Fans have been anxiously awaiting the return of the much-beloved Starz series P-Valley. Within the wake of our real-world pandemic, we’ve been away from the show’s dynamic characters for too long, including Mississippi, Uncle Clifford and Autumn Night. 

On the heels of the drama’s record-breaking Season 2 return, spoke to Elarica Johnson, the British-born actress who plays Night in regards to the recent season, tackling the pandemic on screen and the prospect of getting boxed in to sexual roles. See what she needed to say below. 

What do you’re thinking that it was it about P-Valley that captured a lot of the general public’s attention?

I feel it was the indisputable fact that it was something people hadn’t really seen before. Among the many forged we were talking about what number of movies we had seen about strip clubs, dancers, something with women within the forefront. [It made us wonder] how is that this going to be accepted by the audience? Is that this going to be something that does really, very well? Is it something people won’t understand?

And there’s the world of Chucalissa, Mississippi itself. It’s a spot that nobody had ever really seen before. In the event that they had, it was because they were from the south and understood the language, the culture, the music and the entire entire vibe. For me, it was a spot that I had never been or experienced. And that was so exciting! That’s why I used to be interested and thought lots of other people could be. On top of that, the writing is implausible. There have been an enormous amount of folks that can relate to it. It’s a combination of the 2. We just gave a window into this world people hadn’t seen before. 

Someone wrote that P-Valley is lots like Player’s Club except that we see the story from the female gaze. 

That’s what Katori [Hall] (creator of P-Valley) wanted. That’s why we’ve all of those female directors. And I feel it’s about time. We’re all the time seeing women being oversexualized, from this man’s perspective for therefore a few years now. What does it seem like from a lady’s perspective? It’s still a strip club and still women who’re dancing, who’re nude. What it does is shows these women as more human in ways. And in addition, we see past the sexuality and nudity and see who they are surely. They’re implausible people. I’ve seen movies with strip clubs and dancers before and also you never know who they’re. They’re just within the background.

How did you are feeling going into the second season? Did you are feeling any pressure given the show’s popularity?

Truthfully, I had lots of time to give it some thought. We took a moment to come back out.  It was lots of excitement. I don’t think the pressure was there. The thing with season 1 was that, the expectation that we had. We had no idea. So when the show got here out and did so well, we were like that is amazing! I checked out what we had. We had this great fan group of people that couldn’t wait for this show to come back out. So no matter what happened during season two, it was going to be loved. I may be very sure of that because Katori may be very consistent. The stories that she tells with these characters are so real and really easy for the audience to relate and understand. They’re waiting for that. I don’t think the show is about ‘Let’s wait and the explosive stuff.’ That’s an element of it. But I feel individuals are so invested within the characters and where they’re going emotionally that we’ve got eyes on us. I’m so grateful for it. And I’m very excited for everyone to see what the show is now. There have been no nerves, it was more excitement to get back, be with the forged and stepping back into the valley. 

Article continues after video.

Are you able to speak in regards to the decision to tackle COVID on the show? Lots of people don’t want COVID of their entertainment. 

I do know lots of people don’t wish to see the stress that they’ve been going through for the past two years. But again, Katori’s writing may be very honest and really real. So it is smart that characters live the identical reality we’ve been. You must feel close to those people and their journey because lots of people have suffered during this time. The characters are going through a distinct time like everybody else is. The Pynk is an institution like all the opposite ones around us. And it has a problem having the ability to proceed because people need to be close. The struggle for the dancers to proceed working after they don’t know what’s happening. But I feel what’s great is we’re seeing these characters outside of The Pynk of their natural habitat. 

A number of the characters we’ve within the show are coping with lots at home. And in addition, mental health. I haven’t had a conversation about mental health as much as I even have during COVID. It took people a moment to take a seat down with their thoughts. Not having the ability to be with the people they loved, they were by themselves and had to talk about it. It’s been very tough. And so I’m so glad, we’re discussing what this world looks like on this very scary space that everyone has been in. 

The show is thought for tackling problems with colorism. Out of your perspective, do you’re thinking that your character Autumn Night receives privileges or special treatment because she’s light?

I mean that is the age old conversation: colorism. [These are] discussions I’ve had with my friends and throughout my life. Reading the primary season’s script, I believed, ‘Wow, this is actually a conversation here.’ And it’s in that world. I’ve been capable of speak to a number of the dancers. It’s definitely something America speaks about. America speaks about race lots greater than the Brits do. It’s far more of a conversation here. 

There are things that folks are inclined to–I don’t know if it’s due to age-old history reason. I don’t know if it’s about which skin color is more liked, but Autumn has slightly little bit of that on this club. Mercedes is hoping she will be able to dance for a certain person but everybody’s pointing at Autumn Night who can’t even dance. Everyone desires to spend their money on her. 

There are also moments where the conversation is kind of strong on that note. The things which might be said by Mercedes and Uncle Clifford, ‘Autumn just lays there, looking light.’ I said to Katori, ‘Autumn doesn’t ask to bounce for these people. She doesn’t ask for these privileges. So is there a way on this space, where individuals are condoning that, that that may be spoken about and discussed? To have that be an element of the conversation outside of just watching the show, I feel that that’s implausible. 

This season we see lots more of that, with a number of the other characters. Autumn finally puts those big shoes on and says, ‘Hey I don’t like once you say those things about me.’ It’s not something I’m doing. I feel it’s great that we’ve a platform as Black women, Black people to debate this stuff for the Black community and the world itself.

You’re friends with fellow British actress Nathalie Emmanuel. She said that after she did Game of Thrones, people were coming to her with projects that contained nudity she felt was gratuitous. I used to be wondering if that’s a priority for you. 

I feel usually, once you tackle a certain role and other people see you in that space, they go, ‘Oh! Well she does that. We would like to place her on this because we all know she does that.’ It’s only a general thing. You don’t wish to get boxed in with any role. I’ve done that throughout my life where I’ve needed to say no to so many things because individuals are so comfortable seeing me play a certain character. But in the event you need a profession with numerous different roles and to do various things then it’s necessary to make those decisions and never do the identical thing on a regular basis.

With regards to nudity, lots of the roles I’ve done and been for do have the nudity aspect of it. I even have done sex scenes, I’ve danced nude. I don’t doubt that things will come which have the identical level of nudity. I’m not fearful about it because at the top of the day, it’s my selection and I do know I even have lots more to provide. But I like the job that I do because I get to inform stories about all types of individuals. I don’t particularly wish to tell the identical story over and another time. I’ve done it in such a special way with P-Valley, playing Autumn Night this might be going to be my one and only role. Hopefully, moving forward there’s an array of other characters where I can put my clothes on slightly bit. 

What are you excited for audiences to see this second season?

I need them to see how honest we’re being with the pandemic stuff. I’m excited because so many individuals are going to relate. And yes, we’ve seen it on screen already. There have been movies. I do know people have been watching it. But to me it’s different when people have had a relationship with these people. People had a relationship with Uncle Clifford, Autumn Night and Mississippi. That world just felt prefer it was an element of them. What does that place seem like with a pandemic? What do these people do so as to still exist on this space, to live and conquer the problems they’ve already. How are they loving people? How are they holding their friendships? 

Out of every little thing, it’s how the relationships have gone with these characters. Autumn Night/Uncle Clifford it’s an entire recent dynamic. Possibly not the very best one. But we like explosive stuff. I feel people will enjoy how things will end up between the 2. Then we’ve Mississippi and the connection along with her daughter. I’m so invested within the characters here and the storytelling. I cannot wait for the fans to get stuck in.