Opening Act

Tiffany Haddish became a household name after her scene-stealing role in 'Girls Trip' and has been booked and busy ever since. Leading up to her role opposite Oscar Issac in potential awards contender 'The Card Counter,' Haddish talks about one gig that continues to pop up for her — host. We dive in with the actress-comedian to chat about 'Friday Night Vibes' on TBS her 'Star Search' dream and making room at the table for others.

After becoming a writer, director and producer on FX's 'Pose,' Janet Mock has gone on to do the same thing for several other shows and even signed a groundbreaking Netflix deal. With 'Pose' in its final season, the history-maker talked about moving from journalism to working in television and film, gatekeeping, the future of accurate representation, her upcoming projects and more.

Over the past couple of years, Angel Bismark Curiel has established himself as one of the breakout stars of FX's groundbreaking ballroom drama series, 'Pose.' He talked to us about how his high school experience shaped his decision to pursue acting, representation for Afro-Latinx actors, reconnecting with his father and learning how he's in the industry, how he manifested a greater role on 'Pose' and much more.

Kelvin Harrison Jr. has been one of the most in-demand actors of the past several years, starring in buzzy indie hits like 'Luce' and 'Waves.' He's now in the Netflix film 'Monster' and will be starring in the second season of 'Euphoria' on HBO. The actor talks about his always being booked and busy, taking on deep and dark material and his expiration date on playing teens.

Jill Marie Jones is known for her iconic role of Toni Childs on the equally-as-iconic and classic Black comedy series, 'Girlfriends.' She talks about the show's impact, the representation she provided for young Black girls of darker complexions, what she's learned on her journey in Hollywood and more. She also talks about what drew her to her current role in OWN's 'Delilah.'

Trevor Jackson takes us through his career, from getting his start on Broadway in ‘The Lion King’ to his current starring role in ‘grown-ish.’ Not only does the actor and singer revisit ‘American Crime,’ ‘Superfly,’ and more with us, but he talked about dealing with rejection and gives advice for those seeking validation as a creative. 

Amber Riley captivated audiences for years as Mercedes Jones on 'Glee.' She talks about that long-running series, her work on stage, her 'RILEY' EP and much more. She also dishes on producing and the series that she has in development.

In 2017, actor and comedian Jermaine Fowler made history as the first Black lead for a CBS sitcom in a decade. He's gone on to star in films like 'Sorry to Bother You' and nabbed a key role in 'Coming 2 America,' playing Eddie Murphy's son. He walks us through his first jobs, a TRL gig that almost happened, his 'RuPaul's Drag Race' appearance and why he dares to not give AF.

Kyla Pratt is a legend for '90s and '00s babies, appearing in so many films and television series, including her starring roles in 'The Proud Family' and 'One on One.' Pratt reflects on those roles and much more with Shadow and Act's Trey Mangum. She also talks about her new show, Fox's 'Call Me Kat,' as well as the upcoming 'The Proud Family' revival series at Disney+.

Tyler James Williams is perhaps best known for playing the titular role in the iconic, Black 2000s sitcom, 'Everybody Hates Chris.' Now starring in Hulu's 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday,' Williams chats with Shadow and Act's Trey Mangum about his career ― from his first on-screen credit in 'Sesame Street,' to coming-of-age in 'Dear White People,' to those deathly NDAs on 'The Walking Dead' and more.