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https://blackgirlnerds.com/octavia-spencer-pursues-true-crime-podcast-justice-in-truth-be-told/
Launching December 6 is the new Apple TV+ series starring Academy Award-winning actor Octavia Spencer and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul called Truth Be Told.
Based on Kathleen Barber’s novel Are You Sleeping, when new evidence compels podcaster Poppy Parnell to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation, she comes face-to-face with the man she may have mistakenly helped to put behind bars. This compelling drama exposes a unique view into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and challenges its viewers to consider the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage.
BGN had the opportunity to sit down with Octavia Spencer to discuss her role as Poppy, her experience with listening to true crime podcasts, working with Aaron Paul, and her affinity for solving puzzles.
Can you briefly tell our readers who Poppy Parnell is?
Poppy is a world-renowned journalist who now has a podcast, and she is litigating her very first case — the case that started her career. It centers around a teenage boy from an affluent family who is sent to prison, and she comes across some evidence that may lean towards his innocence.
Poppy has a pretty complicated journey ahead of her. As the viewer, we’re not sure if she’s making good choices or poor choices here. How do you feel about Poppy’s decisions throughout the story?
Poppy is a human being. We all try to make good decisions, but don’t necessarily know how those decisions will impact other people or our own life. I think she does things on the spur of the moment, and she makes impromptu decisions that are not well thought out sometimes. I don’t know that they’re poor decisions, but sometimes she doesn’t think things through.
You read so many scripts, what was it about this script that caught your attention?
Well, it was a book actually, that I read for its source material, and then meeting Nichelle [Tramble Spellman] at the center of the book. The podcast was the center of the book. We made the story around the podcaster. That’s the world we haven’t seen. I’m a person who enjoys procedural things, whether they’re medical or law enforcement-based. To see a procedural show, based on a journalist or a podcast, was so very exciting.
Some of the best scenes were the moments with you and Aaron Paul, what what was your experience like working with him?
Well, Aaron and I have known each other for years, and I’ve always been a fan of his work. He was at the top of everyone’s list. I was hoping since he was the first choice that he would come on board to play with us. He did create this unique character, unlike any performance he’s ever done. He gave us a bone-chilling, yet very empathetic Warren Cave. Poppy doesn’t work if you don’t feel something for Warren.
Is there a scene with him that still sticks with you? Is there a scene that resonates with you the most?
I don’t want to say a specific thing because of spoilers. There are quite a few things that stick out with him. I’ll just say our initial meeting because it is quite explosive. And it’s indicative of what the journey is going to be with him. With Warren, you don’t know what you’re going to get, and it was exciting to play with Aaron that way.
True Crime podcasts are all the rage, especially after Serial blew up. Were you a podcast listener of this genre before you got attached to the project?
I have listened to a couple of podcasts, Serial, which had been at that time the only podcast that I listened to, and then someone told me about S-Town and I listened to that. But I actually watch a lot of true crime shows and case studies for the FBI for their behavioral science unit. So it’s not foreign to me at all.
It was recently announced that you’ll be honored with the Producers Guild of America Award. Congratulations.
Thank you.
You’re also a producer on this series. You have several projects under your own company, including the Madam CJ Walker story and the Coffee Will Make You Black adaptation. How has your work as an actor prepared you for what you are doing now?
Oddly, I wanted to be a producer before I wanted to be an actor, but finding projects and putting them together as a newbie was more of a daunting task. Acting opened the door to my first love, which is puzzle solving. That’s what I think producers do. They find great material and put the right people in the positions, and it’s just like solving a puzzle from the script to all the different departments and teams. I felt like it was a natural progression for me.
That’s interesting that you liked puzzles. Here at Black Girl Nerds, we love nerdy things. Would you say that something you’ve always been interested in when you were younger was solving puzzles?
I’m dyslexic. What kept me reading and allows me to have a very vibrant reading life and career was my second-grade teacher Miss Bradford — she’s still my favorite — who introduced me to the Nancy Drew books. She always told me you don’t know what is going to be a clue so you have to read everything. I wouldn’t allow myself to disengage; I had to read every single word and know every single detail, and that’s how my brain works. Now, it just ties everything from point A to point B. I’m that person who if I lost something, I’m going to find it because I backtrack quite well.
Going back to your work as a producer on this series, did you lend any creative insight to your character or to the story while working on Truth Be Told?
Absolutely. Nichelle Tramble Spellman, our show’s creator — we bonded in the room because she and I both have an affinity for true crime and literally had very similar stories where she and some of her siblings would be watching a program and our parents also were into it. We laughed because it was like, wow, we were probably separated at birth in our appreciation for the true crime genre. This is my field actually; it’s one thing that I know a lot about. The thing that I didn’t know about was the podcasting. And journalism as a whole.
I know you have so much going on and so much on your plate, but what’s next for you?
Dr. Dolittle comes out next, and then after that Onward, and then after that Madam CJ Walker. I’m filming something right now, Thunder Force, a superhero comedy with Melissa McCarthy. I feel very blessed every day that I get to do what I love doing and that anybody wants to watch it.
Out of all of them, I’m really excited about Madam CJ Walker. That is one story that I’ve been looking forward to.
I think it’s unreal that only the Black community knows about it. I think it’s time, especially with these young kids, and especially with what we’re going through society right now. The fact that this woman was the first self-made millionaire, not female millionaire, not Black self-made, but first female self-made millionaire, without it being a legacy or inherited is profound. She did that post-slavery. It’s a testament to what we can do. I think now more than ever, her story needs to be out there, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Truth Be Told is available for streaming on Apple TV+ December 6.
The post Octavia Spencer Pursues True Crime Podcast Justice in ‘Truth Be Told’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Launching December 6 is the new Apple TV+ series starring Academy Award-winning actor Octavia Spencer and Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul called Truth Be Told.
Based on Kathleen Barber’s novel Are You Sleeping, when new evidence compels podcaster Poppy Parnell to reopen the murder case that made her a national sensation, she comes face-to-face with the man she may have mistakenly helped to put behind bars. This compelling drama exposes a unique view into America’s obsession with true crime podcasts and challenges its viewers to consider the consequences when the pursuit of justice is placed on a public stage.
BGN had the opportunity to sit down with Octavia Spencer to discuss her role as Poppy, her experience with listening to true crime podcasts, working with Aaron Paul, and her affinity for solving puzzles.
Can you briefly tell our readers who Poppy Parnell is?
Poppy is a world-renowned journalist who now has a podcast, and she is litigating her very first case — the case that started her career. It centers around a teenage boy from an affluent family who is sent to prison, and she comes across some evidence that may lean towards his innocence.
Poppy has a pretty complicated journey ahead of her. As the viewer, we’re not sure if she’s making good choices or poor choices here. How do you feel about Poppy’s decisions throughout the story?
Poppy is a human being. We all try to make good decisions, but don’t necessarily know how those decisions will impact other people or our own life. I think she does things on the spur of the moment, and she makes impromptu decisions that are not well thought out sometimes. I don’t know that they’re poor decisions, but sometimes she doesn’t think things through.
You read so many scripts, what was it about this script that caught your attention?
Well, it was a book actually, that I read for its source material, and then meeting Nichelle [Tramble Spellman] at the center of the book. The podcast was the center of the book. We made the story around the podcaster. That’s the world we haven’t seen. I’m a person who enjoys procedural things, whether they’re medical or law enforcement-based. To see a procedural show, based on a journalist or a podcast, was so very exciting.
Some of the best scenes were the moments with you and Aaron Paul, what what was your experience like working with him?
Well, Aaron and I have known each other for years, and I’ve always been a fan of his work. He was at the top of everyone’s list. I was hoping since he was the first choice that he would come on board to play with us. He did create this unique character, unlike any performance he’s ever done. He gave us a bone-chilling, yet very empathetic Warren Cave. Poppy doesn’t work if you don’t feel something for Warren.
Is there a scene with him that still sticks with you? Is there a scene that resonates with you the most?
I don’t want to say a specific thing because of spoilers. There are quite a few things that stick out with him. I’ll just say our initial meeting because it is quite explosive. And it’s indicative of what the journey is going to be with him. With Warren, you don’t know what you’re going to get, and it was exciting to play with Aaron that way.
True Crime podcasts are all the rage, especially after Serial blew up. Were you a podcast listener of this genre before you got attached to the project?
I have listened to a couple of podcasts, Serial, which had been at that time the only podcast that I listened to, and then someone told me about S-Town and I listened to that. But I actually watch a lot of true crime shows and case studies for the FBI for their behavioral science unit. So it’s not foreign to me at all.
It was recently announced that you’ll be honored with the Producers Guild of America Award. Congratulations.
Thank you.
You’re also a producer on this series. You have several projects under your own company, including the Madam CJ Walker story and the Coffee Will Make You Black adaptation. How has your work as an actor prepared you for what you are doing now?
Oddly, I wanted to be a producer before I wanted to be an actor, but finding projects and putting them together as a newbie was more of a daunting task. Acting opened the door to my first love, which is puzzle solving. That’s what I think producers do. They find great material and put the right people in the positions, and it’s just like solving a puzzle from the script to all the different departments and teams. I felt like it was a natural progression for me.
That’s interesting that you liked puzzles. Here at Black Girl Nerds, we love nerdy things. Would you say that something you’ve always been interested in when you were younger was solving puzzles?
I’m dyslexic. What kept me reading and allows me to have a very vibrant reading life and career was my second-grade teacher Miss Bradford — she’s still my favorite — who introduced me to the Nancy Drew books. She always told me you don’t know what is going to be a clue so you have to read everything. I wouldn’t allow myself to disengage; I had to read every single word and know every single detail, and that’s how my brain works. Now, it just ties everything from point A to point B. I’m that person who if I lost something, I’m going to find it because I backtrack quite well.
Going back to your work as a producer on this series, did you lend any creative insight to your character or to the story while working on Truth Be Told?
Absolutely. Nichelle Tramble Spellman, our show’s creator — we bonded in the room because she and I both have an affinity for true crime and literally had very similar stories where she and some of her siblings would be watching a program and our parents also were into it. We laughed because it was like, wow, we were probably separated at birth in our appreciation for the true crime genre. This is my field actually; it’s one thing that I know a lot about. The thing that I didn’t know about was the podcasting. And journalism as a whole.
I know you have so much going on and so much on your plate, but what’s next for you?
Dr. Dolittle comes out next, and then after that Onward, and then after that Madam CJ Walker. I’m filming something right now, Thunder Force, a superhero comedy with Melissa McCarthy. I feel very blessed every day that I get to do what I love doing and that anybody wants to watch it.
Out of all of them, I’m really excited about Madam CJ Walker. That is one story that I’ve been looking forward to.
I think it’s unreal that only the Black community knows about it. I think it’s time, especially with these young kids, and especially with what we’re going through society right now. The fact that this woman was the first self-made millionaire, not female millionaire, not Black self-made, but first female self-made millionaire, without it being a legacy or inherited is profound. She did that post-slavery. It’s a testament to what we can do. I think now more than ever, her story needs to be out there, and I’m excited to be a part of it.
Truth Be Told is available for streaming on Apple TV+ December 6.
The post Octavia Spencer Pursues True Crime Podcast Justice in ‘Truth Be Told’ appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Source: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com / WENN
Having a newborn in the house can be stressful for anyone. With sleepless nights, crying, and adjusting to having an entirely new person in your home, it can be quite a bit. It’s the reason why new mothers need so much help. So you would think being married would help ease some of the load. But apparently, that’s not always the case.
Recently, Kandi and Todd spoke about how they’re faring with baby Blaze in the house. And the diving up of child care responsibilities has caused some friction between the couple.
Todd: She thought I was having a problem connecting with the baby.
Kandi: Thought?
Todd: She’s so small. She has a coochie so it was kind of weird. Ace it was easier. I can just wipe him down and just go. It was just too much when I took off the pamper. She’s too fragile. Her head is soft.
Kandi: Well, if you want to start talking about what I’ve been complaining about for the last couple of days. he pissed me off, like seriously. I told him, ‘Sir, we need to go to counseling. Because I don’t like you right now.’ We got a new baby. When it’s time to do the late night hours, he don’t chip in whatsoever.
Todd: I’m sleep!
Kandi: That’s what that means. You’re not chipping in. I have to get every single hour on the hour.
Todd: If you sleep through it, how can you help?
Kandi: I’m already a person where I don’t sleep a lot. And that’s how he was with Ace. But once again with Ace, this where he really pissed me off, he decided he wanted to go out and go to the club, two nights in a row.
Todd: You already knew I was going out both of those nights? Let’s ask the people at home, is it okay for a guy to go out?
Kandi: Not when they’re less than a week old.
Todd: You bout to go back to shoot “The Chi.” You got to go. You’re gone for four days.
Kandi: We already discussed that. The whole family was supposed to go to Chicago with me. You was like, ‘I got it. I can do it. Me and your momma.’
Todd: It just didn’t make sense for everybody to pack up to go down there. We can handle the baby for four days without you.
Kandi: I know you’re trying to switch the blame now because I have to go work. The first night you went out, I already told you that I was kind of hurt by that. That you was ready to just jump out and kick it in the street and you knew I was going to be stuck in the house doing baby duty, every hour on the hour. I thought that you was going to take the notice of how I felt and take that into consideration.
Todd: The key thing was communication. I called and let her know. I been the house for like…
Kandi: No days. You had just went out the night before. So I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m not gon trip. He’s only going out for a little bit.’ But you shut the club down til almost time for the sun to come up.
Ultimately Todd and Kandi discovered that they had never established who would handle which responsibilities regarding their child and so they decided that they’re going to sit down and come up with a plan so that the workload is a bit more even.
You can watch them work through this issue in the video below.
Here’s a fun game I learned from my guy Ken Arkind for when you’re on a date and need an ice breaker. Ask the person you’re on a date with what animal they’d want to punch in the nose and why. This shows you two things about the person, if they’re unwilling to engage you can gauge where their sense of humor is at. If they do choose to engage, then you know they have a sense of humor and can be spontaneous or silly right there with you.
Never did I think Discovery would actually dedicate a show to people squaring up with animals. Alright, well people aren’t going to be punching animals in the nose but for the new show Man Vs Bear is giving contestants the chance to go one on with a grizzly bear American Gladiators style. I know what you’re thinking. “Does Discovery hold the record for most shows with a waiver?” Yes.
Man Vs Bear: A Pay-Per-View Dream
Check it. Man Vs Bear is basically American Gladiators… but with freaking grizzly bears. In each episode, three contestants will compete against three bears: Bart (the strongest), Honey Bump (the Fastest), and Tank (the smartest/ hungriest). They’ll be competing on the bears home turf, Bear Mountain. The competitors will face off against the bears doing challenges that the bears do on a day to day basis. This includes tug of war, an eating contest, an obstacle course, test of strength, and a final challenge where they square up with a bear from the confines of a steel caged ball. Which sounds safe but… it mos def is not. I mean you’re gettin’ in the face of a grizzly bear in a push and pull match. Somebody gots to go… and it damn sure won’t be the bear.
The hosts and commentary providers for this show are Wildlife Expert, Casey Anderson and Sports analyst, Brandon Tierney. As far as I’m concerned, these two are the best part of the show due to their commentary. The contestants come from all walks of life. We got bodybuilders, MMA fighters, powerlifters, etc. They are all up for the challenge of stepping to these grizzly bears. They get psyched up and really prepared to go in and do work. Meanwhile, the commentators are like, “…It’s a fucking bear, my guy. This only ends one way.” These obstacles the humans are doing get done by the bears day in and day out. Bart is the strongest bear on the mountain. Dude can push two-ton logs like he’s helping a friend out on moving day but he’s the U-Haul. Honey Bump can hit 35 Miles per hour, you’re not beating her in a foot race on her obstacle course. Tank out here eating 80-90 lbs a day. The eating contest is his shit. Even Takeru Kobayashi ain’t stepping to him.
“This is my f’n mountain”
I wish there was a bear translator because I know the bears were talking that shit. Especially Bart. Each time strong bear Bart stepped to the tug of war he was there to break someone down mentally. The MMA Fighter, Ira, on the first episode let out this yell when Bart pulled him off his platform in tug of war. They kept that yell on loop, and I died laughing. The commentators kept playing that back like it was the song of the summer. Matter fact, I’ma make that shit my ringtone. Ira legit had beef with the bear after that cause Bart was doing everything he could to break him mentally. Staring at him like he wanted a title fight. Then, there was a 63-year-old competitor that was a bodybuilder, Steven. Mans was big big. Bart. Didn’t. Give. Not. A. Fuck. Bart stood up on his hind legs, called that man out his name with a growl and proceeded to pull said man so hard he hit his head on a post on the way down. Steven’s arm was scraped and cut. Dude hit his head. and that was all before the maybe 10ft – 15ft drop into the pool below.
Oh, there are female competitors too. Bart still ain’t give a fuck. He’s an equal opportunity employer of fucking people up. Paulina is not only a marathon runner and powerlifter, she’s a bow huntswoman, to which Bart said, GROOOOOOOOOOOW-OOROOOOOOAOOOOOOOOO-RAA! *translation* “fuck every single skill asset and recommendations in your resume. I ain’t Smokey the Bear, but I will stomp the fire out you”
Far as I’m concerned, Bart was cursing each contestant. Bart don’t care about your MMA record. This his house and you owe him rent. Bart don’t give a fuck about you being a jacked 63-year-old. He here to put you on that life alert screen. Bart isn’t impressed by your marathon runners, cause he runs shit here. Listen, Bart may not be respecting these competitors, but I am. It ain’t easy to step to a grizzly bear. There all competing to be in the finals and crowned the superhuman bear mountain champion. This shit cutthroat too. When they get eliminated, they don’t even get a good job. They get a head nod and a “see you the fuck later then.” Thas it. Cold shit. That’s how you competition right there.
If you down to see humans get thrashed around by a team of grizzly bears, then I suggest you check out Man Vs Bear. …yo the commentators/hosts legit really just be sitting there watching this shit happen and laughing man. LOl, it’s like American Ninja Warriors but with bears. Each time a contestant gets up kinda surprised they ain’t last longer the hosts be like… “It’s a freaking bear, bro”. I love it. Come learn about grizzly bears in their habitat and watch this dream team mentally and physically break these humans down.
Man Vs Bear airs on Wednesday, December 4 at 9 PM ET/PT on Discovery and Discovery GO.
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The post ‘Man vs Bear’: Discovery Channel Got Bears Blowing Humans Out on the Court appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.