Karimah Westbrook – All American

By starrymag | October 14, 2019

By: Malasha Parker

 

 

 

Q) How do you think your character, Grace James, has changed from Season One to Season Two of “All American?” 

 

A) Well, we just started Season Two, so you guys haven’t really seen a lot of things play out. But I would say for my character this season there has been a lot of growth and I’m very excited for that and I think that’s all I can say without giving any spoilers. 

 

Q) What continues to challenge you about your role? 

 

A) What challenges me about Grace James is that it’s so layered. I feel like I’m kind of having to consider multiple things – my family and my sons. Then, also, the reality of things and the choices that my character has seen in the past and how that has affected things currently and my ex-husband being back in town and in the picture and wanting to be in his kids’ lives. It’s a lot to kind of put in perspective. And for someone who’s raised her children for so long on her own and then to have this new presence to kind of show up and making demands and doing things behind my back, it’s a lot to try to get a handle on for someone who’s used to kind of having to handle her own things.  And now we have this other person in the picture. It’s exciting for me as an actor, but with me doing the work so many things that I have to make real for myself… And when they do become real for me– it’s a lot! It’s a fun challenge with having to consider the realities of everything that’s happened with our families thus far and where we’re at today with Corey (Chad L. Coleman) back in the picture. 

 

Q) Grace and Corey eventually decided against getting a paternity test. Do you think this conversation will come back up? Possibly, from someone other than Grace and Corey? 

 

A) We’re filming episode 8 right now, so I know everything that I can’t tell you. You’re asking for spoilers here and I can’t really say, but it is something that a lot of people want to know about. And I would say for my character, she was very happy that Corey and I seem to come to some sort of resolve in a weird way. That at least he wasn’t pressuring my character as much as he was in Season One. Like randomly popping up and demanding. I was reading and I was cracking up laughing last night. I was reading the tweets for the east coast because I hadn’t seen it yet. So, to see the banter back and forth with people saying, “Well, she had an affair,” and, “He has the right to know,” was just great. But it was interesting to see two different perspectives on it. Some people are like, “She’s right! He’s been gone all that time how you going to pop-up.” And then, of course, guys are like, “She was this and she was that.” It was just fun to see. But I would say you guys would just have to tune in to see what would happen from here on out. 

 

Q) What will Grace and Corey’s relationship be like going forward? 

 

A) I can’t. I’m like, “Now, wait a minute! That sounds like a spoiler.” I can’t reveal anything that will happen. Again, you guys will have to tune in. Everything plays out. 

 

Q) What are Grace’s feelings about Spencer possibly wanting to play football for his father? 

 

A) I think that Grace has worked very hard. She’s gone through a lot to position Spencer (Daniel Ezra) to be at Beverly. We look back in Season One at all the things that Spencer went through at Crenshaw High with the fights and then the school reminded him so much of his father. First, I wanted to expose him to a whole other world just something different – get him out of the neighborhood, but also place him at a school that offers more academically, specifically. So, for him to want to come back to Crenshaw or just for that to be offered to him and if he would consider that, I think that I wouldn’t want him to do that because I feel like we already made what we think is the best choice for you. So, if he decided to do that I don’t think that I would approve of that because I’ve worked so hard to get him to where he is today. 

 

Q) How will Spencer and Grace’s relationship change this season? What obstacles will they have to deal with? 

 

A) There’s a lot in store this season. Of course, with me and my sons Spencer and Dillon (Jalyn Hall), they’ll always be loved with family. You guys are going to go for a nice little ride this season for sure. 

 

Q) Who is a character we will get to see Grace be more involved with that we didn’t get to see in Season 1? 

 

A)  I don’t know why that sounds like a spoiler to me. You just have to tune in. I’m afraid that what I want to say might be a spoiler so you guys have to tune in to find out.

 

Q) Grace apologized to Laura in the premiere. Will we see these women talking more now that Spencer has moved back into the Baker household? 

 

A) You’ll just have to tune in to find out. 

 

Q) Grace has been stopping Billy from completely hitting rock bottom. In what ways will this continue throughout the season? 

 

A) I will say that I think it’s a beautiful thing that we see that Billy (Taye Diggs) and Grace are talking. From the season premiere that was kind of cool that from Season One he helped her with her son and then we see her in the (Season 2) premiere helping him. And it’s kind of weird because they had an affair and it’s still very messy. But I think what the writers have done is kind of cool. In real life, things can be complicated and people make mistakes. You guys have to just tune in to see how everything pans out. 

 

Q What is something exciting or shocking that you could tease about an upcoming episode or scene? 

 

A) I would say that something is going to happen that no one is going to see coming.

 

Q) What would you say the theme of this season is and how your character embodies that? 

 

A) Family is definitely still one of the themes. It’s funny because “coming of age” almost feels like a young thing – something you tend to the youth. I do feel like that is a major thing and you see a lot of characters growing. I think that Grace is in that category as well – that there is a lot of growth with Grace James this season. There is a lot of growth in a lot of the characters this season. I think that this season the viewers are going to see sides of these characters that they haven’t seen before. I think Season One kind of introduced all of us and then now Season Two everyone is going to get to know us all deeply. Deeper. One of the things is that there are a lot of changes as well. I think that kind of coincides to my character Grace. There’s a lot of changes there. 

 

Q) What do you love most about being a part of “All American” and seeing the impact that it is having on its fans? 

 

A) What I love most about “All American” are the stories that are being told. I think they’re very relatable. I think the show is very grounded and I think the show offers perspectives that the viewers and even actors, whoever’s reading it, or if you’re watching it, it really is very thought-provoking. What is gratifying for me is when I get messages from kids or if I see messages or if I read something and they say how they learned something. I remember one kid wrote an essay. The teacher sent me this message and the assignment was like, “Who would they like to be like in the world?” And one of the little kids put Spencer James. He made this whole thing about how Spencer changed his life and did better and looked after his family. To me, it was very humbling and also revealed to me how important this show is. How it’s affecting our youth – kids and adults. Single moms, too. I play a single mom, so for me that feels like a huge responsibility; in the sense of not playing the idea of what I think a single mom is and just being and trying to as an actor just being as vulnerable as possible, allowing truth to be present in what’s written for myself and really trying to make everything that’s written for me a reality. So, this multifaceted story is what makes me excited about this show. I think what’s written though it’s fun. The actors that I work with, everyone, the cast and the crew it’s such a great set. The energy is good. It’s really a blessing to be a part of it. Then, to have this response from the public…It’s just like “Wow!” I had already known that it’s bigger than me, even before I got the job and with life in general. Nut now it’s like a confirmation that I’m being a vessel. To be a part of something that’s feeding the public some soul food, causing families to have conversations that they’ve probably didn’t have an opening to having one before. Causing kids to kind of think about things a little differently with seeing themselves in the characters that they’re watching on the show. I think that’s incredible. It reconfirms the power of the media and how you want to use it. You want to take the responsibility of feeding people something positive that could be life-changing or just making whatever with no regard to what it’s instilling in people that are watching. What is it inspiring them to do?

 

Q) Are there any other projects that you are currently working on? 

 

A) Not right now. I did a film maybe about a month ago, a movie called After We Collided, and it’s based off of a book series by an author named Anna Todd. I worked on it a few days last month and it’s going to come out in 2020. But that has a huge I didn’t know but the book series had over a billion reads online. That’s a highly anticipated film that’s going to come out next year. Other than that my schedule is so tight. It was a blessing that I was even able to. This was supposed to happen because I had those days off so I was able to do the movie. 

 

Q) Is there anything you would like to say to fans of your work?

 

A) I just want to say thank you guys for watching the show and just supporting me on my journey and supporting the show. For live tweeting and sharing and riding with us, with “All American” and riding with me as far as my career is concerned. I’ve been in the business for a while. I’m on the other side, too. I follow people and other actors and root for them. It’s just appreciated. Thank you. I really appreciate it.