As the show enters its sixth season, the actress acknowledges that her character has gotten mixed reactions from some African American fans. Some have been critical of what they see as a stereotypical “angry black woman” on-screen.
“I’ve always let the writers do what they do and I just go to work and act. I’ve never really complained about anything and I’ve just let it be and tried to do my best to act it out appropriately and make sure Tara has layers and she’s not just an ‘angry black woman,’ ” Wesley explains. “She has definitely got her reasons for being so defensive. I try to create layers so that the audience can see this is a wounded girl. Hopefully people get that, some people don’t.”
That ‘angry black woman’ criticism stings Wesley at her core—as a black woman and as an actress. “I’m like ‘Can you not see her vulnerability?’” Wesley says. “That makes me feel [like] I’m not doing a great job as an actor. Or are they just not seeing other scenes where I’m, like, crying? We can stereotype ourselves and that’s really not fair.”
