{"id":124516,"date":"2024-05-20T14:56:04","date_gmt":"2024-05-20T19:56:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=124516"},"modified":"2024-05-20T14:56:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-20T19:56:25","slug":"qa-with-phyllis-yvonne-stickney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=124516","title":{"rendered":"Q&#038;A with Phyllis Yvonne Stickney"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1545664804358300\" crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script><br \/>\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\" style=\"display: block; text-align: center;\" data-ad-layout=\"in-article\" data-ad-format=\"fluid\" data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1545664804358300\" data-ad-slot=\"8616314829\"><\/ins><br \/>\n<script>\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\n<\/script><\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=124516\" rel=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/?p=124516\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-124517 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Phyllis-Yvonne-300x180.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Phyllis-Yvonne-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Phyllis-Yvonne.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen<br \/>\nPhotos courtesy of Phyllis Yvonne Stickney<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is an American actress, comedian, poet, playwright, producer, and motivational speaker. She is best known for her role in the series &#8220;New Attitude&#8221;. She played in many movies: \u201cNew Jack City\u201d, \u201cJungle Fever\u201d, \u201cMalcolm X\u201d, \u201cWhat&#8217;s Love Got to Do with It\u201d and \u201cHow Stella Got Her Groove Back\u201d. She was one of the first comedians of color to perform at the Juste Pour Rire Comedy Festival in Montreal, Canada. She was noted in the twenty-fifth anniversary issue of magazine as one of 200 African American who have changed the world. <!--more--><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Did you always want to be an actress growing up?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t recall a specific time or event as a child that inspired me to think about acting. I took ballet, violin, and viola lessons which filled my slot for artistic pursuits. Dance was my first love and discipline in the arts.<\/p>\n<p>I studied ballet and loved to dance modern, and social dancing. Later I was introduced to Dunham and traditional African dance techniques. So, it was actually my love of dance that led me to attend a performance of The WIZ in the city of Wilmington, Delaware.<\/p>\n<p>I loved \u201cThe Wizard Of OZ\u201d, which is a favorite film of mine, so a \u201cBlack\u201d version of that favorite production was fascinating. I watched in excitement and admiration as the dancers and actors brought this fantasy tale to life on the stage. The performers were Black, like me. George Faison was the choreographer, and I did everything I could to get backstage and meet him and the performers. I wanted to show him I could dance, and I think that was what gave me the desire to be on stage. I never thought I could really make a career with this.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Who were your acting idols as a kid, and are they still your idols?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I didn\u2019t remember seeing many actors who looked like me growing up. I remember the late Juanita Moore from Imitation of Life; she was brown like me and reminded me of my mother. Beah Richards, Ruby Dee, Rosalyn Cash, Madge Sinclair, and Cicely Tyson are some of the actresses who inspired me, and I am still inspired by them today. The words of wisdom and encouragement that I was given by these artists fuel me today. I do not have any idols, just examples and motivators.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Your first movie roles: what were they?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>My first movie role was as Fredrick Douglass\u2019s first wife, Anna Douglass. The film was directed by the late William Greaves and produced for and by the Fredrick Douglass Home in Washington, DC. I was able to portray the character from her early age to her latter years; a 40-year age progression was required of me. Special makeup helped me visually age, and my acting brought Anna Douglass to life on the screen. The film is titled \u201cFredrick Douglass: An American Life\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The next and first commercial project was the ABC movie of the week, \u201cDaddy\u2019s Girl\u201d (ABC Afterschool Special), followed up by \u201cThe Women of Brewster Place\u201d (TV Mini-series), consisting of an all-star cast, including the late Cicely Tyson.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: How did you get the part in &#8220;New Jack City&#8221;, and how was working with Mario Van Peebles?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>New Jack City was the first film I appeared in that was produced by a major studio. I was cast in the role of Miss Hawkins after Chris Rock got the role of \u201cPookie.\u201d The late George Jackson and his business partner Doug McHenry had been spending a great deal of time discussing me in that role, and the test of my acting skills was that the audience wouldn\u2019t know that \u201cPookie\u201d was a female until she fell off the bike being chased by actor ICE T\u2019s character.<\/p>\n<p>In fact, I was caught off guard when a neighborhood associate told me that a film was being shot on 145th Street. I gathered myself and my then-roommate and brother and walked a few blocks to the set. On the steps of a carriage house near the set sat Preston Holmes, whom I approached and told him, \u201cI know you are not in Harlem filming and hadn\u2019t even called me!\u201d I asked what role I was going to be portraying. Preston quickly told George Jackson that Phyllis Yvonne Stickney was on the set\u2026go to channel 2. This was a bold move in hindsight. I was just in disbelief that after all the time we\u2019d spent talking about the reveal of \u201cPookie\u201d as a girl and how it was going to be an impactful scene, etcetera, and here I had not even received any acknowledgment.<\/p>\n<p>After Mr. Holmes had been very clear that I was on the set, and my question could only be answered by either George or Doug McHenry who had led me to the \u201cPookie\u201d role expectation. I was escorted to the production office, and I asked Mr. Jackson \u201cif Chris Rock was playing \u201cPookie,\u201d who am I playing?\u201d Keeping the unscheduled meeting simple and straight to the point. The role of Miss Hawkins was the consolation prize I received instead.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d met Mario Van Peebles when I arrived in New York City and worked as an actor under the tutelage of the late great Roger Furman.<\/p>\n<p>Mario was a colleague, and I was trusted to deliver the character as I envisioned her. He was adequate, and I appreciated him for letting me conceive and portray the role as I saw fit. I even was allowed to select the wardrobe for the character as I saw her.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: You played in a few Spike Lee movies: Jungle Fever, Malcolm X: how did you get these parts and what kind of a director is Spike Lee?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>Spike Lee cast people in his projects with whom he was familiar enough to recognize their talent and abilities, such as their ability to think on their feet. As a director, he trusted me to be the whip in the scenes that I was in. He often allowed us to ad-lib during the filming of our all-girl scene when he felt our dialogue was better than what he&#8217;d scripted.<\/p>\n<p>The role of \u201cNilda\u201d in Jungle Fever came about the standard way: an audition. Spike Lee knew of my comedy career and proficiency as an actor who thinks on my feet. This film is an example where Spike gave me full rein to ad-lib the scene with the women discussing their attitudes about relationships. The scene is mostly ad-lib and is often called the \u201cWar Council.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: You played Alline Bullock in \u201cWhat&#8217;s Love Got to Do with It\u201d: How did you get the part? Did you meet Tina Turner on the set?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s Love Got to Do with It\u201d was directed by Kevin Sullivan, whom I considered a friend. I auditioned for the role in the movie and was once considered for one of the Ikettes; however, the role of Alline was offered and accepted.<\/p>\n<p>In \u201cHow Stella Got Her Groove Back\u201d, I was excited to have been cast in the role of \u201cDelilah\u201d and was ecstatic until a couple of months later, I received a call from Mr. Sullivan, who informed me that he had good news and bad news and asked which I wanted to hear first. I wanted the bad news first; he said Whoopie Goldberg was going to play the role of \u201cDelilah.\u201d Well, what\u2019s the good news? I asked, and he said he would give me extra days to vacation in Jamaica. The role of Mrs. Shakespeare was the role I ultimately portrayed.<\/p>\n<p>I am so glad I had the opportunity to meet the late icon Tina Turner one day on the set. We met on the day that the scenes in the studio with Phil Spector were filmed. The icon Tina Turner was gracious and focused on lending whatever support she could to Angela Bassett. I was in awe of the moments spent in her presence. We took a picture with Angela Bassett, Laurence Fishburne, Tina Turner, and me!!! I cherish that memory and picture.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>KB: Are there any people out there you would love to collaborate with or people you wished you had?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I would love to collaborate with Ava DuVernay, Don Cheadle, Neema Barnett, Euzan Palcy, Malcolm Lee, Katt Williams, Dave Chapelle, Steven Spielberg, and Laurence Fishburne, to name a few.<br \/>\nI wish that I\u2019d had the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Maya Angelou, Ruby Dee, Octavia E. Butler, Zora Neale Hurston, Gordon Parks, Richard Pryor, Ntozake Shange, Beah Richards, Diana Sands, Oscar Micheaux\u2026a list too long for this interview.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: Lead Roles you would like to play?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I desire to lead in a remake of the \u201cThree Faces of Eve\u201d or \u201cThe Bad Seed,\u201d and most definitely to play lead roles in my brother actor\/writer Timothy D. Stickney&#8217;s original scripts. He has written some of the most exciting sci-fi scripts; I can hardly wait to bring them to the screen. Our debut projects will be Timothy\u2019s \u201cThe Complex\u201d, \u201cThe Coven\u201d, and my romantic comedies \u201cPen Pals\u201d and \u201cCard Talk\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>KB: What are your current plans?<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p>I am currently working to accomplish and complete projects that speak to my legacy. I\u2019m preparing to lead a revival of the Theatre Arts Department at an HBCU in my birth state. As a professor, I\u2019ll be able to share the many levels of experience, knowledge, and information I\u2019ve gained over these years with talented students.<br \/>\nAlso, I am rewriting a one-woman play and making connections with creative, business and comedy influencers with whom I plan to collaborate.<\/p>\n<p>I anticipate returning to the comedy stages and writing content for the many broadcast mediums, including podcasts, talk shows and tours. Preparing to reemerge onto the scene with a brand&#8230; Not the Queen of Comedy, not the How Ho of Ha Ha&#8230; The Empress of Entertainment: Still Funny Still Fine the World Tour.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #808000;\"><a style=\"color: #808000;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.authorhouse.com\/en\/bookstore\/bookdetails\/232300-BOXING-INTERVIEWS-OF-A-LIFETIME\">Click Here to Order Boxing Interviews Of A Lifetime By &#8220;Bad&#8221; Brad Berkwitt<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Exclusive Interview by Karen Beishuizen Photos courtesy of Phyllis Yvonne Stickney Phyllis Yvonne Stickney is an American actress, comedian, poet, playwright, producer, and motivational speaker. She is best known for her role in the series &#8220;New Attitude&#8221;. She played in many movies: \u201cNew Jack City\u201d, \u201cJungle Fever\u201d, \u201cMalcolm X\u201d, \u201cWhat&#8217;s Love Got to Do with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":124517,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28132],"tags":[32034],"class_list":["post-124516","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-columns-by-karen-beishuizen","tag-qa-with-phyllis-yvonne-stickney"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124516","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=124516"}],"version-history":[{"count":-3,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/124516\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/124517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=124516"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=124516"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=124516"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}