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KYM WHITLEY: Stand-up's 'Stand-off'
Comedienne flips the switch to do dramatic roles
*Kym Whitley has made a name for herself as the comedic supporting actress. After all – she is a comedian. The Ohio native stole the show in a number of TV shows and films including “Martin,” “The Parkers,” and who could forget her role as Suga in “Next Friday?” But now, the comic/actress is trading in her stand-up mic for juicier parts and transitioning into dramatic roles.
“I always want the challenge and I’m always looking for something new to do,” Whitley said of why she decided to make the change. “Being a stand-up comic and doing comedy all your life, it’s fun, but sometimes it gets simple – and a little boring. So going into another realm can be refreshing. It’s a new love, it’s exciting.”
Whitley advised that people should definitely speak to the things they want and tell people what they’re interested in. She said that that’s how she got her first dramatic role – by letting industry-ites know that she was looking to add to her repertoire. And after finally breaking into drama, Whitley knew she had a few things to learn.
“My first dramatic role was with Vanessa Bell Calloway for a movie on BET. I played her best girlfriend. They met with me and said, ‘You know, it’s drama.’ So I had to cry. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to cry because I’m always laughing and joking. When it came down to it, I had to concentrate, I had to be sad all day – and I cried, but then I couldn’t stop crying.”
Another way to score the roles you want? Have connections. Whitley had a good friend who’d written an episode for the new fall show “Standoff.”
“A friend of mine who’s a director, named Craig Ross (“Cold Case”), called me and said he had this script for a show called ‘Standoff’ and asked me to come in for the major part. I had to put it in God’s hands ‘cause they gave me 15 pages and I had to do it in 30 minutes. Later, they called me and asked if I wanted the part.”
“Standoff” is a hostage negotiation show starring Ron Livingston.
“It’s pretty intense,” she said of the show. “It was fun doing it, though it was a lot of work. I definitely want to do more drama.”
“Standoff” airs Tuesday nights at 9/8c on Fox. Whitley’s episode “The Accidental Negotiator,” written by Ross, airs tomorrow night.
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