HBO’s hit sketch comedy show, A Black Lady Sketch Show, starring Robin Thede, Gabrielle Dennis and Ashley Nicole Black, is returning for its second season and among the new faces joining the cast is Skye Townsend— actress, singer and daughter of Hollywood legend, Robert Townsend.
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The Emmy-nominated series is described as “a narrative sketch series where Black women have grounded experiences in a magical reality,” and features hilarious sketches like “Hertep Masterclass”, "Hertep Homecoming," the "Bad B**** Support Group," the journey of the “Invisible Spy,” and even a 227 reboot. Not to mention the previous guest stars include Angela Bassett, Aja Naomi King, Patti LaBelle, and many more. Skye, who will be tackling various roles this season, exclusively spoke with RADIO.COM about her transition from artist to actress and her feelings on joining such a dynamic cast.
The 27-year-old expressed, “I feel like I have waited an entire lifetime for a moment to properly shine and I still find myself processing that everything is finally coming together.” In spite of being nervous, due to the “already established bonds” among the current leads and the show’s audience connection to them, she is still “basking in gratitude and joy,” and hopes the audience “enjoys the new energy being brought on and sees how much fun we had creating season two as they tune in.”
Being the child of a comedian, Skye feels a very special connection to her new role. “I grew up watching SNL, Chappelle's Show and In Living Color, so I couldn't wait to put my spin on all these people,” she stated after revealing she would be playing 25 different characters, which is “SO fun and incredibly challenging as a new actor.” Skye has previously had major roles in Chase, The Donors, 8 Days a Week and has had a guest role on the hit show, Lucifer. In regards to A Black Lady Sketch Show, she expressed, “Something I think a lot of people don't know about this show is that we receive the material first then decide on the voices and mannerisms that we personally see fit, based [on] the dialogue. It is extremely hands-on and stretches you immensely as an artist to find quirks and movements for that many characters in such a brief period of time.”
However, with such esteemed talents like Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey gaining their initial notoriety from a sketch comedy show, it’s safe to say that Skye is following in the footsteps of greatness. With this new role, she mentioned, “I am excited to show my range as an artist and an actor. When people ask me my career goal, my answer remains the same. I want to and will work my hardest to be an artist that you consider undeniably talented. I look at Jamie Foxx and Jim Carrey and no matter what you feel about them, you cannot deny their gifts. For me, that is the goal and that is true success. I will know I have made impactful work when my idols stop to give me props and I won't quit until I get there.”
Not only is Jamie Foxx known for his acting range, but he also is immaculately gifted in music— and so is Skye. With two EPs (VOMIT and Rocking Chairs) and several singles under her belt, we had to know how it feels for her to transition from being an artist to being an actress. The Los Angeles native revealed, “I miss music often but have fallen so deeply in love with the art of comedy. I get high off bringing others joy and giving people a positive distraction from whatever they are going through. I think the beautiful part about being an artist is the chance to change your mind and reinvent yourself over and over. Everything teaches you a lesson if you're willing to see it that way. I hope to find ways to creatively blend music and acting as I progress in my career.”
Want a sneak peek of how Skye will be on the show? You must check out the clip below.
Season 1 lead, Quinta Brunson, will not be returning for the show's second season due to COVID-related scheduling conflicts. However, Laci Mosley is also joining the cast's leading ladies and season two's guest stars include Gabrielle Union, Jesse Williams, Kim Wayans, and Issa Rae, the show's executive producer.
A Black Lady Sketch Show is the first major sketch comedy show to be created and written by Black women and have all Black female leads. Amid Thede’s talk show cancellation, she took her idea for the show to her “dear friend,” Issa Rae and with that cosign, they took the premise to HBO and within minutes, the show was sold— “straight to series, no pilot,” as reported to Deadline. Check out the official teaser for season two of A Black Lady Sketch Show, which will premiere on April 23 at 11PM ET, only on HBO and HBO Max.
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