If you had a chance to catch Elise Neal on TV One’s hit series “Life After,” then you know she stirred up some dust and went in on the Pussycat Dolls. They stole the concept for their explosive single and chart topper “Don’t Cha” from Neal’s cabaret show that she performed with her group Assorted Flavors. Neal isn’t holding any grudges, but she couldn’t let the opportunity pass to bust their grapes before millions of viewers.
During a recent chat with ro, the Memphis native tells why she agreed to do the installment. “I did it for [TV One] to do a chronicle of my life. A lot of people don’t get an opportunity to know who I am and what I’ve been through in my career,” she shares. “With TV and film, you don’t get to know [an actor’s] true personality … unless you’re doing a reality show. It was a great way for me to let people know about my singing and dancing.”
This writer first took notice of Neal when she starred in John Singleton’s Rosewood, a movie about a small town in Florida comprised of middle class blacks who in 1923 were massacred and their legacy obliterated from history. That’s been more than 10 years ago, and for Neal the opportunities just keep getting better. She recently finished up a project playing a call girl in a film directed by Taylor Hackford (Ray) and starring Joe Pesci (Lethal Weapon) called Love Ranch, “It’s in theaters now and it’s about the first legal brothel in the U.S. in he 1970s,” offers Neal.
When it comes to pursuing your passion, Neal says, “I think everyone should do what their passion is … if you don’t have the passion, you shouldn’t do it, especially the entertainment business. It’s very time consuming. I have a passion for writing, producing and being a performer. I’ve been singing and dancing since I was six-years-old and I just felt like I wanted to perform again. I have done three television shows, ‘SeaQuest,’ ‘The Hughleys’ and ‘All of Us.’ While I was doing ‘All of Us,’ I knew I wanted to get back on stage. I traveled all over the world as a performer doing musicals. I decided that I wanted to be a part of that life again [and] to put something together that we could perform in different genres.”
As far as advice goes for those who have a strong desire to act, “Take classes and get better at your art,” she advises. –yvette caslin
