Cocoa Brown is taking control of her life by living out her purpose and helping people through her comedy and acting. This is just the beginning. — Cocoa Brown has more in store for us all.
What inspired you to become an entertainer?
I think I was inspired by the need to do something great to touch people’s lives and to just simply make people happy.
What is the difference for you with your stand-up comedy and acting?
With acting, I actually get to transform into someone else to live a life that is not necessarily my own, and with stand-up it gives me the ability to speak my mind and even purge some demons.
How did you get to work with Tyler Perry?
Working with Mr. Perry was truly a situation of when opportunity meets preparation. I auditioned like everyone else but unbeknownst to me, Mr. Perry had seen my stand-up [act] and was a fan, and luckily when I walked into the room I knew how to act the role of Jennifer [like it] was created for me.
What has been your favorite role and why?
I’d have to say my favorite role so far was Lydia in Single Moms Club because I was able to represent so many women who may not have a voice; a single mom who may have made many mistakes but have come to a point in her life that she’s trying to make things right for herself as well as her children.
What does success look like for you?
It’s funny what I thought success looked like 10 years ago has changed so much in just the past few years. I believe that success for me at this point in my life is building a body of work that I’m proud of and having real people that I know love me for me to share it with. Most of all being able to take care of my son and expose him to things that success has afforded me to do.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome?
I would say the biggest challenge for me has been not being so hard on myself and allowing myself to truly enjoy each individual moment instead of looking 10 steps ahead. As I’ve gotten older, the moments within the journey have meant more to me than the destination.
Tell us about being a mom.
Being a mom is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. I look at my son every day and ask myself why did I wait so long to have you? But I’m grateful that I’m in the place I’m in now with him because I have the ability to do what I love, but also be a present mother. I am so in love with my son; he is my greatest motivator to be better than I was the day before. I’m grateful that I have such an incredible village surrounding me and my son that not only help me in raising him into the man of my dreams, but don’t ever let me forget that I’m doing a good job.
What can your fans expect from you next?
What my fans can expect from me next is seeing Cocoa Brown in a different light. I’m doing more dramatic roles now and I couldn’t be happier. It’s funny, I’ve had critics say I represent a stereotype in my roles, but I believe that I’ve been fortunate enough to provide a voice and an image to those who are invisible, but the world is about to see that Cocoa Brown has chops and she is more than just funny. I’m currently working on a new miniseries called “American Crime Story” with Oscar-winner Cuba Gooding Jr. and John Travolta directed by John Singleton. I’m also in negotiations for a new talk show that will highlight Americas unsung heroes in this country. I want to leave my son a legacy that he will be proud of his mother, and I feel I’m on the right track.
