God Friended Me Season 2 Q&A with Javicia Leslie
I recently had the pleasure and honor to speak with Javicia Leslie, who plays the smart, caring problem-solver Ali Finer on God Friended Me, which airs on CBS on Sunday nights. We talked about the best advice Ali has given and what to expect with her character and the Finer family in this all-new season! In addition to God Friended Me, check her out as the lead on Always A Bridesmaid airing on BET and on-demand now! (Small plot-line spoiler for season 2)
Javicia Leslie Photo Credit : Jeff Riedell/WB
In the first season, Ali was very much a conduit between Miles (Brandon Michael Hall) and your dad Arthur (Joe Morton) and we got to see some of what Ali was going through, but now with the new season, talk about how we get to see Ali grow and learn more about her. The scene in episode 2 of this new season was a very powerful touching moment between Ali and her dad at the church.
Javicia Leslie: I agree with you that Ali definitely was a connecting factor between her brother and father, but (she) also has connections with a lot of the other characters by bringing them back to reality as they go through moments where they are lost or confused and she’s the voice of reason, and that continues this year, but the great part is that she has her own journey that she is going to go on. As you mentioned in last (week’s)episode, Ali is struggling with the fact she doesn't fit in the community (church) that she was raised in, the family that she has had her entire life, because they don’t accept who she is and it’s just a place (now) that she doesn't fit in. She’s very spiritual and she cares a lot about her faith and it’s a huge part of her life and she wants all to be in alignment with who she is. You watch and go on this journey at the beginning of this second season,and just trying to find where she fits in, and then in the middle of the season there is something revealed to her that she keeps a secret from her brother and father that’s a major part of her storyline and major part of what she is going through! This secret is really going to be something that challenges her brother's beliefs in faith, what little he has, and it’s going to really rock the Finer family to the core when you watch them come together and try to get past!
This season you are still going to see Ali try and go in there and help. Originally, I was asked what character did I want to work more with, and I said Rakesh and he said the same thing in another interview about Ali, not knowing that we will get to work with each other a lot this season. You will see us solve problems together this season; it just changes up the dynamic a little bit instead of always being Ali and Miles - we get to see her friendship and adoration for other characters this season.
What do you think is the best advice that Ali gave in the first season, and would you take it, and how it would affect you in real life?
JL: (laughs) I know I play Ali; I think what I see when I watch the show playback (is that) a lot of the advice Ali gives is about communication, because there will be times Miles will come up to her about something that happens with Arthur or vice versa or even Arthur and Trish. A lot of times there is just a weird lack of communication; there are times when they are saying something and someone else took it the wrong way and a lot of times, Ali has been able to decode. There’s a moment where the young pastor came in that Arthur thought was going to take his job. I asked the young pastor as a sort of temperature check, “Have you ran your sermon past Arthur yet?” His response of, “Yeah I don't need to do that,” Ali was like, look you have a choice here, you can make this a beautiful transition and you will have Arthur on your side or it can be where Arthur is not on your side, he’s your enemy, but the way you make that happen, the way you make this relationship work is you show him the respect that he deserves and show him some respect for his church. Even though you may feel like running the sermon past him is not necessary, it makes Arthur feel respected and needed and as human beings, it’s something we just have to do in real life. It’s like when someone tells a story more than once and you heard the story before, but you know having this moment of allowing someone to feel needed, allowing (someone) to feel respected, to feel interesting and important. That’s something that needs to be explained and something definitely that I go through!
Talk about the layers of Ali - when you first got the role, what were you the most excited about, and now being on season two,what maybe brings some trepidation as she begins to grow more as a character for the new season?
JL: In all my characters I've played so far, I always felt she is the closest to how I am; how she’s always that strong friend for the people around her and that gives her life, and it fills me up to be able to be there for my friends and family and that’s how she is as well. When I got the character and started reading a few scripts and I saw her being that supportive person, that attracted me a lot! Something that makes me nervous about playing her is I truly want to make sure I am a reflection of the community that Ali comes from because I don't necessarily walk those shoes; I just want to make sure that everything is done one, with respect,but two, with genuineness and authenticity. It’s very important when I am reading a script or if I don't feel right about this (a part in the script), I will go up to the writers and producers and say, “I don't think this is a reflection necessarily of that community,” and they will always go and do their research and find out. It can be something as what type of church we say it is, is it a progressive church, is it an LGBTQ church, are we not including someone who can be tied to that? It’s just the entire process is something that we are very sensitive to, especially if the immediate people involved are not part of that community,we need to find people that are. It’s the same thing for me being a Black woman - if I’m reading a script and I feel something can be very offensive to Black women, it’s not like this was meant to be offensive for the story and it’s just you weren't paying attention the way it comes across. It’s my job as an actor and as a person of that community to say this isn’t a reflection of us and it comes across as offensive. I think the scary part sometimes is just making sure I am respectful in representing and I am authentic when it comes to representing a community that I’m not a part of technically. I just want the part to always be true.
What has been the best part about filming in New York, and what are some of the things that you had to adjust to becoming more of a ‘New Yorker” with being here to film so many episodes versus being in LA?
JL: It was very interesting; I wasn't ready and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about New York. To be one hundred percent honest, I was terrified because it's such a big aggressive city by myself!Right before I moved from California to NYC in June (my birthday was in May), I went to San Diego with my friends and on the way, I was in the car and I looked at both of them and said, “I want to adopt a dog!” I had wanted to adopt a dog way before that but I hadn’t found one in LA, because in LA I think everyone is infatuated with pet adoption, it’s like they are fighting for dogs! (laughs) It’s very beautiful that there are so many families that are taking in adoptive dogs. I really wanted a dog and I was like, let’s just try San Diego while we’re there. So, on the way back to LA, we stopped at Helen Woodward Adoption Center and I found my dog! I got him and brought him to NY, and I think he’s been a huge part of me feeling comfortable there. I usually have him with me; last season he even went to set with me. One time when we were filming on location and somebody randomly came across the street and walked into my trailer. Having my dog with me makes me feel safe; and having someone always there makes me feel like I’m not alone in my apartment. One of the hardest parts for me last year was I left a tribe, I left a family; and moving was lonely;but to have him there through this process has been great.
On the beautiful side of it, as an artist, New York is like an artist’s playground! I’ve been going to plays and seeing other shows, and I just get to meet all these fun and different types of people that really allow me to add to my art as an actor! I’m really appreciative that I have gotten a chance to live in New York.
With New York being such a great additional character of the show, have you had any particular places you loved filming in thus far, and will we see Ali out more in new locations, as last season I felt she mostly was at the bar or the church for a bulk of the time?
JL: I have a new church now (as was seen in the last episode),which is in the Lower East Side, which is really dope. I’m definitely going to be getting out more (on the show)! I really do love that about being in New York - walking through the streets,it’s just so beautiful. The New York residents, it’s their city;sometimes you just have to work around that (while filming) as well (laughs)!
Talk about filming with Brandon and Joe and that dynamic - it seems like watching a real family every week - and getting the group back together for this new season and new journey. Also, was there one standout moment while filming the first season?
JL: What’s interesting is we all had to move here! Violett (Kara) and I were living in LA, so we just got up and moved to NY. Brandon was in LA but he did come from NY. Suraj (Rakesh) was the only one living here, and Joe moved here, but that was good because he wanted to move back to the east coast anyway. I think one, everyone having to leave families to come here, now we are each other’s’ family! That was a huge part of it,especially for me; me and Brandon got very close when we met, we just have a strong connection like real brother and sister. Itwas very genuine and authentic being there and being very supportive. It’s funny, when you asked me how was it to come back to season two to reunite - we never separated! I did a project that just aired last week (on BET), Always A Bridesmaid,and I don't know if you noticed, but Brandon is in it! We never missed a beat (laughs), we stayed with each other. Honestly, I got that role because of Brandon and his character from The Mayor. His mom (on the show), Yvette Nicole Brown, was looking for her main actress for the movie, and because she watches God Friended Me to support Brandon, and she saw me and asked Brandon, “How do you think she would feel about reading for the character?”, and (he) said, “I think she would love to,” and I read it, and I love romantic comedies and was like heck yes! It’s funny, because there is this beautiful connection that we are all able to have and to do that type of stuff for each other, and he got to be in it! When it comes to Joe, we always try to watch certain episodes together as a cast, we’ll come together. Outside of that, Joe moved into his new home in New Jersey and we all hung out at the lake, eating some good food! It really has been fun, and (we) all have been a support system for each other. We’ll go to catch shows together in the city, and yes, we never really missed a beat, we never really had to re-unite, which is all good; in that sense it felt like we constantly kept in touch with each other, constantly supported each other. If there’s a birthday, we’re there for each other; if there’s a show we all want to see, we’ll all try to get tickets and go together and have fun!
Javicia Leslie who plays “Ali” on God Friended Me. Photo Credits Top Left: David Giesbrecht/CBS, Peter Kramer/WB, Barbara Nitke/WB, David Giesbrecht/CBS
