Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Sistas’ Novi Brown

Novi Brown is living the dream as one of the stars of Tyler Perry’s Sistas. With the show now in its second season, Novi continues to captivate audiences as Sabrina Hollins, bringing us on a wild ride full of twists and turns. But what fans may not know is Novi’s journey to landing her own show has been thirteen years in the making.

We caught up with the talented young actress to chat about getting her start in the biz, how she turned rejection into redirection, Sistas, and the importance of representation.

Career

PC: How did you discover your passion for the arts and storytelling?
Novi: My mother was a nomad. She’s been a nomad her entire life. She’s traveled the world and always stayed curious. I feel like her curiosity extended to me. Because she was curious, she allowed me to stay curious. She put me in piano, acting, and martial arts. I was a very active kid. I also traveled a lot around the world because I was born in Berlin, Germany, so I would travel a lot between America and Europe.

When I was a kid, I would jump around doing different things. A lot of people would say, “Her personality is so bright. She should be on TV,” or “You’re so funny”—stuff like that. Those were little messages from the Universe. Then when I was seventeen, I said, “Okay, mom. I want to be an actor.” She was like, “Go ahead. Do your thing.” So I proceeded to go to college. I live in New York and that’s where I began my modeling commercial career. From there, I moved to Los Angeles. Seven years later from getting to Los Angeles—don’t get it confused because it was a thirteen-plus-year journey—I finally have my own show.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Novi: Oh my gosh, I have so many. I have to say Samuel L. Jackson. I love his career. He’s so versatile and no role is too small for him. I love his portfolio. He goes from animations to commercials to big-picture movies to independent films. That versatility is really inspiring to see. And of course my top, top, top number one is Ms. Angela Bassett. She’s the best. Her presence on screen, the way she moves, her grace within the industry, her choices, the characters she’s played in film and television—all of those things. I’ve been around her a few times, and she’s as glorious as you would imagine. Those are the top two people who have influenced me to be here today.

PC: You’ve been really open about the ups and downs of this industry. During those more challenging times, how were you able to persevere?
Novi: A lot of crying. [laughs] A lot of phone conversations with people you trust and love. A lot of listening to podcasts and the story of the underdog. I really love listening to stories like Lady Gaga’s and seeing how hard people worked to get to where they are and also seeing the transformation within the industry. I allow myself to feel whatever I’m feeling. A lot of it is a lot of noes. A lot of people change because they see that as rejection; I see it as a redirection.

I’m in the right pocket but in the wrong space. One of my teachers told me a long time ago, “If you’re invited, you’re meant to be there.” I took that. Any little gem that you can get from the Universe—your teachers, your family, whoever you have to hold on to—you have to build gold out of that and make that your safe haven. It may seem crazy to think that you’ll be on TV one day. Honey, if I can do it, you can do it!

PC: You come from a theater background. What has the transition been like going from the stage to the screen?
Novi: I love the theater. I’m a theater kid. I did a lot of stuff in college. I did a couple of off-Broadway shows. Unfortunately, I’m not gifted musically. [laughs] There’s this secret repressed dream of mine to be in musical theater production. Hopefully, I’ll be in an ensemble somewhere in the background one day. The theater is so much bigger than TV. TV is so small.

The main thing that I had to learn and the one thing that I noticed is I had to sit on my hands during my auditions because I would be all over the place. With theater, you’re projecting and you’re being this huge rainbow. With film, you’re water drops. That’s been the biggest transition. I’m always excited to go big because a lot of people in the industry say, “If they can go big, we can mold them back down into what we want.” That’s the biggest difference between the two for me.

Sistas

PC: You’re currently starring in Sistas and the show’s been incredibly well received. What do you think is resonating most with audiences?
Novi: Oh honey, the messy dating stuff. Everyone has a messy dating story, a messy dating life. It doesn’t matter where you’re from, your religion, your ethnic background, your sexual orientation. Dating is dating. Love is love. You’re all out there looking for it. I think that people are really learning stuff from the show, which I really love. I get a lot of DMs like “Well, at least I know what not to do.” [laughs] I say, “Yes, good. That’s good. Either way, you’re learning.” That’s what’s great about it. It’s also very vulnerable. Their careers are nice and popping, but hey, what’s going on in our personal lives? I feel a lot of people feel and are connected to that.

PC: When you’re working on a Tyler Perry show, you often only have one take to nail it. How challenging was that to adjust to?
Novi: Man, honestly, I didn’t know it was going to be as extreme as one take. I knew it was fast, but I didn’t realize, y’all. But I feel a couple of things propelled me. One, it was auditioning. You only have those couple minutes to really make an impression on somebody. You have “one take” in the audition room.

I took that mindset and I took that fuel, excitement, and molded it altogether. Let me tell you, I blacked out several times being on set. There are several times that I don’t remember what I said or remember what I did because you’re in a zone—you’re in that space and you continue to go.

I feel like when the moment comes to you, in any part of your life, whatever you have going on in your personal journey, you’ll be prepared for that moment. There’s no way I could have been auditioning for thirteen-plus years and not have been ready. So I had to be confident about that. I had to trust my intuition and trust my choices as an actor. That’s really scary, really scary, but I’m grateful I took the challenge, and I’m excited to see where my career goes from here.

PC: This is a breakout television role for you. Has anything surprised you about the experience? What’s been the biggest takeaway thus far?
Novi: The fact that I made it here is crazy. That’s number one for me. Riding down Sunset and seeing my face on the side of a building is crazy. But the most impactful thing for me is knowing that little Black girls are seen. That’s the most important thing for me. That’s the most powerful thing for me because I read the DMs. I get a lot of messages like “Thank you so much,” or “I love your hair,” or, “Your skin is so rich. I’m so grateful,” or “This is my daughter. She wears an outfit like you do on the show.” It’s those little things that say to somebody you belong here; we see you; you are worthy. This is what representation is about. It’s not a discussion. Everyone needs to know that they are seen, that they’re heard, and that they’re worthy. That’s been the most impactful thing, and I want to continue doing work that way.

PC: Season 2 is currently airing. What can fans expect? What’s ahead for your character?
Novi: Look, Sabrina’s busy. [laughs] There’s a lot of twists and turns. There are new characters this season, so shout-out to all the new actors who booked a huge role during a pandemic. It’s amazing. This season is full of surprises. But let me tell you something: Calvin will have a challenge. That’s all I can say.

PC: You have a couple of other projects in the works right now. Is there anything that you could tease about those?
Novi: I have one show where I’m the host. It’s a really heartfelt show, which I’m really excited about. That’s all I can say. I’m also doing my own stuff because I always recommend when acting in the business to start producing your own content. That’s what I am on the mission of doing: getting my content produced. I also want to dive into the animation and voice-over world—hopefully, do something with Pixar.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Novi: SVU.

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Novi: Face/Off.

PC: Favorite book?
Novi: The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah.

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Novi: Rent.

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Novi: The Internet.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Novi: I would have to say a new upcoming actress.

To keep up with Novi, follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Watch new episodes of Sistas on BET.