Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture
Welcome to "Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture," where we delve into the essence of branding beyond the surface sheen. A brand is more than just a logo or a slogan; it's a reflection of identity, values, and reputation that resonates within our cultural landscape. Enjoy as we peel back the layers to uncover the raw, authentic stories behind the people and products that shape our world.
This isn't your average corporate podcast. Join Tom Frank, partner and chief creative officer at Merrick Creative, Mickey Factz, Hip Hop Artist and Founder and CEO of Pendulum Ink, and Jeffrey Sledge, a seasoned music industry veteran, for "Unglossy" as they get to the heart of what truly drives individual and organizational brand . In a world where where image is carefully curated and narratives meticulously crafted, we're here to explore the moments of vulnerability, pivotal decisions, and creative sparks that fuel the relationship between brand and culture.
Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the heart and soul of branding – the unscripted, unfiltered, and truly Unglossy truth. Tune in to "Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture" on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you catch your podcasts. Follow us on Instagram @UnglossyPod and join the conversation.
Unglossy is produced and distributed by Merrick Studios. Let your story take the mic. Learn more at https://merrick-studios.com
Unglossy: Decoding Brand in Culture
Reagan Gomez-Preston: From 90s Sitcom Fame to Lasting Success in Hollywood
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/
All About M.E. PODCAST
Welcome to the "All About M.E. Podcast ," the podcast where music meets the...
Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify
This week on Unglossy.
Speaker 2:Did you direct some of the episodes on Parenthood?
Speaker 3:I co-wrote an episode at 16. Really, I don't know if you guys will remember, but it was the episode where Zaria wore kind of a revealing dress to a party. Oh, I remember that one.
Speaker 1:It was his favorite episode right there, one of the best episodes.
Speaker 2:That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff at that young age.
Speaker 3:I feel like this might've been season three. So by that time I was kind of a pro with sure and breakdown um of a 30 minute or 22 minute with commercials, um comedy. So I just wrote something myself and I gave it to Robert, who gave it to the writers, and we helped come up with that story from the top.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 4:I'm Mickey Fax.
Speaker 2:And I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 1:Welcome to Unglossy, to coning, brand and culture. I'm Tom Frank, partner and chief creative officer at Merit Creative. This is Mickey Fax, hip hop artist and founder and CEO of Pendulum Inc. And that is Jeffrey Sledge, a seasoned music industry veteran who has worked with some of the biggest artists in the business. We're here to explore the moments of vulnerability, pivotal decisions and creative sparks that fuel the relationship between brand and culture. Get ready for a thought-provoking journey into the heart and soul of branding the unscripted, unfiltered and truly unglossy truth. Guys, we had a childhood crush of Mickey's on the show today.
Speaker 4:Thank you, Jeff, I got you B.
Speaker 2:I got you B.
Speaker 4:We had Reagan Gomez. She's like a top five. That's like top five, yeah In the 90s?
Speaker 3:Oh, absolutely.
Speaker 4:Absolutely Female child actress. Absolutely top five.
Speaker 2:Yeah, in the nineties, oh, absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Email child Absolutely Top five, which is why, which is why TI put it in that video. I'm amazed. Yeah, I'm amazed that 30 years she's been in the business and she loves every bit of it as much as she did today, as she did then.
Speaker 4:I like the transitioning right Her being an actress, get direct. I like the transitioning right Her being an actress, co-writing an episode at the age of 16, now owning a production company, writing, directing, voice acting that's not easy to maintain.
Speaker 1:I'm impressed and apparently we're going to help her with a big show here.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, I pitched that idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we pitched a few ideas in this episode, so stay tuned for those.
Speaker 4:You know, honestly, I really, really hope she takes that into consideration. That idea is fire actually.
Speaker 2:That idea would. Even if it was just like a one, two episode thing, it would just be like boom, somebody would pick it up.
Speaker 1:And you're right, right. People would jump all over that because you're pulling on their, their, their childhood yeah, it's you know.
Speaker 4:I mean, I have thousands of these ideas now.
Speaker 1:I want to be a voice actor on that show. Somehow nobody will have to see me, you'll be on the phone maybe I'll be the narrator. You'll be on the phone.
Speaker 2:Could I be the narrator?
Speaker 4:you'll be on the phone I was gonna say he could be the narrator, he could be like the overarching, like like I'm connected, I'm this, what is it? I'm? This is I'm listening yeah voice that I control hollywood. I'm gonna pick zaria out and place her here and then pick this one, and then you could kind of make it to where they run into each.
Speaker 1:I think that would oh this is a brilliant idea, mickey man.
Speaker 4:I just hope she takes it serious. I think I think jeff needs to stay on her, all right, I don't know, I don't know if she kind of like understands that the reason why the mcu was so successful is because there were franchises and there were separate franchises and then bringing them together and interacting, and it for whatever reason. People are always trying to bring together superheroes, but it's never been done with existing properties from a space where people actually love the characters now it was.
Speaker 1:It was done on the big channels, right? I mean, nbc used to have some crossovers between sitcoms. Law Order has done that in the past, the crossovers. But I guess what you're thinking is going back to the past, bringing them to the future and then having that crossover. Was there never any crossovers on any of those WB?
Speaker 2:Not that I remember.
Speaker 4:Not that I remember, no, that's why this is such a big thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like they all live now in one universe instead of separate kind of universes.
Speaker 4:Right, and they're just running into each other Like in the mall the Pilates.
Speaker 2:It's like, hey girl, what's happening?
Speaker 1:And then they start becoming friends, and then it's the whole relationship thereafter.
Speaker 4:That's never been done before and that would be incredible. And Tom and Jeff, y'all need to be on Reagan about this man.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going to follow up on that?
Speaker 2:I'm going to step to it, man. Don't worry, I'm going to step to it, man.
Speaker 1:Don't worry, I got you All right. Let's do it, reagan Gomez, right here, right now. Unglossy is brought to you by Merit Creative. Looking to skyrocket your business's visibility and drive growth? At Merit Creative, we solve your brand and marketing woes With big ideas, decades of experience and innovative solutions. We'll draw in your target audience and keep them hooked. Remember, creativity is key to success. Partner with Merit Creative and unlock your brand's potential. Learn more at meritcreativecom. And now back to the show. All right guys. Today we are welcoming American film and voice actress Regan Gomez. Regan is well-known for her role on the Parenthood at age 14. That's impressive. The Cleveland Show, steven Universe and Queen Sugar. Reagan was born in Michigan, grew up in Philadelphia. She now lives in LA, writes feature films and has her own production company. Mickey, I know you're excited about this one.
Speaker 4:I'm super excited. Let's get right into it.
Speaker 2:Let's get into it, Tom. You keep saying Michigan. You got to say Detroit. That's right right, not michigan, I gotta say detroit not, not just michigan, all right both my parents are born and raised in detroit.
Speaker 3:They are black baby boomers from detroit. They're very proud of that.
Speaker 1: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 in the medical field, mom in the police department, how in the world do you end up on the parenthood at age 14?
Speaker 3: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 of famous people, I think Aretha Franklin, went there.
Speaker 3:So, it's like one of those schools. So my mom was the creative. And when we moved to Philly I became a member of Freedom Theater, which is a prestigious historic Black theater program in Philadelphia. Erica Alexander went there Boyz II Men so that's where I learned my acting chops. And then Philly is right next to New York, so I started working there.
Speaker 3:And it was the summer I graduated eighth grade. I'd been doing so well in New York. My mom was like, let's go to LA for the summer to see what happens. I'd been doing so well in New York. My mom was like, let's go to LA for the summer to see what happens. And I wound up booking the parenthood that summer and we moved to LA that summer. That's crazy.
Speaker 1:How does that happen, though you show up in LA? Yeah, how did you get it booked that fast?
Speaker 3: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 actors older than me whenever I would tell that story as a kid, them being like oh my God, you gotta be kidding how it happened now, being in the business 30 years now? Um, I know, you know this didn't. The business? Um, jeff, you know, the music business is the same way. It's very inconsistent. Um, but yeah, that's how I started and I'm very thankful to still be here okay, so zaria right let's, let's get, let's get right to it, let's get right to it
Speaker 4: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 14 when you got on and I'm telling him like yeah, I was 12.
Speaker 1:I know, but the way he was describing it as a 40-some-year-old man seemed a little weird to me.
Speaker 4:But I was 12.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay.
Speaker 4:So look, yeah, go ahead, so okay. So like now, as a 12-year-old kid, pre-teen, I watched. Obviously I had, you know, as we our hormones raging, we have crushes on Lisa Turtle on Saved by the Bell, not a lot of black young Lisa Turtle's, underrated, that's true. It wasn't a lot of women that black kids could have crushes on right.
Speaker 1:So we had.
Speaker 4:Lisa Turtle we had. I wasn't really into Laura.
Speaker 3:Tatiana Ali, Fresh Prince. Tatiana Ali, yeah.
Speaker 2:Laura was kind of mid.
Speaker 4:I mean, she's probably a very nice person.
Speaker 2:She was very like old, it was Myra.
Speaker 4:It was like Myra. I was into Myra, right. Rest in peace to Myra, right, yeah. But then the Parenthood comes out and I'm like, okay, what is happening here? Um, and I was. I liked the show for two reasons, right, obviously you were on the show, but I was a fan of Robert Townsend from media man. From media man Right, that was a great movie for me as a, as a young kid. So talk to us about your transition as a child actress, right, and I'm, and I'm this is pre-internet, so I'm sure did you have a fan club? Were you getting letters from guys? Talk to us about that, how you were able to kind of deal with that as a young woman.
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, my mom was in control of all of that. I definitely was receiving fan mail. I did not. None of it got to me.
Speaker 1:None of it.
Speaker 3: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 much aware of how much the show meant to people, how much the characters meant to people, how much Zaria meant to people. People come up to me all the time and say they named their daughter Zaria or they named their daughters Reagan. That's cool. So, you know, and people are always talking to me about the show and now, you know, being in 2024, when we're kind of in the middle of what? Um? Representation and wanting different stories from different communities, underrepresented communities, like that's my foundation. On the parenthood, on the WB and on, yeah, black writers, we have black directors Um, it was very easy to be an actor on a show and then move up to also direct the show, um, so that's my foundation, um, but I'm happy to hear that I. You know it's nice to to hear how much zariah meant to people.
Speaker 4:um, she means a lot to me, so right, now there is talks about a lot of these 90s shows, having reunion shows. Yeah, have there been any talks about a parenthood reunion show for you guys?
Speaker 3: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 baby sister. I've kept in contact with her throughout all these years. She's a mom now, but after Suzanne passed, all of us kids organized the Zoom just to meet up with Robert. It's's been a very, very long time, 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, it was nice to catch up with everyone. Robert is very busy. He's on the bear and he's directing he's killing the bear I think yeah oh, that is he's on the bear?
Speaker 2:I think yes, oh, that is he's on the bear, that's right. Yeah, incredible, he's Sidney's father.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is a great show, by the way.
Speaker 3: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 to go any further than that, but you know we shall see. You know we shall see.
Speaker 1:There's hope, mickey, there's hope.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:That's childhood right there. Okay, you can go. Jeff, Go ahead. I was just going to ask Did you direct some of the episodes on parenthood?
Speaker 3: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, but it was the episode where zaria wore kind of a revealing dress to a party.
Speaker 4:Um, oh, I remember that one party, I yeah I co-wrote that yes, yes it was his favorite episode right there One of the best episodes.
Speaker 2:That's dope, that they let y'all start to do stuff at that young age like writing. How did that work?
Speaker 1:Did you just say to them I'd love to take a chance at writing this, or how did that come about?
Speaker 3:Sure, I mean, I feel like this might have been season three. I feel like this might have been season three. So by that time I was kind of a pro with and breakdown of a 30 minute or 22 minute with commercials comedy. So I just wrote something myself and I gave it to Robert, who gave it to the writers, and we helped come up with that story.
Speaker 2:That's how that worked. Yeah, wow, I want to skip around a little bit because I want to talk about Steven Universe, which is a cult classic show. Oh good, how did you get involved with that and how did you get involved with the voice acting? Just in general, because I'm not an actor obviously, but I think people think that's probably an easy transition, but I don't think it's anywhere near as easy as people think it is.
Speaker 3:It's definitely not. I started voice acting in the first place because when I was pregnant with my daughter, I wanted to do voice acting and I thought that would be the perfect time to start. It took me a while to get a voiceover agent, um, which was kind of funny, uh, looking back. But people have always told me that my voice was like. People remembered, um, my voice. So one of the first auditions I went on was for the Cleveland show. Um, everybody was there. Uh, I don't want to say but a lot of actresses were in the room.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I went um and I I had a great what I thought was a great audition, um, and that was it. And like a month later they called me like you got the show and I had no idea, um, I never done a voiceover character before and I didn't realize how big family guy was yeah so when I went to my first Comic-Con for the Cleveland show, that's when I saw oh, this shit is big. It's not just about cartoons, it's comic books, it's anime, it's this whole world.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, and they offered me the role on Steven Universe because Lamar Adams, who was one of the writers on the show, he liked Roberta on the Cleveland Show. So that's how I got Steven Universe, yeah, and I had a great time, that's dope the Cleveland Show.
Speaker 1:is that still running?
Speaker 4:No, I think it did like two seasons, maybe three.
Speaker 1: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 are still in syndication we're in, so maybe that's why I'm seeing. I've seen it a lot more lately than I have in the past.
Speaker 2:Yeah, residual check coming through and shit.
Speaker 3:That's nice you something I had no idea?
Speaker 2:I had no idea, yes that's gotta be a check came in the mail and you was like what?
Speaker 1:that's gotta be the greatest thing ever, right there. Residual checks.
Speaker 3:Our show was only four seasons. Can you imagine the Simpsons?
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh.
Speaker 3:Are you kidding? It's crazy, it's really crazy.
Speaker 4:So the Parenthood is not in syndication.
Speaker 3:No, we are on HBO Max. We were we kind of bounce between, like tv one works, bounce that world.
Speaker 4:Sometimes they'll do um oh, it's because upn is doesn't exist anymore. Is that the reason why?
Speaker 3:upn doesn't exist, the wb doesn't exist wb didn't exist.
Speaker 1:Oh I see, do you have any say in that? Or you just sit back and whatever happens happens.
Speaker 3:No, I don't.
Speaker 1:No, you're just watching it. But let's say, one day, for instance, it does get into syndication or Netflix picks it up. I mean, are you rooting for a certain thing? That would be better for it than not.
Speaker 3:I mean even with Netflix. You remember we all had on strike uh last year because, being on a netflix or something didn't mean that you were guaranteed any residuals, so okay process. But look, people love the show. Um, I would love for the show to be available so people can watch it. Um, you know, I'm, I'm. I'm here for the show, for whatever folks want the show to do, I'm here for it.
Speaker 4:You're on for the ride. No, no, no. I mean I think it's incredible that the Cleveland show in general is in syndication, and the more I think about it. When you travel and you go to like a hotel and you turn your television on, nine times out of ten it's going to be tnt, tbs, fx and they're going to have shows like the cleveland show. So that's how that syndication happens and primarily, a show like the parenthood probably wouldn't make it to that space. So I kind of understand and I get I mean.
Speaker 3: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 time and, like the Simpsons, is still on. You know syndication.
Speaker 4:Which is insanity, insanity.
Speaker 3:It's just different. It's just a different time, especially the places that house black shows, black shows from the 90s. There's not a lot of space, I think, other than streaming.
Speaker 4:That's where BET should step in.
Speaker 1:Go ahead, tom. What do you think about that? Actually Two questions. One have your kids watched the show? Do they know Mom was on that show?
Speaker 3:They know the Cleveland show and they know Steven was on that show. They know the cleveland show and they know steven universe.
Speaker 3:They, because my daughter was around, yeah, cleveland show, and she, she and I love steven universe, just as fans just as fans yeah yeah, so they know more of my voiceover work um they've seen the parenthood they've seen it, they know that's me and they know it's me because people send them TikToks or they'll send me TikToks of like fake hands put together of me in the 90s. So that's how they know me from the parenthood, but they are not actively going to.
Speaker 1:They're not actively. So what do you think, then, of this whole idea that you grew up in an age where you were on a channel? Yeah Right, it came on at a certain time every week. We don't do that anymore. Like people, like your kids, my kids, if I, if I got rid of any kind of cable or anything, they wouldn't even blink an eye. It's all about youtube and netflix and hulu and everything else. Like I mean, I don't know how do you? It would have been a very different era coming up in that world than it was probably in your world.
Speaker 3:I feel like you have to. For instance, I don't want to give up cable. I don't ever want to give up live TV?
Speaker 3:I just never would. So I think it's up to me to make 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 it comes on, so we can watch with everyone else in the country right now. So I think it's parents like you kind of have to teach them like this is also cool too, you know, so I I mean, but they live tv that's.
Speaker 2:That's interesting, um real quick. What are you? What are you? What are your favorite? What's some of your favorite shows now that you watch?
Speaker 3: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 interview with 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. It's an African show Supercell's fire, supercell's fire.
Speaker 4:I got to watch that.
Speaker 1:I got to watch that too, yeah we're supposed to start that today.
Speaker 3:I gotta watch that. I gotta watch that too. Yeah, we're supposed to start that today we're doing scheduled out. Yeah, I have to. I have every kind of. I'm a mom like that I gotta if I want to get it done, I gotta schedule it to make sure it gets done. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah. So can we go back in time a little bit, cause I I I'm curious to know child star parenthood is done. How did you make, was that a difficult transition from child actor as you continued to grow up, and how did that work?
Speaker 3:I don't know if it was difficult. I feel like I got a really great education on the business, on the parenthood, with Robert. Back in those days. They hired a lot of black comedians from back in the day so we were getting real stories and real information and they wanted us to do well. So I feel like I got a really great foundation. But in those times like my early 20s that's when I did Carmen with Beyonce and Mos Def and 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:Now, you did Soul Train too, didn't you?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was earlier.
Speaker 2:That was earlier. So how was that? How didn't you? Yeah, that was earlier, that was earlier. How was that? That's crazy.
Speaker 3:It was awesome. I think Immature performed that episode. It was awesome yeah.
Speaker 2:You a good dancer.
Speaker 3:I've been around a minute.
Speaker 1:That's a pretty cool thing to have on your resume a soul train.
Speaker 3:I don't know where any of this. I don't even have that episode. People will send me clips and stuff, like someone sent me a gift of me outside and little Kim walking past me and I'm looking like, oh my God, I don't even know where I was, so. But there's a lot of moments like that that I don't remember that someone will send me a clip and I'll be like, oh yeah, I did do that, okay.
Speaker 2:So I'm not going to try to get messy. So who were a couple of your besties actresses back then? Who can you tell?
Speaker 3:you what? Oh gosh, All of them.
Speaker 4:I've megan good since 1994 she was on a show called cousin skeeter I played cousin. That's right, you were on cousins 30 years.
Speaker 3: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:I knew them Wow.
Speaker 3:Hollywood was so fun. We all knew each other.
Speaker 2:What are your feelings about how Hollywood has changed so much since then to now? Like Mickey said, the lack of Black shows and just the streaming thing. Everything is just different. It's like with music, it's just different. How do you feel about it?
Speaker 3: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 Inc with Holly Robinson-Pete. Our show was on UPN. We were the last season of shows on UPN before they folded with the WB into the CW, so our show was cut. I remember that time and I remember how, getting rid of UPN and the WB, a lot of Black creators, especially a lot of Black writers, were out of work.
Speaker 3:Were out of work, so I remember that time. But we came back and we came back with Scandal and we've been doing how to get away with murder.
Speaker 3:It's always going to be a struggle. It's always going to be a struggle, but I think now, with social media, I feel like they can't hide that kind of thing anymore. They got rid of WB and UPN in 2006 and people didn't get a girlfriend's finale and the network 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 to pay you the least amount. They're always going to want to not give you opportunities. But I feel social media gives people more, I guess, of a say they give. It gives people more of a say um, so they can't hide those things anymore. So it kind of just is what it is. Just like music, you gotta adapt. Things are always changing.
Speaker 4:You gotta adapt so now you said scandal. Now I binge watched Scandal for two and a half months recently, so you know when I wash dishes and I cook I will put it on. So were you working on Scandal at any point in time?
Speaker 3:No, I wasn't. I remember when Ava DuVernay directed her episode, I went to that screening, but no, I'd never been on Scandal now.
Speaker 4:Okay, I was just double-checking. I was like I don't remember seeing you on Scandal.
Speaker 3: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:Yeah, true, okay, let's talk about Queen Sugar.
Speaker 3:We're going to skip around. We're gonna go all over the place.
Speaker 2:But matter of fact, no, no, no, no. Actually, before we talk about queen sugar I've talked to you about this before, but I know mickey 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 question or do you want me to go?
Speaker 4:You can go, because then, after you ask that question, I got to bring up one of the Jones.
Speaker 2:So the TI video, I'm assuming is the most famous video that you've done, Like the biggest.
Speaker 3:Maybe I feel like that or Sorry, 2004. Stutter since he won American Idol that year, I feel like Whatever you Like is the most famous hip hop one, but I get the Ruben Stutter one all the time too.
Speaker 2:Really, really, really. And how was it acting in videos, as opposed to doing sitcom work?
Speaker 3: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 the biggest difference, whereas if you're a character, you're supposed to be a regular person and not necessarily gorgeous or fabulous or whatever. Yeah, exactly, you show up to a video and they've hired you. You know what you're going there to be. You're going there to be fine, you're going there to be eye candy and you're kind of going there for them to not worship you, but let you know, you're one of the girls.
Speaker 2:You're one of the it girls.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's right.
Speaker 4: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 ahead go ahead, go ahead, run with it I mean so she, you did a couple of them right and um were you, were you. I think the was was the first one you did with Melissa Ford, were you in that one?
Speaker 3:Okay, that was not my first one. My first one, maya, was on the cover, maya. Hi and then I was so popular that they wound up bringing me back for the most viewed. I forgot what it was like the most popular, the hottest color girls. Melissa Ford, it was Maya, it was Trina and it was Buffy. Yeah.
Speaker 4: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 issues with King, right? Did you have any issues with King Magazine or no?
Speaker 3:No, I never had any issues.
Speaker 4:no, I thought there was something where you was like you're never going to do another King Magazine shoot with him.
Speaker 1:You're making a controversy right here on the air.
Speaker 3:I don't know I'm talking about me, but no, I've never said that I had a blast doing King. I still talk to Daytuan and Adele.
Speaker 4:Daytuan, I was just about to ask Was it Daytuan who booked that one for you?
Speaker 3:Oh gosh, maybe I feel like him and Adele. They were kind of running things together. Yeah, maybe I feel like him and Adele. They were kind of running things together. Uh, yeah, I can't remember which one individually booked me for which one, but I mean, those are my people.
Speaker 4:I still talk to them to this day we need to probably get Daytuan on here, tom, so Daytuan, put me on the cover of the XXL.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's right wow, I didn't realize the connection there.
Speaker 2:He's running Dick Clark Productions now In LA. Yeah, I remember King Magazine was like a block down from Jive. I used to go down there all the time. All the time they revealed to me you can't tell nobody what the next cover is. Blah, blah, blah. We talked. They were like who should be on the cover, who else? Good times, good times, good times. So that video magazine run was that you just kind of doing stuff in between acting gigs, just trying to keep some bread coming in, or you just got into it?
Speaker 3:I mean, that's kind of in those years after the parenthood was over, because I booked my UPN show in 2005,. So I was 25. So the parenthood ended, I was 18, 19. So that period between 18, 19, and 25, that's when I was doing King and some of these videos and stuff.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, you had to do what you had to do. So let's talk a little bit about Queen Sugar, which is now off the air, but it was a monumental show. It really was. It was very expensive. They filmed it on film with the beautiful Ava DuVernay. Like you said, it was her creation. Talk about your experience there with the beautiful Ava DuVernay. Like you said, she, you know, was her creation. Talk about your experience there. And you played a time the time probably doesn't notice so in this, in this, in this show, Regan played a lesbian.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 1:I did not know that.
Speaker 3:It's one of her love interests played by the amazing Rutina Wesley. I had a ball I guest starred. I was reoccurring in every season, 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.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'd never been to New Orleans but because of the show I was there all the time. So every time I go to New Orleans now I'm going to think about Queen Sugar. It was such an experience. The cast I just really, really loved being on that show and the fact that they had only women directors on that show and Ava was really know she was, that was very important to her and Oprah they had, you know, only women directors on that show, so to be back there, that was the. That experience kind of was the closest to the parenthood or being on like a parenthood type set. I would say Queen Sugar felt very much like that, so I had a ball, and I love the energy.
Speaker 3:I love my character. I wish she would have ended up with Nova, but you know.
Speaker 2:I thought she should have, but you know it doesn't always work out I thought. I thought at the end like they were going to link back up at the end.
Speaker 3:That too. That's all right, though, but I had a. I had a great time on the show. Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 4:So was there anything that you auditioned for that you didn't get, that you would have loved to get?
Speaker 1:Oh, I mean, apparently she gets everything she goes in for. This is amazing.
Speaker 3:I used to be that girl back in the day the book, three auditions in a day. I've done that before back in the day. Has there ever been anything that 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, I still have a lot more work to do. Um, so what I think I the roles maybe that I may not have gotten, I think I've made up for in the fact that I also write, I also direct, so I've had my hands on the other side of the camera for a really long time. So I feel like I'm kind of a balanced creative actress.
Speaker 1:What do you prefer to do, though, if you only could do one? Write, direct or act?
Speaker 3:Oh gosh, I don't know, because even voiceover acting, I write, direct or act. Oh gosh, I don't know, because even 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 story is so important and I know what I want to see, I know the characters that I want to see. So if I could only do that, it would probably be right. But every time I do something else, like I go on set or I'm doing a voiceover, I'm reminded oh shit, I really love this too, or I really miss it.
Speaker 1:So the balance is what you love the most.
Speaker 3:It is important to be still in the game 30 years and still be in love with it and still be excited about the future, for sure.
Speaker 2:Wait, do y'all have like an L group? Do you have an L group text with like all that black action, talking shit? I knew it.
Speaker 3:I met you on Twitter. I met a lot of other people on Twitter. I definitely do, yes.
Speaker 2:I know there's an L group text out there, boy.
Speaker 4:So me and Tom, we were doing some work with Alicia Keys' production company for her project. What was the name of that project?
Speaker 1:I have a big picture of it right here, Uncharted the movie.
Speaker 4:Uncharted.
Speaker 1:No, it was actually a movie. That, um, it was. It was about alicia keys ran a song, a song writing camp, and it was. They filmed the entire process with the idea that it was all women all in a studio and the goal was to make music, and it was following that journey from the camp all the way through a couple of the different musicians and they could have been producers, they could have been editors, they could have been singers and following them through to see where some of these songs went, and some of them really actually has made, have made it out there, and it was released at at um sundance was it no?
Speaker 1:tribeca last year and they actually what was great about? They released the movie. But they released the movie, we watched it and then they performed right afterwards, which was absolutely phenomenal so the reason why I bring this up is because it was a space for black women.
Speaker 4:There were black singers, black rappers all women, black producers, black engineers, black managers and, obviously, alicia Keys. So my question to you is what kind of advice would you give to young Black women who are looking to get into the movie industry, whether it's the entertainment industry, whether it's writing, directing, producing? What would be some of the gems that you would give them to assist them in their journey?
Speaker 3:Oh my gosh, I feel like it's a completely different world now. If you're wanting to get in the business, I would say find like-minded creative people that you already know and start working with them there. A lot of people think they have to come to California or you have to know an A-list actress or have to know me or something. No, you start where you are. Start where you are and with social media, you keep putting out great content. People are going to notice you. People are going to notice you.
Speaker 3: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 to college for these things, but you need to know. You know you need to educate yourself on the business part of it, the technical part of it, and luckily, because of social media, you could follow someone like a Spike Lee or go on masterclass and and see Issa Ray talk about her whole process or something. There's so much information out there. Just try to educate yourself and work with like-minded people. That's what I would say. Just be consistent, be consistent, be nice. People take that for granted. Be nice because, especially in this business, the turnaround you never know where that person that you see who is I don't know a PA. You never know where they're going to be in three years.
Speaker 4:You never know.
Speaker 1:Do you think it's harder now, though? Because, at the same time, you have access to all this education and all these people. There's also just the world. We're not the US anymore, we're the world, we're global, and everybody can connect with everybody, and there's just. There's so much more content in the world, and, let's be honest, everybody thinks they're an actor to some degree, everybody thinks they're a director, everybody thinks they're a videographer. Does that make it harder, or is it just simply different?
Speaker 3:I mean you kind of have to be a little crazy to be in this business anyway.
Speaker 3:I mean you kind of have to be a little crazy to be in this business anyway and I'm not the only beautiful actress out there but you kind of have to be a little 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 little crazy. So is it harder? Sure, but it always was and it always 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 it is. You know, it's gonna be difficult, it's gonna be difficult, but either you want it or you don't.
Speaker 4:Right Now, you have your own production company Right. What are some passion projects that you are working on currently, right now?
Speaker 3:Well, I'm doing a lot of. I've been working. I was telling Jeff I've been working on three projects for maybe the last two years. That's another part of the business. You see things when it comes out, but if you are the creator of it and if you are Black and if you are a woman, it is very, very difficult on the other end to even get to that point.
Speaker 3: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 this year. I just did Rick and Morty a few weeks ago, so you know I always have something popping. But, yeah, that the creative part being on the other side of the camera, it is. It's very, very difficult. It's very, very difficult, but I think who is telling our stories is so important, so that fight is definitely worth the battle. So, yeah, I'm excited about the things I have coming out. I'm excited about my future, you know. So I'm very. If you can't tell, I'm still very excited about this business. I still love it very much. If you follow my Twitter, I'm always talking about movies and actors and things like that, so I'm in a really good space right now.
Speaker 1:That's kind of refreshing to hear, because a lot of people that would be in your situation 30 years in this business might not be as upbeat and as excited about the future. What keeps driving you? What is it that?
Speaker 3: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, so you can keep perspective on a lot of things. I've been a mom. My oldest is 17. I was telling Jeff and she's going into her year and we're talking about college I didn't go to college, husband didn't go to college. My husband didn't go to college. We were Hollywood kids. These are real life things that I'm also dealing with every day and I'm with both of my kids. I was young, but I was a teenager, so I was able to pay attention. I feel like seeing Robert still out there working, angela Bassett, all these people who have had these long careers. I mean, the business is like this you have to have your real life to kind of maintain throughout it all and as long as you're consistent, I mean you're going to work. That's just how it is. Yeah, I love it.
Speaker 4:I love it 're you're going to work.
Speaker 1:That's just how it is. Yeah, I love it. I love it. So if you could work on anything coming up, I know you got a lot of stuff going on. Is there a particular like? Is there a series out there that you're like? I want them to call me for another. If, like, if they develop another season, I want to. I want to get in there as maybe a guest, but then permanent. Is there something that you're like? I love what they're doing and I would love to be involved in it.
Speaker 3:I love Abbott Elementary I'm from Philly my YouTube days I love her. I feel like I haven't been able to be funny in a while Like my Queen Sugar stuff was a little serious and a little bit too, but I'm funny. I like being funny, um, and I want to work with people like her, like isa um, I don't know if there's a particular show, it's more creatives that I like. That I respect work with um and I'm gonna work with me and yeah, there's a lot of really cool people out there, um, that are doing some amazing stuff.
Speaker 2:I do like that. Quinta gives people shots as guests on the show. Oh shit, she even put that girl on. I don't know her name. Actually the white girl she's all over Instagram. She's the one she put her on the show. What's her name?
Speaker 3:Was it Bobby?
Speaker 2:No, it's not Bobby, but it's the girl that's like oh okay, yeah, tiktok, rather. Yeah, she had a guest on there as a substitute teacher. She was substituting for Quinta when Quinta went to work at the board, so she really gives a variety of people shots. So we might see Reagan on there as a teacher or something.
Speaker 3:I love the half-hour comedy. That's where I come from. I just love that. What prototype. I just love the Vince Staples show. I thought that was funny as hell Vince Staples did. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that show.
Speaker 2:I could see you on Abbott though I could definitely see you on Abbott though I could definitely see you on. Abbott, some sexy teacher or whatever, but what's his name? Everybody hates Chris. I'm blanking on his name right now. I could see that happening. What's his name? Tyler Tyler. Yeah, I could see him. I could see that we're, yeah, I could see that we're going to bring that into reality.
Speaker 1:We're working yeah, we're working her into this show.
Speaker 4: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 young adult, I was a young teen, like it was. Again, it goes back to a lot of um people my age, when I when I told like my friends, like yeah, I'm interviewing reagan gomez today, guys started gushing. Like you know, I'm saying like that was like a real thing for people in my age range.
Speaker 3:So tell y'all something. It's so nice because I see those lists when they're on social media with, like zaria and ashley banks and all the girls from the 90s. It makes us feel so good because so many times they don't put Black actresses in those lists. They kind of forget us from that time period. So I just want to thank everybody for reminding folks that, yes, we were there.
Speaker 4:Awesome, and this idea just popped into my head right, I don't know the exact legal jargon that goes along with the ownership of a character, but I think that the same way the MCU brung together everybody for the Avengers, y'all need to bring everybody together, yeah, all the day.
Speaker 1:Like a complete crossover, that thing would Like.
Speaker 4:could you imagine Ashley Banks, older, running into Zaria, older, running into Megan Good from Cousin Skeeter and then you kind of continue that story but just call it like the 90s? That would be insane.
Speaker 3:Somebody needs to make that happen. I don't know if you guys have seen. Everyone still looks great, tatiana. Hey, how would could?
Speaker 1:you legally do that, like, let's say, you wrote it, could you and you produce, could you do that with all those characters? Even though, how would that actually work? I?
Speaker 4:think she can do it on YouTube. I'm not sure if it would get picked up by like a network.
Speaker 3:I think the characters and the intellectual property the idea that all of us are still around and we still look great. I mean it's somebody needs to do something with that.
Speaker 1:I like it, Mickey.
Speaker 4:Oh yeah, it would break the Internet. It would literally break the Internet because you got to remember the internet. It would literally break the internet because you got to remember these are people, people. When people have childhood attachments to people that they looked up to or listened to or watched it, they stop everything. So now, not only are you kind of grasping at the people who grew up on you, but now you have the newer generation looking like oh, look look at them and get on TikTok, but I think a YouTube series like that would just whoosh and you can make a lot of money on YouTube doing something like that.
Speaker 3:No, you're right, you already got the group chat.
Speaker 1:You already got the group chat, now you got four projects instead of three. I like it. How do we? We want to stay involved somehow.
Speaker 2:Don't forget about it.
Speaker 1:He can watch it. I want to stay involved. I'm in.
Speaker 4:I just want to be on set, I just want to just inhale everything.
Speaker 1:You can be on set. I want to be behind the scenes somehow.
Speaker 4:Okay, brother, that's funny.
Speaker 1:Reagan, thank you, it has been an absolute pleasure to meet you. This guy is still gushing over here.
Speaker 3:And Jeffrey. Thank you, Thank you for bringing us, reagan Gomez. Glad we were able to work it out Absolutely. It was dope.
Speaker 1:And best of luck on all your big projects coming up, including the big reunion that we're all going to be involved in somehow.
Speaker 3:There you go. So much I appreciate it.
Speaker 1:All right, that's Reagan Gomez. All right, folks, that's our show. Tune in to Unglossy, the coding brand and culture, on Apple Podcasts, spotify or YouTube, and follow us on Instagram at Unglossypod, to join the conversation. Until next time, I'm Tom Frank.
Speaker 2:I'm Jeffrey Sledge.
Speaker 4:Smicky.
Speaker 1:That was good.
