EP 143: Renee Harrison Talks Joining Netflix's A Different World, Learning From Debbie Allen and Jasmine Guy, and Carrying Hillman's Legacy to a New Generation

This is the Wayne Ayers podcast. The Wayne Ayers podcast. Woohoo! Time to wake your ass up for a blessed day. - How you doing? - How you doing? Pretty good. Pretty good. Can't complain. Thanks for coming on. Of course. Thank you for the invitation. Congratulation, everything. Um, first of all, like, how has life been? You know, life's been great. Life's been great with the exception of, like, the severely sore throat that I will go for the yesterday. Um, life's been pretty good. Lots to celebrate, I think. No, bro, I want to know, like, my first thoughts I really want to know, like, when you, like, where were you at when you first got cast into this? Because this is becoming a big show. My friends are talking about it. Family members are talking about it. I even told them I would interview you today. They're excited. Oh, my God! So, like, uh, uh, what were you at? We were like, man, I got cast into this. Well, you know what? I actually have the funniest. Actually, it's really not that funny. But it's a little bit of a crazy story. So, um, I have been dropped by my reps six months before I got the audition for this show. And I got this audition by sending a DM to a mutual friend who's now a friend, Loretta Troutman. She's one of, um, the Catholic Assistance over at Comin's office. And it's so, this is maybe where it gets crazy. Like, I met Loretta three years prior, which would have been 2022 at a mutual friend's Kindles birthday party. She, we were playing Mafia and she's the one who was like, you know, the guy, the big one, the Mafia person, whatever. And we connected there. And then, um, what was in 2025? I had met another young man, a friend named Christian Johnson. And he randomly sent me the breakdown one day and was like, hey, you should audition for this show. And again, by this point, I didn't have any reps. So, um, I'm like looking at the breakdown. It was a screenshot. And I saw Loretta's name in the top right corner. And I sent her a DM that was like, hey, um, I am unrepresented theatrically, but if you haven't found your canvas yet, I would really love to audition for her. And then I auditioned for her. And then, you know, we shot the pilot, then we came back and shot the season. But I think to answer your question more specifically, I was like in Brooklyn in one of my best friends' house. Like, I was visiting her, um, just wrapping up on another short film. And I like opened up my email and the offer was there. That is crazy. Like, who needs agents and who needs agents these days? No, I mean, we definitely need agents. We definitely need agents. We definitely need managers. We need everyone. All right, we need our entertainment attorneys. We need everyone. But yeah, that's how that's the casting story taped for it. It got pinned, you know, the thing, the use. Um, yeah, that's how it happened. That is actually really cool though. Like, I think that's really cool that nowadays you could DM so by just even to get audition and now you're even casting the show. That's wow. Yeah, I mean, I will say that, you know, use your discernment. I was very fortunate in the circumstance that I was in to be able to do that. But, you know, you have to. Here's also like a personal relationship there. So I wouldn't recommend anybody just go DMing anybody. That might not fare well for you. But in this case, it did fare well for me. And I'm just so grateful for the entire thing, really. I want to know, like, who was the first person you told and how did they, how did they react to it? Who was a, well, it must have been my friend who was actually, when we shot the pilot, the first person that I told was my mom. I call my mom on FaceTime and I was like, oh my god, you'll never believe it. Um, but when I got the, like, when I got the, like, formal, formal offer or no, no, when I got tanned, I call my mom, when I got the formal offer, I was with my best friend, Brittany Wimbush at her apartment in Brooklyn. Nice, nice. Can you just try? There's a video of it somewhere. Oh, okay, nice. Can you describe like the first day on set, like seeing everybody, like, how, how was those vibes? It was amazing. It was amazing. There's just so many beautiful and talented people that are a part of this incredible story that we get to tell. It was great. It was like a little bit of a family reunion slash, also getting to meet you people. But everyone was incredibly kind and welcoming. Like, we were all just really happy to be there. No, it's nice. Okay, at first, you know, everybody's talking about Candace and Kill, Debra's situations and all that stuff. Do you consider this a love triangle? I don't consider it a love triangle. I don't consider it to be a love triangle. Yeah, I don't consider it to be a love triangle at all. The Shaquille and Dubora of it all and Elington of it all is a love triangle. Candace doesn't really participate in the love triangle. Yeah, so how do you, like, have you seen, like, social media reaction to it? I've seen, like, some people, like, dislike Candace, but also, like, they, I've seen people that like Candace, like, about the situation. Like, what are your thoughts about everything looking back on it now? About the, like, what happened between Candace and Shaquille and Debra? Listen, I think that it's college, sometimes things happen. People are, you know, allowed to be messy, even the character that is extremely well put together. Like, she's allowed to be a little bit messy too. But then, you know, it kind of begs the question of, like, whether or not she actually knew about what their dynamic was. Yeah, but everyone's been so, like, the reception has been so great. Like, most of the comments that I see which crack me up are people being like, oh, my gosh, like, I hate Candace, but I love you. And I, that's all I could ask for. Have you ever had a, like, man, have you had a go at the end of the pink Candace at all? I mean, that, come on now, like, I've definitely did. I've definitely did some light defending, you know, online and offline, because my friends will call me and be like, well, I would Candace do that. And I'm like, guys, like, have we thought about more than just what we're seeing? You know, have we thought about a little bit more like what that story looks like, what it could be, what their dynamics could be? But yeah, I do my, I have to defend my girl. I have to, I have to, I have to. Can you see Candace having genuinely, genuine feelings for Chiquille in probably the next season or two? I've got no idea what's up to our writers, our lovely writers, but I have no idea. No, I feel it. Um, yeah, okay, the showrunner Felicia Pry said, I think it's a point for a black people to be able to be messy. And Candace is driven by like, she's driven, she's very like, she sticks to her stuff. Uh, how do you feel? How, how do you protect her, Amanda, so she didn't become like a cardboard villain, really? Yeah, you know, it's, it's funny. I don't think that Candace is a villain. And it's actually something that I wrote on Twitter the other day. I was like, hey, guys, like, I think that all of the Chiquille drama aside, Candace really does love her Gilbert Girls. And she wants to see the very best of them with an asterisk in that asterisk is saying that it's to her standard, right? Like she wants everyone to be like her because as far as Candace is concerned, she is the quintessential human woman. You know what I mean? Um, and so with that, I just, you know, take care of her and her moments. And I make sure like as an actor that I'm very clear on why she is doing a thing, right? Like why she might be like, you know, at the, at the beginning of episode seven, I believe that's the talent show episode where she's like, oh, don't play with me and don't play yourself, right? Like why is she doing that? Why does she say it that way? And for me, what I was able to come up with was that she just wants, this is like the most prestigious HBCU in the United States. Like we can't be anything short of absolute perfection. So that's where some of that comes from. Yeah. No, I feel like I agree with it too. Also, I got to ask to kind of just like a thing going online. Is are you teams to kill or T. Ellerton for Deborah? I believe the fifth. I believe the fifth. Are you asking Renee or are you asking? I'm asking Renee. I'm asking Renee. I will say that Candace is team Ellington down. Candace is team Ellington all the way. Renee will remain neutral on that for now. I feel it. I feel it. Okay, a lot of people also were talking about like the wardrobe. They love your outfits and everything. Like, did you have any discussion with those at all? Or did they just give you the outfits? I know something. That was our costume designer and our costume team. Pro team, pardon me, Provi. Like, she had me looking right. Okay. She had me looking right. I think at most going into our fittings, I just told her that I wanted to be snatched. And we accommodated the wardrobe to that. But all of all of Candace's like visual identity as it relates to her wardrobe. [BLANK_AUDIO] your things that Provi and Tawny and the entire like costume team really helped to create and shape out. And all of what I saw, I loved. I was like, this feels like Candice all the way. So. Okay. Now I got put you on a spot. Like, do you have a favorite outfit from this season? And do you try to keep it at all? Yes, yes, I do. Yes, I did. I have a couple favorite outfits. We didn't get a chance to really see it, but it's one of, it's the burgundy dress with the belt that I wore in the pit. I want to say that's episode three when we had the, um, the bomb scare bomb threat episode. There's that. I loved her Hillman's Got Talent episode seven in that pink two piece. That, um, what else I also loved. I honestly love all of her outfits. I tried to get all of them. Okay, I forgot to ask you this ever. I forgot to ask you this her because you know Candice really be about her stuff. And she's really about the, uh, girlboy girls and everything. Like, I want to know like, do you, would you like to see her have a love interest at all in season two? I, I think it would be interesting to see, um, I don't know. I can't say like yes or no, but I think it could be interesting to see her in that way. But then I also kind of think that like the way that Candice operates in the world of a different world is really, um, unique. And so either one, I'm, I'm open to it all really. Yeah. Yeah. So also saw fans like wanting to see Candice and Elantin get together too because they seem like they're close friends. They need to hang it up. Guys, Elantin is bestie. Okay, Elantin and Candice are really good friends. And that's about it. Those make the best partners though. Sure. Potato Patata. Whatever you want to say. Oh, were there any care to details or like Easter A's if any at all during the season about Candice that left, uh, audience didn't get to see or didn't like realize that all? Hmm. Easter eggs. No, I can't say that there were. Um, I will say that I, I love people's reception to the scene where DeBora comes to Candice and like we're on the couch and she's like asking about what would you do? Does it all like I think that's probably one of my favorite scenes. Um, from Candice and I really encourage people to look at that to even get a little bit more of who Candice is outside of the drama of this to kill of it all. Um, but Easter eggs. No. Okay. Is there anything about anything you got to pitch for Candice at all this season? To pitch for her character? No. No. I didn't pitch anything. Um, we just had a lot of fun. Like we had a lot of fun. Our, our set was so like welcoming of improv and so we got a chance to play. We got a chance to, you know, try out a couple different takes and variations of the scenes and the moments in the show. Like we probably have like five or six different takes of the touchdown moment at the end of episode six. Like we're just, Hey, let's try it this way. Let's try it that way. Um, let me think about episode seven. I think human's got talent like that episode of the seven is probably one of my favorite episodes. But like at the beginning of that where Candice is like, all right, let's releve plea a leap A back to our seats. Like that was improv, right? To bring us into the moment and also kind of like shape out who she is as a character and like how she's like being a little bit more militant in this moment. Um, so yeah. Yeah. All right. Okay. Okay. I know. I know you spoke about like the OG, like show, cast and everything. Like you showed them at admiration and everything about it. Was there like an episode like from the OG that OG show that you really loved and it was a character that you really saw yourself in? Well, I'm always going to say that I saw myself in Whitley. I love Whitley. Love Whitley. Love Miss Jasmine Guy from the series from the original series. There's like, they have these two, um, cabin episodes. I want to say it was like one of the later seasons. Um, yeah, because Whitney Whitley pardon was with that guy. I can't remember what his name is right now. But she was with him and they had gone away to a cabin and like, you know, they almost get robbed and like snowed in. Um, that episode is probably one of my favorites. And then there's also the, I think it's the Black History Month episode. Yeah. Yeah. There's that big one where they host the stage performance. That's also a really, um, memorable one for me. Yeah. Okay. I know personally, like if I was on set, I'd be going up to like the OG cast and like asked them a bunch of questions and stuff like that. And they probably get sick of me. I'd be like, so were you doing that at all, or at all at all, or were you just let them be? I mean, we all got a chance to talk. They were so kind and welcoming. Like this is really one big happy family. And, you know, we got to talk about their time on the show, but then to also talk about like what this moment is for all of us, it was great. Like when I tell you the synergy between everyone is just so great and so amazing. Um, if I remember one time, like, uh, I think it was Darryl Cornell and I, we were back there playing some like some game. I can't, I don't even know the name of the game. We were back there just like, you know, passing time playing this game and, you know, it's just this really, um, it's a really, uh, enriching environment that we got to be in with them for sure. Oh, yeah. That's nice, man. Are you better than me? I'd be, I'd be bragging to my family the entire time, but look what we're doing today. Send them selfies and stuff like that. Oh, no, like, oh, I'm just sad. It's like don't worry. I've definitely sent my fair share of selfies to my family group chat. Like, guys, look where I am today. There's so many ledges on the show. I want to know, like, who gave you the best advice? Mmm. Well, you know, I, I think when I received more than anything from everyone, from all of our OGs or legacy cast, um, was affirmation. Like, they were, they were constantly like affirming us, telling us that we were, we were doing a good job. And that really meant a lot, you know, it really meant a lot for, for them to affirm the work that we were doing. Okay. Okay. I like that. Also, I want to know because there's been people who'd be like, I want to see scenes with like, uh, I would love to see like Candace with younger Whitley. Like, how do you think they would interact with each other? You think they would clash or they would be busties? How do you think that would work? Oh, Candace and younger Whitley. I'm going to let those sirens go by. If they're love. Okay. Candace and younger Whitley would they clash or would they be friends? I think they might, they'd have like a love hate relationship. Yeah. I think they'd have a love hate relationship. One of them would always want to be right. They'd always want to be right. Yeah. Okay. Okay. Also, I want to know, like, if you could share a scene with, uh, uh, like a OG cast member in season two that you didn't get to share one in season one, who would you want to share a scene with? I would love to have a scene with Ms. Jasmine Guy. I would love to, I would love to, um, to have a scene with her. Yeah. It's so funny. I was looking through my phone the other day and I met her a year prior, um, at, uh, movie screening for a project she was doing. And I took a photo with her then, little that I know that a couple months later, if not a year later, we'd be getting to work together. It was so serendipitous. Yeah. Also, my favorite scenes of the show with, uh, when Joe Warren and her, uh, when those three came together in the scene, I was like, oh, this is magic. I'm so sad. I missed his day on set. I was like, I need to come see Papa Pope. I need to, but I missed him, unfortunately. Yeah. I was like, that's not Papa Pope. I was like, oh, I didn't like his little jet to wait to like, oh, I know you're a big please. I said, oh, my God. I know that before me. Uh, you also Debbie Allen also directed. I think the pilot, right? Mm-hmm. How was that working with her? Because she's an absolute legend. She is an absolute legend. You know, I think it's probably been one of the most, um, well, being under her direction has been one of the most artistically nourishing experiences that I've had. I like to, when people do ask me, I like to tell them that she really like pulls you forward. She welcomes a space where you can try new things. She welcomes our creativity as young artists. and that has been really such a gift, really such a gift. I'm so grateful. - Okay, okay. Also, how do you feel? I feel like this could be, this show could be like, to some people, this could be an introduction for HBCUs. How do you feel, how do you guys feel about that as a cast? - Well, I can only speak for myself, right? Like, I think, you know, education is one of the most important things that you can have in this world. And of course, to be able to learn at a historically black college or university is such an experience that, I mean, obviously, like, I went to the new school, so I didn't go into an HBCU. But when I think about all of the women in my world who are close advisors, who are collaborators, they've all, they've been, they've, they've been, what's fellmen, how we're hand in, you know, and the way that they operate in the world is so inspiring. And so when I think about, like, you know, students who are, you know, thinking about where to go to school, like, I would say, go to an HBCU, most of the, the most brilliant women I know, all gained their education from HBCUs. So, okay, okay, okay. Also, I have to put it in a spot. Let's say if you could pick an HBCU to go to, which one are you going to? My sister went to Howard, so. She's going to be watching this. You said your sister went to Howard? Yeah. Sorry, sister. I don't want to disappoint you. I think it would either be Howard or Spelman. Howard or Spelman. Okay. One of my really close friends, Cecilie Dion Davis, who also works with me over at Black Rose Youth Theatre. She is a Howard University grad. She was Miss Howard. I think the 84th Miss Howard. And she is just a, my gosh, a brilliant woman. But then I think about, you know, one of my other good friends and little sisters, Coriana Osborne. And she went to Spelman. And she's like, taking over the world of tech. So it would have to be one of those two, for sure. Okay, okay. Also, speaking on the theater, you, you founded Black Rose Youth Theatre. Thinking about that now, like when you started that, and then looking where you're at now, like, how is that all, like, how are you processing all of that? You know, I don't even think that I've had a chance yet to fully process it. I think if I do have a moment too, I'll probably end up sobbing. Um, to think about the fact that, you know, 10 years ago, I was in, um, wow, oh my gosh. Is it 10 years ago? Geez, Louise. Wow, like 10 years ago, this idea, um, came to me. And, you know, now 10 years later, it has grown into this beautiful platform. But there's also this really beautiful opportunity for Black girls and women to get connected to the theater and get connected with other artists. Like, I can't even, I can't take the time to process. Because I want to cry. And I don't want to cry today. No, that's really dope, though. I'm just happy that I've been able to take good care of it. No, yeah, yeah, that's dope. That's dope, like, good to see that. What was it, like, three, three out of 17 students were Black kids, and now you're working with, like, all the legends, like, and all Black cats. It was three, um, students of color, three students of color. It was myself. It was myself and, um, two Latinx students. And, yeah, we, we did this play, the winter sale. And we had, you know, quite a time being able to do that. Um, it was in university. Are you hearing that? I don't know why my text messages are coming through. Yeah, but you're good. Go ahead. No, no, no, no, no. I don't know why, because it's supposed to be on. Do not disturb. We're going to do that again. Um, but yeah, it was three out of three students of color out of this, um, cast and. Yeah, at the time we were all just like baby artists, to figure it out and wanting mentorship and that's also why you went to college. But yeah, if I could think about the young Renee who was doing that play, who was playing Camillo and had that monologue at the beginning of the play, I don't know, I think she'd be really proud of me. I think she'd be really proud of me that I stuck it through. Yeah, congratulations on everything. That's really dope. I got some fan questions for you before I let you go, of course. All like kind of film questions. One of them is if Marvel or DC called tomorrow, which hero would you want to play and why that one? Which character? Yeah, it was character. I don't know what character, but I would just want to be in the world of Marvel in some way, shape or form. Okay, okay. Okay, but I know Marvel for sure. Okay, next one is if you could play anyone a biopic, who would it be? Oh. Oh. Oh. You know, with some more years of training and sharpening my craft, I'd love to do by all the day. Like what? Yes. That'll be dope. I feel like we should do more biopays when they're alive so they can see and get their flowers. I really did. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair for sure. I'm like completely like other know. I read her book and it completely like changed my life. I read that book in like 24 hours and usually it will take me like three to four days now and 24 hours front front to back. What a magnificent woman she is. Yeah. Is that your favorite actress? She's definitely up there. It's like Viola. I love Nicole Bahari. She's so captivating on screen. Underrated. Under, you know, she is one of the most brilliant artists that I've had an opportunity to to witness. I saw her in what is the the movie that she just did with Yaya. I think it's by any means. Yeah. Yeah. Captivating performance. My gosh. Yeah, her. Violin Davis. I love Merrill Street, of course. Charlize Theron's also really. She's on my list. Her favorite actresses and there are a number of others too, but those are where I can think of immediately. Okay. Okay. The next one. If you could work with any director right now, who would it be? I mean, obviously like Ryan Kugler is like high up there. You know, and more than the more than just the image of, you know, of Ryan Kugler and who he is positive as in culture, like when you hear him talk about the craft, when you hear him talk about the work and just how I was like engrossed in like he's an expert. He's like a master of his craft. Like that, someone that I would want to be under the direction of for sure. I think I would learn a lot. Yeah, I wish we could to see more like duels like that. Like the Ryan Kugler, Michael B. Jordan, and like, do because they've been together since like, Fufel station. That's like, one. I think that's still my favorite movie by those two. But it's like, yo, like, I wish we get to see more of those like, oh, the actor, director, duo, and then seeing them like, they're from Fufel station to now the Oscar. That's just a crazy, yes, wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It would be really nice to see more of those creative duos for sure. Do you have any director friends? Do you begin on them? I do have some director friends. But I've also, I just directed my first short film. Oh, nice. We shot that back in June. We're currently in post production. And you know, directing is hard work. It is hard work. You can't miss any steps in directing. You there's no finesse. You have to be incredibly granular about everything. But no, I do have my director friends. I have some writer friends too that I'm like, hey guys, it's like, you know, right for me. And there it's all in conversation. It's all in conversation. Could you ever see yourself directing and acting in a future film like starring in it? That's also dope to do too. I would definitely do it. I'm a little type A. I think that's where like, Candice and I granted, I'm conditionally type A. Candice is type A at her core. always but I could I could see myself doing the director actor thing because I would want it to if I especially if I write something right I'm like I need to make sure that it turns out exactly the way that I see it in my brain and that's all out all thing on that also like I know you just mentioned in the short film like are you guys doing film festivals can you tell us anything about it as under wraps I can tell you I'm a little bit it's it's called breakfast it was written by my good friend Kimberman Row Kimber and I know each other from the new school like she came to me last summer was like hey I wrote this thing do you want to direct it and I have been thinking about directing and wanting to really flex that muscle and so I said yes we're still in post-production so there's really not too much that I can say besides the fact that we're in post but we do want to run it through the festival circuit for sure nice nice okay cool cool okay my last oh I don't know what that is okay my bad I'm sorry to do that too oh my last last fair question what's franchise would you want to join right now what franchises are they right now okay work this out with me we got to work this one out together what what's out in the world right now there's the game but throws fast furious hunger games I think is still going on well this is there I would want to star wars I'd wanted to hunger games and I'd want to probably be one of the is it the capital that's what I'm going to be the villains yeah I probably want to be one of you let me give you my reasoning why though their costumes are just so elaborate I would have to do it for the costumes or they could like create a story arc where maybe I go from being at the capital to being like you know one of the other folks who were out in the world I would love that but I would I would really want to be oh yeah you about to put the games together and everything listen I whatever I need to do whatever I need to do they can put me in something like I just or Nate and and Regal I would love that I would love that and also that's sort of costuming really just like I mean costume in general right really lends to to character it really lends the character it lends to like really strong character choices and yeah make me the villain make me an actual villain Bonobo villain okay oh thank you so much for coming I appreciate your time I love to show my family love to show my friends love this so keep it going can't wait for season two to come is there anything else you're working on outside of the show right now right now no I'm auditioning I will last summer right because this is where in 2026 2025 was last year I worked on three different shorts one of which actually there are couple things coming up a film that I did seek no favor written by L Clay co-directed by L Clary and Lila Wan Rob like that just got accepted into a French film festival I found out this morning and then a film that I did at the top of 2025 in January Tangled by Kayla and Marie Larkins just got an email that it got accepted into a film festival in Cape Town oh yeah and then the other film that I did last summer right before we shot the pilot was the stress of it and it stars myself and my friend Malachi Beasley who you know he just got the the Jamie Fox like Bob King drama and he's about to the star in the pit so I know that's still going through the festival circuit the director and I were texting this morning about you know something completely unrelated Rachel Koocher and so Kooker I always messed that up a little bit but yeah that's it's really that like I'm excited to see the work that you know all the projects that I worked on last year really begin to spread out into the world like the idea of our film being screened in Cape Town is like the coolest thing ever like what