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Niecy Nash in Selma

CBN.com's Review of Selma

Selma: Official Movie Trailer

Watch the Official Lyric Video for "Glory" by Common and John Legend

For more on Selma, visit: www.selmamovie.com

More from Niecy Nash

In 2012, Niecy Nash was a guest speaker at One Church in Los Angeles.

In this Vimeo video from that night, Nash candidly shares about her work as an actress and faith in God.

Watch now!

INTERVIEW

Niecy Nash Talks Selma, "Glory", Race and Her Christian Faith

By Hannah Goodwyn
Senior Producer


CBN.com - Most know Niecy Nash for her turn as Deputy Raineesha Williams on Comedy Central's Cops spoof Reno 911. You may recognize her from TV Land's The Soul Man as the preacher's wife Lolli, opposite Cedric the Entertainer. These days, you can find the
comedienne/actress alongside the magnificent cast featured in the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film, Selma.

In a recent phone interview with CBN.com, Nash extoled the great work of Selma's cast and crew, talked about her new favorite song, "Glory", and shared how her Christian faith influences her life and her work. Here are excerpts from that phone call.

Hannah Goodwyn: DuVernay brought in 27 new characters when she came on as the director for Selma, including your character, Richie Jean Jackson. What sort of conversations did you have with her regarding the part you were going to play in this big story?

Niecy Nash: Well, Ava's and my conversation went a lot like, this is Ava speaking, 'I'm calling you because I'm a fan of your work and there's a role in my film that I would love for you to do.' Before she even said what it was I said, 'I'm in! Yes, let's do it. I love you, too, and I'm a fan of your work.'

Then we talked about Richie Jean… She fed the movement literally and figuratively. They used her home as kind of a headquarters. So she always gave them a place to stay, a place to meet, food to eat. She washed their clothes, and she provided the provision that they needed so that they could continue to create the vision.

Goodwyn: She was definitely a behind-the-scenes supporter. Did it give you an appreciation of those unsung heroes of the Civil Rights movement?

Nash: Of course. It makes you say, 'Who else is out there that I don't know?' But you think about something as big as voting registration and there has to be many, many people behind the scenes who you never hear about who played a significant part in it all.

Goodwyn: What were some of the thoughts that went through your mind as you were filming some of the scenes with David Oyelowo playing Dr. King?

Nash: I thought that David was absolutely brilliant. One of the things that I loved about him as an actor and his process is that he never, all during filming–even when we just went to hang out, to grab a bite to eat, or we were not on set, he never spoke in his natural accent. He always had the voice of Dr. King, 24 hours a day.

Goodwyn: That's commitment.

Nash: So much so that when the film was over and I finally heard him speak, I was like, 'Boy, I forgot you were English!'

Goodwyn: Now I know that you've seen the film, but how many times have you seen it?

Nash: I've probably seen it five times.

Goodwyn: Is there one word you could use to describe what you felt after seeing Selma for the first time?

Nash: I was full… full.

Goodwyn: Dr. King's was a great Southern Baptist minister but also a very personal man of faith. That Christian faith definitely plays a significant role in Selma. Is there a moment where you think his faith and reliance on God especially shines through in the film?

Nash: Oh, the moment I would have to say shines through is when King had the marchers on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the state troopers told them to come through. He knelt down to pray and then he turned around. Everyone questioned that like, 'We're here. They said we can go through. Why didn't you?' You know what I mean, because he didn't have a sense of peace. In that prayer, he got his instruction and he turned around and went back.

Goodwyn: So even when walking through was the logical next step, Dr. King, in his spirit, was maybe sensing it wasn't the thing to do at that moment.

Nash: Yes, it was definitely an exercise in following your spirit even if it doesn't make sense in the natural.

Goodwyn: In a Vimeo video from a talk you gave at One Church, you share about how your faith shows up with you on sets, including one story involving Blythe Danner. You also said that you see every job as an "assignment". With that in mind, what did you think your assignment was on the set of Selma?

Nash: My assignment on the set of Selma was to embody the spirit of the character that I played. She really was a nurturer to the movement. She made sure that everyone ate, that they had a place to stay. You know, 'Let me wash your clothes. Is there anything else you need?'

A couple of times, my cast members said, 'You really are Richie Jean.' I'm like, 'Did everybody eat? Did you get enough? You want me to order something? What do you need? Are you OK?' I think that I was a nurturer in this particular environment. And I think that it allowed us to have a connective tissue that has surpassed the movie. We have literally become a family. We've been on a group text with the cast. We talk to each other on group text, like, every other day since the movie wrapped.

Goodwyn: Selma's song, "Glory" by John Legend and Common, has been garnering a lot of praise and awards. How does that song encompass the soul of this story, of this movement?

Nash: Oh, my goodness. First of all, and I'm not saying it because I was in the movie, but "Glory" has become one of my favorite songs. I absolutely love it and I think that the one thing I really think is a gift about it is that it's one of those things where it speaks to multiple generations. Some older people may not be all about the rap of it all, but it definitely pulls in those who are. Then you have the lyrics of John Legend married to the poetry or rapping of Common and I just think it's a gift. It's a gift to the movie. It's a gift to the movement. It's a gift to the social arrest that we're experiencing right now.

Goodwyn: Bishops Harry Jackson and T.D. Jakes had an event on King's birthday this week and called for racial reconciliation. For you, as a woman of faith, what do you see that needs to happen on a spiritual level?

Nash: One of the things that could help is fellowshipping with people that don't look like you. When you have a same belief but you have a different skin color, it still kind of makes you the same. We could grow from intermixing, having some social things that we do with other believers who just don't necessarily look like us.

In your community, you may only ever see and hang around people who look like you. But in order for a lot of the stereotypes and a lot of this nonsense that people have their minds wrapped around to be dispelled, you've got to experience people. And if you start at a place of believers, I think that that will definitely help move the situation forward in the Spirit.

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Hannah GoodwynHannah Goodwyn serves as the Entertainment producer for CBN.com. For more articles and information, visit Hannah's bio page.

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