Chantel Riley – Pearson

By starrymag | September 5, 2019

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) It’s great to see Jessica Pearson get her own series because she always seemed to outshine the men on “Suits.”

A) She definitely has that, doesn’t she? I feel the same way. It’s this presence that she carries. Even in real life the way Gina [Torres] carries herself, it’s not too far off who Jessica is. You feel that presence and that power and that force that you see she has on TV and you literally feel that exact same thing when you’re with her and you’re working with her in person.

Q) Just to be able to watch Gina and the way she carries herself as Jessica Pearson…These are the type of women that we need to see as leads even more.

A) Absolutely! More female led shows. More stories about women and what they experience in life – good things/bad things. We have stories to tell.

Q) When we saw Jessica on “Suits” we really saw her present, but not how she was shaped into the person that she is – how her professional and personal past really propels her. With “Pearson” we get this intertwining of the two. Why does that make this series as compelling as well as being emotionally a standout?

A) What’s really cool about “Pearson” is you really do get to see more of Jessica’s vulnerable side. We know Jessica to be this powerhouse and, some may say, intimidating force. But what’s great about “Pearson” is that you get to see some of that strip away. With her relationship with Jeff (D.B. Woodside) and her relationship with her family. Her getting some pushback from my character, Angela Cook. You kind of get to see the power slowly being stripped away from her at times. She doesn’t always make it work out, unfortunately. That’s what’s so great because that’s what life is. Sometimes it’s just not going to work out the way you want it to and the way you’d expect it to work out. So, what I love about that is you get to see that side of her and of the show. Another thing is the fact that with “Pearson” gets a little darker than what I think “Suits” is. We dive into Chicago politics, which you in when it comes to politics in any city or town there is going to be some form of corruption. Things are going to get messy at times. So, you get to dive into that whole aspect to see the effects of what happens at City Hall and her now working as the mayor’s new fixer trickles down to the community, the same community she’s trying to be accepted by. That’s the major difference to me. You get to see more of that element – the human side to who she is, which is really exciting. It’s so great to see. Also, as an actor, it’s always great to get something meatier and you have more dimensions to your character. So, anybody showing any kind of backstory is always an exciting moment for an actor to portray because now we get to learn more about the character. Now, we as an actor get to learn more about who Jessica is and where she came from.

Q) There is a very difficult dynamic between Jessica and Angela. Talk about their relationship and what drives them apart, but also connects them as cousins.

A) I think for Angela’s sake it’s more of the fact that she has been here the entire time trying to take care of her family, working all these longs shifts trying to support and provide for them. So, for someone to just come in and swoop in to save the day and use her money to fix things so easily and so quickly, I can understand how that would make Angela feel a little uncomfortable. I also feel like it’s a matter that she’s been doing this for years and trying to so hard to bring her family on top and then here comes someone who says, “Here you go.” It’s just so much easier for them. So, I can see where Angela is coming from in regards to the financial aspect of things. Jessica is more well off and Angela lives in a low-income community. So, there is that aspect, but I feel there is more of a competitive aspect that Angela has towards Jessica and maybe even a little jealousy that she can’t do the things that she wants to do and Jessica can financially. But I think the one thing that will ultimately bring them together and keep them closer than anything is the fact that they are family. What’s great about the show is you get to see that along the way. You get to see that, yeah, it’s okay that Angela gives Jessica a bit of a hard time at first, but you get to see the relationship grow and you get to see that they put family first over anything. It’s family. Family comes first. Family and the community and trying to make things better, not just between the two of them but for the entire community as a whole.

Q) Both women are so similar as much as they try to fight each other.

A) Absolutely! Absolutely. You can definitely see the similarities between the two of them. They are both very stubborn and, yes, very prideful. [laughs] Everybody wants to have it their way. Of course, when you have two strong willed people like that, there is going to be some kind of contention along the way.

Q) On the show we see so many characters push boundaries and in so many ways. As the season winds down, how will these boundaries push them and drive them even further?

A) Well, I think with all the characters and their situations is the fact that we don’t work well with boundaries. Period. I feel like there is always going to have to be some kind of way to make it right, to make it benefit them (whatever that instance may be). So, boundaries in regards to Angela and her situation, they are trying to tear down her building sooner than expected. Chances are she’s not going to take this sitting down. Some people would be like, “I guess that’s all we can do. We’ve got thirty days to get out of here or else we’re homeless or on the streets.” She’s a little more determined than that. I can’t see Angela just sitting back and not doing anything about it. That’s the same thing for Mayor Novak (Morgan Spector). He has McGann (Wayne Duvall) on his butt, pretty much, but instead of cowering and being afraid of him (whatever the secret is they have between the two of them) he’s like, “I’m done with these boundaries that you’re putting on me as the Mayor and as a man.” He says, “Whatever you’re going to do to me, I don’t care. I’m just going to push forward and try to come out on top regardless.” So, I feel like what’s great about these characters is they don’t look at boundaries and say, “I’m done here. That’s all I can do.” They push forward and do whatever they need to do in order to get what they want.

Q) The cinematography of the series really plays up the darkness and the drama that really propels and helps play up these emotional, intense and suspense filled moments. Talk about how the cinematography really plays up the aspect of making you feel like you’re a part of Chicago.

A) They did such a great job! We have such a great team and crew. They were able to bring that to life and it really made you feel like you were there. With City Hall, they built that from scratch. I think they also said they took some ideas from the actual Chicago City Hall and built it off of that. It really helps to even get into character, to just drop in and feel like you’re in Chicago. You feel like you’re in that City Hall. You feel like you’re a part of that city and you feel that same energy. So, they obviously do an amazing job of bringing that to life and even capturing the actual streets of Chicago. Most of the externals that we did were in Chicago. So, the team had an opportunity to go out there and film, which was awesome. So, it really puts you in that space of what that city would be like. They captured that beautifully!

Q) On “Pearson” we see so many multi-dimensional characters. The writers, especially in the female leads, have brought out incredible dynamics that are so layered and so much of this great beauty within them. There is also this juxtaposition of vulnerability and sadness. When you began reading the scripts and even talking to the writers, what really stood out to you about these characters and what makes the “Pearson” writing so incredibly sharp?

A) Well, the writing I feel like captures the women beautifully. You get to see not only their strong, powerful side as leading women, but you also get to see their vulnerable side. Every single woman is going through a different stage in their life. You have Yoli (Isabel Arraiza) who has to deal with her mom getting picked up by ICE. You get to see Keri (Bethany Joy Lenz) and her affair with the mayor and how she deals with that. Of course, there is Jessica working alongside the mayor and dealing with this murder case. On top of that she’s trying to reconnect with her family. Then, you have Angela who is pretty much losing it all in a matter of thirty days. We don’t get all the episodes at once so we’re kind of left hanging when we get each episode. We’re like, “What is going to happen next?!” So, it was so cool to read them and see the progression of each character and to see how they grow and how they deal with these circumstances that they are put in.

Q) I admire that we can take this amalgamation of each person and carry something from them with us. We get these lessons from these women. Getting to see these women fight or getting to see them not settle for less.

A) They’re not settling for less and not taking things sitting down. That’s great because that’s what women do in real life. So, you get to see these characters and you get to connect with them because you’re realizing that they are human just like everyone else. These are real human stories so it’s so easy to connect with these characters.

Q) We’ve gotten to see you in some amazing diverse roles from a vampire on “Wynonna Earp” and “Frankie Drake” as a flapper and Angela on “Pearson.” These are roles that really test and showcase your range so incredibly. Talk about how you select your roles and what really draws you in and connects you to these characters?

A) I think what’s exciting as an actor is having the opportunity to be able to play these types of roles. So, any opportunity to play a role is an opportunity to know what a character’s story was. It allows you to dive in, all in one hundred percent, and get to literally transform into these people. So, it’s always a huge opportunity as an actor and an artist to be able to have that ability to dive in, to be engulfed into who this person is and to learn about this person with each script that you get. But also, before going in having some sort of a backstory for them and creating that. So, it’s like a challenge as well. I feel like every actor who loves a challenge and loves to be able to see how much deeper and how much further they can go with each character. So, any opportunity to play three different roles in one year is incredible! “Who am I again? Oh yeah, I’m this person today.”

Q) We’ve been getting to hear some music from you lately as well.

A) I’ve been wanting to put an EP together for the longest time. So, I finally had the opportunity to do that and so I’m so excited to be here and share this music that I’ve been wanting to share for so many years. My single “Not Anymore” is out on all streaming platforms and downloading platforms. I was able to go to Nigeria and shoot a music video there with an incredible director named Wale Davies. I got to spend a beautiful day on the beach there and be able to capture the beauty of Nigeria. I’m just so excited for it to be out! So, I’m working to get my full EP out and being able to share that with the rest of the world.

Q) When it comes to creating music, as an artist what do you find creatively motivates you and challenges you?

A) I feel like, for me, because I write most of my music there are times when you find your motivation or feel like you have zero things to talk about. I get into my writer’s block and it gets a little frustrating sometimes when you’re trying to write something and nothing is really coming out. So, yeah, I have my moments of writers’ block every once in a while. But then you step away from it and breath for a second and you just jump back in. That’s the best way for me to deal with it.

Q) When can we expect more music from you?

A) I’m working to get it out by October.

Q) Is there anything else you want to be sure we share with our readers?

A) Dream, pray, believe and receive. Always start with a dream. Believe that you have it. Receive it in your heart. Watch it grow and watch it flourish. Don’t give up. Whomever is reading this, hold on to that passion that you have because it will come to pass.