*Brandy Norwood is coming back in a big way as she gets set for a return to the small screen on Tuesday (Jan. 5) with her new show, “Zoe Ever After,” on BET.
The sitcom comes after Norwood’s stint on Broadway playing Roxie Hart in “Chicago” and her last TV experience as Chardonnay on “The Game.” With 2016 on the horizon, the actress-singer opened up to Ebony about “Zoe Ever After,” what fans can expect from her musically and who exactly is “the next Brandy.”
Highlights from the interview are below:
EBONY: Can you tell us how Zoe Ever After came about?
Brandy: It’s always been a dream of mine to have another sitcom. I love television. During The Game, the feeling was reawakened, and I really wanted to go after that again. So I had a meeting with [producer] Debra Martin Chase and we wanted to do this project together. She asked me, “If you were not singing or acting, what would you want to do?” I told her that I would be a makeup artist, and that’s how Zoe was born. Zoe has her own cosmetics line, she’s raising a son and co-parenting with her ex-husband who she was with for 20 years. She’s starting this dream, she’s pushing forward and finding her own voice. It’s a comedy and it’s fun. I had a really good time building it.
EBONY: How is Zoe Moon different from your previous roles like Moesha and Chardonnay?
Brandy: I think they’re all very similar. I think Zoe is like Moesha all grown up. Moesha was very driven and all about her career and making her dreams come true. I think it took Zoe a long time to find out what that was, and with Chardonnay, she knew she wanted to do her thing. With Zoe, it took her 20 years to come out of the shadow of her ex-husband, and she just developed a lot later. But she’s doing it now and that’s all that matters.
EBONY: Can we expect another album from you soon? If so, is there anything you’re willing to share about what you’ve been working on?
Brandy: Of course! That’s number one on my bucket list. (laughs) [However], it’s not where I want it to be, but I’m working on it for sure.
EBONY: You often refer to yourself as “the Next Brandy.” What’s the inspiration behind that and what’s next for you?
Brandy: So many different things are happening. I felt that way when I did Chicago and moving forward into Zoe Ever After and music and everything else, it’s all happening and it’s all a new thing for me. All my dreams are coming true. So it’s the new me getting up and getting out there doing what I have to do. Of course, inspire my daughter as well and set an example that she can overcome anything and go after her dreams. It’s never too late.
To read Brandy’s entire interview with Ebony, click here. To see a trailer for “Zoe Ever After,” check out the video below:
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