Following the epic, two-hour series finale of Being Mary Jane, BET will introduced viewers totheir newest guiltypleasure,“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY”premiering at a special time onTuesday, April 23 at 10 PMET/PT.Starting Tuesday, April 30, the series will resume at its regular time at 9 PM ET/PT.
Starring Lauren London, Sarunas J. Jackson, Parker McKenna Posey, Karen Obilom and Jackie Long,“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY”is a sexy, stylized drama about the L.A. high life, where everyone plays to win. Based on the popular book by Angela Burt-Murray “Games Divas Play,”“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY”follows a desperate basketball wife trying to protect her family, a tenacious journalist struggling to rebuild a tarnished career, and a scandalous groupie looking to become a star, who all find it is murder trying to stay on top.
“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY”isexecutive produced by Tracey Edmonds (“Soul Food”) of Edmonds Entertainment, along with Angela Burt-Murray serving asexecutive producer. Vanessa Middleton and Kim Newton serve as co-showrunners and executive producers for the series.
In“GAMES PEOPLE PLAY,”viewers meet Vanessa King (Lauren London), a loyal yet skeptical wife who married her high school sweetheart as he was being drafted into the nation’s premiere professional basketball league. Her lifestyle changed overnight as they went from college sweethearts to a power couple astride a world of money, easy sex, and glamour. Vanessa is married to Marques King (Sarunas J. Jackson), who is an all-star baller that was able to prepare himself for all aspects of life as a professional basketball player, except the women. His inability to resist temptation causes what may be irreparable damage to his marriage to Vanessa. Kareem Johnson (Jackie Long), Marques’ best friend and assistant, is a former college basketball standout once destined for fame and fortune. Frustrated by living on the sidelines, he’s willing to risk everything for a shot at the life that should have been his.
Adding to the mix of drama, along comesLaila James (Parker McKenna Posey), a cunning and alluring, yet struggling actress. When she realizes that she is never going to get ahead based on pure talent, she decides to embrace her sexy, flashy side to get ahead on social media. She finds that in LA, fame is the ultimate drug. Karen Obilom stars as Nia Bullock, a quick-witted, smart and savvy blogger, who gets a new job and she thinks is going to launch her long-dreamed-of journalism career. However, as it turns out, this new job pulls her into the world of celebrity gossip – big names, high stakes, and never-ending scandal.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Emmy nominee Vanessa Middleton, who directed the film ’30 Years to Life’ and has been writer on many sitcom series (SNL, Cosby, Girlfriends)for over two decades, and Posey, who is best known for her role on the ABC series ‘My Wife and Kids’opposite Damon Wayans and Tisha Campbell.
Can you talk about writing the pilot to being one of the showrunners?
Vanessa Middleton: It’s actually based on a very popular book by Angela Burt-Murray and Tracey (Edmonds) had adapted another book of her and turned it into a successful movie, With This Ring at Lifetime. This book was also very popular and they thought it had series potential and it was something that Connie Orlando at BET was really into. Tracey brought me onboard to translate it to television and that’s what I did.
Is this your first time being a showrunner?
Vanessa Middleton: Yeah, but I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve been writing for 20 years so having done every job up the ladder from being a writing assistant on The Cosby Show to a staff writer on SNL and then story editor, I literally climbed the ladder very slowly but it very much prepared me for this type of opportunity because there’s writing and then there’s showrunning and managing and all that type of stuff; so by the time I got this opportunity, I was ready. It looks like it’s gone pretty well, and everyone’s pretty excited about what we have.
What are expecting out of Laila?
Parker McKenna Posey: I play Laila and you can expect things that I’ve never done before. I don’t want to give away too much stuff. My character is a struggling actor and finds herself and trying to make her way in the world. She sees that things are based on a popularity contest in a way and she takes matters into her own hands to get to the top, especially in the social media world. I’m excited for you guys to see it. I feel that my character is relatable to some and my age group can be connected to this right now.
Vanessa Middleton: Both Parker and I come from sitcom roots basically from back in the day. Parker has an opportunity to show that she can really act. It’s an ensemble cast but the wonderful thing about her character is the she really centers in terms of what it is to be in LA and try to make it and she represents that true millennial influencer that is so big today.
Parker McKenna Posey: I feel that my character is super relatable in this day of age. I think they are absolutely going to love it.
What was the attraction to doing this?
Parker McKenna Posey: I was actually up for something else and it as another daughter role and I just thought to myself, “You know what? I don’t want to play it safe. I want to do something that I have never done before.” and I knew that I would be one of the three women who are the main characters on the show and I would be able to showcase my talent in a totally different way. I wanted to do something that my friends and age group would want to watch. When I read the script, I actually liked it and that was really big for me. I wanted to sign on to a project that I actually believe in and would watch myself.
Vanessa, did you upgrade the series to modern times as opposed to the setting in the book?
Vanessa Middleton: Absolutely. In terms of the storyline, in terms of what they do and in terms of the actors that we have. With my first film, 30 Years to Life, I worked with an ensemble that was the hot generational up and coming talent back in that day years ago and it’s one of the reasons I was happy to talk to you because here we go again. I’ve got the next hot bunch. We’ve got such a dynamic cast and they are all gorgeous and they’re bright and talented and each of their characters are representing a version of what is going on today and what a lot of young people have to deal with when you want to be successful and even when you have the best intentions; when life happens and what happens to them as they try to stay their course but they get ahead.
Within the first episode and as seen in the trailer, Saranus Jackson plays a basketball player who gets caught cheating on his wife. We’ve seen this sort of character on another Black series, Queen Sugar, so are basketball players being stereotyped?
Vanessa Middleton: I will say this. Yes, we have seen it before, however, and this is based on the book and I want to stay true to the core characters of the book. I think this one digs a little deeper. I’m a big fan of Queen Sugar, but we actually stick with the couple. I think the characters on Queen Sugar are broken up by the time the story starts and in our show, we follow Marques and Vanessa as they are going through this. There is infidelity but there are two sides to every story and basically we cover all three sides to an affair. We get the entire story from his perspective, from the wife’s perspective and from Parker’s character’s, Laila’s perspective so it gives the audience something to really chew on. These things do happen but lots of times people don’t take their time and really deal with they are and by the time you get to the end of the season, you know who they are and what brought them to that circ*mstance. You’ll be surprised with who you will be emphasizing with.
Is Laila someone we should be rooting for?
Parker McKenna Posey: I think in the beginning, you may not like her because some may see her as a ‘ho. In a sense, when you finally get to know her, you’ll realize that she’s been through some things like other people. The things that happen in our past she who we are. You’ll definitely learn a lot more of my character and see that she’s actually a sweetheart and she’s very, very likeable. By episode 9, you’ll get why she is who she is.
How was working with the rest of the cast?
Parker McKenna Posey: It was so amazing. In the beginning I didn’t really work with anybody and the joke on the show was that Laila has no friends. But we definitely would have lunch together and pop inside each other’s trailers and talk and have a good time. Jackie (Long) was always turning up. You can always count on him to bring loud music. It was definitely a good time and we became a family. I miss them. Honestly, not working everyday has been so strange, even not seeing the crew. When you work with people and you’re close with them every single day for a few months, you become a family. I love them all and they’re all so amazing.
