8 minute read
Above Average
Above Average
ACTRESS CYNTHIA KAYE MCWILLIAMS ON BET’S AVERAGE JOE, TRUE CRIME, AND HER KC ROOTS
By Jacqulyn Seyferth
Kansas City actress Cynthia Kaye McWilliams’ portfolio ranges from voice acting in Marvel animations to dramatic performances with Samuel L. Jackson. She is known for being a series regular on Real Husbands of Hollywood alongside Kevin Hart, as well as her recurring role in Prison Break. McWilliams has also starred in Netflix’s Prince of Peoria. McWilliams’ latest role is in BET’s dark comedy Average Joe, a tale of a blue-collar plumber who finds himself in high-stakes circumstances in the wake of his father’s death. McWilliams plays true-crime-obsessed Cathy Montgomery, a member of Joe’s circle of friends.
Average Joe’s suspenseful twists tempered with lighthearted humor have earned positive critic reviews from the likes of The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. The first season of Average Joe is available to stream on BET Plus.
The Pitch caught up with McWilliams to discuss her role in Average Joe, true crime, her KC roots, and so much more.
The Pitch: Was there a specific moment you had where you knew acting was what you wanted to pursue?
Cynthia Kaye McWilliams: I would say there were two really specific moments. I worked in a library when I was a young girl, and I was the one who put the books in the stacks. I sat down in the aisles and read plays, which fascinated me. So when I first started doing theater, I did so as a playwright. I submitted to two different local theater companies, and one of my plays was produced. I had an actress who got sick one day. I knew all the lines, so I went up for her, and that was when I started to know this is what I wanted to do.
What was the transition like from growing up in KC to pursuing a career in Hollywood?
I had to make the decision to leave KC and take the leap. I decided that I wasn’t going to go directly from high school, so I went to DePaul’s theater conservatory in Chicago. Then I went to California to try to make a career out of what I had been studying. It was about the courage and the tenacity to keep trying again and again. I did not succeed immediately by any means, and I’m still working every single day to keep growing and improving as an actor.
Your latest role is in BET’S Average Joe, which is based on creator Robb Cullen’s life. What was your experience acting in a story based on someone’s life when they’re so closely involved in the project?
He wrote this incredible story based on his life, but he was so gracious once he gave it to us. He was like, “We chose these actors for a reason, and we want you all to bring yourself to the story.” He had the utmost confidence in us, and he gave us all complete authority over the voices of our characters.
Your character Cathy is obsessed with true crime, which is a hobby that can lead to a lot of paranoia. How did you draw inspiration for her character?
I actually love murder podcasts. I think people are fascinated with the idea of people who cross lines, go too far, and do the unthinkable. Whether that’s in a terrible way, like murder, or in just an unexpected way. What are the things that would to happen in your life to lead you to something out of character? These are questions we all have about ourselves in the quietness of our dark thoughts. This show gives everyone an opportunity to ask the question, “What would I do in that situation?” So that’s a jumping-off point for me.
Speaking of doing the unthinkable in certain situations, Cathy’s devotion to her husband kind of goes to the point of breaking the law seriously, which reminded me a lot of your character Kacee in Prison Break. Is this fierce loyalty something that you personally relate to?
The essence of who you are sort of follows you into all of your characters. It’s in everything you play, no matter how much you try to search for characters that are different from you or wildly different from the last character you just played. That’s something I have thought about a lot and something my friends and partner joke about. My partner will tell me, “You’re a fiercely loyal love.” If I had to choose a trait that transcends all my characters, that would be it.
Are there any changes you had to make in your approach to Kathy’s character from first reading the script to the filming process?
Every week there were changes that had to be made. When you get your first script, you can imagine where you think the story will go. Every single week at the table reads, we sit down as a group and go over what the writers have created for us. We find out surprises, so there were many times when I would read something and say, “Oh, that’s not where I saw her going at all.” We get to adjust and find a new direction or new layers. That’s a cool part of doing an episodic television show—every week, you’re as shocked as the audience will be while watching.
Is being on BET a goal you’ve had since the start of your career?
Oh, no, not at all. I don’t think I’ve ever thought that I want to work with this particular network or group. What I love about BET is that they’re fiercely loyal to storytelling through the Black lens and through the voice of Black artists. What I love about this project is that Robb Cullen, a white guy, has written this really cool story that was given to a Black family as the lens through which the story is told. I love that when we get more diverse in our storytelling, we add more perspective, so the story becomes more authentic and more layered.
What is it like for you to represent the Black community of Kansas City through national television?
I’m always so happy. I am so proud of the fact that I came from one place, went to another, and dared to dream. I really love that I can be an example to someone of just a very simple concept of trust. I just hope that that’s an encouragement to someone. One of the things that I value about being from Kansas City is the music scene, jazz, the small theater scene, and the larger performances on the big stage. I think KC has become its own little artistic hub over the years. I think we’ll see more and more people coming out of Kansas City and surprising everyone on the Hollywood and New York scene.
How do you feel about the current level of diversity and representation in TV?
I think that when we stop talking about the need or the level to which representation you know is being achieved, then we will actually achieve representation. It should be a situation where we’re telling stories, we’re looking around at the mirror reflection of us as a culture, and the story should reflect that mirror. So until that happens, we just have work to do.
There are still very few women behind the camera as directors or producers. There’s diversity that needs to happen in the sense of distribution, executive producers, and studio and network-level executives.
We do see more diversity in actors, particularly seeing lead actors and stories that aren’t presented in a way that we’re supporting a story that is more white.
Unfortunately, what happens is we can only tell stories that are based on seeing that group. We can only tell a story about being Black if you’re Black, or if you’re Asian, you only tell an Asian story, etc. What if we just told totally awesome stories and let anybody who was qualified be the actor portraying it? Then we begin to see that people of color don’t only support the white narrative, and white actors can support the Brown narrative as well.
I’m not interested in shifting inequity. I’m interested in seeing actual equity. Equity is when we look around and embrace the fact that there is so much diversity. That means every person included in that diverse perspective is valued and not told what they get to represent.
Do you have any advice for young aspiring actors making their way in the industry?
Learn yourself. Know yourself. Trust yourself. As an actor, make sure that the reason you want to do it is because you love it. Not because you want to be famous. Not because you think it’ll get you money. Not because you think it’ll make you important, valuable, or seen. If those are the goals, I encourage you to find out how to make yourself feel important, valuable, and seen on your own first. Nobody else is going to love you like you can. Don’t wait for someone else to do it.
