Karrueche Tran is really happy. At least she seemed to be as we chatted in the outdoor-rooftop lounge of The DL nightclub in Manhattan’s Lower East Side on a fortuitously warm May afternoon.
Enjoying the ambiance created in honor of Bacardi rums, we kicked back and had a little girl talk.
Tran, 30, was in town for a couple of days ahead of finishing up Claws‘ second season. At a smooth 5’ 4″ in heeled booties, the petite stylist-turned-actress opened up.
When the world was introduced to the Los Angeles native, she was in her early 20s, dating an R&B bad boy with a penchant for fast cars, intense romances, and public rants. Tran’s evolution —which has been very public— has since led her to a burgeoning acting career, healthy lifestyle and a sister circle of amazing women like her Claws co-star Niecy Nash.
“I just hit a point of like, ‘girl, what’re you gonna do with your life,'” Tran said about her foray into acting.
“Luckily Claws came along and you know it showcased my talent and people are like, ‘Oh, okay, I get it. Like you’re for real now.’ And even still, it’s not like, ‘Oh I’m on Claws I’m good.’ No, as soon as I’m done in a month, I’m gonna go back to L.A. and I’m gonna get back in my classes and still keep working hard because it’s a lot of work.”
She’s matured but is also cognizant of what gives her inner joy.
“There’s power in loving yourself,” Tran said. “What I know for sure is anything you set your mind to, you can do if you work hard and put a lot of effort into it. And happiness is life, being positive and just exuding that energy and receiving it back, I think it’s… it’s powerful. You can control it. And I just wanna be a happy person, and work as much.”
We can’t wait to see her continue to glow.
Claws season two returns June 10 at 9 pm EST on TNT.
