Some would argue that Kimmie hasn’t had a good day since she hit the television screen during the debut season’s first episode of Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black on Netflix.
While the second season seems to close with a win for Kimmie, actress Taylor Polidore Williams, who brought the character to life in the Netflix series, says she just may never have a moment of peace.
“She’s not really a peaceful person,” Williams told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “I would think, like as Taylor, oh, now she feels like it’s taking a turn for the best, but knowing her [Kimmie], she doesn’t feel at ease about it.”
Reflecting on her character’s journey
While Williams believes Kimmie’s mindset is shifting, she says it is vital that the audience understands the timeline of all she has endured.
“Even though it feels like we’ve been with her and this story for so long, all this has taken place in like a week, kind of less than a week’s time,” she explained. “So I think, just as dramatic as it is for us to watch, she might be the only person that’s processing it in real-time, like, what is actually going on, she is stressed about it, and she doesn’t trust what’s happening.”
Williams added, “I think she is shifting to allow herself to be more trusting, to believe that she deserves a break, and that somebody is giving her a good break. I think the biggest factor is Horace, and I think that he’s working to have her trust him, and she is listening to him, obviously, and she’s like, ‘Okay, maybe I do have someone in my corner.’”
Her thinking, however, couldn’t be more opposite of Kimmie’s, as Williams jokes that she might be too trusting and is a person who genuinely believes every good thing is meant for her.
“From her, I’ve learned not everybody has the best intentions for stuff, and maybe it’s not trusting people, but taking a second to assess, is this genuine, or is there an ulterior motive? I might have picked that up from her a little bit,” said Williams.
On her love for advocating for foster youth
There’s a turning point in this second installment of Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black where Kimmie and her arch nemesis, Mallory (Crystle Stewart), come together for the greater good of themselves and their survival.
Particularly, there is a scene where Stewart’s Mallory opens up about being a product of the foster care system, which is something that Williams has dedicated her life’s work to outside of acting.
“I’m a court-appointed advocate for youth in foster care, and have been for some six years now,” she recalled. “But prior to that, growing up, my grandmother was a foster parent, so my entire life, I’ve been very well aware of the child welfare system, and I personally feel like it’s just a civic duty to protect young people, children, and particularly those in difficult situations, like being in foster care.”
“I know that these young people are extremely resilient, but they need the extra support to thrive in this world, and my work as a CASA, court-appointed special advocate, has been the most fulfilling work that I’ve done in my life, besides acting.”
Through her Shelter Rock Foundation, Williams continues to bridge the gap, using her platform to advocate and encourage others to pay attention and raise awareness about issues affecting youth in their communities.
What’s on her career radar?
After auditioning for Hulu’s Reasonable Doubt about four times for the show’s third season, Williams is thrilled to join the cast for its highly anticipated fourth season, as her casting was just recently announced.
“I had been auditioning for Reasonable Doubt in the seasons leading up to [this moment],” said Williams. “As an actor, I’m constantly thinking, what’s next? What am I gonna do next? Even while I’m in the middle of something else, I’m always thinking about what is next, and will I ever work again? So I always audition, and I’m already a fan of the show. I’m a fan of the creative team behind it, Kerry Washington, Onyx Collective, Raamala Mohamed…very big fans of them. I think in my head, I was like, ‘I’m gonna be on Reasonable Doubt one day. I don’t know what role yet, but I’m going to do it.’ But more than anything, it was on my vision board to work with a woman-led team. That is so important to me, and it means so much to me. I’m just very happy to be there.”
Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black Season 2 Part 2 is now streaming on Netflix, and it has been renewed for a third and final season.
The post Why ‘Tyler Perry’s Beauty In Black’ Star Taylor Polidore Williams Says Kimmie’s ‘Not Really A Peaceful Person’ appeared first on Blavity.
