If Bresha Webb, the star of NBC’s new series Truth Be Told, wasn’t an actress, well, she would still be an actress.
“If I wasn’t doing this, I would be outside on a corner doing it,” Webb told ESSENCE.com. “This was my only option.”
Webb was bitten by the acting bug in high school, and her love for the art has only grown since then. She was on medical drama ER for two seasons and starred alongside Tatyana Ali on TV One’s Love That Girl before booking her latest project, Truth Be Told, which centers on two 30-something couples and their quirky friendship.
The comedic actress sat down with ESSENCE.com to discuss her newest role, her musical guilty pleasure and advice that she has for young actresses. You’ll never guess which A-lister she has a shrine dedicated to!
1. She went to the same high school as Tupac and Jada Pinkett-Smith
“I went to Baltimore School of the Arts, which is known for discovering Tupac and Jada Pinkett-Smith. I was encouraged to go to school in L.A, so I went to the California Institute of the Arts. But a little bit about my family: We didn’t really come from much, and we didn’t take family trips to California, so my first trip to California was actually my first day of school.”
2. She and her co-stars are extremely close
“What’s so great about the show is that the characters are really my friends. Like last week, Mark-Paul [Gosselaar] wasn’t here because he was in New York promoting the show. We totally missed him, so we sent him bunch of selfies on set. We’re very comfortable with each other, and it makes it real for us because we deal with each other as these characters would deal with each other: with grace and with love.”
3. She has a shrine to Beyoncé in her bedroom
“I have a shrine dedicated to her in my bedroom. I have all of her albums—I mean, iTunes is great, but for the greats, you have to support and buy the artwork—I have all of her t-shirts, I even bought that mask she wore in the “Partition” video. It doesn’t look cute on me, but I still bought it.”
4. She’s a huge fan of 80s rock and roll
“I’m talking about Duran Duran. I love 80s rock music. I was fascinated with Stevie Nicks when I was growing up. I just went to a Foo Fighters concert for the first time, and it was a dream come true. I’m a rock person. I love rock music.”
5. Her No. 1 advice to young actresses? Put in the work
“[Success] isn’t on Instagram. You have to do the work. If you really want to be an actress, go to school. I think it’s great what people are doing on YouTube, but don’t forget to go to class. Have a vision for yourself, but don’t forget to do the work. It doesn’t happen overnight, and it definitely doesn’t happen doing buffoonery.”
6. Delta Sigma Theta runs deep in her blood (but she didn’t pledge!)
“My character on Truth Be Told, Angie, is a Delta. I’m not a Delta, but my mom is, and her last dying wish is probably for me to join, but I went to art school. All of my friends are Deltas, so I decided to make Angie a Delta.”
7. Her Truth Be Told Character imitates her real life
“Angie is a lot like where I am now. You know, being in a relationship, heckling, music and experiencing new things. On the show, I get to be funny, but I also get to talk about topics that show a different point of view for Black women. It’s just so exciting to be funny and to not be stereotypical.”
Don’t miss the premiere of Truth Be Told Friday, October 16 at 8:30 ET on NBC!