TATYANA ALI STARS IN SECOND SIGHT – ON TV ONE
By Kimberly Alsup and George Pringle
Sonya’s Spotlight bloggers Kimberly Alsup and George Pringle were excited to dial into a Tele-Press Conference with Tatyana Ali, Sharif Akins and Executive Producer Susan Banks from TV One’s SECOND SIGHT, premiering Saturday, April 23, at 8pm/7c. During our call with the cast and producer, we were given the synopsis, insight into the characters, and explored several subjects pertaining to the sensitive storyline in SECOND SIGHT.
ABOUT SECOND SIGHT:
Starring as a young teacher plagued with visions, Tatyana Ali (Zoe Ever After, Love That Girl!, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air) returns to TV One in the new made-for-television movie Second Sight. Premiering Saturday, April 23 at 8 p.m. ET, Ali plays Clara Randall, whose gift of “prophesy” leaves her haunted by premonitions of horrific kidnappings. Despite people’s unwillingness to believe her “second sight,” Clara takes it upon herself to search for one of her students who has gone missing. Shot on location in Los Angeles, this suspenseful thriller marks the third project executive produced by Radio One Founder Cathy Hughes and Executive Vice President of Special Projects Susan Banks.
Living in a constant nightmare, Clara has trouble understanding her abilities as well as convincing others – especially her boyfriend Tony – that the visions are not just a figment of her imagination. Along with her mission to save an innocent life, Clara discovers disturbing secrets and lies surrounding those she trusted most.
CAST:
Tatyana Ali (Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Love that Girl, Zoe Ever After)
Sharif Atkins (White Collar, Rizzoli & Isles)
Texas Battle (The Bold and The Beautiful)
Edwina Findley (If Loving You is Wrong)
Denise Boutte (Meet the Browns, Why Did I Get Married)
Marla Gibbs (227, The Jeffersons)
Photo Credit: Matt Harbight, Courtesy of TV One/The FrontPage Firm
Highlights from Tatyana Ali (Clara, in SECOND SIGHT) :
Tatyana Ali @tatyanaali:
“Tackling the subject of the gift of prophesy is a sensitive subject. It is hard to talk about because not everyone believes in the gift or takes it serious.”
On SECOND SIGHT:
Tatyana Ali:
“It’s scary. There’s lots of tension. It’s about a kidnapping . . . you can’t get anymore scarier than that. It’s not quite horror, it’s suspense.”
“This is about trafficking of black girls. With this project we are shedding light.”
On Tatyana Ali’s Preparation for this role:
Tatyana Ali:
“With this role, it took a lot of ad libs. I had to believe in who I was. It was as if I was in a suspension of disbelief during the process. It became very exhausting because I had to feel and embody everything that happened to Clara. I did a lot of journaling during the process. I couldn’t do much other activities while preparing and playing Clara.”
On Her Longevity in This Business:
Tatyana Ali:
“I started in this business when I was four. While in school in New York I started in theatre and did a lot of dramatic acting, then got into comedy. It is the love of acting that keeps me going.”
On Being Typecast:
Tatyana Ali:
“After leaving Fresh Prince of Bel-Air I was type-cast – definitely. I began my career doing drama and now everyone wanted comedy. I ended up doing a lot of roles that were comedic and I took the roles because I love acting and didn’t want to stop. I thank TV One for giving me the chance to do drama again.”
On How Pregnancy Has Changed Her:
“I was used to being on the go, staying up for days and jumping on flights. But I realized that I had to carry around more food and learn to slow down and take more naps.”
On SECOND SIGHT Being on the Same Night as The NBA Playoffs:
“Playoff Shame-off! Watch SECOND SIGHT. This is a great movie about a great subject that you will definitely take something away from.”
Encores of Second Sight will also air on TV One on Saturday, April 23 at 10 p.m. ET and Sunday, April 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET. For more information about TV One’s upcoming programming, including original movies, visit the network’s companion website at www.tvone.tv. TV One viewers can also join the conversation by connecting via social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook (@tvonetv) using the hashtag #SecondSight and catch clips and promos on TV One’s YouTube Channel.
