MadameNoire Featured Video

 

Tami Roman at the BET's 'American Soul' Los Angeles Premiere

Source: Leon Bennett / Getty

 

If you’re anxiously waiting to see Tami Roman return to shade-throwing and drama-filled reality TV shows like Basketball Wives and Marriage Bootcamp, you might be disappointed. 

“I don’t think I’ll be returning anytime soon in the format that people are familiar with seeing me in. Nothing ensemble-driven right now,” the star told MADAMENOIRE during an exclusive interview.

Thankfully, fans will still get to see Ms. Roman tread into new creative territory with her booming acting career. Currently, Tami has her hands full juggling a slew of TV projects from her hilarious role as Denise on the BET+ comedy The Ms. Pat Show to her riveting portrayal of Octavia Spencer’s onscreen step-momma in Apple TV’s hit drama series Truth Be Told.

Roman’s passion for acting blossomed when she landed a spot on the cast of The Real World in 1993.

“I always thought that I was either going to be a model or, the first Beyonce,” she chuckled. “That’s why people saw me in The Real World and the singing group because that was really what I was trying to do.”

The most embarrassing role

Before fearlessly venturing into the world of music and television “The Mistress 101” author got her first small taste of the on-screen life when she landed a role in John Singleton’s classic film  Boyz in the Hood, well, or so she thought.

“When the movie came out, all you saw were my legs in the scene that I was supposed to be in and so I was like, oh my god, he edited me out. That must mean I’m horrible,” she recalled of the embarrassing moment. “That’s when I got serious about the craft of acting. I’m the type of person that’s like, I’m never going to have that moment again.”

After the humiliating experience, the 52-year-old star primed her theatrical chops for three years with legendary actress Chip Fields, who played in iconic Black sitcoms like Good Times and Living Single. Now, things have come full circle for the reality TV titan, who’s currently making noise as the leading actress on BET’s new spicy drama show Haus of Vicious. 

Bringing Chantel To Life On BET’s “Haus of Vicious”

The eight-episode series follows Roman’s character Chantel Vivian, a fashion designer who’s at the height of her career. But her narcissistic husband, unresolved childhood traumas and cocaine addiction threaten to tear down the booming fashion house she’s built from scratch. You can tell Roman took time to carefully craft each layer of Chantel’s complex storyline and at some points during the show, you almost forget your watching the star on screen. The Bonnet Chronicles host said she drew from aspects of her own life in order to tap into Chantel’s multifaceted character.

“My mother was a disciplinarian. She worked three jobs and she was a single parent. She was very hard on me in the aspect of learning quickly on how to navigate life because nobody gives you anything,” the star explained.

“So in trying to bring that to life with Chantel, that aspect was very easy to do.”

Roman’s a hustler by nature, so she had no problem portraying Chantel’s “win by any means necessary” drive on camera either.

The multihyphenate can relate to some of the more sensitive aspects of her character, as well,  like the heartbreak of being in a toxic relationship and seeing the struggle of addiction with her late father who was a heroin addict. “That’s what acting is. It’s people watching and pulling from every experience you have so that you can provide the right emotion for the character,” she said.

What’s next for the superstar?

Haus of Vicious is already off to a juicy start, and if you were tuned into the first episode, viewers were left bracing their seats after Chantel and her hairstylist Raven linked up in the green room to do a little bit more than just glam. Roman didn’t give away too many spoilers about the scene but she told us to stay tuned because the storyline gets real “good” further along in the season.

What’s next for Tami Roman you ask? Where do we even begin? Well, for starters, Roman’s popular VH1 show Caught In The Act just got renewed for a second season. Throughout the series, Roman helps suspicious lovers catch their cheating partners in the act. Some fans have likened the series to the 2000s hit show Cheaters, but the star says they take a completely different angle with the show.

“We really tried to add elements that elevate the concept by giving people real relationship experts, real advice, engaging in conversation with them, not just rolling up on them and trying to catch people for the sensationalism of it all,” she said.

“We have the drama elements, but we also have some education in there. We really want people to understand what these relationships look like and if you need help, or if you’re noticing red flags in your relationships, take note of what you’re seeing.”

 

Play

 

Check out Tami Roman dazzle as Chantel on BET’s Haus of Vicious every Wednesday at 8 PM ET/PT and be on the lookout for Season 3 of Truth Be Told later on this year.

 

Comment Disclaimer: Comments that contain profane or derogatory language, video links or exceed 200 words will require approval by a moderator before appearing in the comment section. XOXO-MN