A Very Merry Beauty Salon, starring RonReaco Lee, Cocoa Brown and Tia Mowry, will premiere Saturday, Dec. 7, on Lifetime. The film promises to keep families laughing. Brown says it will become a cult classic and features the on-camera reunion of “Sister, Sister” stars Mowry and Lee.
Lee and Brown visited the rolling out’s office to discuss their latest film.
How was it reconnecting with Tia Mowry?
Lee: It’s night and day. I think we both have grown. When I first got on the show I had just moved to LA. Now, I had done some acting, quite a bit of acting here in Atlanta where I grew up. But when I went to LA, that was my first gig. It was really kind of like starting over. And so, I was really honestly insecure. I was around all these heavy hitters who have been doing the show for probably four or five years at the time. I was just telling this story at this little event not too long ago. But I was on the bus. I was catching a bus there, and the rest of the cast was driving. Deion Richmond had a Lexus. The girls had an Eddie Bauer expedition, and I’m literally catching the bus. So, I was very insecure, honestly. So, to revisit the chemistry between us many years later was dope, I definitely been doing my thing and now I wasn’t as insecure.
Was it hard balancing being a funny but comforting character?
Brown: I mean, honestly, I think that’s just who I am. I’ve always been told I had an old soul. When I play these characters like Ms. Kimmy, it’s like breathing. It’s very organic to me. I’m that person that my friends come to for advice. I’m that friend that, you know when they’re upset and sad about something, they know they can call me, and I’m going to make them laugh. I’m going to snap them out of it. I can make you laugh at a funeral. It’s just the gift that God gave me. But I also have a good heart. I don’t do anything to anyone that I wouldn’t want done to myself. Very simple rules.
What will people love about this movie?
Brown: I think it’s a feel-good movie, but I also think they’re gonna appreciate how it was shot, how it was written, how we portrayed the characters, our looks, our hair, our makeup, our wigs. … They seem like they went and got the best of the best to make this movie happen. And it shows in everything from the acting to the wardrobe to the writing to how it was shot. Everything. And also, the message is something everyone can relate to. Every woman can relate to the meddling mother when it comes to relationships. Everybody could relate to the friend that’s telling you to let go and let God. Go out there and find your man. They can. They can relate to the auntie like me, who’s like you go to when you can’t be as real and transparent with your mama, but your auntie gonna keep it real with you. You got that one friend that loves to party, who’s fun time. Honey, we ain’t got time to worry about no man. Let’s go hit this bar. Everybody will have someone they can relate to in this movie.
Why is the barbershop and salon a cultural staple in our community?
Brown: I think for me, growing up and spending at least a Saturday in the beauty salon to get my hair done because my mama didn’t feel like iron pressing my hair no more. Being in the salon was like a crash course on life because you had young people, you had middle-aged people, you had old people, and it was wisdom from every level. And if you paid attention, you walked out so much smarter and wiser, even though when I was younger, it was that the child is seen and not heard. No, you heard everything. You heard everything. And then certain circumstances would happen, and you didn’t realize how you were able to handle that situation because you were in the salon and heard somebody else go through it, and how they got through it.
Lee: I think the same about the barbershop. I think as Black men we are now doing more talking, we’re doing more communicating, we’re doing more sharing. But I think back in the day, that was probably one of the few places where as Black men, we could kind of open up and we could share with everyone else in there. Listen, you share the wrong thing, you know, that’s your ass. But the barbershop is kind of like our sanctuary.
