The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Kim Fields

Episode Date: December 18, 2019

Kim Fields drops in to talk about her iconic TV roles, avoiding the pitfalls of childhood celebrity, and so much more! Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, all. wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's

East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to understand. miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok

podcast network on TikTok. Questlove Supreme is a production of Iheart Radio. Wait, we're doing this going garage, man. Suprema, Suprema Roll Call. Audition. Suprema. Suprema, Subima Roca.

Suprema, Subima, Subima Roca. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, subrama roll call. Oh, Lord, my feelings. Yeah. I can't control. Yeah. Because we fin to talk to.

Yeah. Miss Mokas. Oh. Roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, subprima, roll call. Supremma, sub, sub, subprima, roll car. My name is Sugar. Yeah.

And I don't care. Yeah. Because I just met Tudy. Yeah. And we're friends with Blair. Roll call. Supremma, sir, sir, sir. We mean, we're.

Supremea Roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, suprema roll call. Every Wednesday, yeah. That's when we're on. Yeah. My name's boss Bill. Yeah.

And that's one to grow on. Roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, subprima, Rocah, Supremma, So, Supremia, Rocahn. Isla'iya, yeah.

With Kim the Queen. Yeah. If you're unsure, yeah. Reference regime. Roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, suprema roll call. My name is Kimmy, sub, sub, sub, supremo roll call. My name is Kimmy.

Yeah. I'm in the house. Yeah. I'm in New York. Yeah. I saw a mouse. What? That was a rap.

That was a rap. Submina, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, supremer roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, subprima, role call. Suprema Subrema roll call I'm so glad someone gets me I'm currently as we speak I'm currently house shopping right now

and my second question is Any vermin Yeah I'm I'm out I've given houses away Because of What in the richness? Oh you better much That my

Your current's colors You know Are you talking about Don't, she still lives there. Oh, oh, oh. Yeah, that house. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I saw a few rats in there.

I was like, hey, happy. Merry Christmas. Would you move, don't know, brother? Dawn. Your sister, yes, that's what he did. He gave a rat house to his sister. I gave my red house to my sister. All right, guys.

Quartz Love here. You may have heard me. We got a bill. We got a lie here. We got Steve. And a family member who's still out getting cigarettes. He said that he come home eventually, but I don't know.

I'm not being Kurt, but there's really no time to waste. And it's not every day a guy gets to interview his childhood celebrity question. Anyway,

I don't want to I don't want to waste to act. I want to waste a second on acting royalty. I will say that our guest today is pretty much maybe the reason I sort of kind of talk to bottles of syrup every pancake Saturday.

Wait, in black households, is pancakes on a Saturday like an event? Yes, yes. Any day. A regular event. Regular event. No, for black households, like, that was a treat. Yes, that was a treat. Saturday pancakes.

She ain't got time for, no, every time of day. The week. No, I survived off of, like, tasty cakes and quarter water water is doing a week. For Saturdays, yeah, that's when we rich. That's when the cat, you know, check got cash. The first black roller skater ever knew. The reason why I fell in love with any girl who wore braces in my school. Made them cute, you damn.

Oh, yeah. The only person whose character truly understands what dejection from a Jackson means, especially when one works so hard to give them gifts that they made with their own money. And a fact that most people don't know, without this person, the empire known as friends would have never existed. Yes, like, did you know this? Yeah, your beloved Chandler, Joey, Monica. Why are you looking at me? Maybe.

And Rachel. I'm the friends fan. No, I'm just saying. You're not alone, Steve. And Chad and Becky, whoever else is on friends. There was no Chad and Becky. You miss Joey. Without our guest today.

none of that would have been possible. Yeah, no, seriously, ladies and gentlemen, acting royalty on Questlove Supreme today. Welcome, incomparable. Madam, Kimberly, Victoria Fields, Yes. Yes.

What an intro. Finally. Man, how long we were trying to do that? I know. We've been doing, oh, five-minute intro. Wow. Thank you for that intro. I'm getting better. First little sister on TV, for real.

Yeah, seriously. No, seriously. We have so many questions that's asking so little time. Kim, where were you born? Harlem, right here. Really? And I'm Kim. I was born Kim Victoria,

not Kimberly. Kim Victoria? Yes. Just Kim is a three-letters? Yes. We will. Because your quest love, you can call me, Kimberly, even know that in the name.

No, no, we would not. I was just trying to give you the proper respect. I appreciate. Respect, do. What were your memories of Harlem girl? How long did you live there? Six years. Really?

Yeah, from zero to six. So what were your memories of Harlem growing up? Is it anything close to the gentrified? Well, not the gentrified part, no. But, I mean, like, my building is still there. My park is still there. My beloved St. Nicholas Park, the whole grass lawn that we used to sled down in, you know, cardboard boxes because who had sleds.

Or you get them old busted up tires and you slide down. Right, right. The cracks on the sidewalk in front of my grandma. Mother's Building, which was 654 St. Nick. So, you know, it's nothing but love. The other day, went in front of my elementary school, PS-92. Really? Yep. Still looks the same. Any other notable peers of yours growing up in that area? I don't remember where they lived, but Danielle Spencer, who played D on what's happening. So basically my mom and a whole bunch of other amazingly talented actors would go to acting school in St. Phillips Church. Al Fan used to hold his classes there,

the Alfan theatrical ensemble. And so basically all of like the dopest actors on the planet were in New York and in that environment in the early 70s. And so, you know, some of them who had kids, they couldn't afford babysitters like us. And so we would be at the acting classes, imitating what we saw our parents doing to keep ourselves entertained. And so Danielle was there because her stepdad, Tim Pelt, God rest of his soul, he was there. And your mother was a part of this troop? Yes.

Okay, so we would be remiss. Are you tired of people coming up to you saying how much their mom is, your mom has traumatized them all their lives? No, I don't need that evil cackle right now. I know. I got you. I'm just saying. I thought about her.

I got you. And okay, yes, of course, now that we're adults, we know what acting is. Yes. But let's take it back like 30 years or whatever. How many of your friends were traumatized at the side of your mom? Yeah. For those that haven't seen good times. Oh, God.

Please, tell them, Bill. I'm just kidding. Kim's mother played, what was her? Penny. Well, I know Penny, but what was her character's name? I can't remember. Mrs. Gordon. Mrs. Gordon, yes.

Yes. Her name was. We never had her name. She was Penny's mom. Penny, of course, was Janet Jackson, and Penny was being abused by her mother. Woo, child. Yes, Lord. Burned with an iron, I said.

Miss Chip Fields played the hell out of that. Yes, she did. Yes, she did. Yeah. That hit home. If I ever see her in the street, you know, it's a tip of the hat and, you know,

what do you need? What can I get for you? So you're just saying that watching your mother in these workshops, prompted you to also follow suit or not no that was just the the intro and kind of the environment to just be exposed to it all it wasn't until i actually saw her um and saw the environment uh when mom was doing um hello dolly with pearl bailey on broadway and on tour that i really started getting a sense of all that goes into this you know and and the people who were a part of the craft and

makeup and hair and wardrobe and sets and props and all of that. And then when you see it all come together as a little kid, you know, looking at it on stage. And that's really what got me into it. So was it commercials first that you, what was your very first commercial? You know. Mrs. Butterworth was your first? Yeah, that was my first. So with technology not being as advanced as it was back then, were you just speaking to a still bottle?

A still, okay. Yes. I was one, you know. Yeah, it was just a bottle that was just there. Oh, another, uh, Kirstlove first. So I'll say that baby I'm back was technically the first sitcom I was allowed to watch. Okay. I wasn't allowed to watch TV much back then.

Yeah. Because you guys came on right after, uh, the Jackson's. And in 7677, the Jackson's had, uh, their own, their own, specials. Yeah, variety show. And so you were, I think your character was Angie. Yes. And baby I'm back with, it was Damon Wilson's first.

Demon Wilson. Yeah, I never. That's how he pronounced his name? Yeah. Demand. Like he was a Shakespearean actor. He may have been. No, he was a preacher too, right?

Yeah. Demand Wilson. And Denise Nicholas. And the great Denise Nicholson. Yes, yes. Who plays your brother on the show? Tony Holmes. Okay.

I don't know what became of him or whatever. But, yeah, my mom loved Denise Nichols. So I guess, you know, it was. Everybody's mom loved Denise. Yeah. And everybody's uncle loved Denise. My mom. No, he was so happy when I got that job.

Really? Everyone volunteered to. Up until the heat of the night. Yep. Up until? Yeah, I mean, well, that's when the last time you really started to start seeing her. Oh, okay. I'm like, why are you starting to be a niece nickel?

No. Preza. So that was your very first to come? Yes. So how easy was it for you to adjust to that environment? It was definitely a learning experience. For example, I didn't know about continuity. And so we did a scene and I was supposed to come into the kitchen area from having been awakened.

And so we did the take one time and then I thought, I was backstage and I thought, well, if I was asleep, my hair should be a little messy. So I must my hair and then they came out and they were like, cut. who touched her hair? What happened? So that was the first time I learned about continuity. You took matters in your own hands. Yeah, absolutely. And things like, you know, don't look in the camera and don't laugh at your own jokes and don't laugh at other people's jokes and, you know, stuff like that.

So it definitely was a lot of fun, you know, but it was on the job training because I'd never done a series before. And by that point, you moved to Los Angeles? Yeah. So what was that transit? and light because the 70s, I mean, a lot of people don't even realize that for a lot of African Americans, like, you know, we've only known the current environment that we're in right now for just 50 years. So I'll say for at least the first 10 years, I'm sure that it was a learning curve for anyone in Hollywood in the 70s.

Sure. kind of trekking uncharted territory that wasn't previously available to them any decades or time before. So what was it like coming? Like what were your memories of moving to LA like? Well, I went to school back at PS-92. I went to school that morning. And when I came back to our apartment, the little few things that we had, including like my little easy bake oven and, you know, those sort of, like everything, my viewmaster, everything was packed up. It wasn't a whole lot.

and my mom said, we're moving to L.A. tonight. And it's like, oh, okay, no, just, just, because we had, I just went to school like any other day. So why did y'all end up moving to L.A.? So mom had been there when she toured with Hello Dolly, and she just felt like that area had more opportunities work-wise. Harlem in the early to mid-70s was a lot different than it is now. And so mom just thought that that was going to be a better look for us. and so she you know packed us up and we went out there one of the other persons who was a part of the acting troupe that Al Fan had

was Lawrence Hilton Jacobs and him and my mom were like brother and sister and so when we came out to L.A. he was like you know Chip I got you and the guy Kimmy and you know whatever you guys need and so what you're talking about right there you know that there was really no blueprint and everybody just kind of you know that village holding it together and figuring it out yeah exactly Exactly. Exactly. Yeah, because he had gone out there and booked Welcome Back Cotter. And so he knew kind of the ropes, but it was still different for a female and a female with a little kid. And so we moved and got an apartment eventually in West Hollywood.

And then mom started working. Then I started working. How does that work? That's what I was wondering, because I'm like, you guys are both working actors. Of course, her more than you. Right, right. But how does she do that? How is she mom and age? agent manager and then her own career. Right. Well, she was never agent manager? I meant for her.

I just meant, okay. So she wasn't a momager? No, she was not a momager. She was mom and it stopped right there. And one thing I always, to this day, I marvel at, like mom had me when she was 18. And, and, you know, it's like she's such a good parent, but she knew nothing about parenting. She was a kid herself. And, you know, just how did that, how did she know the stuff to teach me and to pour into me?

and to know things like, hey, she is not my competition. She's my child. Right, right, right. Especially when we are, you know, both at, you know, at some point, we both began working. My aunt Pat, my mother's sister was an integral part of all of this. Mom asked her to come out and to move to L.A. And so Aunt Pat was actually the one who was on set with me. All the time I was working until I was 18, she would travel with me to all my appearances and everything.

man so it's i guess you can say that uh well that's weird because i always thought she was your manager so but that's that's good that she had the insight at least to to put some distance no distance because most parents don't do that like they either live their dreams through their kids or yeah and she and she was not that you know and she also um she never stopped parenting me even though she was finding her way as a parent. You know, one time I had said, it was like maybe the second or third season of living single, facts of life. And she had raised me to be a really good kid. Like, don't talk back, be very disrespectful. You know, I had home training. And she said to me one day, can me clean up your room? And I promise y'all, I promise

you all, I was not trying to be smart. It was a genuine question when I said, Isn't that what we have a housekeeper? Oh, no, you didn't. And I really wasn't trying to be laughing. This is like Randy Jackson's episode all over again. Nothing I can love. And then sure enough, before I could finish, I got popped in my mouth. That was my next question.

I wanted to know if you was a whooping baby. Okay. Now, I wasn't a whipping baby because I was a good kid. Okay. But she popped me in my mouth. In your book, you're telling about a situation when you were on set and you had to talk back to a parent and you weren't really sure how to do that. Right, exactly.

I had to talk back to Mrs. Garrett on the Jermaine Jackson episode. And my mom was like, no, no, it's okay. You can do this now here. This is fine. But she knew, I mean, you know, I wasn't talking back, but it was just that sense of we're not, you're not going to be that child, you know? And then to top it off, girl, she called the studio and talked to one of the producers

and said, I'm sorry, but Kim won't be returning as, as Tudy any longer. She doesn't know how to deal with this. And, yeah. When was it? Wait. What season? I love it. I love it. I love it. That's something my mama would have done. Yeah, absolutely. And of course, him being a parent was right there with her and said,

okay, Chip, no problem. We understand. Tell her thank you so much for her time and everything. And of course, they were dealing with being, they were parenting me to make sure that I didn't start tripping at age, you know, 11 or 12 or whatever it was. And I was like, oh, my bad. I didn't know. Oh, no problem. I got it. My stocks got it. My toys, I'll put these away.

You know, and that sort of thing. So you still were a kid? Absolutely. I always wondered, like, what's the power dynamic where you're an established person at your job, but you still got to come home and take the garbage out? That's right. Yeah. Well, it keeps you grounded.

I mean, think about when the Obama's one and Michelle was like, but you're still taking the babies to school in the morning. I know you just became president. But you still don't take your babies to school. I mean, there's certain things that, you know, conceptually, no matter if it's fame or whatever it is, being connected to some form of groundedness has to be in play.

Otherwise, you turn a effing crazy. When Randy Jackson was on the show... Which one? He or Freddy. Not dog. Got it. Okay. No, and he was saying that they had just did four Soul Dites out nights at the form.

and got home back to Encino and, you know, Mom's like, you was there. It's your turn. You didn't take the garbage out. And he's like, I just played,

sold out concert. And then Joe's like, would you say? Okay, said it. Right. What was the... By the way,

I mean, Randy Jackson was my, that was everything. He was everything to me. That was my crush. Yes. Oh, my God. Listen,

when they let him sing on, can you feel it? That was it. right there. My world was lit. I was the only one in the forum screaming like a banshee. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way,

this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeard radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands.

I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone?

I'm Ago Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day,

and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up-and-coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar

of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be... Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. As a working actor, what was the Hollywood shuffle process like? I love when you ask that question that way. I love it.

No, no. Dude, it's like... It's real. Yeah, like, what was the process like? Now, of course, you were lucky enough to... lend key memorable roles in your career. But on an average, because you talk about the audition process. Oh, yeah.

Like, even as an established, like, did you still have to? Absolutely. You still have to audition. And there was a big part of it that was almost like family reunion. Because you're going, hey, Tisha, hey Jada, hey Vivica. You know, and it's like kind of the, yeah. You know, because at that time, it was, you know, just a handful of roles. and we were all going out for them.

You know, and some of them you knew, oh, yeah, this one's got, oh, yeah, this is going to be yours. And, you know, that sort of thing. Well, what was it like in your younger years? Like, were you still born after commercials and? Sure, I'd still audition, but not as much. Number one, when you're on a series. And so you have to remember in that day and age of television, so to speak, a season was 24 episodes. So you were busy for a much longer period of time than, you know, nowadays.

where it's like, oh, there's six episodes. There's eight episodes. So, you know, then you were doing TV movies. So I would do, like, the ones I did with Gary Coleman and that sort of thing. And at that point, I didn't have to audition. You know, children of divorce or the ones with Gary Coleman, I didn't have to audition for those. Was there ever, did you feel like a feeling of securiveness?

Like, okay, we got through this year. Was there always, like, a midpoint season where you check up the Nielsen ratings every 12 seconds? Too young. I was too young. I was really just into. to, again, make sure I had good grades, making sure I was professional, make sure I was a good kid.

And so my priorities were not about that part of the industry because I was too young to really focus on that. And the things that I did that were important to me aside from the kid stuff, I really enjoyed being around the crew and learning from them. You know, it's like a kid being around musicians and they love music.

You're just going to keep. gravitating towards them every chance you get. And so that was really, you know, my lane right there. Here's a backslop a question I have. I remember when it first came on the air, there was a larger ensemble cast. A lot of girls. And then it was just whittled down to the four of you. What was the thought process or like what made that transition happen?

Because at one point, like, Molly Ringwald was a part of the, the cab. Bigger howls, remember that? Yeah, way bigger. But I'd never, I mean, now it's like when you watch television, you've got to watch every episode and binge watch every second of it, whereas back then it's just like, oh, it's on, it's on. But I've never understood what was the decision factor behind turning a seven cast. People to pay?

Don't think it was quite that. But basically, we had a half-hour show. And it's a lot of characters to serve us in a half hour. And so after we did that first season, the network execs evaluated it and felt that there were just too many people to try to focus on in 22 minutes. And so then it became, okay, well, what if we change some of the dynamics, you know, changing the amount of people that are there. You mentioned it being a bigger house. So that main set was more like the common area. or the commons or something like that.

And so then they shifted it to something that, you know, they had more, they felt they had more storyline ideas. So the idea of the. Peakskill, right? Yes, yes. And so the idea of like the cafeteria where you could still have the, all the kids coming and going, but it still was more interesting than just having the common area

and us living above it. So that was the idea. Now that was one of the few times where I remembered thinking, I'm going to probably get cut too because I'm the black kid and black people always get cut first. That was like one of the first times I really had a...

That was a horror movie to me. People get cut off the show. You guys knew that the pendulum, not pendulum, that the guillotine button was about to be pressed and somebody was leaving? Not quite like that. You know, when we heard that there was a pickup

and everybody was, you know, ecstatic and then they said, yes, the show's been picked up, but there's been some changes that have been made. These girls are not coming back to the show. You're going to come back. This one's coming back. How is the news broken?

Like in front of... On the phone. Oh, yeah, on the phone, yeah. So you're waiting for a phone call and you didn't know? Yeah. Yikes. That's the facts of life for real. Yeah.

So you always knew you was the lone black girl in the room? No, not like that. Okay, I was wondering. That was one of the few times. That's what I said. It was one of the few times where I really registered the idea of being the black girl or being the black person. And that's early on.

And that was very early on. But for the most part, one, I wasn't taught to look through, you know, the lens with color. Everybody was just people. But you was looking to get fire first because you was the black girl. Not fired, just not invited back. Exactly. Been there. But in retrospect.

In retrospect, though, or in hindsight, you being a first, living a life of being a first or whatever, what was the environment like on the set? It was great. Really? It really was great. Everybody was, it was a level playing field, truly, truly. Like, even as the youngest, I didn't feel like the baby, you know? Like, Tudy felt that more than Kim did.

Does that make sense? Yeah. Oh, good, because I didn't have nothing else. Because they baby, too. That's all I had. What was the average work thing like? Well, as a minor, you can only work, you know, a certain number of hours a day. And then you also have to go to school.

So we would go to school in the morning. And by the second season, when Nancy arrived, Nancy and I were in studio school together. Mindy, her family, wanted her to stay in her school environment. and so she would come to work after. Lisa was already, what do you call it? She had taken the proficiency test or whatever, so she wasn't in school anymore, even though she was 16.

And that's also really a huge contributing factor to why Nancy and I are so close and were so close, even though 2D and Joe were not, Nancy and I are, oh my gosh, super, super tight. I just thought it was you and Mindy. In my mind, it's always been you and Mandy.

Because that's how the show was. But I spent actually more time, far more time than with anyone than with Nancy because you're in studio school. And so you start roughly about two hours before everybody even comes to work. I was going to say, take us to the studio school. I always wanted to know what, like, being tutored on the set was like. Yeah, so you're in, you know, like one of the rooms in the production office. When we filmed for three seasons at Universal Studios, we were in a row of trailers.

So there was facts of life, different strokes, one day at a time, Silver Spoons. We were all in this whole. God, the foiled story. Not together, but we were just in a row of trailers that, you know, were separated by a door, but we were all right there. But recess, must have been amazing. Yo, I'm like, don't unleash eight-year-old me over there because I would have had so much fun. It was like all my best friends. It was great.

So it was all the same teachers for a different pattern? Each show has a different teacher. And so, and depending on, you know, the grade levels of the kids, if there are multiple kids on a show, you might have different tutors to cover different ages. But Nancy and I had the same tutor, Margaret, God rest her soul. Margaret was our tutor for the whole time. And so, you know, you go and you have two hours of school. Then when everybody comes to work, you literally, man, are ping pong back and forth between school and rehearsal until you've done enough hours in the day because you have to be in school for three hours a day. And then you can be in the rehearsal hall or filming full time. Now, what they

end up doing is like if you're on a hiatus week, those are tough because there's no outlet. You're there and you go to school and then you have to what you call bank time. So you might be there for like five hours doing school because when you're in production on your filming day, you might only get 20 minutes of schooling, which is the minimum that you have to be there. And then they pull from your hours in the bank so that you still have your time. Someone is there literally clocking like a union person like... Baby, we used to have booth time and Margaret time.

And Margaret, if it was... Booth time was like in the control room where the producers would go, okay, we're going to lose Kim in five minutes. We have to get this scene done or, you know, that sort of thing. And Margaret time was, y'all have to finish now. I don't know. That clock's not right. My clock says it's nine o'clock now and so you've got to pull the plug.

Are they still doing that system today? Or is that, was it, were they more hard back then? I mean, to a certain extent, you know, because the, the labor laws, they got such a bad rap from, you know, earlier generation. So they tried to be better at it. But when our son Quincy was in the Pride and Prejudice movie for a lifetime this past summer, he filmed it at the end of last year. And I was set mom. And I was in the trailer. And, you know, there was his tutor and all those things.

And I actually took video and showed it to Nancy. I was like, oh, my God. your nephews at studio school right now. Are they all aunts? Are they all aunts? Oh, absolutely. I love it. Absolutely. I was asking because during, like, I just never understood it and always sort of frowning.

All right, first of all, yes, I can admit that, you know, I'm very bad at punctuality and time and all that stuff. Really? I'm working on myself, boss, Bill. You know this. so when working on Hamilton I didn't realize that they are also very inal retentive with time so like they there was always a on-set person with a stopwatch

and say if like George Washington had to re-sing a part over again it's like okay well we have six minutes and 30 seconds guys until now it's five minutes and 50 seconds and I was just like look this is working on the cast album yeah Because they're also anal reason and you know

there's like actual people whose jobs it is just to look at the stopwatch and enforce rules of which as a black person I'm like I don't know what you're talking about but the unions are

to your point really they are there to really protect the artist is what you know the idea of the union is and so being able to protect making sure that that you know you're not overwork

worked and all of those things. So they are sticklers. So does that leave you enough time to actually study your lines or you guys just given sides and you recap them for two seconds? Right. So when you're doing a movie, then, you know, you shoot bits of it every day. But on a multi-camera comedy like that, then you film just kind of once or twice a week. So you have the script and you rehearse the whole thing over and over and over.

Okay, so as a teenager, let's push on in the years. No, I'm trying to cover every aspect of your career. Was there a general fear of Hollywood trappings that have sort of grabbed everyone? You seemed to, at least in my eyes, you got out of it unscathed, and, you know, without a scratch or I don't know but like how hard was that to avoid in such a decadent

time period as the late 80s no social media. Yeah right yeah it was it was there was a part of it that was really easy because I was scared meaning I was that kid that was like

I don't even want to try weed because I'd be that one person that they find out oh my God it can't kill you if you puff once we didn't know and now god rest her soul you know so i was like i always thought my parents are going to beat my ass for it so i just never did it so you know it's like i'm not going try that and certainly not anything stronger than that um but but basically i just felt like um i didn't want to be a has been at 18 i clearly remember having that thought you know as you get 15 and 16 and you you you know you're just becoming a young adult and i remember thinking i'm not going to be a has-been at 18. And I'm not going to let my village suffer because I'm a

statistic. My village has put way too much in me for me to go out like that. That's not an option. So that's how I avoided. Now, I'm not unscratched, not at all. It's just I didn't have some of those monumental tragic incidents, you know, that sort of thing. But I certainly, I certainly had struggles and challenges. That's why I start my book with the piece from Langston Hughes. Well, son, I'll tell you, life of me ain't been no crystal stare. Because people think they look at me and they go, oh, she ain't been through nothing. What?

You was a first. How could you not go through something? Even if I wasn't. Even if you wasn't. Right. Exactly. It's a whole woman. Exactly.

You're a whole ass. I get it. I think Margaret finally found a friend over here. First friend in the show. That's my first name too, Mark. Got it, got it. She'd been my friend, she just didn't know. How, well, not how important, but how hard was it to shake the T word?

I love you for that, man. Once the series ended, what, 86, I believe? 89, no, 88, 88, 78, 78, yeah. 78, yeah. Okay. Yeah, by the way. First, everybody remembers the first show they ever recorded when they got a VCR. So I got my box over and right in time for the Eldabarge episode.

Which song was that? Didn't they go to you? I went to the studio, right? You wear it well. I forgot we talked about this when Saeed was on our show. That's right. Yeah. Yeah, so it was first, like back when you, in the 80s, when you got a VCR, you recorded any and everything because you were like, you know, you didn't want to miss anything.

So. We used to have like mountains of VHS tapes. I was like, this is a Saturday lineup pile. This is the Thursday lineup pile. That is so funny. Maxwell just sent me a text of a picture of like just piles of like piles of VHS. And he's in cassette and he's like, I got mine. You know you got yours.

That is so funny. Oh my God. But if you think about it, we are like as a species, we are the most documenting, never going back to watch people. True. Like the amount. Wait, that's for Maxwell?

Wait, with a floppy disk? Yo, him and D. Angelo do have stuff in common. Wow. Those were the best cassette tapes, the secret ones with the color. Oh, my God. Oh, my gosh. Anyway, yes, I'm sorry. Kim just showed us her phone and Maxwell sent her photo of a bunch of VHS, a cassette, a cassette,

and a floppy disc. which reminds me that to this day, to this day, DeAngelis still creates his music on his ASR 10 and needs floppy discs to make the sound. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to throw you onto the bus. He just said again, that's cool.

But my point being that when the series was over, how hard was it to to shake the character as far as figuring out what you're going to do next. Well, thankfully, the character had grown up. So, you know, I wasn't like a Shirley Temple type of child star trapped in, you know, being a child. Right. So, so, and I had gone to college and, you know, I'd gotten my degree. So I'd stayed busy, number one. So my mind wasn't idle and I wasn't just kind of,

trapped my own self. What did you major in at Pepperdine? I double majored in broadcast journalism and TV and film production, and I minored in religion. Wow. Whoa. Why did you choose Pepper Night? I wanted to go to San Diego State, but I couldn't go out of state for school or out of town for school because Facts Life was still. Did you wear that for me?

Oh, your car on that you got on your head. It says facts. Oh, crap. No, not even. Shout out to Dean Ricky. No, I do this weird thing when I meditate in the morning, and it was like the first word I saw, so. Wow.

Okay. I did facts. And then when I, like, I grab a whole bunch of letters and whatever comes out in my hand, I was just like, oh, I'll use that. I swear to God. That's next level meditation. And again, like, I did not know. But look how we can.

But look how connected we are, that I permeated your meditation time. See? And you had me on your mind. Wow. I don't think you ever left. I don't need to read the calendar in the morning. I was like, oh, boy, I'm going to work, right? Oh.

Oh, Kim. No, I'm playing. Although he's been asking me almost once a week. So when's Kim? Did you get Cam? Did you wish he comes? We're laughing because it's true. Yeah, sadly true.

How do you decide which crown to wear each day? He has different one, Steve? I don't know. Steve's being Steve. Anyway. No, I totally forgot. I was wearing a crown on my head. I'm sorry.

No, I interrupted you. What were you saying? No, no, about Pepperdine. Yes. So I wanted to go out of state, and I couldn't go out of state, and then I couldn't even go out of town because Facts' Life was still filming when I started college. Because I took seventh and eighth grade together, so I got out of high school a year early, so I was still doing Facts of Life when I started college.

And so we had done the Australian movie, and then I started school. With this so fun, I remember the Paris one. I was on punishment for the other one. You remember Paris. Wait a man, weren't we older? How was you on punishment then? We don't want to Paris.

I remember being in trouble. Paris was like, what, 80? I was 12. I was 12. Two of those special facts of life trips was on punishment for it. Okay. The other one I was 17-18s.

I don't know, we even want to know why you was... No, no, no, my bad. Y'all went to Hawaii. Everybody went to Hawaii. We didn't do Hawaii. I'm about the saying, Jefferson's, yeah. For a long time. And you saw they took their hairdresser because, baby,

that feathers was whipped. Yes. Here's, here's, here's something weird. Okay, so... Don't say his name. Appalonia. No, we won't yet. We will in a second.

Okay. Okay. Okay, so Apollonia and I have a really good mutual friend in Shep Gordon who lives in Maui. And one of Apple's favorite thing is to, what do you go, I don't say thrifting, when you go to the thrift stores to antique. Antiquing. Right. And somehow, and somehow Apollonia wound up with Roxyrokers, Polaroid, scrap. book of when the Jefferson's went to Hawaii. How much she did for that? No, no, she just, I always had it.

And that's how I introduced her to Lenny and Zoe to get the book back. So she's had it for all the time. I know Ms. Roxy's hair was straight in Hawaii. Fetha. So on those special episodes, you guys were allowed

special amenities for your Well, facts of life, I wasn't. And that's why when that wind blew, two of these bangs looked like all to be damned. And my mother was like, oh, never again. That's the one time she was kind of managerish. And was like, my baby will not be looking like that if you guys go anywhere else. Did they have a hairdresser for you?

Yes. On set? Like a for. Joanne Stafford Cheney, baby. That's who created the zigzag part. Look at you. Wait, what? Emmy winner.

That's right. She is? He did the night, right? Didn't she want Amy for that? Wow. Wait, how do you know that? I read the book. And then I did Google afterwards.

Oh, okay. I was not to say, because you pioneered. For me, like, the, the, even though people now are sort of crediting, like, salt and pepper for the mushroomish. Oh, yeah, no, she had it. No. No. No.

I felt like you were the pioneer. Yes. What's that called? The page boy. The page boy. That's a page boy. I thought that was Halliby. In some circle.

Huh? I thought the Hallie Berry Cup was a page boy. Right? No. Well, you're talking living single. I'm talking about her facts of life. That's what I'm talking about here. The mushroom.

Right. Right. Yes. And, I mean, I had bangs that big barrel. on the curling iris. So, yeah, but the zigzag part picked out all of my styles was Joanne, but they didn't take Joanne to Paris.

And, oh, Kim said. Wait, last hair question. It's good to know that, see, when we go away on location and I have to beg and plead, like, you know, this Afro don't come out. Yo, what? Let me tell you.

It's just as much the character on the show as I am. That's right. And then when we went to Australia, Kim was late. though. Kim had her hair tight on that one, but I took my hairstylist. Was that a re- Was you a relaxer or was that a blowout? I'm sorry, I just always had that question.

The press? Press, press a phone. Okay. It took a while. Did she ever, did you ever get your hair chemical a perm? I don't think so. I don't think so either. I have to ask my mom. I have to ask my mom that. That was good to watch. Yeah.

Yep. Just don't let the rain from now. Because that wooden spoon on my ear, that's what I really remember. And the blue grease? No, because it stink. Oh, okay. And now back to her regular sketched a hard conversation. No, we are the rabbit hole kings on this show. Oh, good. So as I was mentioned earlier, and I know that people seem to think I'm talking out the side of my neck,

but not many people know that the reasons that friends exist is because the creators of friends, my great pals at NBC where I currently work to this day. I love my job and benefits. It's coming. I'm waiting. Okay, come on. No, well, you know, I thought it was Brandon Tartikoff's last move. He had a chance to have a living single on NBC. But they were like, well, we have enough black shows already. We already have Labels up all night.

And we have the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And we have Ellis in the house. So maybe three is enough. And we still have Cosby in a different world. So that's a lot of blackness. So we'll pass on this one. And he was like, I don't know, there's something about this show and the chemistry they have.

And I guess the decision was, well, let's create the white version of living single. And thus, that's how friends came to be. Is that correct? I did not know that. What you said? It is, no, no. I'm asking. I'm asking.

I'm asking. If she sounds familiar. No, say that again. He said it? He admitted it? Yeah. Why are you saying he's going to jump in the grave and get him? Oh, is he in the grave?

Yeah. My bad. I didn't know that. My bad. He spends it for a while. You know, Joanne, won the Emmys and Tarantlo? No, I knew Joanne won the Emmy because I read the book and then I did Google afterwards. Tartacoff, I actually remember when he died.

Yeah. I actually remember when he died. I was probably like 11 or 12, but I remember that shit. Oh, damn. Yeah. Well, that's why I'm surprised to have Tartikov connected to friends. Well, it's whoever, whoever, whoever, was the president of NBC in 92, 93,

admitted it on one of those, like, panel things. Yes, I'm getting on Google right now. And thus, the reason why Jay-Z made the Moonlight video with all the Black Friends characters. I didn't know he was that, okay, didn't know that Jay-Z was deep. I didn't say that. I just didn't know that he was up on his pop culture trivia like that. I didn't know he was deep.

It's quasi common knowledge. But were you aware of those facts at all? Not those particular facts. Other facts. What I know is that Yvette created this brilliant show. And Yvette had a deal with Fox to develop a show with Dana and Kim Coles, Latifah and Kim Coles. I don't know what the preamble was prior to that. What was difficult, you know, and a bit of a challenge to work through sometimes,

was that both friends and living single was Warner Brothers. Right. And so, you know, oftentimes, real talk, we kind of felt like that. I'm sorry. I love that, Bill. Yeah, I'm still looking at up. Dilutately looking at it up. He wants you to be right.

I'm partly insulted as I'm listening to you. Like, yeah, go continue. I'm like, motherfucker, you still looking at yourself? Can I just have this, please? All right, go ahead, Kim. I'm sorry. So sometimes we kind of felt like the red-headed stepchild. Right, like I do right now.

Sorry. From the standpoint of we were, you know, quote-unquote first. And, you know, if you're able to inspire people to create great content, great. What do they say, you know, something is the highest form of flattery? Imitation. imitation that's it he came with that quick he can't have to Google that

but being able to you know when my kids wake up from nightmares the first thing I say is what's your truth speak your truth know your truth and we know our truth bottom line so we don't have to have anybody

validated and do memes about it and start a hashtag campaign and we used to us starting shit and people copy them Well, there's that. There's that part. But at the end of the day, that's the part that was the most frustrating, you know, to be a part of the same production, the same studio, essentially. And to be treated so grossly different in terms of pay, in terms of, you know, there's a, this is a true story. One day we came to work in the set, the soundstage was freezing. And even things like, you know what, the big Warner Brothers is, the main Warner Brothers live.

And then they have The Ranch. Mm-hmm. Who do you think filmed at the main lot and who do you think filmed at the ranch? The Ranch was the better option or not the better option. Oh, no. The ranch was, you know, kind of that... Out the way? The ranch is not the big studio.

You guys were at the ranch, weren't you? That's right. That's right. So we came in there and the soundstage was freezing. And they said that they weren't going to turn the lights on. And so we had to rehearse in these big, big puffer coats and stuff because they were saying that they didn't want to spend the money to turn the lights on or heat. And that's when we actually, that was the one and only time that we collectively said, we're not coming to work. We're not going to do that because at this point, this is a safety hazard.

How cheap do you have to be? Meanwhile, the other folks walk off to get a million per episode. Right. You know, and it's like, they want money, we want heat. Wow. If that don't sound like an episode of good times. Y'all's was a whole black woman in that moment. You know what I'm saying?

Not even the 70s, like the 70s, but the 65. You know, and so, oh, I'm sorry right. So you have those moments where it's like, never mind all the other stuff that goes around the comparisons. Those are the moments where it's like, that was some boy. Yeah. Can you ask them, just real quick, I just want to know, since you knew this, right? My question is, because usually on the opposite side, the other people have no idea what the other folks are going through.

So was it the same way? I don't know. I never met them. You've never met them. Nope. So they probably were like. We weren't at the lot. So we didn't run into them in the commissary.

So somebody told them, you know your show is based off this show called Living Single. They'd be like, what the fuck? You know what's the Living Single? What's a Living Single? Well, okay, I know that there have been a few times on. these episodes that you directed. Yes. And often, like when I watch sitcoms,

like a key character will go away for a vacation. Right. Right. Like, where is she this week? Oh, she went on a convention and be like directed by Kim Pills. Right. How, one, how is that, how is that negotiated and how hard is it to direct?

And really the real question is, how come characters have to leave to go on vacation to direct their own thing? Like, why can't you also be there at the same time? Right. You know what's funny is I remember when Anton Williams and Ron Howard and those guys started directing like happy days.

And you'd see, like you just said, you know, Pazzi's going off to such and such. Right. Because he was directing. Regine didn't go anywhere. Regine, but the first time I directed an episode of Living Single, I was The Beast Story. And I was like, wait a minute, what happened to the rules?

What? I'm directing and I'm the Beast story. Wait. And really, they try to do that because it's a lot to direct an episode. and then you've got to put yourself in it, you know, and then you've got to have your stand in to be you, and then when you're in it,

then you have to make sure that the assistant director or stage manager is watching. So it's just, it's a lot. Instead of just being in one scene, and then you go away, and then you can really focus on that, you know, and for the type of sitcom that we were doing, this was when they would have a control room,

and so you'd actually leave the soundstage, go to another part of the building, to, you know, where basically master control was, where you're talking to the cameras and just everybody and all the monitors are there and you're switching shots and things like that. So he doesn't determine that as well. Yeah.

So it's a big giant division of labor. Absolutely. Which makes Tyler Perry look even more genius than his way, I guess, huh? Yes. I know. I know, but he does. Yes.

You can't take it away. You didn't have to defend it. I agree with you. Oh, sorry. We're a pro, Tyler. Okay. You know. These making power moves.

Yes, Steve. Clear my throat. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,

or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversation. with some of your favorite athletes, creators,

and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream,

this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes.

And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield. And in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me?

The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Wadam. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day, and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on town, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit.

If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. In hindsight, what lessons or valuable lessons have you learned in your career that you wish you knew then at that particular time period? Or you're fine with your outcome and...

Yeah. I feel like everything happens for a reason. Yeah. And so even now, like, I'll see someone that has done better than me in my career, whatever. I'm like, maybe in that moment I'll be like, oh, man, I wish I wrote that song or something like that. But then I feel like I'm on the path I'm supposed to be on. Exactly. But if there's something, like, okay, I wish I knew about, like, okay, this is some real, I'm liais about the...

No, I'm not. Go ahead. Safe space. I've known you for all my life. All right. I'd really wish I had gotten early in the game on, like, stocks and investments. Way earlier in my career. I'm on it now.

We all do with me. But, you know, had I known then when I know now, you know, I wouldn't laugh at Ashton Cutscher. You were like, what's it? Right, right. Get out of you. Like, that sort of thing. But, like, what things do you wish you? I wish I hadn't worn braces so long because fucking overbites are sexy now.

What the hell? Where? Wait. Like live Tyler. I mean, you know, just like isn't that like a thing? But not her daddy. He's got one too. But I didn't bring him up.

Right. You showed it. You didn't. You didn't say him. You didn't. Kim, does we talk about physical things? Can I ask you a question that I read? And I'm so curious just as a woman, a bountiful, plentiful woman.

Yes. Why did you have to get to reductions? And I know one of them was covered on the living single, but I'm scared for myself. Well, the first one was just physically. I was five feet tall. And so just, I mean, I'm still in, but I had a lot of back issues with that. You're five feet? Yes.

Look at the pictures of us together. Look how, like, I mean. Oh. In my mind, you're like, yeah, five, five. Because she's huge. Because she's huge. And I always wear heels when I'm going to your shows. Sneakers.

Okay, I see now. Okay. Exactly. It's like Prince. You're big on, it's just something big about you. But go ahead. I'm a guy. I'm dumb.

Sorry. But the second one was for aesthetics. I just felt like, I'm just, you know, being on camera so much. And I just wasn't pleased. But, you know, but I mean, the procedures have come such a long way. Don't be scared. If that's what you want to do, go for it. No, well.

And if it ain't what you want to do, then don't do it. Yeah. I thought about, I mean, it's funny because guys go, well, why would you do that? But we all know, sometimes you just want to wear one sports bra. Or sometimes you just want to run. Or sometimes you just want to stand straight and, you know, have your shoulders down. It's hard. Okay.

I was answering the questions because, you know. Because you know I was asking in my head. Yes, you were. Wait, it just hit me. You on your Instagram, you put up a photo that kind of blew up, blew my mind. Yes. And it's you at Westlake Studios. Yes.

casually visiting Michael Jackson while recording thriller during the PYT background vocal sessions. Yes. Was that just like a regular Tuesday? Just about. Just about, hey, what are you guys doing? Oh, that's nice. So Janet, it was one of the times when she was on different strokes. And this was, yeah.

And she had asked Mindy and I, because again, different strokes, Facts Life, we all filmed in the same, right there in the same areas. And so she asked us if we wanted to hang out and go to the studio because Michael was recording. Sure. And so we show up and he was recording, like you said, the backgrounds for PYT. And James was there and Mr. Jones was there. James, England. Mm-hmm.

You're right. Latoya was there Latoya Janet Bunny Hall Bunny Hall and Stephanie Spreill Yes So they were all there

And they were like Hey you know We're at this part where we're doing the call and response And the PYT say nah And I want you guys all get in there Okay So we all go in the studio And we do the all nine

All six of you? Yes And we do the nah nah nahs And Mr. Jones hits the button I hear an anchovy I would never forget I would never forget that he said I hear an anchovy

And so we all was in it There was like everybody come on out Just come on out And then it became like You know being picked for a sport at school Okay you you you and you go back in The rest of you stay here And you were in the

I was in the outside Licking in. We'll take the girl. You guys take them here. I know that feeling. Softball. What am I going to do? You be team manager, man.

That's funny. I was team manager of our baseball team at Burbank High. Really? Yeah. But I'm sure it's not funny because of what you would just. My bad. No, it's funny. It's funny.

I'm still here, man. I'm still here. Yeah. You know, I'm sure Grant Woods could see me. He regret He regret Call him out I was a good first baseman

I know the sports Right Steve I understand Heavy lives We're calling out Childhood bullies All right Shane See there

Yeah Avian What we're doing Wait no we're not I'm sorry I started that I'm sorry She was little

than me Any other casual flexes like that No Yeah we should all be scared of anyone Small than us Like bigger dudes, I'm like, whatever. But small people, they have something to prove.

Any other casual flexes that you've had in your life? So far, no. Like, at a red light and like, oh, yeah, here's Prince and his Cadillacres. Just something casual? You know, when Johnny Gill and I met, it was in the Glendale Galleria, and we've been friends ever since. And I just did a promotional thing for my Christmas movie there. And they were like, you grew up in this area,

do you have any special memories? And I'm like, you know what? I met Johnny Gill here. And they were like, oh, my God. And then he and I texted each other and joked about it. John is everywhere. Yes. He's Uncle Johnny.

Oh, so this one are. And this time you are directing and starring at the same time. This one I didn't direct. I EPed it. Okay. But yes. So what has this whole experience been like doing the Christmas movie? Oh, my goodness.

I've done several. And how did you orchestrate this? Well, with this one, you light up my Christmas. Lifetime and I've been in development for a couple of projects for a while now. And then they said, we really want you on the air this show. year just bottom line and that that that really meant a lot to me to have a network executive say that after this many decades you know in the game to top it off and we want you to be the leading lady you're you're the star and you know you're not the friend you're not the boss you're not the sister

you're not and so that that just really just did something for me of course it would um and so they said we have a script we have this writer that we really like she's got the script um if you like get let's put you in pre-production and go and so I read it and I loved it. We made some tweaks to it and they said great, go up to Vancouver, here you go and we had just this amazing six

weeks up there. Fifteen days in production and we have this beautiful amazing movie called You Light Up My Christmas. Wait, 15 days in production but six weeks to edit shoot or? Yeah, so there was pre-production you know where you were casting and location

shooting and wardrobe and designing the characters and all that. And then by the time they saw the dailies, bits of, you know, the things that we had been filming, they said, oh, we love this. We're moving your production, your air date up two weeks. Okay. To December 1st, so the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

How was it being back with your cohorts and your crew? It was fun. You know, it's not like we haven't been together since, you know, 88. I mean, we certainly, we're sisters. And so we've seen each of us. over the years, our children know each other. You know, again, we're all, you know. Is there a chat thread?

Yes, there is, but the living single one is better. Oh, my God. How proud of you of Erica Alexander? She's really been killing it. I just had to say that while you were here. She's great. Oh, it's Mrs. Mom? Yeah, I mean, not just that, but she's been doing a lot of dramatic roles.

Listen, Erica Alexander's been my hero for a long time, and then she's like, oh, Kim Fields, please be quiet. She calls me Little Fields because she's, you know, much taller than me. Like my mind is kind of... Erica went to the cabba, by the way. My high school. That's right. She's from Philly girl.

My mind is blown to the fact that there's a living single group chat right now. Yes. I know. We actually thought about making that the reboot. I mean, all the inappropriate group chats. I mean, all the inappropriate group chats. Oh, boy, you know ours. I'm like, does Big Les ever drop in?

Because, I mean, not for nothing, but she's a part. She is, but no. Okay, sorry. That's all right. That's all right. But it was great being exactly. executive producer being able to say to them, hey guys, because I called each one after I got the go-ahead from Lifetime, because I said to Lifetime, I'd really love to, you know, invite my sisters to be a part of this because, you know, at the holidays about family and nostalgia and memories. And I think it'd be a really cool look. And we'd had, we'd had two scenes in this ice skating rink. And I said, what if we, you know, kind of have them there as, as like this is their ice skating rink that they either own or manage and work there? And we call the ice rink Charlotte for Charlotte.

Right. And so they were like, yes, go, please ask. And so I called each one. We're talking about her Facts of Life castments, by the way. I love to say you. You're such a sister. Thank you. And they said yes.

And so we, and then I said to them, what kind of character would you like to play? You know, and here's our ideas for a story. You know, what do you think? And so it was really great to have them collaborate about their special appearances and things like that. like Lisa's character in the movie, she's named after Nancy's daughter. Wow. Mindy wanted to name her character Rose for her grandmother. There's a food drive component in the movie because Nancy said,

I think that compassion and kindness are just something that people miss nowadays. Is that something you can put in your script? I was like, yeah, sure. And then we've got little fun inside jokes and things like Lisa mentions, having a delivery from Edna's edibles. You know, so there's just a whole bunch of fun little touches there in addition to...

Brilliant idea or someone's going to be in trouble. I was waiting for that. You know what? We tried a couple and it was like, oh, that one's two on the nose. It didn't feel as organic, yeah, exactly. But we did try. Okay, I see.

So what is... Actually, before you go, you mentioned that you asked... I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but I just want to get this. All right, let's get around. I just want to ask this question before I live. lose it. You said you asked everybody else what kind of character they wanted to play. What kind of character do you want to play? Well, thank you. I played, um, you mean in this movie? In any movie. Or in general, like what's like, actually that wasn't my question. Oh, sorry. No, bucket listing,

like, is there anything that you haven't done that you wish to do? Absolutely. The ironic thing about being in the industry for over 40 years is that there's still a lot of characters that I have not played because I, number one, I started when I was a kid, so you only, you know, for a certain period of time, you can only play kid character. and then being on long-running shows, I mean, it's a blessing, but then you're those characters. So there's a lot of characters that I want to play. There's more genres that are being unearthed and created that I want to be a part of. So like the whole graphic novel world, I can't wait.

There's something that we're working on in there. You know what? We love working together. And that's another thing with the whole reason why I asked my FAC's Life Sisters. I really have had a great track record working with a lot of great people. And so being able to ask them to be a part of something that I'm doing now, that's a great feeling to be able to do it. Don't.

What, Bill? I just remember another story from your book. Oh, yes. Can you tell the story of when you were cast a storm in X-Met? What? Oh, you're so mean. Oh, you were so rude for that. It's a great story, though.

It's such a wonderful story. So sometimes I don't read all the detail and stuff. I'll just gloss over it and be like, okay, I got it. It's a horrible thing. It's horrible. I know. Horrible. Horrible.

And so I got an audition that came in. My manager says have an audition for X-Men. And he sent me the information. And I was so excited. And they said, it's storm. And I was like, oh, my God, hell, he's not going to do this anymore. What the hell's wrong with her? But, oh, well, you know, one man's trash, another man's treasure.

I mean, I went through all the, you know, little. colloquialism. So when I go into an audition, I really prep for it. And so I had my boots, and I had my outfit. I mean, I was going in. And then I went to read where the location was for the audition. Turns out it was for a voiceover for the animated series. You sort of did it, though, Cam. Yeah, she wasn't going nowhere. Storm was not available. And if it was, they were not checking for your

as Kim Fields. Wow. But yes, I love creating characters. I absolutely do. And so like tomorrow, I'm excited. We're dropping on MyLifetime.com, as well as on their YouTube channel, we're dropping

a short film called Designing Emma. And it's all about how we created the character for the Christmas movie. For hair, makeup, wardrobe, just everything. designing Emma. Because that again, I go back to our earlier conversation. I love creating characters. That's what drew me into this when I saw other people doing that as a kid. So any character I've not yet played, I'm doing a new series at the top of the year. I can't tell you what it is just yet, but it's

really exciting. But in a way, it's still kind of uncharted territory, even though it's a comedy, even though it's, you know, certain things that I've done, there's still a great deal of it I haven't done. If I haven't done it, you can believe I'm probably going to say yes. Because I just love that, you know, and even with this character in this lifetime movie, being able to play someone who is dealing with, rediscovering, re-kindling a romance, going after the issues of family legacy, and dealing with your inner light, and you see everybody around you, just kind of like, numb is the new joy.

And it's like, no, that's not, no, we have another level of life and lifestyle and laughter and joy to tap into. And so that's a lot of, you know, what my character in this movie is, but really just anything I haven't done, I'm all in for. Wow, all right. Inspirational words from Kim Fields. Kim Victoria Fields. That's right.

Not Kimberly? No. Kim Victoria-field. Wait, real quick. Well, there's two minor questions. Yes. Now that Atlanta, which I assume is still your home base for now. Kind of, because we still have a place here.

Harlem is home. Harlem is where I dug in my heels. But go ahead. Okay. Well, now that Atlanta has upped its game and the industry factor with this giant studio system in its backyard. Do you think that will change at all for opportunities and as far as work is concerned

with actors and production? Well, a lot of cities have stepped up the game. I mean, just being in Vancouver for as long as we were there and just all the work that's there, I'm like, oh, I'll be right back. I'm just go get my kids and my bed. Elevate Hoover, yeah. Oh, my gosh, I can't wait to do more stuff there and get a place there. I mean, it was phenomenal.

I loved it. Okay. And Tyler's had other studios there, so this is not his first go-round with this. And Marvel has, you know, set up there. And there's a lot of- Yeah, there's a lot of production that's out there. Okay. And smaller companies who do a lot of movies, Swarrow Films, they do about, I don't know,

Jesus, 20 movies a year or something. something. So a lot of production has been there, but, you know, and actors' life for the most part is really the gypsy life. You know, you go where the work is. There's so much work in Spain, there's work in Florida. I mean, it really is just

if you're able to have the lifestyle to commit to it, and our kids are great because they're like, yeah, we've got a tutor. We're good. Where are we going? Nice. All right. My last, and this is my last random question, unless you have another one. I mean, are you? Go ahead. Go ahead. Is this question about

Dear Michael and he loves me, he loves me not at all. Sort of, but go ahead. You can go ahead. No, go ahead. No, you first. I'll back clean up. Man, if y'all don't ever this question because she's a busy lady. All right, go first, Bill. Well, I mean, okay, yeah, you put out these two singles and, well, was it one single or two? I can't remember. Two singles.

Well, I wasn't sure if it was two releases or just something. Right, an A and a B. Yeah. He loves me and he loves me, he loves me not, and dear Michael. Can you explain how that all came about in 1984? Sure. Sure. It's so funny because just yesterday, I was telling Adrian, my leading man in, you light up my Christmas, that the gentleman who wrote, Got to Be There, wrote, Dear Michael.

Hal David. Elliot Williske. Elliot Willis. But Hal Davis also produced both of them and the stuff with me. And so, you know, it's the 80s, it was a time where everybody, if you were a teenager on TV, then you were making a record. I mean, it just, the 70s and 80s, just all the, the kid, Ralph Carter had

one. I mean, just everybody Gary Coleman got a yet one too? Gary Coleman? Yes he did. You don't remember that? You lie. Somebody swindled the cowboy guy. You don't remember that rap that Gary Coleman did? No. I brought that 12 and said. I found it in Portland. I remember Alfonso Ribeiro's breakdance

record. No, Gary Coleman did he spent the last of his money on this rap record where he was like a rapping cowboy. I'm sorry for that rabbit hole. I'm going to need you to not bring that up. And because we were talking about when we were kids. So everybody, you know, was doing that.

And this was also when thriller was popping off. And so, you know, he was about to win all the awards and everything. So the people at Motown was like, oh, you know what? We should redo Dear Michael and get somebody to sing it. Because remember, Michael did it first. And it was as if he was reading a fan letter. So they had the brilliant idea of what if we have someone that it's actually actually them and their fan letter.

And at that time, I was just about the only black girl available around that was on TV, whatever. And they was like, you! And so they asked me to do it, and I did. And then that did so well beyond just kind of the gimmick of he's winning, you know, all these awards. And this is, you know, a big deal. And I could carry a tune. So they said, well, let's do a follow-up single. and then that one blew up on the dance charts

and then it was like, wow. I was performing at the Tropicannas. What? Was there ever any thought to doing more music? No. No, I was good on it. Yeah. Until I did my smooth jazz spoken word,

which I still want to just, for me as an artist, truly one of the greatest things I've ever done. It's an impossible to find, by the way. Yeah, it is. You know what? I will just think. you the tracks. I can do that.

That works. Yes. Solutions. Wait, put my job. I'm the one. Stop it. Don't be like that. Don't be like that. Close mouth. You should have asked first. What? You want to have two copies of it?

Yes, it's only one link. And once you open it, that's it. No, seriously, this is what I'm obsessed with finding out. Do you have a copy of that Jermaine Jackson paper machine bust? You are so funny No, I do not Really? You didn't take it home from the set or anything?

No, nor do I have any of Regine's wigs. Next. Did you keep anything from those sets? Either Living Single or Facts of Life? No. None. Okay. Not even a Shireen doll.

Ooh, deep cut. No, I'm sorry. Oh, but you know what? No, from Living Single. No, wow, Ben Master Reggie. That is so funny. You are in, baby. He knows.

No, but when I did my final episode of Living Single, the prop guys gave me the large mug and saucer that regime, I love drinking hot cocoa and tea and stuff. And so any chance I could in a scene, I would. And so they gave me that, and it says, yes, and it says, we'll miss you very much. We love you. So I do have that.

Okay, so you're properly. giving a send-off. Yes. Not just came into work and saw the cake one day and was like... Yeah, no. No, that was planned.

Yes. That's another episode of QL. Well, Ms. Fields, I appreciate you coming here. Finally. I appreciate this. This is the moment we've all been waiting for.

Hey, Amir, can I thank Kim, can you pass this on to your mom, to your sister? Thank you guys for your time and your energy with us on these teeth. Because even people forget, but Alexis, we were watching.

She was an era too, so I just want to thank you for that. I would share. It takes a lot. I will tell her. Thank you. Well, on behalf of the QLS fan, SIGA Steve. Is that your name?

Do you want to know why he's name is sugar Steve? I'm dying to know why. He's at the top. Steve has been engineering. Hold on, the Burger King. I'll tell this story. I have diabetes. That's how about the name.

Thank you for a story. And we have to wrap. Thank you, Steve. Oh, my God. I love you. Wait, man. Is that real? That's the real.

It's a longer story, though. He became my engineer. Amir gave him diabetes. Perhaps my diet wasn't as savory as it is right now, and after three months of working with each other, Steve had to start getting his only shots. Look, there was the world's best. I don't want to laugh.

I've never seen a spit take. I'm so sorry. I don't want to laugh. I swear, I don't. As you see, he's drinking sugar now. Yes. There's no sugar. He was my engineer for like.

Caffeine ain't good. doing like the common records and the DeAngelo Voodoo records and once he became my full-time engineer he sort of adapted to my diet and we used to go to Best Old Food Spots in Philly and then three months in that

did you get Scrappel? Yes everything. I'd like to take this time to apologize to Michelle huffin everybody who's waiting for Kim Bill's right now. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen on behalf of Sugar Steve, Boss Bill, unfaib bill, Fonticelo, I hope you're doing those cigarettes,

brus. And, like you, Kim, thank you so much for coming on this show. Oh, thank you for having me. This has been fantastic. This, Of course, Love's signing off. We will see you next time on the next go round of course love Supreme. For more podcasts from IHeartRadio, visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win.

A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the Fourth. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or. or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.

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