Jennifer Sears
Lead Photographer Nikki Rumph, Model & Actress Jennifer Sears with Advantage PR, Makeup Artist Yanick Nikita, Hair Stylist Onye Sample, Creative Director & Stylist Zyaisha Jane | Set Assistant Marquise Eppinger, Red Jumpsuit Look Designer Farrierbell Couture
What was it like shooting with the photographer for this cover photo shoot?
Jennifer Sears: Working with Nikki Rumph was truly magical. Her energy is amazing, and her enthusiasm is infectious. Nikki works with you and allows you to explore movements rather than simply telling you how to pose. If you get on the floor, you’d better believe she’s getting down there with you to capture that shot. It was a beautiful collaboration which yielded beautiful art. You can tell she’s passionate about her work which makes you want to do your best and give your all as co-creator and model.
I read that you are involved in philanthropy, what are some projects you have worked on and hope to do in the future?
Sears: Much like my character Tara James on OWN’s Greenleaf, I’m very active in mission work at my church Ray of Hope Christian Church under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale, serving the homeless through the reconnection ministry, packing meals for the international Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) program, and traveling abroad to Haiti annually to re-establish the communities of Jacmel and Carrefour in partnership with the non-profit organization Restore Haiti. It is through Restore Haiti that I became a sponsor of two beautiful girls in Jacmel, providing resources for school tuition, meals through the feeding program, medical care at the local clinic, and other essentials. I’ve been blessed to be their sponsor for 8 years now. They no longer consider me their “sponsor” but now affectionately call me “manman” (mama). It’s been beautiful to travel to Haiti each year and see how they’ve grown. My goal is to get them through secondary school and college, if that is their desire. I can’t believe my oldest is now 16 years, so it won’t be long before she makes that decision. I’d like to sponsor two or three more children soon and keep going to help as many children as I possibly can. I see great progress and promise for Haiti. The future rests in the capable hands of our youth, and I’m just doing my part to help them along the way.
How have you handled moments of shelter-in-place and quarantines?
Sears: Well, I’m a homebody so this is actually normal for me. [laughs] Even so, I do miss social gatherings with friends and family. Having to distance myself for their wellness as well as mine has been a bit challenging. I’ve been trying to utilize this time of stillness to get reacquainted with myself. Oftentimes with the chaos and busyness of life, we don’t realize the changes that occur within ourselves -- our likes/dislikes, passions, interests, etc. Lately, I find myself discovering new sources of enjoyment and rediscovering untapped dormant gifts, talents, and leisure activities from my forgotten past such as writing, reading, and dancing (yes, in the privacy of my own home without an audience).
I’m a huge advocate of mental wellness so I’ve been able to better practice meditation, yoga, and breathing exercises, without the stressful demands of schedules and events. I’m much more in tune with myself and a better listener when self speaks, thanks to the absence of mental congestion. The irony is that, while some people may view this time of quarantine as being trapped or caged in their homes, I’ve found a sense of freedom now more than ever in the simplicities of life.
2020 was a long and draining year for many, what did you do to embrace joy in your life and to spread that to others?
Sears: The year 2020 was shockingly difficult, considering I was expecting it to be a year of double blessings. In a lot of ways, it was. I’m certainly sympathetic to those who have lost loved ones, jobs, and businesses amongst other terrible losses due to Covid-19, and my prayers are with everyone still suffering from the impact of the ongoing pandemic. In addition to the threat to our physical health, our mental health has also been significantly affected by not only the viral pandemic but also by the pandemic of racism, police brutality, and systemic oppression that plague this country and the world. It’s a lot for anyone to take, especially all in one year. Because of the trials we face, we must find simple joys in life every day. For me, this means connecting with loved ones over the phone or virtually so that neither they nor I feel alone in this world. You never know… your outreach may have been their most significant joy for the day or theirs for you. One-year B.C. (before Covid), we were all guilty of being on our phones and devices while in the company of our friends, family, and significant others. Now that we don’t have the luxury of spending quality time with others outside of household (if we’re responsibly practicing social distancing), we’re dependent on technology to actually bring us closer together. I’ve been relying heavily on video and phone calls to feel connected to those I love. Hearing their laughter or seeing their smiles, that’s what’s brought me a lot of joy. I just hope when the pandemic is over and we get back to some semblance of normalcy we can remember what it was like to not sit across from one another, hug each other, and talk face-to-face and we do so without our phones distracting us from what has been proven to be precious.
You excel in athletics, specifically Track & Field and Cheerleading. What did you enjoy most overall about those experiences?
Sears: Although they’re both very much different, they share similarities that are evident in my life even now after so many years. I appreciate that both sports developed within me the endurance to push not only my body but also my mind beyond any preconceived limits. I resort back to my training whenever I’m facing difficult or intimidating tasks in my career or life in general.
How do you feel they have tied into your career now?
Sears: It’s funny because I didn’t realize it until now, but I prepare for roles the way I prepared for track events or cheerleading competitions. As a track athlete, my main event in track was the 100m hurdles; therefore, as an actress, I find myself going the distance in extensive character development clearing every hurdle that my character may encounter. As a cheerleader, I would practice my routines and jumps so much that I could stick my moves and landing in my sleep. That’s exactly how I memorize my lines, until I no longer have to think about them because they’re living inside me. I guess you could say I still train like an athlete, just for a different sport.
I’m told your cheerleading led to an award, NCA All American, can you tell us a little about what that was like?
Sears: Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m a bit of an over-achiever. [laughs] In junior high, I placed 2nd in the entire state in the “best jumps” category of the competition. I was furious because I thought I should’ve won based on the crowd’s reaction. Even the judges told me I should’ve won, but they couldn’t award me 1st place because of a style technicality. Well when my time came around again in high school, I made sure I was aware of all of the rules and regulations. Not only was I going to place 1st in jumps but I was going to dominate as many individual events as possible. Long story short, that climactic afternoon at UGA, I walked away with not only the award for “best jumps” in the state of Georgia but also recipient of the NCA All-American award. It was a very proud moment for me considering there were very few African American cheerleaders at my school (then and historically), and I felt like that win was for all of us.
As a Clark Atlanta University grad, what is your fondest memory of time on campus?
Sears: Wow, so many precious memories of my days at CAU. Hilarious late nights with my suite mates, dorm room hair salons, sneaking food from the café, hanging out on the Promenade between classes, buying black with vendors on “Market Thursdays”, using my CAU Bookstore employee discount for my (over-priced) books, and of course the pinnacle, homecoming week. Nothing like homecoming at an HBCU. [laughs] Overall, it’s the exuberant culture, the prestigious history, and the copiousness of black excellence that I remember so fondly.
You had your sights set on a future in law, entertainment law in fact, and as fate had it — it was a different capacity. Shortly after graduation you were invited to an audition, what was this time like where you were transitioning from graduating CAU to your career in entertainment?
Sears: I recall a lot of internal conflict, whereas I wanted to proceed with my studies in law and make my family proud as the 1st generation college graduate, yet I still had an inner yearning that stemmed from my childhood interest in the creative arts. Amid these contradicting wants; I was invited to an open casting call by a friend of a friend who was a production assistant for the film. I knew absolutely nothing about the project; all I knew was this was my opportunity, before embarking on my passionless journey in law, to answer the call of the arts and explore the possibilities. While at the proverbial crossroads of my young adulthood, I chose to attend the open call without a headshot, resume, or any acting training or experience. Much to my little inexperienced surprise, I found out I booked the role before leaving the lot and the rest is history… in the making.
What advice would you give to a recent graduate who may be in a similar position and interested in building a career in entertainment?
Sears: Trust yourself and walk in your purpose. The phone is ringing, and your destiny is on the line. Answer the call. Don’t listen to what anyone else says you should do with your life because it’s YOUR life. If you take the time to listen to yourself, I mean really listen to that still small voice, you know what you’re supposed to do… what drives you, what fulfills you, what makes you feel alive. That, do that and don’t sell yourself (or your dream) short by settling for anything less.
What was your first acting job like and how did you prepare for your role?
Sears: My acting debut was in the 2006 Box-Office hit Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion. I still can’t believe my first acting role ever was in a film starring the late great Ms. Cicely Tyson, the late great Dr. Maya Angelou, and the iconic Ms. Lynn Whitfield (who I would reunite with 14 years later in OWN’s “Greenleaf”). If that was my start, what other greatness could possibly await me in the future?! Working with Tyler Perry was and still is one of the many highlights of my career thus far. The atmosphere on his set was very warm and familial. There was an air of love and spiritual connectedness amongst the cast and crew, which I would say is probably largely attributed to Tyler’s own spiritual connection with God. As the director (amongst many other titles for this project), he really fostered a peaceful, stress-free environment in which one could freely create and have fun doing so. My character was (well, at least in my head) this sassy girl sashaying around the reunion being grown and “fast” with her friends. I certainly have experience in being a girl with a lot of sass and sashay, so it didn’t take much preparation. [laughs] It was so much fun playing up the comedy of the scene with Tyler as Uncle Joe.
What was one of the things that you learned early on in entertainment that surprised you most?
Sears: How long it could take before your next job. Man, talk about a test of your will! You have to really be passionate about the craft and not just in it for “overnight success”, fame, and fortune. It took 10 years before I booked my next feature role. I didn’t know then that, while my unempirical start in the business may be a little unconventional compared to many trained actors, my sudden halt in my career as it was just getting started is not unique. Much like I’m doing with quarantine, I took the time of stillness in my career to explore, discover, learn, and train. I became an avid student of the art and dedicated my focus, not on my next job, but on honing my craft. With my attention focused on the right thing, before I knew it, I had booked my next role and have been booking since… all while still studying, learning, and honing.
You have been in award-winning and Golden Globe nominated film “Bessie” alongside Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique, “The Best of Enemies” starring Taraji P. Henson, VH1’s “Daytime Divas” alongside Tichina Arnold, Bounce’s “Saints and Sinners” and FOX’s “Star,” just to name a few — who are a couple actors and producers you enjoyed working with most?
Sears: I’m going to take the diplomatic route and simply say, everyone. [laughts] No, but really, each set, every cast, every filmmaker has made my journey special and memorable. They’ve all played a role (no pun intended) in shaping me into the actress and person I am today.
If you had a magic wand, what show would you do next?
Sears: My goodness, that’s some power. So many choices. Anything with Misha Green, Regina King, Gina Prince-Bythewoody, Lena Waithe, Nia DaCosta… of course, I would love to work with several other incredibly talented filmmakers (gender neutral, racially diverse, etc.) but I have to shout out some of the queens who are reigning supreme in all of their “black girl magic”. I’m hoping to someday create a little magic of my own with each of them.
What do you have in the works currently?
Sears: I’m super excited about two projects I just wrapped, one a feature film with an incredibly star-studded cast and the other a hilarious BET series. They both have a scheduled release date of this year. I can’t share too much about the projects at the moment (as bad as I want to), but I guarantee thorough entertainment. There are a few other projects currently in development that I can’t disclose just yet, but I certainly will in due time. Even though the year just began, 2021 is already looking quite promising.
