Brandee Evans talks filming, family and success in Hollywood

As this year continues to be an exciting one for movie releases, theatrically or otherwise, one in particular has pop culture fanatics in a frenzy. Today, MTV unveiled its latest female-led comedy, pretty stoned, featuring the likes of Brandee Evans, Kandi Burruss-Tucker and Pretty Vee. The film centers on two colleagues, of opposite natures, who must work together after finding themselves in a world of turmoil. Evans, best known for her role as Mercedes in the Starz series P-Valley, stars as Tick Tock, the resolute henchwoman of the films’ antagonist Madame X. The opportunity to take her talents in a comedic direction is what excited Evans the most, besides working with MTV.

Tick ​​Tock is a hothead and a fighter in a different way who will do whatever she can to get the job done for Madame X. Not only is she smart, but she also doesn’t play games and has a very short temper so that’s what I like about her, being different. She is fiery, tough and intense. I also love that the film is a comedy because it’s so different from my other roles, and I’ve always wanted to do comedy. I’m so excited to be a part of it, and I’ve always wanted to do something on MTV.

Throughout her career, the Memphis native has been transparent about how she relates to previous characters she’s portrayed, which is no different with Tick Tock.

I’m a lover, but I won’t bite my tongue, and I’ll tell you when something’s wrong and when it’s true. That’s how I think of Tick Tock. She’s getting better at speaking her mind without being too hurtful. I think she’s been working on her anger management, and in the movie, we see her trying to improve. When I was younger, I didn’t have this filter back then. So now I think I’ve gotten to a point where I can get my point across without being too harsh.

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Just as the entertainer has been candid about her experiences as a Hollywood multi-hyphen, she readily admits the challenges that come with it. One, in particular, was a hospital alert involving his mother during filming.

I had received calls from the caregiver saying that my mother had gone to the hospital and got cellulitis while I was filming. After finishing my scene, I rushed to the airport with the clothes on my back and stayed in the hospital all weekend. I got back in time to finish filming, and my mom didn’t even get out of the hospital until we finished the movie. So those are things that people don’t see happening while I’m filming. Even when we were shooting scenes, the doctors were on standby, and I had to run to the phone, then shoot a scene, then back to the phone. It was crazy.

While the barriers along the path to stardom can be daunting, Evans believes it’s crucial for aspiring actors to be aware of the ups and downs.

I think people need to know what’s going on behind the scenes. They see the light at the end, the interviews, the press and the red carpet, but they don’t think about how much it took us to get there, Evans said. They don’t see all the different things you’re trying to do and keep insisting because they want the easy way. It won’t be easy, and if it was, anyone could do it.

The University of Memphis alum insists her willingness to prepare for the ups and downs of her journey to stardom is what has sustained her.

Early in my career, I lost a few jobs by not knowing and doing my research. I had to decide if I wanted to keep being sabotaged or if I wanted to grow. I had to take a moment and dive into myself and say, Hey, girl, this can’t be everyone. It must be you. If the common denominator is something wrong with you, it’s you, and you are the problem. You have to figure out what you need to do to improve and choose your battles. There are a lot of things you learn in this industry that TikTok doesn’t teach you.