Kofi Siriboe has been dominating our screens for a while now. He gained his fame from the hit movie Girls Trip and Oprah’s “Queen Sugar,” but he’s established himself in many roles since, including in Amazon Prime’s hit show “Harlem,” which also stars Meagan Good. We caught up with Siriboe outside his creative space, Tola House, in New Orleans and invited him to step into the Star Studio for a bit.
What did you learn during your time on “Queen Sugar”?
I learned it’s a marathon. It was a lot of struggle. Darla was dealing with her struggles, and Ralph had his struggles. I also learned a lot about identity, sustainability, and stabilizing everything. With everything my character was going through with Darla and the family dynamic, I had to go deep into myself and educate myself. It also allowed me to lay roots here in New Orleans. As you can see, I’m still here.
Did you know your Girls Trip was going to catapult you into superstardom?
I knew it would be lit, but I honestly had no idea. I knew it would be lit; Queen Latifah lit, Jada Pinkett lit. I started filming that about a week after we wrapped shooting for “Queen Sugar” season one. I was just honored, honestly. I was in the city, and the stars aligned, but I was so in motion by the time the film dropped a year later that I was honestly in the mood for a slowdown. The opposite happened. So no, I didn’t, but God is good.
Is anybody from the cast who gave you a good memory or experience?
I connected with Queen [Latifah]. She is so grounded, so down to earth. I threw a party in 2017, and she pulled up. It wasn’t expected, but it was also a big deal for me and my friends. Beyond that, she had a good time. I was fresh in the game, too; she was a real one.
Why do you think Harlem is so popular?
This is another opportunity that God brought to me to really dive into us. The show takes an anthropological approach to mundane topics. We don’t have in-depth conversations like love, relationships, and romance. We get to reflect, step back, and dive into the nuances of mundane life and even blackness. I’m sad the show is over, but we have a movie coming soon.
