Silver Lake, Los Angeles.
We were all very excited about meeting Logan Browning and getting the chance to discuss her work — and, of course, her approach to the characters she plays. Because Logan’s interpretation of female characters, with Samantha White in Netflix’s “Dear White People” as a striking example, has been of a great importance.
They’re not easy girls to relate to, yet Logan has given them depth and something that’s even more important in the creation of a believable character: small traits the audience can share and find in every real person around them.
Especially in her latest works, Logan Browning has shown the world how badass, strong, violent, sometimes intimidating characters can be, yet also multifaceted, ever-evolving, regardless of their role in the story.
We could think of Jelena in “Hit The Floor,” the extra-competitive mean girl that makes things difficult for the protagonist, Ahsha Hayes, portrayed by actress Taylour Paige.
Or we could talk about Samantha White —no, we should, because “Dear White People” still has a lot to teach to the audience. “Dear White People,” based on the 2014 Sundance-awarded movie of the same name, is an important brick of the revolution that is finally on its way to balance the TV Show and streaming Industry, making it a more inclusive environment. It’s still a tough and slow process, but we’re getting there. Sam isn’t an easy character to read. It actually took a couple of re-watches to partially understand her, in a TV show that, despite its moments of comedy and its great and fun characters, captures all the sharp fragments of a reality that’s both socially and historically challenging.
Logan’s portrayal of Sam is amazing: she completely delivered the idea of this beautiful, smart, well-read and strong woman, who might look demanding and stubborn at first, but that is also fragile, simply human.
The new season of “Dear White People,” that aired May 4th on Netflix, was anticipated as “full of secrets” and, although many details have been kept strictly secret until the very end, we know that everybody’s back to school after the failed protest. Maybe, we will see certain sides of Sam’s leader-oriented personality getting softer, but we’re sure that her political discourses are not going to lose their edge — on the contrary, since we know that, in season 2, there will be a mysterious figure trolling Sam and her friends.
Logan always does a great and inspiring work in portraying complex female characters, and we couldn’t wait to ask her about “Dear White People” and about her relationship with Sam. Because, after all, real people are made of layers. And there are just so many layers of personality in the characters Logan plays, and she lets the audience take a peek at every single one of those. This makes the characters so much more than the stereotypical jealous Queen B or the politically-involved, angry leader: they’re far from perfect, but they’re not one-dimensional either.
They are flawed and marvelous, and we are able to really
enjoy the shows also thanks to the authenticity
and complexity of those characters.
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How has it been here in LA since you’ve moved from Atlanta?
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I love it. I really have grown to love LA.
The older I get, especially when I leave and come back, I just realize how beautiful it is, and much opportunity is here. It’s really grown to be one of my favorite places.
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How did you decide to become an actress?
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When I was 14, my mom put me in a modeling and acting competition in LA and agents were judging. One of them asked me if I was serious about it and if my parents would let me move to LA and I just really went for it. I’ve always loved watching other young people on TV and, feeling like they are my friends on TV, and I wanted to be that person for somebody else.
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You played Jelena in “Hit The Floor.” After 4 seasons, how do you feel your approach to Jalena has changed?
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There was a long gap between season 3 and season 4, so naturally, as a person, I’m different hence I’m going to look at the character with a different lens. Luckily the character is in a much mature place, she is not the same kind of villain that she was in the first 3 seasons: she is entering a kind of a maternal phase in her life, which is an interesting thing to see.
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You were not a professional dancer when you joined the “Devils” on set, and everything looks so amazingly complicated! How was the rehearsal?
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I worked so hard on “Hit the Floor,” I trained for 8 months, and the rehearsals were hard because all the girls were professionals dancers, but everybody was so supportive of me and I could see myself getting better each season and each dance. And honestly, I’m grateful for that because part of what I love about acting is getting to learn a new skill and not everyone gets to that in his or her job. Not everyone gets to learn, all of a sudden, karate or how to play the guitar but for me, I got to do that, so I’m very grateful.
It’s intimidating when you have been away from dancing and coming back, you almost feel like you are starting over; it’s scary though but once you get back into that space, you realize that nobody is there to judge you; the dancers are not there to judge each other, they are there to have fun and be passionate and emotional. So once I get through the dance doors I’ll be good!
“What I love about acting…
…is getting to learn a new skill.”
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What was the funniest moment while filming “Hit the Floor”?
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There were so many, we are such pranksters! We are like a big happy family. I would say… I sneeze a lot, so there are bloopers in which we are, like, in a very intense scene and I’m like sneezing seven times in a row. People get so mad, I feel so bad because the cameras are on them, but I can’t help it!
Sorry! (laugh)
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About “Dear White People,” did you have the chance to see the movie before getting the role for the show?
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Yeah, when I first heard about the movie, the title threw me off. I was like “what? why? This is strange.” So, I ended up giving the movie a chance and I really did enjoy the style of it; it’s a very nuanced kind of classic style that this generation doesn’t really get in terms of how elevated it is with its dialogue and the shoots. It’s just a very elevated kind of college-age-piece. So I loved it, I love Tessa Thompson in her role, now a role we share, and then I watched it a million more time once I got the role ‘cause I was terrified. (laugh)
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How did you prepare for the role of Sam, taking from Tessa Thompson’s portrait of her in the “Dear White People” movie?
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Honestly, it was really nerve-wracking, it took me a while to get comfortable, and by a while, I mean the whole season. I don’t think, until season 2, did I really feel comfortable as Sam; and that’s because season 1 was almost like revisiting a lot of the things in the movie so I felt like I was doing the things over that she had already done, which was terrifying. But season 2 is all brand new. We are going in a completely new direction, so I’m really able to be confident that, whatever I have to offer as Sam, it’s what it’s going to be.
“We are going in a completely new direction, so I’m really able to be confident that, whatever I have to offer as Sam, it’s what it’s going to be.”
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What’s your favorite character in “Dear White People,” Sam included?
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I love Lionel, I really love Lionel.
He’s just so cute and corky, you are really watching him grow as a person, all of the characters really, but especially him. And I love a lot of the characters, which you’ll see more in season 2. Like Brooke: you’ll see more of her and she is really funny. And you’ll see more of Kelsey, who’s also really fun.
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The relationship between Sam and Gabe meets so much puzzlement in the beginning, but all the characters end up quite accepting it. One of the critics was that a mixed relationship would not be accepted so easily. What do you think about it?
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Really? People think that? Well I think you have to remember that Sam is this leader character and almost anything she does, people kind of follow her, so I think once she kind of claims that “this is what I’m doing,” people just kind of go with it and it really shows you what kind of influence power has. Like, someone in a powerful position can be doing one thing all their career and, all of a sudden, change: and there may be a little pushback, but eventually you kind of stick with that person.
Like if Beyoncé all of a sudden starts doing Country music, we would be like, “Whoa, Beyoncé! Love it, Beyoncé!”
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We would listen to her anyways!
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Right, you would be like, “this is weird” but then you’d be kind of into it. That’s what happens, I think. That’s what I think about people, about their moving so quickly and people kind of being ok with it.
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And what would you say to Sam, if you could meet her?
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Oh my gosh, Sam! I would be nervous to talk to Sam, I feel she is really well-read, not that I am not, but I feel like I would not get into a debate with her. And, maybe, I would ask her if she would have gone to an HBCU.
I would ask her whom she loves, or “Can you love both people?”
I would ask her whom she loves, or “Can you love both people?”
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The last series you binge-watched?
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“RuPaul’s Drag Race,” and more recently the newest season of “Black Mirror.” And I’ve just started watching “Seven seconds;” I’m in the middle of it.
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Must have on set?
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Water! I’m such a crazy person about water, you need to stay hydrated! And a protein snack if I’m hungry and something to do if I’m bored, like a book or my script – Bored it’s an awful thing to say on set, but when it’s not your turn and you are just sitting around you need something to do or you’d eat all the chocolate!
“You need something to do…
…or you’d eat all the chocolate!”
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What’s your favorite Instagram account?
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Oh, there are so many, I’m such a stalker! I do like @theshaderoom because it’s a gossip site and it keeps me up-to-date with all things urban. And I just love Zoë Kravitz, so anything she posts I’m like double tap, double tap!
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What’s your favorite playlist on Spotify?
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Oh, this is such a good question! I love ’90s R&B, you cannot go wrong; it makes you happy and I love feeling happy!
So I listen to a lot of Aaliyah, Brandy, Usher…
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Favorite Emoji
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Oh, there are so many! I really do love the ? and, I’m just gonna put it out there, I think I started the trend of the black heart emoji, because when I first start doing it all my friends were like, “Why are you putting the black heart, Logan? That’s really dark!” and I was like, “Listen! All the colors matter and the black heart is so chic! And, with all the Black Matters movement, I just wanted to make this heart beautiful too.”
Nobody was using it, and now everybody likes the black heart, it’s really chic!
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What is your favorite spot in LA?
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Right here, my new “casa”! (laugh) I really do love the Getty Museum and anywhere near the water is beautiful.
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What’s the prettiest thing that a fan has ever told to you?
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Any time somebody wants to have an actual conversation, especially with white people, that’s probably the best thing. I really love when people come to me with their opinion and want to discuss something.
But the best thing is when they say that I am nothing like Jelena: I love Jelena, but I always want people to see me as Logan, and then the actress. Anytime somebody can see me separately from my character, that’s always the best compliment.
“I really love when people come to me with their opinion and want to discuss something.”
“I always want people to see me as Logan.”
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And what are the stories you want to tell?
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I really want to tell stories about people with special needs, I feel they are hidden and those stories don’t really get told. I have a lot of people with special needs in my family and there are so many stories about them and the people who take care of them and support them.
And I’d love to see and tell more of those.
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What’s next for Logan?
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I just did a movie, call “The Perfection.” It’s a thriller and I’m really excited about that, it’s what I shaved my head for.
I hope to direct, and study directing and film photography; I really want to learn and immerse myself in that skill.
Photo and video by Johnny Carrano
