Vanessa Bell Calloway had a very busy day last Wednesday Jan. 8. She had to hit the red carpet for the Atlanta tastemakers screening of One Of Those Days, but before that she pulled up to Rolling Out for a cover shoot. In the film, Calloway plays the snack lady; whatever you need she got it. Whether that’s chips, soda, honeybuns, or condoms, she has it all. She killed her role and also her cover shoot and then proceeded to kill the red carpet alongside her daughter Ashley. We caught up with both of them on the red carpet to discuss the family affair.
How proud of your mom are you?
Ashley: I’m so proud of my mom. I’m just happy it could be a family affair. So I was a part of the film. I represent the director, I represent the writer, and I represent the male lead, Joshua Neal. And my mom is in it, so. I definitely would have put in a good word for her. But she was the choice. She was the choice anyways, without me saying anything. So it just happened naturally.
What is like being the daughter of an iconic actress?
Ashley: Oh, my God. It’s a lot of things. It’s fun. It’s crazy, but mostly fun. Like, my mom is the best. She’s such a great support system. She’s always believed in our dreams and never pushed us into acting. So, my sister and I work on the backside of film and television. I’m a manager at Color Creative, and my sister works at Lionsgate and TV Development. So, she’s just always told us to chase our dreams, and it just makes it even more fun that she’s an amazing actress and we get to do fun stuff like this together. So hopefully this is the first of many.
Calloway daughters shun the spotlight
What’s it like being the mother of daughters who don’t want to be in the spotlight?
Vanessa: I loved it. I did not want them to do that. Not because I didn’t want them to take the spotlight. I just know how difficult the other side is. And I really tried to pour so much into them that I just wanted them to find their path, and I just wanted something different for them. I’m not gonna lie, when they said, yeah, we don’t want to be in front of the camera, I was elated! And I’m not saying it’s bad because I would be degrading myself. I’m not saying that being in front of the camera is not a good thing, but it’s not for everybody. And sometimes it takes a different part of your brain to do the other side, and they just have different part to their brain. And I just encouraged it. I nurtured it, and I’m very happy. I’m so proud of my daughters. They are so amazing to me. They are my heartbeat. I mean, I would do anything for them, and I just love them.
What’s your favorite SZA song?
Ashley: My favorite right now is Snooze for sure.
Vanessa: I like that one too. When I hear the songs, I know them. But the one that sticks in my mind is “My Man is her man is my man too” (actual title: “The Weekend”). That’s the one. That’s the one that got me on her on my playlist. When I kept hearing that one. Because I told her, “SZA, you know you on my playlist.” She said, “Wow!” I said, “No, you really on my playlist.” That was the song that got me to put her on my playlist. “My man is her man is his man.” Yeah, that one.
