Having spent nearly a decade starring alongside her sisters on WE tv’s Braxton Family Values, it’s safe to say that Toni Braxton feels comfortable on-screen. Even so, the Grammy Award-winning R&B singer admits to only recently feeling like she can call herself an actress. “Singing was my first love,” she tells Shondaland. “Growing up in my house, we always sang. We were always in church. I never got to pursue the acting part, but going on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast in the ’90s gave me the bug.”
Indeed, since starring as the first Black Belle in the hit Disney stage production, Braxton, while taking the reality-TV world by storm, has gone on to star in a string of TV and film roles — she even got her own Lifetime channel holiday movie, Every Day Is Christmas. Now, Braxton is the star of her own Lifetime movie series.
The mystery films debuted April 2 with the first installment, Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For, with a sequel film, Fallen Angels Murder Club: Heroes and Felons, out April 9, and then two further installments down the line. In the series, Braxton plays Hollis Morgan, an ex-con who creates a book club for a group of formerly incarcerated folks who are trying to live normal lives again. But after an unexpected murder happens, each member of the group is left pointing fingers at one another, including Hollis.
This new film series is produced for Lifetime as part of its Broader Focus initiative, which supports hiring women in production roles. Both Fallen Angels Murder Club films are written and directed by Rhonda Baraka, who also joins Braxton as an executive producer. According to Lifetime, Broader Focus’ overarching goal is to ensure that “entertainment’s best and up-and-coming creative talent, both on- and off-screen, is identified, developed, and provided with shadowing and employment opportunities to further their careers. The initiative’s mission is to encourage and cultivate women’s talent in media, scout content leaders who are creating the best female-focused stories for television, and raise awareness about the need for more women of varied backgrounds in influential content-making roles.”
As Braxton’s new Lifetime projects come to the small screen, she spoke with Shondaland about acting, living with lupus, her new skincare line, what it was like being the first-ever Black Belle on Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, and the best advice she got from Whitney Houston.
NADJA SAYEJ: These films are based on a series of mystery books written by a woman, R. Franklin James. How did it all come about translating it to the screen?
TONI BRAXTON: Lifetime brought it to me. I checked out the script — I thought it was fun, and I love doing things that take me out of my zone. Hollis Morgan seemed super-fun. She’s a girl who is always in charge. She’s a leader, and I can relate. I am the oldest of five siblings. My sister Traci [Braxton], who unfortunately left us, helped me with this role. I always talked to her every day, asking her, “How do you think she should be, Traci?” It was fun feeling her out. When I’m doing movies, I always read the other characters first. I don’t pay any attention to my character at first. I found out how she should act based on the other personalities around her. In this case, it was these misfits who went to jail but are trying to give back and be better people themselves.
NS: I’m sorry for the recent loss of your sister. I’m surprised you’re even doing interviews.
TB: It’s easier that you can’t see my face, that this is only an audio interview. It was tough doing press this morning; I can’t deny it. But I have to give thanks to everyone who has been so patient and understanding and supportive for me. I love Lifetime; they’re like family. This is my fifth project with them.
NS: Fallen Angels Murder Club is a mystery, but what are your favorite kinds of movies to watch?
TB: Rom-coms are my favorite, but I also love time-period pieces. It depends. I’m fascinated by directors of photography and art direction. I’m a detail-oriented person because as an artist, I’m doing music videos all the time. You know what everything means as an actor, but acting is a completely different thing. The mechanics and technical details are all things that I’m really comfortable with.
NS: What was it like working with the director, Rhonda Baraka?
TB: I have a history with Rhonda B. — that’s what I call her. I also call her Duchess. I met her years ago when her family ran a magazine in Atlanta, and she put me on the cover as an up-and-coming artist. Back then, a lot of money was spent on artist development. I had to go through interview classes. She was my interview coach. Can you imagine? And here we are, coming together now. I said, “Why do you look so familiar to me?” She said, “Because I was your interview coach.” I thought, “Oh, my goodness! I remember.” We had instant chemistry and history, which was so helpful because I was going through so much with my sister going through some tough days. She helped me push through it. She made everyone feel at home and was so powerful.
NS: I also loved the soundtrack to the films. Did you have any hand in it?
TB: I did. There’s sometimes stock music in films, and I said, “Guys, we have to pep up the music here.” We didn’t have a huge budget, but I knew we could make it sound current to what’s going on in music and TV. I was really involved, and the director agreed. She said, “Let’s do that.”
NS: You now have your own skincare brand called Nude Sugar. Why did you want to get into the beauty space?
TB: I think as you get older, your body gets a bit dry. What do you do? Moisturize! It helps the skin so much. That’s what I love about my products, which I’ve been using since before they even came out. I’m pretty confident about my skin, I’m always bathing suit-ready, I work hard on it. Nude Sugar is for when you’re nude. Like with our body serum — that will get your skin crazy together! I could wear that on my booty wearing a thong, and I would be comfortable out there. That’s probably way too much information! But my booty skin is pretty good [laughs].
NS: You also have a new fragrance, Breathe. How did you come up with that?
TB: It’s doing really well; it’s shaped like a microphone, actually. I have been told it’s a great date-night fragrance. It doesn’t give you a headache, which, sometimes, fragrances have that. I have lupus, and sometimes fragrances bother me, so I have to be delicate with what I put on my skin. I tested it myself, and I feel excited about it. It was my sister Traci’s favorite fragrance too.
NS: What about your music? Do you have plans to record anything new in the future?
TB: I love music, and as Babyface once said, I can “not not do music.” Music is in my life forever. I could potentially do a single. But I’m loving doing something different, challenging myself. I’m going to be honest — because you’re Shondaland, so I can be honest — when I was doing my character Hollis, it’s about how to get away with murder and scandal. Nobody can ever be Kerry Washington in Scandal. I’m not even going to climb that staircase! But what parts of her character can be borrowed for my character? I thought of her. Then I put my own spin on it. I thought, “What would Shonda have me do?” in that super-strong-woman-running-things kind of way.
NS: I’m sure Shonda will love hearing that! Do you think more women are stepping into production roles in film and TV?
TB: Yes, but Shonda brought it to light. She made us look at it with eyes wide open. She is one of the power girls.
NS: Do you have any mentors in your own life?
TB: Whitney Houston was always my big sister in the business. I love her and think about her often. Barbra Streisand too. You have to remember, women felt uncomfortable helping each other. We were told, “You can’t do that.” Now I find women are coming together and helping each other. It’s the greatest time to be a woman out loud and no apologies. I love it.
NS: Did Whitney Houston give you any advice that stuck with you?
TB: Oh, my gosh, so many things. She told me, “Don’t let anyone doubt your talent.” That people will try to push you down or tell you that you need to change. Of course, you’ve got to be current with the times, and she would call me by my full name, Toni Braxton. Everyone has called me by my full name since I was in kindergarten. Whitney would say: “Toni Braxton!” That confidence she had; I love her. And Eartha Kitt was a big influence on me; she helped me a lot, even with singing. She always told me to eat an apple; it takes the phlegm off, and also when you’re onstage, you don’t have a gurgling tummy. Who wants that? I’ve had so many women come to rescue me, help me, even my family when I found out I had lupus. So many great women helped remind me it’s okay to feel like this — get up, dust yourself off, and it’s okay you feel like this.
NS: What about when you’re asked for advice by young actors and musicians — what do you tell them?
TB: I pay it forward all the time; you have to pay it forward. The confidence in a woman — you can know these things, but sometimes people will beat you down and make you feel like you can’t do it. I say no; you determine your own worth. Sometimes, don’t take it so seriously. Eat the fish; throw away the bones. Don’t worry about it. Look at the good to get to the best.
Nadja Sayej is an arts and culture journalist based in New York City who has written 5 books, including Biennale Bitch and The Celebrity Interview Book. Follow her on Twitter @nadjasayej.
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