Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Actress Nefetari Spencer Is Helping To Shake Up The Entertainment Industry
…Five things I wish I had known earlier in my career:
One, I wish I knew to trust my instincts more.
Two, to be myself.
Three, I’ve learned that living my life every day informs art. Everything that I come in contact with informs a decision and choice for a character and myself. So living life, enjoying life, instead of just trying to focus solely on getting to the next level or goal, is number three.
Number four would be to eat the cookies because why not?
And number five, I’ve always stuck by this: know the business, learn the business. It’s another tool in your arsenal. Knowing the business helps further your career…
I had the pleasure of talking with Nefetari Spencer. Nefetari, born in Chicago, Illinois, is a distinguished actress renowned for her comedic prowess in television roles. Spencer’s career in entertainment began in the early 2000s, marked by performances in a diverse array of projects. Her early work includes appearances on “ The Bernie Mac Show” (FOX, 2004) and “NCIS” (CBS, 2015). In recent years, Spencer has demonstrated her versatility with roles in “GCB” (2012), “The Fosters” (Freeform, 2013-), and “Ballers” (HBO, 2015-). She also featured in “Doubt” (CBS, 2017) and most recently on “The Quad” (BET, 2017-). Her upcoming role in the Hulu series “Reasonable Doubt,” alongside Emayatzy Corinealdi, is highly anticipated. The legal drama, created by Raamla Mohamed with executive producers Kerry Washington and Larry Wilmore, will launch its second season on August 22, 2024. In this season, Spencer will reprise her role as ‘Sally,’ a straight-talking, good-humored doctor who is a steadfast friend to the main character, showcasing her range from comedy to serious drama.
Spencer’s extensive television career includes performances in Max’s “South Side,” IFC’s “Showman’s Showcase,” NBC’s “Young Rock,” and CBS’ “The Neighborhood.” Her film work is equally impressive, featuring roles in Michael Nell’s “Blindfire” alongside Brian Geraghty, Justin Etheredge’s “Good”,with Keith David and Kali Racquel, Ali LeRoi’s “The Obituary of Tunde Johnson” with Steven Silver, Jeff Wadlow’s “Truth or Dare” starring Lucy Hale and Tyler Posey, Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted 2,” and Roy Campanella II’s “The Company We Keep.”
Beyond acting, Spencer has made significant contributions as a writer and producer. Previously, she co-wrote and sold a pilot to IFC and wrote “I Am Willa,” her one-woman show where she portrayed more than 17 characters. Spencer has also written for prominent award shows such as the BET Awards, where she was the first woman to serve as head host writer, the AMAs, Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes, SAG Awards, and Image Awards.
Spencer’s journey in Hollywood began as a production coordinator and assistant to Bernie Mac. Her transition to in front of the camera was influenced by Mac, who encouraged her to pursue her comedic talents. Her education at the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia, where she studied film and art history, laid the foundation for her career in the entertainment industry.
Offscreen, Spencer values the importance of mentorship and kindness. She has supported other writers, such as bringing in two women, Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola and X Mayo, to write with her for the Soul Train Awards, creating their first all-women writers’ room. Her commitment to lifting others in the industry echoes the support she received from Bernie Mac early in her career.
Looking ahead, Spencer is eager to continue her work on “Reasonable Doubt” and is involved in writing a feature film blending comedy and musical thriller genres. She has also been tapped to write for the Emmys this year, showcasing her dynamic capabilities across multiple facets of the entertainment industry.
Yitzi: Nefetari, it’s an honor to meet you. Before we dive in deep, our readers would love to learn about your personal origin story. Can you share the story of your childhood and how you grew up?
Nefetari: Absolutely. I am an only child from the South Side of Chicago. Then we moved to the suburbs, Glenwood, Illinois, to be exact. I went to high school there. I was in the drama club, and was class president at Bloom Township High School. After that, I went to the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). I graduated from SCAD in Savannah, Georgia, and made my way to Los Angeles. I came to Los Angeles to be a director. I studied film and art history at SCAD. I quickly became, I believe, the youngest production coordinator in television history. I landed a job on The Bernie Mac Show and became Bernie Mac’s assistant. It was Bernie who told me, “You know, you’re funny. You need to stop hiding.” So I stopped hiding and started studying comedy. And that’s how I started in front of the camera.
Yitzi: You probably have a lot of fascinating stories from behind the camera and in front of the camera. Could you share with us one of your favorite memories from your professional career?
Nefetari: Some of my favorite memories from my professional career are from being on the writing side. One of my favorites was becoming the first woman to be the head host writer for the BET Awards.If anyone went to an HBCU or just college in general, it felt like homecoming. That was very fun and exciting. Another favorite moment was when I got bumped up to a series regular on HBO Max’s series South Side. That was really cool because I worked with friends who I started out with. We began in a sketch group together, Cleo’s Apt, writing sketches and rehearsing in each other’s living rooms. To reach that point together was pretty special.
Yitzi: It’s been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake you made when you first started acting or writing? And could you share the lesson you learned from that?
Nefetari: There are so many. You know what I’ve learned professionally? The biggest mistake, I think, in life as well, is judgment. Sometimes you can judge and be completely wrong about your judgment of something or someone. I think that’s been one of my greatest lessons, trying not to lead with judgment and just allowing what will be to transpire. I’ve learned more by just walking into a space honestly and listening. That’s been my greatest lesson and teacher in this industry.
Yitzi: None of us can achieve success without some help along the way. We love hearing stories about someone more advanced who went out of their way with an act of kindness, giving someone an opportunity that changed their life. Do you have a story like that where either you did that for somebody or somebody did that for you?
Nefetari: I have a story about both. I always defer back to Bernie Mac because he was such a great presence to everyone around him. Having him tell me to move forward and keep going in my career, to be in front of the camera, was pivotal for me. He would come and support my sketch shows and even small, crazy, tiny plays in Hollywood, sometimes in venues above a 7-Eleven. He would actually come and see those productions and kept encouraging me. Many writers from that show have gone on to do amazing things and still remember me, bringing me in for their shows, which has been great.
A moment I’m very happy about is bringing in two women, Rashida ‘Sheedz’ Olayiwola and X Mayo to write with me last year for the Soul Train Awards. It was the first time we had an all-women writers room. Both of those women were on the writing staff for the BET Awards this year. I ushered them into the fold, and they’re flourishing within this space. I’m very happy about that.
Yitzi: Nefetari, you have so much impressive work. Can you share with us the exciting projects you’re working on now and what you may be working on in the near future?
Nefetari: Absolutely. Right now, I’m excited about Reasonable Doubt. Season two premieres on Hulu on August 22nd. I was stretched tremendously this year, and Ramla Mohammed, our showrunner and creator, has a fantastic show for you all. I’m currently writing a feature, which is a comedy. I’m trying to blend genres a bit, so it might be a comedy musical thriller. It feels a little like trying to fit a circle into a triangle right now, but I’m working on it. I also just got tapped to be a writer for the Emmys this year, so I’m starting to come up with ideas for that.
Yitzi: So you mentioned South Side, and as you know, it’s extremely highly rated on IMDb and has a cult following. In your opinion, what was it that captured people’s hearts and minds about the show?
Nefetari: I think what captured people’s hearts and minds was its pure silliness. It came at a time when we really needed to see some silliness, especially in the space of Black comedy. At the time, comedy seemed either very traditional or dramatic. South Side offered a very fun, workplace blue-collar comedy, and I think everybody can relate to it. That’s why people love that show so much.
Yitzi: That’s a great answer. Are there any lessons you think society can take from the themes of Southside?
Nefetari: I think society can learn that laughter is great medicine, especially right now. I also think society can learn that everybody’s doing the best they can. When you start to think about everyone really trying to do the best they can with the options they have, you may tend to give people grace at times. I think that’s very helpful in society.
Yitzi: You mentioned Reasonable Doubt. How would you compare and contrast your personal character, Nefetari, with the character you play, Sally? How are you similar and how are you different?
Nefetari: The character Sally is written as the ride-or-die friend. Nefetari is definitely the ride-or-die friend, but she’s more of a rider; she’s not willing to die for anything. That’s the comparison, the similarities similar with both Sally and Nefetari. Also, Sally initially got to be the comic relief, and that is very true to Nefetari. Even when situations are tough, I tend to crack an inappropriate joke to break the tension in the room. Another similarity is that family means a lot to Sally, and family means a lot to Nefetari. Friendships are also very important to both of them, and they take those very seriously. I think that’s common for both women.
Yitzi: This is our signature question that we ask in all of our interviews. You’ve been blessed with a lot of success now. Can you share five things that you know now that you wish you knew when you first started acting? Five things that you wish you knew earlier when you first started acting?
Nefetari: Five things I wish I had known earlier in my career:
- One, I wish I knew to trust my instincts more.
- Two, to be myself.
- Three, I’ve learned that living my life every day informs art. Everything that I come in contact with informs a decision and choice for a character and myself. So living life, enjoying life, instead of just trying to focus solely on getting to the next level or goal, is number three.
- Number four would be to eat the cookies because why not?
- And number five, I’ve always stuck by this: know the business, learn the business. It’s another tool in your arsenal. Knowing the business helps further your career.
Yitzi: Can you share with our readers the self-care routines that you do to help your body, mind, and heart thrive?
Nefetari: Some self-care things that I like to do: I enjoy working out in the heat, like heated spin and hot yoga, because it makes me turn off my brain from working so much. Another self-care thing is massages. A girl likes a massage, and a girl is Nefetari. Nefetari is me. She likes massages.
I also like to FaceTime with my dad. He’s actually in town, and having a piece of home helps. Knowing that at the end of the day, everything’s going to be okay, even if it’s tough, whatever you’re going through at the moment. Mentally checking in with myself and reminding myself that it’s going to be okay.
Yitzi: Fantastic. Okay, this is our second-to-last question and this is our aspiration question. So, Nefetari, because of the great work that you’re doing and the platform that you’ve built, you’re a person of enormous influence. If you could spread an idea or inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?
Nefetari: If I could spread an idea or movement to bring good to people, it would be to be kind. I think being kind goes really far. It enhances your mood, your work, and how you treat people. Plus it’s contagious. I think we need a lot more of that.
Another movement that I would like to instill is the “Hire Nefetari” movement. I think that would make the world a better place.
Yitzi: That’s great. Are you named after the Egyptian queen, Nefetari? Is there a story behind that? Does it have any connection?
Nefetari: My mother and father are college sweethearts. They met at Tuskegee University. My mother was reading books and trying to figure out what she wanted my name to be. She wanted me to have a strong name, so she named me Nefetari after the queen. If I’m not mistaken, it means “beautiful spirit” and “companion of the earth.” My full name is Nefetari Ethiopia, and Ethiopia, I believe, means “brown face” or “brown skin.” So, “beautiful spirit and companion of the earth with a brown face” is why she named me that.
Yitzi: Do you feel that the energy of that name influenced you?
Nefetari: I do now. I feel like my name definitely influenced me. I do remember being called “nepheteria” or “don’t eat the bacteria in the cafeteria” as a child. Some things stayed with me as an adult. But now, I walk into the room very proud of the name Nefetari.
Yitzi: That’s beautiful. Wonderful. This is our final question. This is what we call our matchmaker question. Sometimes it works. We’re very blessed that prominent leaders in entertainment and business read this column. Is there a person in the world with whom you would like to have a power lunch, ask a question, have a coffee with, or collaborate with? Because we could tag them and maybe we could connect you.
Nefetari: Power lunch or connect with? And is it only one person? If I could have a dinner party, here’s my guest list: Steve Martin, Billy Crystal, Carol Burnett, Michelle Obama and Barack Obamas, and Angela Bassett.
Yitzi: That’s great. I would love to be a fly on that wall. Nefetari, how can our readers continue to follow your work? How can they watch your latest television shows? How can they support you in any possible way?
Nefetari: Your readers can follow me on Instagram at @NefetariS and on Twitter at @NefetariS. You can catch me in season two of Reasonable Doubt on Hulu starting August 22nd. Also, you can watch the Emmys. I am a writer for the Emmys coming up on September 15th. I’ll keep you posted via Instagram on some other things that I have coming up.
Yitzi: Really amazing. Nefetari, it’s been a delight and an honor to meet you. This has been such a thoughtful conversation. I wish you continued success and blessings. I hope we can do this again next year.
Nefetari: I look forward to it. Thank you so much. It’s been a pleasure.
