We know Vanessa Bell Calloway as a veteran actor who brings a sense of intensity to every role as if it were real. Bell Calloway first came to fame starring as Princess Imani Izzi in the 1988 comedy Coming to America with Eddie Murphy and has since become a mainstay in cinema and TV shows, including the 1993 Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It, the church drama Saints & Sinners, and Showtime’s Shameless.
Now, she’s the star in the new BET+ series The Black Hamptons, which made its debut August 24, with two episodes released weekly. Based on the namesake book by Carl Weber, a New York Times best-selling author, this family drama follows two families — the Brittons and the Johnsons — as they fight over a piece of real estate in a battle between old and new money. Imagine the Black Dynasty version of Selling Sunset, and you get the idea.
The Black Hamptons’ glamorous scenes are set in sprawling mansions, yachts, and sparkling beaches, as the elite are dressed to the nines in this series set in Sag Harbor, clawing at one another every chance they get.
Bell Calloway stars as Carolyn Britton, the matriarch of the Britton family and the head of a minority-owned bank. Having owned their estate for several generations, Carolyn, her husband, Malcolm Britton (Karon Riley), and her sons, Martin (Mike Merrill) and Jesse Britton (Jordan Smith), consider themselves the “first family” of the Black Hamptons. On the other side, the Johnsons bring fresh, new energy as new-money outsiders, with Lamman Rucker starring as Anthony Johnson, a tech mogul, and Elise Neal as Sydney Johnson, a spicy Brooklynite who isn’t afraid to stand up to the Brittons. Her younger sister, Karrin (Blac Chyna), is always wasting her money on designer shoes and provides much-needed comic relief to such an intense series.
Bell Calloway speaks with Shondaland about working with Blac Chyna, being a fiercely protective mother, and hanging out with the ultra-wealthy in the Hamptons.
NADJA SAYEJ: What did you think when you read the book The Black Hamptons by Carl Weber?
VANESSA BELL CALLOWAY: I didn’t read the book, but I didn’t feel l needed to. When I read the script, it was familiar to me because I go to the Hamptons a lot. I have been going for years. Some of the women are as wealthy as we see in the show. I have friends that are wealthy. They’re a whole lot nicer than my character, but it wasn’t a far reach for me. I’ve been to the vineyards, and I’ve been blessed to be around really wealthy people. I’m not dirt poor, but I’m not as wealthy as them. I know the struggle of people who want to keep Sag Harbor Black. There’s gentrification in Sag Harbor. There was one friend of mine, and Carl Weber’s, who had a home for years that I wanted to buy so bad. But I didn’t have the money. In Sag Harbor, they’re trying to keep the Black homes there Black. People are buying the old homes, tearing them down, and building mansions.
NS: What is your own relationship with the Hamptons? What do you like about it?
VBC: The camaraderie you have with people there, going to people’s houses and chilling out, going to the beach, some of the parties are nice — so is the shopping. It’s a chill space to go.
NS: As Carolyn, you come across as the villain. What do you relate to about this character?
VBC: I am not a villain in real life, but I will go to any lengths to protect my children and my family and what I have worked for. I might not be as cutthroat as her, but I understand her feelings and zest for taking care of her family, and maintaining what she has worked for and what she feels is owed to her. I understand her a lot. I am a beast when it comes to my children.
NS: Does she have any regrets? Or does she stay determined?
VBC: Everybody has regrets in life. You’ll see one of her past regrets surface later on. She isn’t going to live in that space. She is going to put things behind her and move forward. That’s how she thinks. She’s going to take lemons and make lemonade, to make it benefit her in some form or fashion.
NS: What was it like on set working with the other actors? Was the series shot in the Hamptons?
VBC: It was shot in Los Angeles last fall. That’s TV magic. We have beautiful beaches here; we just hid the palm trees and sold it as the Hamptons. I know a lot of the cast, so it was easy for us to work together. I didn’t know Blac Chyna but met her, obviously. I have to do a job. I had to explain to Blac Chyna when I met her — I knew she’s a new actress — so I had to tell her, “I’m acting.” She isn’t as seasoned, so I didn’t want her to think I had an issue with her. My character comes at her pretty hard. So, I pulled her aside and said: “Sweetie, I just want you to know: I’ve got to do my job, so I’m coming at you. Don’t blur the lines — this is not Vanessa; this is Carolyn.” We all worked together. At the end of the day, we all want the show to be a hit.
NS: You’ve said in past interviews that staying in the game is the hard part. Do you still feel that way?
VBC: [Pfft] Do I feel that way? I am a woman who has been around for a while! You can get that job, but keeping that job, getting another job, sometimes the hardest part is maintaining and growing from there. It’s still difficult. You cannot rest on your laurels. My other show, Saints & Sinners, just finished airing six seasons. That’s over — what’s on my plate now? That’s what is important to me, and that’s what people are looking for.
NS: What advice do you have for young actors today?
VBC: The advice I love giving to young actors is something I have to remind myself — stay ready to be ready. I came back from a three-week vacation and had to get back on my diet, and at any moment I can get a gig, and I have to be camera-ready. I have to stay ready so when they happen, I’m ready. You don’t have time.
NS: After being an actor for most of your life, more than 30 years, do you ever take stock and look back on your accomplishments? Have the opportunities gotten any better?
VBC: Well, I’d be lying if I said they haven’t gotten any better. Can it get better? Of course, it can. I look back, and I’m proud of what I’ve done. I direct now; I produce. I don’t just want a producer credit just for purposes of the screen. I speak up if I feel something needs to be said and done. I’m proud of what I’ve done, but there’s always room for growth.
Nadja Sayej is an arts and culture journalist based in New York City who has written 5 books, including Biennale Bitch and The Celebrity Interview Book.
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