away two years ago,and I've kept in contact with
Ashley, who played Cece, my babysister.
I've kept in contact with herthroughout all these years.
She's a mom now, but afterSuzanne passed, all of us kids
(12:24):
organized the Zoom just to meetup with Robert.
It's's been a very, very longtime, um, so we were able to do
that.
All of the kids were there,robert was there, um, and some
other cast members, so, um, itwas nice to catch up with
everyone.
Robert is very busy.
He's on the bear and he'sdirecting he's killing the bear
I think yeah oh, that is he's onthe bear?
Speaker 2 (12:44):
I think yes, oh, that is he's on the bear, that's
right.
Yeah, incredible, he's Sidney'sfather.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
Yeah, that is a great show, by the way.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
It's fantastic Curtis who played Nicholas, my little
brother.
He works for, I think,universal, and so everyone is
doing great.
It was nice to catch up.
I don't know if it's going togo any further than that, but
you know we shall see.
You know we shall see.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
There's hope, mickey, there's hope.
Speaker 3 (13:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
That's childhood right there.
Okay, you can go.
Jeff, Go ahead.
I was just going to ask Did youdirect some of the episodes on
parenthood?
Speaker 3 (13:29):
I did not, but I co-wrote an episode at 16.
It it was really I don't guys,but yes, I did and I don't know
if you guys will remember, butit was the episode where zaria
wore kind of a revealing dressto a party.
Speaker 4 (13:37):
Um, oh, I remember that one party, I yeah I
co-wrote that yes, yes it washis favorite episode right there
One of the best episodes.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff
at that young age like writing.
How did that work?
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Did you just say to them I'd love to take a chance
at writing this, or how did thatcome about?
Speaker 3 (13:58):
Sure, I mean, I feel like this might have been season
three.
I feel like this might havebeen season three.
So by that time I was kind of apro with and breakdown of a 30
minute or 22 minute withcommercials comedy.
So I just wrote somethingmyself and I gave it to Robert,
who gave it to the writers, andwe helped come up with that
story.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
That's how that worked.
Yeah, wow, I want to skiparound a little bit because I
want to talk about StevenUniverse, which is a cult
classic show.
Oh good, how did you getinvolved with that and how did
you get involved with the voiceacting?
Just in general, because I'mnot an actor obviously, but I
(14:40):
think people think that'sprobably an easy transition, but
I don't think it's anywherenear as easy as people think it
is.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
It's definitely not.
I started voice acting in thefirst place because when I was
pregnant with my daughter, Iwanted to do voice acting and I
thought that would be theperfect time to start.
It took me a while to get avoiceover agent, um, which was
(15:08):
kind of funny, uh, looking back.
But people have always told methat my voice was like.
People remembered, um, my voice.
So one of the first auditions Iwent on was for the Cleveland
show.
Um, everybody was there.
Uh, I don't want to say but alot of actresses were in the
room.
Yeah, I went um and I I had agreat what I thought was a great
audition, um, and that was it.
(15:29):
And like a month later theycalled me like you got the show
and I had no idea, um, I neverdone a voiceover character
before and I didn't realize howbig family guy was yeah so when
I went to my first Comic-Con forthe Cleveland show, that's when
I saw oh, this shit is big.
(15:49):
It's not just about cartoons,it's comic books, it's anime,
it's this whole world.
So, yeah, and they offered methe role on Steven Universe
because Lamar Adams, who was oneof the writers on the show, he
liked Roberta on the ClevelandShow.
So that's how I got StevenUniverse, yeah, and I had a
great time, that's dope theCleveland Show.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
is that still running ?
Speaker 4 (16:12):
No, I think it did like two seasons, maybe three.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
I think it did four, but then I thought that that
came back at some point.
Maybe it didn't.
We did four seasons and we arestill in syndication we're in,
so maybe that's why I'm seeing.
I've seen it a lot more latelythan I have in the past.
Speaker 2 (16:30):
Yeah, residual check coming through and shit.
Speaker 3 (16:33):
That's nice you something I had no idea?
Speaker 2 (16:36):
I had no idea, yes that's gotta be a check came in
the mail and you was like what?
Speaker 1 (16:43):
that's gotta be the greatest thing ever, right there
.
Residual checks.
Speaker 3 (16:47):
Our show was only four seasons.
Can you imagine the Simpsons?
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
Are you kidding?
It's crazy, it's really crazy.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
So the Parenthood is not in syndication.
Speaker 3 (17:02):
No, we are on HBO Max .
We were we kind of bouncebetween, like tv one works,
bounce that world.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Sometimes they'll do um oh, it's because upn is
doesn't exist anymore.
Is that the reason why?
Speaker 3 (17:17):
upn doesn't exist, the wb doesn't exist wb didn't
exist.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Oh I see, do you have any say in that?
Or you just sit back andwhatever happens happens.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
No, I don't.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
No, you're just watching it.
But let's say, one day, forinstance, it does get into
syndication or Netflix picks itup.
I mean, are you rooting for acertain thing?
That would be better for itthan not.
Speaker 3 (17:40):
I mean even with Netflix.
You remember we all had onstrike uh last year because,
being on a netflix or somethingdidn't mean that you were
guaranteed any residuals, sookay process.
But look, people love the show.
Um, I would love for the showto be available so people can
(18:03):
watch it.
Um, you know, I'm, I'm.
I'm here for the show, forwhatever folks want the show to
do, I'm here for it.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
You're on for the ride.
No, no, no.
I mean I think it's incrediblethat the Cleveland show in
general is in syndication, andthe more I think about it.
When you travel and you go tolike a hotel and you turn your
television on, nine times out often it's going to be tnt, tbs,
fx and they're going to haveshows like the cleveland show.
(18:33):
So that's how that syndicationhappens and primarily, a show
like the parenthood probablywouldn't make it to that space.
So I kind of understand and Iget I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
I mean it's a different time TV my kids don't
even watch live, I know.
It's a different.
It's.
You know it's a different timeand, like the Simpsons, is still
on.
You know syndication.
Speaker 4 (18:58):
Which is insanity, insanity.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
It's just different.
It's just a different time,especially the places that house
black shows, black shows fromthe 90s.
There's not a lot of space, Ithink, other than streaming.
Speaker 4 (19:12):
That's where BET should step in.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Go ahead, tom.
What do you think about that?
Actually Two questions.
One have your kids watched theshow?
Do they know Mom was on thatshow?
Speaker 3 (19:25):
They know the Cleveland show and they know
Steven was on that show.
They know the cleveland showand they know steven universe.
They, because my daughter wasaround, yeah, cleveland show,
and she, she and I love stevenuniverse, just as fans just as
fans yeah yeah, so they knowmore of my voiceover work um
they've seen the parenthoodthey've seen it, they know
(19:45):
that's me and they know it's mebecause people send them TikToks
or they'll send me TikToks oflike fake hands put together of
me in the 90s.
So that's how they know me fromthe parenthood, but they are
not actively going to.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
They're not actively.
So what do you think, then, ofthis whole idea that you grew up
in an age where you were on achannel?
Yeah Right, it came on at acertain time every week.
We don't do that anymore.
Like people, like your kids, mykids, if I, if I got rid of any
kind of cable or anything, theywouldn't even blink an eye.
(20:19):
It's all about youtube andnetflix and hulu and everything
else.
Like I mean, I don't know howdo you?
It would have been a verydifferent era coming up in that
world than it was probably inyour world.
Speaker 3 (20:31):
I feel like you have to.
For instance, I don't want togive up cable.
I don't ever want to give uplive TV?
I just never would.
So I think it's up to me tomake me and my kid watch house
of the dragon.
We're not watching on hbo max,we're watching on hbo at six
o'clock or nine o'clock when itcomes on, so we can watch with
(20:54):
everyone else in the countryright now.
So I think it's parents likeyou kind of have to teach them
like this is also cool too, youknow, so I I mean, but they live
tv that's.
Speaker 2 (21:07):
That's interesting, um real quick.
What are you?
What are you?
What are your favorite?
What's some of your favoriteshows now that you watch?
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I was gonna say too, abbott elementary is kind of
keeping with that, yeah, yeah so, um, I think that's important,
but we just finished interviewwith the which that show came
out a while ago.
It was really good.
It was really really good.
We're doing the Bear right now.
There's this show.
Love the Bear.
Netflix called Supercell.
(21:37):
It's an African showSupercell's fire, supercell's
fire.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
I got to watch that.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
I got to watch that too, yeah we're supposed to
start that today.
Speaker 3 (21:45):
I gotta watch that.
I gotta watch that too.
Yeah, we're supposed to startthat today we're doing scheduled
out.
Yeah, I have to.
I have every kind of.
I'm a mom like that I gotta ifI want to get it done, I gotta
schedule it to make sure it getsdone.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Yeah.
So can we go back in time alittle bit, cause I I I'm
curious to know child starparenthood is done.
How did you make, was that adifficult transition from child
actor as you continued to growup, and how did that work?
Speaker 3 (22:18):
I don't know if it was difficult.
I feel like I got a reallygreat education on the business,
on the parenthood, with Robert.
Back in those days.
They hired a lot of blackcomedians from back in the day
so we were getting real storiesand real information and they
wanted us to do well.
(22:40):
So I feel like I got a reallygreat foundation.
But in those times like myearly 20s that's when I did
Carmen with Beyonce and Mos Defand you know for MTV, and I did
Undressed and I did you know,the 70s Show and ER I did a lot
of guest star work.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
Now, you did Soul Train too, didn't you?
Speaker 3 (23:06):
Yeah, that was earlier.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
That was earlier.
So how was that?
How didn't you?
Yeah, that was earlier, thatwas earlier.
How was that?
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
It was awesome.
I think Immature performed thatepisode.
It was awesome yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
You a good dancer.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
I've been around a minute.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
That's a pretty cool thing to have on your resume a
soul train.
Speaker 3 (23:28):
I don't know where any of this.
I don't even have that episode.
People will send me clips andstuff, like someone sent me a
gift of me outside and littleKim walking past me and I'm
looking like, oh my God, I don'teven know where I was, so.
But there's a lot of momentslike that that I don't remember
that someone will send me a clipand I'll be like, oh yeah, I
(23:49):
did do that, okay.
Speaker 2 (23:52):
So I'm not going to try to get messy.
So who were a couple of yourbesties actresses back then?
Who can you tell?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
you what?
Oh gosh, All of them.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
I've megan good since 1994 she was on a show called
cousin skeeter I played cousin.
That's right, you were oncousins 30 years.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
I've known gabrielle union for like 30 years, like I
mean all of them Tashina Arnold,everyone who was around.
I knew them.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
I knew them Wow.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Hollywood was so fun.
We all knew each other.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
What are your feelings about how Hollywood has
changed so much since then tonow?
Like Mickey said, the lack ofBlack shows and just the
streaming thing.
Everything is just different.
It's like with music, it's justdifferent.
How do you feel about it?
Speaker 3 (24:59):
Everything changes.
That's the only constant.
Everything is going to change.
But I feel like I remember when, because I was on a UPN show in
2006.
I was on a show called Love Incwith Holly Robinson-Pete.
Our show was on UPN.
We were the last season ofshows on UPN before they folded
(25:23):
with the WB into the CW, so ourshow was cut.
I remember that time and Iremember how, getting rid of UPN
and the WB, a lot of Blackcreators, especially a lot of
Black writers, were out of work.
Were out of work, so I rememberthat time.
But we came back and we cameback with Scandal and we've been
(25:46):
doing how to get away withmurder.
It's always going to be astruggle.
It's always going to be astruggle, but I think now, with
social media, I feel like theycan't hide that kind of thing
anymore.
They got rid of WB and UPN in2006 and people didn't get a
(26:08):
girlfriend's finale and thenetwork was able to ignore those
people.
They can't do that now.
They can't do that now.
So it's always a fight.
They're always going to want topay you the least amount.
They're always going to want tonot give you opportunities.
But I feel social media givespeople more, I guess, of a say
(26:30):
they give.
It gives people more of a sayum, so they can't hide those
things anymore.
So it kind of just is what itis.
Just like music, you gottaadapt.
Things are always changing.
Speaker 4 (26:39):
You gotta adapt so now you said scandal.
Now I binge watched Scandal fortwo and a half months recently,
so you know when I wash dishesand I cook I will put it on.
So were you working on Scandalat any point in time?
Speaker 3 (26:58):
No, I wasn't.
I remember when Ava DuVernaydirected her episode, I went to
that screening, but no, I'dnever been on Scandal now.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
Okay, I was just double-checking.
I was like I don't rememberseeing you on Scandal.
Speaker 3 (27:12):
No, but I mean when Scandal changed it for black,
especially black women actresses, then you started to see more
shows starring black women.
Speaker 2 (27:21):
Yeah, true, okay, let's talk about Queen Sugar.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
We're going to skip around.
We're gonna go all over theplace.
Speaker 2 (27:30):
But matter of fact, no, no, no, no.
Actually, before we talk aboutqueen sugar I've talked to you
about this before, but I knowmickey want to talk about this
let's talk about your video run.
Okay, the what?
The video, the ti video, and oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Do you want to ask a questionor do you want me to go?
Speaker 4 (27:49):
You can go, because then, after you ask that
question, I got to bring up oneof the Jones.
Speaker 2 (27:56):
So the TI video, I'm assuming is the most famous
video that you've done, Like thebiggest.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Maybe I feel like that or Sorry, 2004.
Stutter since he won AmericanIdol that year, I feel like
Whatever you Like is the mostfamous hip hop one, but I get
the Ruben Stutter one all thetime too.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Really, really, really.
And how was it acting in videos, as opposed to doing sitcom
work?
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I think for the videos it's about fantasy, so I
got to look pretty.
I got to look beautiful, I mean.
I think that was kind of thebiggest difference, whereas if
you're a character, you'resupposed to be a regular person
and not necessarily gorgeous orfabulous or whatever.
Yeah, exactly, you show up to avideo and they've hired you.
(28:54):
You know what you're goingthere to be.
You're going there to be fine,you're going there to be eye
candy and you're kind of goingthere for them to not worship
you, but let you know, you'reone of the girls.
Speaker 2 (29:08):
You're one of the it girls.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4 (29:12):
All right, let me just segue to one other thing
magazine, yeah that uh-huh,that's what I was gonna get into
, that's what, okay, so go aheadgo ahead, go ahead, run with it
I mean so she, you did a coupleof them right and um were you,
were you.
I think the was was the firstone you did with Melissa Ford,
(29:37):
were you in that one?
Speaker 3 (29:39):
Okay, that was not my first one.
My first one, maya, was on thecover, maya.
Hi and then I was so popularthat they wound up bringing me
back for the most viewed.
I forgot what it was like themost popular, the hottest color
girls.
Melissa Ford, it was Maya, itwas Trina and it was Buffy.
(30:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Buffy, yes, so I think I have the.
I didn't want to be weird.
That wouldn't be weird at all,because why not?
I'm a collective, but whatever.
So I know that you had issueswith King, right?
Did you have any issues withKing Magazine or no?
Speaker 3 (30:23):
No, I never had any issues.
Speaker 4 (30:24):
no, I thought there was something where you was like
you're never going to doanother King Magazine shoot with
him.
Speaker 1 (30:30):
You're making a controversy right here on the
air.
Speaker 3 (30:32):
I don't know I'm talking about me, but no, I've
never said that I had a blastdoing King.
I still talk to Daytuan andAdele.
Speaker 4 (30:43):
Daytuan, I was just about to ask Was it Daytuan who
booked that one for you?
Speaker 3 (30:47):
Oh gosh, maybe I feel like him and Adele.
They were kind of runningthings together.
Yeah, maybe I feel like him andAdele.
They were kind of runningthings together.
Uh, yeah, I can't rememberwhich one individually booked me
for which one, but I mean,those are my people.
Speaker 4 (31:04):
I still talk to them to this day we need to probably
get Daytuan on here, tom, soDaytuan, put me on the cover of
the XXL.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Oh, that's right wow, I didn't realize the connection
there.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
He's running Dick Clark Productions now In LA.
Yeah, I remember King Magazinewas like a block down from Jive.
I used to go down there all thetime.
All the time they revealed tome you can't tell nobody what
the next cover is.
Blah, blah, blah.
We talked.
(31:37):
They were like who should be onthe cover, who else?
Good times, good times, goodtimes.
So that video magazine run wasthat you just kind of doing
stuff in between acting gigs,just trying to keep some bread
coming in, or you just got intoit?
Speaker 3 (31:53):
I mean, that's kind of in those years after the
parenthood was over, because Ibooked my UPN show in 2005,.
So I was 25.
So the parenthood ended, I was18, 19.
So that period between 18, 19,and 25, that's when I was doing
(32:14):
King and some of these videosand stuff.
Speaker 2 (32:16):
So, yeah, you had to do what you had to do.
So let's talk a little bitabout Queen Sugar, which is now
off the air, but it was amonumental show.
It really was.
It was very expensive.
They filmed it on film with thebeautiful Ava DuVernay.
Like you said, it was hercreation.
Talk about your experiencethere with the beautiful Ava
DuVernay.
Like you said, she, you know,was her creation.
(32:37):
Talk about your experiencethere.
And you played a time the timeprobably doesn't notice so in
this, in this, in this show,Regan played a lesbian.
Speaker 3 (32:47):
Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 1 (32:48):
I did not know that.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
It's one of her love interests played by the amazing
Rutina Wesley.
I had a ball I guest starred.
I was reoccurring in everyseason, I believe since season
one.
I had a great time.
I'd never been to New Orleans,so you know every time I go to
New Orleans.
Yeah, I'd never been to NewOrleans but because of the show
(33:12):
I was there all the time.
So every time I go to NewOrleans now I'm going to think
about Queen Sugar.
It was such an experience.
The cast I just really, reallyloved being on that show and the
fact that they had only womendirectors on that show and Ava
was really know she was, thatwas very important to her and
(33:36):
Oprah they had, you know, onlywomen directors on that show, so
to be back there, that was the.
That experience kind of was theclosest to the parenthood or
being on like a parenthood typeset.
I would say Queen Sugar feltvery much like that, so I had a
ball, and I love the energy.
I love my character.
I wish she would have ended upwith Nova, but you know.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
I thought she should have, but you know it doesn't
always work out I thought.
I thought at the end like theywere going to link back up at
the end.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
That too.
That's all right, though, but Ihad a.
I had a great time on the show.
Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
So was there anything that you auditioned for that
you didn't get, that you wouldhave loved to get?
Speaker 1 (34:19):
Oh, I mean, apparently she gets everything
she goes in for.
This is amazing.
Speaker 3 (34:25):
I used to be that girl back in the day the book,
three auditions in a day.
I've done that before back inthe day.
Has there ever been anythingthat I didn't get that I wish I
would have gotten, I mean sure,but I I'm I'm happy with the
work that I've done.
Um, I'm still a young woman, Istill have a lot more work to do
(34:45):
.
Um, so what I think I the rolesmaybe that I may not have
gotten, I think I've made up forin the fact that I also write,
I also direct, so I've had myhands on the other side of the
camera for a really long time.
So I feel like I'm kind of abalanced creative actress.
Speaker 1 (35:09):
What do you prefer to do, though, if you only could
do one?
Write, direct or act?
Speaker 3 (35:14):
Oh gosh, I don't know , because even voiceover acting,
I write, direct or act.
Oh gosh, I don't know, becauseeven voiceover acting, I don't.
That's, I don't, I don't.
If I, if I could only do one,um, I would probably want to
write because I feel like storyis so important and I know what
I want to see, I know thecharacters that I want to see.
(35:34):
So if I could only do that, itwould probably be right.
But every time I do somethingelse, like I go on set or I'm
doing a voiceover, I'm remindedoh shit, I really love this too,
or I really miss it.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
So the balance is what you love the most.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
It is important to be still in the game 30 years and
still be in love with it andstill be excited about the
future, for sure.
Speaker 2 (36:02):
Wait, do y'all have like an L group?
Do you have an L group textwith like all that black action,
talking shit?
I knew it.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
I met you on Twitter.
I met a lot of other people onTwitter.
I definitely do, yes.
Speaker 2 (36:16):
I know there's an L group text out there, boy.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
So me and Tom, we were doing some work with Alicia
Keys' production company forher project.
What was the name of thatproject?
Speaker 1 (36:31):
I have a big picture of it right here, Uncharted the
movie.
Speaker 4 (36:34):
Uncharted.
Speaker 1 (36:36):
No, it was actually a movie.
That, um, it was.
It was about alicia keys ran asong, a song writing camp, and
it was.
They filmed the entire processwith the idea that it was all
women all in a studio and thegoal was to make music, and it
(36:57):
was following that journey fromthe camp all the way through a
couple of the differentmusicians and they could have
been producers, they could havebeen editors, they could have
been singers and following themthrough to see where some of
these songs went, and some ofthem really actually has made,
have made it out there, and itwas released at at um sundance
(37:18):
was it no?
tribeca last year and theyactually what was great about?
They released the movie.
But they released the movie, wewatched it and then they
performed right afterwards,which was absolutely phenomenal
so the reason why I bring thisup is because it was a space for
black women.
Speaker 4 (37:39):
There were black singers, black rappers all women
, black producers, blackengineers, black managers and,
obviously, alicia Keys.
So my question to you is whatkind of advice would you give to
young Black women who arelooking to get into the movie
(38:01):
industry, whether it's theentertainment industry, whether
it's writing, directing,producing?
What would be some of the gemsthat you would give them to
assist them in their journey?
Speaker 3 (38:12):
Oh my gosh, I feel like it's a completely different
world now.
If you're wanting to get in thebusiness, I would say find
like-minded creative people thatyou already know and start
working with them there.
A lot of people think they haveto come to California or you
(38:33):
have to know an A-list actressor have to know me or something.
No, you start where you are.
Start where you are and withsocial media, you keep putting
out great content.
People are going to notice you.
People are going to notice you.
But if you want to be an actor,I would tell you, go to acting
classes.
If you want to be a director,you don't necessarily have to go
(38:55):
to college for these things,but you need to know.
You know you need to educateyourself on the business part of
it, the technical part of it,and luckily, because of social
media, you could follow someonelike a Spike Lee or go on
masterclass and and see Issa Raytalk about her whole process or
something.
There's so much information outthere.
(39:18):
Just try to educate yourselfand work with like-minded people
.
That's what I would say.
Just be consistent, beconsistent, be nice.
People take that for granted.
Be nice because, especially inthis business, the turnaround
you never know where that personthat you see who is I don't
know a PA.
You never know where they'regoing to be in three years.
Speaker 4 (39:40):
You never know.
Speaker 1 (39:42):
Do you think it's harder now, though?
Because, at the same time, youhave access to all this
education and all these people.
There's also just the world.
We're not the US anymore, we'rethe world, we're global, and
everybody can connect witheverybody, and there's just.
There's so much more content inthe world, and, let's be honest
(40:02):
, everybody thinks they're anactor to some degree, everybody
thinks they're a director,everybody thinks they're a
videographer.
Does that make it harder, or isit just simply different?
Speaker 3 (40:10):
I mean you kind of have to be a little crazy to be
in this business anyway.
I mean you kind of have to be alittle crazy to be in this
business anyway and I'm not theonly beautiful actress out there
but you kind of have to be alittle bit crazy to be like I'm
going to fucking make it.
I'm going to write this movie,I'm going to star in this movie.
I want to make a movie.
You kind of have to be a littlecrazy.
(40:31):
So is it harder?
Sure, but it always was and italways um, you know, but that's
art in general, in general,people don't, you know, I think
people don't appreciate art, for, you know, for the business, um
, that it is, but it is what itis.
You know, it's gonna bedifficult, it's gonna be
(40:53):
difficult, but either you wantit or you don't.
Speaker 4 (40:57):
Right Now, you have your own production company
Right.
What are some passion projectsthat you are working on
currently, right now?
Speaker 3 (41:06):
Well, I'm doing a lot of.
I've been working.
I was telling Jeff I've beenworking on three projects for
maybe the last two years.
That's another part of thebusiness.
You see things when it comesout, but if you are the creator
of it and if you are Black andif you are a woman, it is very,
very difficult on the other endto even get to that point.
(41:29):
So a lot of the work is unseen,but I'm very excited about the
things that I'm working on.
I just did the Shy earlier thisyear.
I just did Rick and Morty a fewweeks ago, so you know I always
have something popping.
But, yeah, that the creativepart being on the other side of
(41:49):
the camera, it is.
It's very, very difficult.
It's very, very difficult, butI think who is telling our
stories is so important, so thatfight is definitely worth the
battle.
So, yeah, I'm excited about thethings I have coming out.
I'm excited about my future,you know.
So I'm very.
If you can't tell, I'm stillvery excited about this business
(42:11):
.
I still love it very much.
If you follow my Twitter, I'malways talking about movies and
actors and things like that, soI'm in a really good space right
now.
Speaker 1 (42:20):
That's kind of refreshing to hear, because a
lot of people that would be inyour situation 30 years in this
business might not be as upbeatand as excited about the future.
What keeps driving you?
What is it that?
Speaker 3 (42:33):
Another thing I would tell actors is have a real life
.
Have a life.
Have real friends who love you,have friends who are not in the
business.
Have friends with real jobs, soyou can keep perspective on a
lot of things.
I've been a mom.
My oldest is 17.
I was telling Jeff and she'sgoing into her year and we're
talking about college I didn'tgo to college, husband didn't go
(42:55):
to college.
My husband didn't go to college.
We were Hollywood kids.
These are real life things thatI'm also dealing with every day
and I'm with both of my kids.
I was young, but I was ateenager, so I was able to pay
attention.
I feel like seeing Robert stillout there working, angela
(43:20):
Bassett, all these people whohave had these long careers.
I mean, the business is likethis you have to have your real
life to kind of maintainthroughout it all and as long as
you're consistent, I meanyou're going to work.
That's just how it is.
Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4 (43:35):
I love it 're you're going to work.
Speaker 1 (43:37):
That's just how it is .
Yeah, I love it.
I love it.
So if you could work onanything coming up, I know you
got a lot of stuff going on.
Is there a particular like?
Is there a series out therethat you're like?
I want them to call me foranother.
If, like, if they developanother season, I want to.
I want to get in there as maybea guest, but then permanent.
Is there something that you'relike?
I love what they're doing and Iwould love to be involved in it
(43:57):
.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
I love Abbott Elementary I'm from Philly my
YouTube days I love her.
I feel like I haven't been ableto be funny in a while Like my
Queen Sugar stuff was a littleserious and a little bit too,
but I'm funny.
I like being funny, um, and Iwant to work with people like
(44:18):
her, like isa um, I don't knowif there's a particular show,
it's more creatives that I like.
That I respect work with um andI'm gonna work with me and yeah
, there's a lot of really coolpeople out there, um, that are
doing some amazing stuff.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
I do like that.
Quinta gives people shots asguests on the show.
Oh shit, she even put that girlon.
I don't know her name.
Actually the white girl she'sall over Instagram.
She's the one she put her onthe show.
What's her name?
Speaker 3 (44:53):
Was it Bobby?
Speaker 2 (44:54):
No, it's not Bobby, but it's the girl that's like oh
okay, yeah, tiktok, rather.
Yeah, she had a guest on thereas a substitute teacher.
She was substituting for Quintawhen Quinta went to work at the
board, so she really gives avariety of people shots.
So we might see Reagan on thereas a teacher or something.
Speaker 3 (45:18):
I love the half-hour comedy.
That's where I come from.
I just love that.
What prototype.
I just love the Vince Staplesshow.
I thought that was funny ashell Vince Staples did.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like thatshow.
Speaker 2 (45:33):
I could see you on Abbott though I could definitely
see you on Abbott though Icould definitely see you on.
Abbott, some sexy teacher orwhatever, but what's his name?
Everybody hates Chris.
I'm blanking on his name rightnow.
I could see that happening.
What's his name?
Tyler Tyler.
Yeah, I could see him.
I could see that we're, yeah, Icould see that we're going to
(45:56):
bring that into reality.
Speaker 1 (45:58):
We're working yeah, we're working her into this show
.
Speaker 4 (46:01):
It's just a matter of time.
That's what we do.
My, my experience obviously was, you know, the parenthood love
Don't cost the thing.
King magazine Cause you know,for me as a, as a young young
adult, right, well, not a youngadult, I was a young teen, like
it was.
Again, it goes back to a lot ofum people my age, when I when I
(46:26):
told like my friends, like yeah, I'm interviewing reagan gomez
today, guys started gushing.
Like you know, I'm saying likethat was like a real thing for
people in my age range.
Speaker 3 (46:37):
So tell y'all something.
It's so nice because I seethose lists when they're on
social media with, like zariaand ashley banks and all the
girls from the 90s.
It makes us feel so goodbecause so many times they don't
put Black actresses in thoselists.
They kind of forget us fromthat time period.
(46:58):
So I just want to thankeverybody for reminding folks
that, yes, we were there.
Speaker 4 (47:06):
Awesome, and this idea just popped into my head
right, I don't know the exactlegal jargon that goes along
with the ownership of acharacter, but I think that the
same way the MCU brung togethereverybody for the Avengers,
(47:30):
y'all need to bring everybodytogether, yeah, all the day.
Speaker 1 (47:34):
Like a complete crossover, that thing would Like
.
Speaker 4 (47:39):
could you imagine Ashley Banks, older, running
into Zaria, older, running intoMegan Good from Cousin Skeeter
and then you kind of continuethat story but just call it like
the 90s?
That would be insane.
Speaker 3 (47:53):
Somebody needs to make that happen.
I don't know if you guys haveseen.
Everyone still looks great,tatiana.
Hey, how would could?
Speaker 1 (48:02):
you legally do that, like, let's say, you wrote it,
could you and you produce, couldyou do that with all those
characters?
Even though, how would thatactually work?
I?
Speaker 4 (48:11):
think she can do it on YouTube.
I'm not sure if it would getpicked up by like a network.
Speaker 3 (48:16):
I think the characters and the intellectual
property the idea that all of usare still around and we still
look great.
I mean it's somebody needs todo something with that.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
I like it, Mickey.
Speaker 4 (48:27):
Oh yeah, it would break the Internet.
It would literally break theInternet because you got to
remember the internet.
It would literally break theinternet because you got to
remember these are people,people.
When people have childhoodattachments to people that they
looked up to or listened to orwatched it, they stop everything
.
So now, not only are you kindof grasping at the people who
(48:50):
grew up on you, but now you havethe newer generation looking
like oh, look look at them andget on TikTok, but I think a
YouTube series like that wouldjust whoosh and you can make a
lot of money on YouTube doingsomething like that.
Speaker 3 (49:02):
No, you're right, you already got the group chat.
Speaker 1 (49:06):
You already got the group chat, now you got four
projects instead of three.
I like it.
How do we?
We want to stay involvedsomehow.
Speaker 2 (49:14):
Don't forget about it .
Speaker 1 (49:16):
He can watch it.
I want to stay involved.
I'm in.
Speaker 4 (49:21):
I just want to be on set, I just want to just inhale
everything.
Speaker 1 (49:26):
You can be on set.
I want to be behind the scenessomehow.
Speaker 4 (49:30):
Okay, brother, that's funny.
Speaker 1 (49:34):
Reagan, thank you, it has been an absolute pleasure
to meet you.
This guy is still gushing overhere.
Speaker 3 (49:41):
And Jeffrey.
Thank you, Thank you forbringing us, reagan Gomez.
Glad we were able to work itout Absolutely.
It was dope.
Speaker 1 (49:49):
And best of luck on all your big projects coming up,
including the big reunion thatwe're all going to be involved
in somehow.
Speaker 3 (49:56):
There you go.
So much I appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
All right, that's Reagan Gomez.
All right, folks, that's ourshow.
Tune in to Unglossy, the codingbrand and culture, on Apple
Podcasts, spotify or YouTube,and follow us on Instagram at
Unglossypod, to join theconversation.
Until next time, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 2 (50:19):
I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 4 (50:22):
Smicky.
Speaker 1 (50:26):
That was good.
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