After 15 years, Keith Robinson and Essence Atkins will reunite as a couple on television since he played her boyfriend on the hit sitcom “Half & Half.” This time, they will appear as a married couple of 10 years exploring having a polygamous relationship in the BET original movie Open.
Atkins explained how knowing her co-star made her more comfortable in her role. “The great thing about working with someone that you worked with before, that you trust and respect, is it really helps facilitate this type of story where we were supposed to have been married for 10 years,” said Atkins, who is also one of the film’s producers.
“I think that people can see the trust and love we have between us, and it helps us as storytellers so that people can see the journey.”
Open is the directorial debut for two-time NAACP Image Award nominee Cas Sigers-Beedles of Nina Holiday Entertainment, a TV and film production company she founded and runs with actress Terri J. Vaughn.
It remains important for Black stories to be told, Sigers-Beedles said. “As a Black filmmaker, as a woman of color who creates content, it’s very important for us to represent in the media. We can’t always represent in stereotype because our babies are watching this, and they grow up wanting to see in life what they see on the big screen, so representation is paramount.
“At Nina Holiday, we are committed to seeing women of color in front of the camera, on the camera, beside the camera, all throughout entertainment.”
Tune in Saturday, March 14, 2020, to watch Open on BET. Check your local listings for the time.
In the meantime, check out the photo gallery above from the March 9 Atlanta screening of Open, which also stars Jasmine Guy, Matt Cedeño, Marquita Goings, Nisey Woods, and Jared Wofford.
