Jackée Harry was the first Black woman to win an Emmy Award for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her starring role as Sandra Clark in 227, but what many don’t know is that initially the legendary actress had no interest in pursuing comedy.
During her Thursday (Feb. 16) appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Harry admitted that she wanted to follow in the paths of “serious” actresses like Diana Sands, Rosalind Cash, and Diahann Carroll.
“I wanted to be like them, a great actress and I was going to be in terms of drama. Then, I just happened to be funny. I got ‘227.’ I was so mad,” explained the You Got Served star, 66. “I was gonna be a serious actress and win Tonys and win Oscars and be all that and be powerful. Then, I just happened to be funny.” Admittedly, this partially led her to not want to partake in Sister, Sister at first.
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Robert Voets/Warner Bros.
“I didn’t want to be nobody’s mama,” she joked. “I was hot, sexy. I still had it going on. I didn’t want to be somebody’s mama and then I met those girls and fell in love. I met them when they were 13, just wonderful and I loved it. It turned out to be—believe it or not—even more successful than 227.”
Later in the segment, Harry discussed reuniting with her former 227 costar Marla Gibbs on Days Of Our Lives. Gibbs played Harry’s mother on the NBC daytime soap opera. One time, the 91-year-old called in the middle of the night, inquiring about the meaning of “WAP“—Cardi B’s collaboration with Megan Thee Stallion.
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“Y’all know,” Harry smirked, side-eyeing the audience as Hudson burst into a fit of laughter. “I looked at the phone, ‘You better ask your daughter. I’m not talkin’ about that at 2:30 in the morning.’ Then come to work, she said, ‘Girl! You didn’t tell me that’s what that meant. Now I know. Imma buy it.’ She bought on her phone. We listened to it a couple dozen times.”
Watch the full segment below where the now-beloved matriarch talks not wanting to date a “normal man,” and how she’s looking to get laid, not fall in love.
