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Warning: spoilers ahead for Tired, Okay?
!, episode six of season five ofInsecure.
Sparks are flying, okay?!
At the work retreat at the center of Tired, Okay?
Taurean has been in and out of scenes and story arcs for the past few seasons.
It was a complete surprise for me, the amount of involvement that Ive had as it unfolded.
But you know, the show is really about the friendship between the women.
Any time a man shows up on screen, you really cant expect much.
How early during development and production of the fifth season did you find out about Taureans romantic arc?
What was your reaction to it?I was pretty shocked.
In all of season three, I dont think I smiled once.
I was going to say, Taurean has always been the antagonist in Mollys life.
Taurean says, I also had a problem when my brother was dealing with cancer.
I think that revelation, and being personal with a co-worker opens that up.
You start to see people in a different light.
You realize,Oh, I made all this stuff up.
All this stuff that I thought was personal or targeted was all in my head.
It really had nothing to do with me.
That also allows him to give other people the benefit of the doubt and be more open and understanding.
Hes allowing more people in.
Then Taurean walks out and you dont really know where that relationship is gonna go in the office.
That opens the door to potentially whats next.
Did the writers give you any backstory on Taureans dating history or past?No.
They hint at things, but basically Taurean is kind of a mystery.
How did you fill in those blanks for yourself?
Coming in off of two seasons myself I was pretty sure I understood Taurean and whats going on.
Natasha Rothwell directed this episode.
She was very kind and very patient.
I think one of the notes she kept giving me, which I enjoyed, was just keep smiling.
Even if its just in my eyes, just keep smiling.
My favorite one-liner in the episode was your deadpan delivery of my mom had a mug.
Are those written in or did you improvise on set?That was a real fun run.
So we just went on a run and let the camera roll.
Theres probably about 20 different alts just for that little scene.
I think thats also why the end of that scene catches Taurean off guard.
That being said, that does not necessarily mean its day one of a relationship.
But I think it opens up some possibilities.
Theyre really playing with different forms and mixing it up, and every episode is so fresh and engaging.
Even after watching all this time, you cant expect or predict anything.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
