Source: Courtesy of Dominique Washington / Courtesy of Dominique Washington
‘Black & Sexy TV’ has been producing quality content for the culture since 2011, and their latest web series, “Hello Cupid 3.0” is right on brand, merging reality with fiction in a beautifully messy Black millennial dramedy.
“HelloCupid” takes us behind the scenes of the production of a reality TV show, which will reward participants with $50,000 if they manage to find love. With the goal of romance AND money in mind, six sexy singles canoodle on and off set, each with their own intentions and strategies to win the prize.
MN caught up with Dominique Washington who shines as Jazmine, the British, sultry, egotistical hottie who is on a mission to secure the bag, and the man.
MN: What made you interested in the “Hello Cupid” script? Which role(s) did you audition for?
I got the Hello Cupid 3.0 audition through my agents at Momentum Talent & Literary Agency, as I would any other. I didn’t get a full script originally, but rather just a few pages of “sides” (scenes to audition with) for the role of Zaya. To be honest, I’m not always excited about the characters/projects that I go out for. The content can often be dull and lack depth. Fortunately, from what I initially got to read, the “Hello Cupid 3.0” characters popped off of the page. It was genuinely well-written and peaked my interest early on. My first audition was for the role of Zaya. When chemistry reads (auditions where actors play against each other to see if they have “chemistry”) came along, I was asked to read for both Zaya and Jazmine. Jazmine ended up being the role that I was offered, and I had such a great time playing her. She’s a lot of fun.
Source: Courtesy of Dominique Washington / Courtesy of Dominique Washington
Was Jazmine’s British background your character choice? How did you prepare for the role?
During the chemistry reads, Dennis, one of our directors and Black & Sexy CEO, asked me on the spot if I could do a British accent. Luckily, I could. So as I was auditioning, there were times that I would do it in my normal speech and times that I would do it with the accent. They were playing around with the idea of the character being from somewhere more exotic, I guess you could say. I honestly think the accent is what got me the role. I studied abroad at a theater school in London when I was in college and I watch a lot of British TV and film. In the weeks leading up to us shooting, I just put a lot more of that into my viewing rotation so that I could be constantly hearing different accents from across the pond.
This show is super steamy, young and sexy. Are you ever intimidated embodying these roles, particularly as a married woman?
For better or worse, I often go out for the “love interest,” “sexy girl” types of roles. For the time being, it just comes with the territory. One day I’ll be asked to play grumpy grandmas. Being an actress has been my dream since I was a little girl. There’s nothing more exhilarating than working at turning playing make believe into a career. Because it’s what I love to do, I take it all in stride. It’s a privilege really, so I can’t complain. I love my husband. He loves me. I trust him. He trusts me. The bottom line is, it’s all pretend. He knows I’m coming home to him every night. Also, we have such an amazing cast on Hello Cupid 3.0. Everyone is very respectful and nothing but professional. I’ve thankfully never run into any issues.
Source: Courtesy of Dominique Washington / Courtesy of Dominique Washington
Talk about the bond you’ve built with your castmates?
My castmates are AMAZING. Working with all of them has truly been a blessing. I think that whatever you do, it is important to have a tribe around you, and these people have become a part of my tribe. It’s a beautiful thing when women, particularly women of color, truly uplift and support one another. From day one, I got nothing but love from Melissa and Celeste. Freddie is simply one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. I just ran into Quentin at an audition and the man literally dropped everything to help me with my lines before I went in. Skyh is like a quadruple threat. Just a wonderful group of people to work with.
Source: Courtesy Dominique Washington / Courtesy Dominique Washington
Why do you think people will enjoy the show?
I mean, there’s a lot to love about the show. We are the reality TV generation. This is a scripted series that kind of takes you behind the scenes of a dating show and gives you that show within a show vibe. You have love, betrayal, backstabbing, seduction—all the makings of something juicy.
What upcoming projects do you have?
I’ve got my first role in a full-length feature coming up and just booked another project. Can’t say much but every job is a blessing and a building block. So I’m grateful to be keeping that momentum going.
You can follow Dominique’s adventures on Instagram, @watchdomi.
You can watch the first full episode below:
