A Golden Opportunity for Golden Brooks: Actress Discusses Starring in TNT Limited Series, I am the Night, Starting January 28th, More
She has had an acting career for over 20 years. Though many know actress Golden Brooks as the character Maya from the hit TV sitcom Girlfriends, she is now getting a chance to show a wider range of her acting abilities as the character Jimmy Lee, in the TNT limited series I Am The Night starting January 28th.
Ms. Brooks stars alongside Chris Pine and India Eisley, in this six-episode series, loosely based on true events. The TNT original series even has a connection to the famous Black Dahlia murder. She plays a character who is full of pain and hard life experiences. However, there are some lighter, more uplifting moments during her performance as Jimmy Lee. One of those is getting to hear her sing. For the actress, this is the kind of role she has waited an entire career for, a vehicle to showcase her abilities. She told us:
“Knowing my training and knowing all that’s within me, I just, you just kind of have to just, you know, stay the course. You know what I mean? And just pray that those roles come around where people can see another side of you where you yourself can tap into that arsenal of emotion that you know is there. Because acting is the kind of job, it’s the kind of profession let me say where either you do it on your own or you just keep reading scripts until you find that one that just is going to be your springboard and I feel like I Am The Night has been what I’ve been waiting for my whole career.”
Reflecting back on her role in the hit TV sitcom Girlfriends, as the character Maya, Golden Brooks told us this:
“I fought for Maya. I fought for certain things with her. You know, I wanted to make her real. I wanted to make her honest and authentic. And that’s because I studied Media Representation as a Minority at [UC-] Berkley. So, like, Maya was like my baby. I wanted her to be and you know what, it paid off. Because people still come up to me, they call me Maya. They don’t even call me Golden and it doesn’t bother me because it makes me, I know that I did my job. I resonated with people and that was important to me. I think all of us feel very proud of the characters we created.”
Her first big acting role was on the Showtime Series Linc’s, with legendary actress Pam Grier. She told us one piece of advice she gave her early on in her acting career:
“Pam Grier was like my mom. She, I was so green in so many ways and she just was always telling me, ‘Golden, you know, this is a long career. It’s going to be a long career. Always remember, do not get in your own way.’ And I just always, I never forgot that.”
You can hear more from actress Golden Brooks about her role in the TNT Series I Am the Night, about who she is away from her acting and more, by listening to the entire CYInterview below:
Listen to the entire Golden Brooks CYInterview:
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You can find more about TNT’s limited series I Am the Night clicking here.
You can find Golden Brooks on Twitter clicking here.
You can find her on Instagram clicking here.