Erica Tazel photographed by Annie Tritt at the PMC photo studio on March 8, 2017 for Variety.

Hey fangirls and guys!

It’s Monique here! Jill was kind enough to let me drop in and share a little something, something with you all. Call it a blast from the not-so-distant past. Are you ready? Okay, here we go.

Back in the day…

Let’s call it 2012, I was a contributor and podcast producer for the online publication, Shadow and Act. Due to various circumstances that year, my role as a regular contributor ended and the podcast show was disbanded. However, shortly before my departure, I had a lengthy and revealing conversation with the Good Fight’s Erica Tazel.

If you don’t know who Erica Tazel is (and you should), here goes.

At the time she was a series regular alongside Timothy Olyphant in the highly acclaimed FX series, Justified. Tazel offered some revealing insight into the film industry – from encounters with blunt casting directors to the struggles of being classically trained, but not always having the superficial assets filmmakers were looking for. Considering recent revelations her stories about her experiences as a Black woman in the hyper-sexual, white male-dominated film industry was ahead of the times and dare I say, brave. Afterward, though her publicist inquired about when the interview would be published, Erica never attempted to retract her words or get me to revise the interview to make her look better. From my experiences interviewing other actors and actresses, that is a testament to her integrity.

Why publish this now? Well, that’s an easy question.

Looking back, I often wonder what would have happened if I’d had the chance to publish this interview then instead of now? Would readers/filmgoers have sat up and taken note, or would they have dismissed it as so many rumblings about the industry’s practices were back then? Harvey Weinstein’s ousting from Miramax and all that’s come to light in the aftermath has somewhat changed the game. People are taking notice of the slimy underside of the business. Will the current callout culture continue?

Hard to say. But one thing’s certain, this interview deserved a revisit and a proper forum to discuss Tazel’s remarks. And before I go,  if by chance Ms. Tazel reads this or someone she knows, I want to extend my deepest apologies. The interview came at a tenuous time during my collaboration with Shadow and Act and unfortunately, our interview became a casualty of that.

With that said, I’m glad to see Erica back on the small screen, doing what she does best. Being fabulous! Interviewing her was one of my most cherished recollections writing for Shadow and Act. Not being able to share it with the world during that time was disheartening. But, life goes on and here we are. Now let’s get to it.

As a warning, this is unedited and unfiltered (if you’re sensitive to adult language and conversations of a frank nature, this may not be for you).

Part two:

Part three (conclusion):

You can currently watch Erica Tazel as a series regular on the hit CBS drama, The Good Fight (check your local listings for dates and times).  Don’t forget to comment and let me know what you think of the interview. I’d love to hear from you.

Until next time!

7/2/18 Correction: Erica Tazel is on The Good Fight, not The Good Wife