Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Games People Play’s Karen Obilom

Karen Obilom is one of the most talked-about new faces in Hollywood. Her credits include hit TV series and films, including Insecure, Medal of Honor, and NCIS: New Orleans, to name a few, but she’s best known for her buzzworthy performance as one of NYC’s top gossip reporters, Nia, in BET’s must-see new series, Games People Play. Pop Culturalist caught up with Karen to chat about Season 1.

Career

PC: You’re an actor, writer, producer, and director. How did you discover your passion for storytelling? Is there one that you naturally gravitate towards?
Karen: I discovered my passion for storytelling in middle school when I saw my sister in a play in high school. That was the first time I saw a play with a fully black cast. I had never seen anything like it—everyone was laughing, people were having such an amazing time. That began my passion for acting, and that is what I have always gravitated towards because it was within my reach.

Writing came later because I always thought that I needed more than what I had, if that makes sense. I always thought writing was outside my reach until I realized that I have necessary stories that needed to be told. Yes, it is still difficult, and I am always learning. But when I finally put pen to paper or words to screen, it’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt. It’s like a high seeing my writing come to life—because for so long I thought I wasn’t capable.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Karen: Two answers that you’d never expect to go together: God and Viola Davis. Now that I’m saying it though, it has a ring to it honestly. God has been at the forefront of my career in ways I can’t express in words. It’s a divine and purposeful feeling. God has navigated my steps and I’m just here for the ride. And Viola Davis…she’s Viola Davis. She’s vulnerable, unapologetic, real, and black as hell. She’s all the things that are within all of us but are sometimes hard to pull out. Well, we ain’t all black as hell, but you get it. She’s my forever inspiration in this industry.

PC: You’ve had a lot of success already in your young career. When you look back, is there a particular moment that stands out?
Karen: Seeing a billboard with my face on it on Sunset and Vine! Are you kidding? I’m getting emotional thinking about it. And I feel like the more I live life, the more powerful that moment becomes. That is a HUGE deal. Seeing that made me thankful for every struggle and every “no” because it brought me to that moment, looking up at three huge posters of my face. Incredible.

PC: What’s one thing you know now that you wish you knew when you started?
Karen: Something I wish I would have implemented earlier in my career is: what’s yours is yours. No role belongs to you because you think you’d do great at it. The only roles that are yours are the ones you make yourself.

Games People Play

PC: For readers who may be unfamiliar, tell us about Games People Play, your character, and what attracted you to the project.
Karen: My character on Games People Play is named Nia Bullock and she’s a savvy journalist. She’s witty, smart, and calculating. I love how multifaceted she is. The dialogue really attracted me to this project; it was real and how me and my girls talked to each other. I knew a lot of people could relate to her and the show.

PC: Which of Nia’s relationships was your favorite to explore and why?
Karen: My favorite relationship to explore was the one with Terrence because it wasn’t an easy relationship to navigate, and I love a challenge. It was a forbidden love, and that really pulled me towards that particular plot.

Pop Culturalist Speed Round

PC: Guilty pleasure TV show?
Karen: Billy on the Street

PC: Guilty pleasure movie?
Karen: Epic Movie

PC: Favorite book?
Karen: Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

PC: Favorite play or musical?
Karen: Grease and Singin’ in the Rain

PC: A band or artist that fans would be surprised to learn is on your playlist?
Karen: Carrie Underwood is my girl forever.

PC: Who would play you in the story of your life?
Karen: I think the juicy parts of my life have just begun so I don’t have an answer just yet!

To keep up with Karen, follow her on Instagram. Binge-watch Season 1 of Games People Play on BET.

Photo Credit: BET