Meagan Good, a comedian and actress, was eager to discuss her new comedy series “Harlem” on Tuesday. She spoke excitedly about her role in “Harlem” as Camille, with a chipper voice and a smile on her face. It’s crazy because two years ago, my prayer was “I just want more things in terms of the creative department.” I want to do physical comedy with Lucille Ball.” Good was answered by Harlem. Harlem was my first love. I loved it from the moment I received it. It was a completely different character than me, so I was actually shocked when I discovered I had it. It’s perfect for me because I’m a bit quirky and goofy.
Born on August 8, 1981, in Panorama City, CA, Good began her acting career at 4 years old, starring in commercials, and went on to appear in a variety of TV shows such as Touched by an Angel (1994), Moesha (1996), The Steve Harvey Show (1996) and Raising Dad (2001) alongside Bob Saget. She says that she took on these roles in her early acting career to show others that she can act and can handle drama. It was about getting that dramatic role in the beginning.
In her early 20’s, Good wanted to show people that she “was a woman who was grown and was not a child.”
“Because that, I entered this space of playing many of the girlfriend roles and a lot the love interests, girl next-door.” This strategy would give Good a list of roles she could play. “I felt trapped in that space in my 20s when people thought I was pretty attractive so I should hire her for this, but she doesn’t really do any other roles.” It was what it felt to me.
When Good turned 30, she thought it was time to reinvent herself.
“I cut my hair to make people see me differently. Then I decided to do TV again.” It was a pivotal year in Good’s life. It was the year that we started to have the conversation about diversity. I remember when I first started doing TV, I was playing the boss, the sergeant. But it wasn’t the main role. I made my rules and stated that I wanted to do a show with diversity. I want to play a lead role. I want to be able do action. I want to be strong, but also vulnerable. This is what I wanted, and it led me to Deception.
Fashion
Audibly excited when the topic switches to fashion, Good launches into her favorite go-to look and what she’s obsessed with right now.
“Right now, they are almost like an addiction for me. Khloe Kardashian and I were very close as children. It’s amazing to see the wonderful things happening in her life and Kim and Kourtney’s lives. As a little girl, I can remember Kylie and Kendall. It’s amazing to see blessings upon blessings for them.
Good describes herself as a minimalist and says that she is all about “how things fit my body” and making things feel easy. Good feels most beautiful when she has simple looks. She “tracks down vintage tshirts”, searching “all over the Internet and all across the country”, and wears SKIMS stretch trousers. Although she will “spend money on shoes, jackets, and purses”, Good prefers her clothes to be vintage, understated, and “just fit me well”.
Good’s obsession with shoes is “Prada combat boots.” Good is a keen designer and has redesigned the combat boots that she purchased recently by having them “cut a bit shorter.” She explained that there are two versions of Prada boots. One is very high and one is very low. Good then “cut mine to middle length and kept my tongue high. I also have another pair of combat boots that were the same length. They used to reach my calves so I cut them to ankle boots and added platform. I love vintage shoes. If I don’t find the right shoe for me, I will re-make them with a great designer.”
When it comes to makeup, Good likes to keep it simple.
“When I was younger, I wore a lot of makeup and didn’t realize how much I actually needed it. Thandie Newton was a friend I met at the Essence Women in Hollywood brunch. I was captivated by her skin. Her skin is so beautiful, I thought. Someone else was like, “Yeah she doesn’t allow anyone to put makeup on her.” When I began my next project, it was then that I stated, “Look, I don’t wear any foundation.” Tinted moisturizer and tinted oil will be my foundation. You can use concealer to apply bronzer or highlighter on my face. This was five years ago. Since then, I haven’t worn any face makeup.” Her go-to look is to highlight her nose and cheeks, then make sure that my eyebrows are in place. If I feel the need to wear a lip, I’ll do so. It’s mostly a simple look. If I want to make it stand out, I will use a cream eyeshadow or a colored one. That dewy, shimmery, and melty look is my favorite. Although it doesn’t feel like you tried too hard, you can definitely see it and it pops. Although her parents were good to her skin, she didn’t take proper care of her skin until her 20s. “I didn’t wash my face every day. I have stayed up until the wee hours. In my 20’s, I smoked. I smoked in my 20’s. It wasn’t until I was 30 that I realized it was time to be more serious about skin care and preventive measures.
Mental health
Good looks after her mental health just as strongly as she does her physical health with prayer, exercise, listening to podcasts, and taking time for herself. When I wake up, the first thing I do is not touch my phone. Instead, I pray, then sit down for a while and take deep, slow, oxygenated breaths to ensure my brain is getting enough. Next, I read my Bible. Then, I pray over myself. I rise and get started with my day. I listen to something positive when I get into my car to go to work. The first thing I listen to in my car on my way to work is something that encourages me, reminds of who God has called me to be, and sets my intention for the day. This helps me to stay positive, reaffirm my faith, and to keep my mind focused when things go wrong. When I have the time, I run, listen to podcasts, read relationship books, and get on the treadmill. She informs me that she has just started The Transformation of the Inner Man, which is music videos that inspire me.
A new method of self-care for Good has been therapy, which she started back in April, and also took a sabbatical from drinking in that same month. “I felt like, ‘As a 40-year-old, I want to make sure my heart, and spirit, are healed from the things I have experienced as a child, the things I have experienced growing up in the business, any trauma, or anything that I need help with, whether knowingly or not. As I enter the next season, I want to be intentional and say “Hi Meagan.” Let’s take good care of you. Let’s get you well. Let’s ensure you are ready for whatever comes next. Let’s ensure you are as useful as possible to God in the way he intends you to be used. We need to have a clear understanding of my purpose, my focus and how my time should be spent.
Career
Good isn’t just about her own career: she’s also about uplifting the next generation Black filmmakers, leading her to participate in a screenwriting fellowship by Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud and the Sundance Institute called “Women Write Now,” where young Black female writers can submit their short film and are provided opportunities to develop their projects, get mentorship, produce their films, and have a platform to exhibit them. She says, “I’m really excited for the next generation. Growing up in the industry, I dealt with many people who told me “We’d love for you to lead this project but because you are Black it’s unlikely to sell overseas’ so we will give you the best friend position or something. My mindset kept me from getting angry. Sometimes I would be angry and say, “That’s not fair.” It’d be hard for me to make it easy for the little girl behind. That’s my mindset since childhood. It’s a huge responsibility. We have to be able see all the voices and create magical things that are important for many people.
