Welcome to Look Again At It, a month-to-month column the place among the most iconic Black actresses in Hollywood reminisce and mirror on the roles that made them stars. For this month’s installment, Meagan Good breaks down her profession—from Eve’s Bayou and You Received Served to her present Amazon Prime collection, Harlem.
After being within the enterprise for greater than three many years, Meagan Good loves that she will nonetheless change individuals’s minds. She recollects an audition the place she was initially handed on for a task that she actually wished, so she fought for the character. “Once I obtained the job, I bear in mind crying,” she says. “I used to be like, ‘Oh my God. I can nonetheless shock individuals after 30 years.'” The position, she tells me, was for Camille in her present Prime Video collection, Harlem.
From making her characteristic movie debut as “Child #2” to main her personal tv present, Good has had a profession that the majority actors can solely dream of. Since getting her begin within the late ’90s, a few of her credit embrace classics like Friday, Eve’s Bayou, You Received Served, Stomp the Yard, and the TV sitcom Cousin Skeeter. Her roles have solely advanced through the years and now, she’s actually having enjoyable. “I lastly get to do a Lucille Ball-type of bodily comedy,” she says. “And I do know the very best is but to come back.”
Under, Good takes us by her most iconic roles to share the teachings she’s realized, the phrases of knowledge she’s acquired from co-stars, and the movies that modified all the things.
Child #2 in Friday (1995)
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Friday (1995) Official Trailer – Ice Dice, Chris Tucker Comedy HD
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“I bear in mind this audition. I used to be 13 and did it in entrance of F. Gary Grey [the director]. He was like, ‘I like this child.’ So I ended up getting it and it was my first talking position in a film and it was additionally F. Gary Grey’s first film. He was solely 25, so issues have been very disorganized. [laughs] I used to be on set for in all probability two and a half weeks earlier than I used to be ever on digicam. And I’d get bored typically so I’d go make sandwiches for Michael Clarke Duncan, who was a stand-in on the time. He informed me, ‘I need you to recollect this while you transfer on in your profession. Just remember to deal with each single individual that you simply are available in contact with precisely the identical on set, it doesn’t matter what their job is and irrespective of who they’re.’ In order that all the time caught with me. It was an unbelievable expertise.”
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Cicely in Eve’s Bayou (1997)
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Eve’s Bayou (1997 Film) Official Trailer – Samuel L. Jackson, Lynn Whitfield, Jurnee Smollett
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“With Eve’s Bayou, I did the desk learn for Eve after I was 10 and remembered considering, ‘Okay, nice, let’s go shoot this film.’ And Kasi Lemmons [the writer/director] was like, ‘Oh no honey, we’ve to boost cash for it first.’ So for the following two or three years, I’d all the time attain out like, ‘Are we doing it this 12 months?’ So, lastly, after they obtained the cash for it, I used to be 14 and I used to be too outdated to play Eve, so I obtained the position of Cicely.”
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Jacqui in Ship Us From Eva (2003)
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Ship Us from Eva Official Trailer #1 – LL Cool J Film (2003) HD
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“I had simply come off Cousin Skeeter. On the time, I used to be dwelling in Santa Clarita, so I drove from there to Santa Monica for the audition. Once I obtained again dwelling, they have been like, ‘Your audition tape did not take.’ So I needed to drive all the best way again and re-audit. Then I obtained a name they usually stated I used to be too younger. I used to be solely 19 and the character was a university scholar in her final 12 months. So that they determined to maneuver it as much as their first 12 months of school. I had braces they usually have been like, ‘We’re gonna get the braces off and make this work.’ And we did. That was actually the start of my true movie profession as a result of after Eve’s Bayou, I went straight into Cousin Skeeter. So I type of pressed the reset button at 19.”
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Max in DEBS (2004)
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DEBS 2004 Trailer HD | Sara Foster | Jordana Brewster | Devon Aoki
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“So after I labored with Gabrielle [Union] on Ship Us From Eva, she went to the top of Sony Display Gems and stated, ‘I like this little lady. It’s a must to rent her, you need to work together with her, you need to know her.’ That is how I obtained DEBS Doing this movie was actually unbelievable for me as a result of it was the primary time I actually obtained to do motion, which was an area I knew that I wished to be in. I additionally reunited with Michael Clarke Duncan, who was now an enormous actor and he remembered me from Friday. So we have been tremendous shut on set.”
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Beautifull in You Received Served (2004)
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You Received Served (2004) – Opening Dance Battle Scene (1/7) | film clips
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“I believed I used to be just a little too outdated to be kissing Omarion. [laughs] I used to be simply coming off of My Spouse and Children and I used to be working with this glorious younger lady named Jennifer Freeman. She hadn’t carried out any movies but, however I really useful her for the lead half. She obtained that and I ended up enjoying Beautifull. On the time, I actually did not wish to do it, however when it was all stated and carried out, it was my first primary blockbuster film. God all the time is aware of what he is doing and it was the fitting character for me to play. I shot this and DEBS on the identical time.”
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Naomi in Roll Bounce (2005)
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Dailymotion – Roll Bounce (Theatrical Trailer) – a Movie TV video.mp4
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“I used to be 22 on Roll Bounce. I distinctly bear in mind this as a result of I went in and had an incredible audition. Then per week later, I went out with my pals and we had a protracted night time. The following day, I obtained a callback. So I used to be just a little bit hungover with my lashes sticking to my brow. I used to be attempting to clean my face and put my hair in pigtails to attempt to look 16 and all this stuff. So I am going in, I audition, and I bomb. I did a horrible job, so I used to be like, ‘Can I come again in?’ they usually stated I might go in after they noticed everybody else. So I waited for 2 hours. I went again in and nailed it. I truly ended up turning 23 on that set. I had my 23rd birthday in Chicago whereas I used to be filming. And I reunited with Jurnee [Smollett].
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Coco in Waist Deep (2006)
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Waist Deep Official Trailer #1 – Tyrese Gibson Film (2006) HD
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“So I might like to say thanks to Kasi Lemmons and Vondie Curtis-Corridor. Kasi gave me my break as a toddler actor and Vondie gave me my break as an grownup actor. They each put me in main roles as a young person in Eve’s Bayou and as a younger lady in Waist Deep. I had labored with Vondie earlier than as a result of he is married to Kasi and he was in Eve’s Bayou. So we already had that relationship. After they employed Tyrese, they requested him who he wished to solid for my position and he stated, ‘I need Meagan’ and Vondie was like, ‘I like Meagan.’ I bear in mind being extraordinarily nervous, however I felt like I confirmed up and did job. It was an actual turning level in my profession and positively a milestone. I used to be 24.”
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April in Stomp the Yard (2007)
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“Initially, I did not wish to do that. I used to be all the time enjoying the love curiosity or the girlfriend. This simply felt like the identical factor yet again. Then I came upon that Columbus Brief, who was one in every of my childhood pals, was going to be in it. I had identified him since I used to be 10 and I knew what an exceptional expertise he was. So I used to be like, ‘You realize what? Let’s have a look at what occurs.’ And it ended up turning into my second primary on the field workplace.
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Blythe in Leaping the Broom (2011)
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Leaping the Broom Official Trailer #1 – (2011) HD
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“I obtained the audition for this and ready all the things for the lead character. Then within the eleventh hour they have been like, ‘We provided this to Paula Patton,’ so then they provided me the character Blythe. I did not wish to play her as a result of she wasn’t a giant position. So I prayed about it and God was like, ‘Who do you assume you might be? That is what I’ve for you. It’s good to be humble and respect it.’ So I did it, and I had the very best expertise. That is after I reconnected with DeVon [Franklin, Good’s ex-husband and studio executive]. We had already met just a few years prior, however on this film, we obtained an opportunity to actually get to know one another. 9 months later, he requested me out on a date after which 10 months after that, we have been engaged, and two months later we have been married. After which we have been married for 10 years. And regardless that we’re not married anymore—which I clearly struggled with as a result of I am like, ‘Lord, you informed me to marry this man’—I did have a profitable marriage and he is a beautiful human being. I would not have most popular to do it with anybody else and I do not remorse something. I realized loads. I gave loads. He gave loads. It is top-of-the-line experiences I’ve had in my life. And now I am like, ‘All proper, Lord, what’s subsequent?’”
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Mya in Assume Like A Man and Assume Like A Man Too (2012 and 2014)
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THINK LIKE A MAN TOO – Official Trailer (HD)
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“I fell in love with this script instantly. Tim Story [the director] gave me the boldness to lean into my model of comedy, which in the end resulted within the character that I play in Harlem. I realized that my model of comedy is awkward and offbeat. It is just a little bit dorky. As soon as I understood that leaning into my very own authenticity is my superpower, that is when individuals join with it. I cite Assume Like A Man as the primary time I actually jumped off that comedy cliff.
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Camille in Harlem (2021-present)
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Harlem Season 2 – Official Trailer | primevideo
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“When Harlem took place, I met with Tracy [Oliver, the writer/director] and I left there considering I had a job, however then I heard nothing for 2 weeks. They have been nonetheless auditioning individuals for Camille. I wished to combat for this character, so I obtained on the cellphone with Tracy and requested her how she noticed Camille. She stated, ‘Quirky with goddess locs.’ So earlier than my audition, I sat for 11 hours straight getting my hair carried out. I additionally referred to as Regina Corridor to learn strains with me as a result of she’s the very best [in comedy]. And the remainder is historical past.”
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Juliana Ukiomogbe is the Assistant Editor at ELLE. Her work has beforehand appeared in Interview, iD, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and extra.