An Interview with Mary J. Blige from ‘Power Book II: Ghost’

To call Mary J. Blige a pop culture icon, would be doing someone of her talent a great disservice. After all, Mary is ‘The Queen of Hip-Hop Soul’, a title she earned after bringing the fusion of both of those genres into the mainstream and her contributions to the music industry don’t end there. For she is a highly accomplished singer-songwriter with hit after hit and award and award on her resume and she also happens to be an accomplished actress as well. For she has also been nominated for multiple awards, including an Academy Award for her work in the film, Mudbound, and her acting career continues to ramp up. For she is also a series lead on the STARZ show Power Book II: Ghost, wherein she plays the conflicted Monet Tejada.
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If anything, her resume in the entertainment industry makes her nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon, and we here at Nerds That Geek had the distinct honor of being able to speak with Mary, in anticipation of the season two premiere of Power Book II: Ghost, and here is what Mary had to say about her career and the upcoming season of this phenomenal and dynamic series.

John Betancourt: What is it that got you into acting?

Mary J. Blige: Well, when I was about seven years old, I was in a school play. And the word in school was that I did really good in the play. And I always wanted to do it. But then, you know, I was always a singer as well, you know, when I was a little kid. And so, what happened first was the singing. And then when I got into the music business, then the acting came back around. And my first gig was The Jamie Foxx Show. And then when I did that, they said, that I did well in that. So, I said, “Okay, well, let me just keep playing around and dabbling with it and see what happens” and what the word one street was. And the word was that I was good at it. So, I've kept working at it and getting coaches and, you know, continue to work, and I continue to work at it. So that's what it was, it was always something that was in my heart to do.

John Betancourt: What was it, that attracted you to the role of Monet Tejada?

Mary J. Blige: Just growing up in the environment I grew up in. There were women that would be our heroes who were drug dealers, and, you know, growing up in the inner cities in the projects, and these rough neighborhoods, they are heroes, because they have the things that we don't have, we didn't have a lot growing up. So, to see someone like a Monet pull up, or even want to be my friend... you know, a lot of these women are my friends today. And I always hung out with a lot of older women, and they were Monet's. But I look at Monet not just as a drug dealer, or queen pin, she's a survivor, a mother, and a mother bear, that’s trying to protect her family. And my mom was that as well, a hustler, you know, just trying to make it. Especially as a single parent.

John Betancourt: As an actor, what is it that you do to get into the mindset of playing someone that has to make so many “grey area” decisions?

Mary J. Blige: Well, you really have to just visit some dark places, and then really recognize those times when you have those decisions to make in those gray areas. You know, what would Monet do? Monet is going to kill everybody to get what she wants. So, I have to visit some really dark places to do that kind of thinking, you know, some real places, and I've been grateful, for this character to have those places really exist.

John Betancourt: What would you say Monet is searching for in season two?

Mary J. Blige: She wants to get out. And, you know, she wants a clean life, she doesn't want to just be in the drug game forever. Because that's either death or jail, she knows the game. So, she's searching for a way out clean.

John Betancourt: Actually, I’m going to back this up a bit and go back to something you mentioned a moment ago regarding going to dark places. What kinds of challenges does going to such dark places often, present to you as an actor?

Mary J. Blige: The challenges are great, because, you know, sometimes you get stuck like that. But as long as there's a spiritual aspect of my life, as long as God is in my life, I can pray it off, I can say, “Lord, please, you know, get me out of this,” you know, and it's not a real place to me anymore. But it's a real place that in my life that I once lived and had to deal with. So, I'm not going to allow myself to be stuck as dark like that, you know, because I can't live dark like that. It's not cool.

John Betancourt: What would you say you’re most proud of when it comes to your role as Monet?

Mary J. Blige: I'm most proud of how the fans received her. I'm really grateful and thankful to 50 (Cent) and Courtney (Kemp), for the opportunity for believing in me, and hearing my story on this. And I’m just  grateful for that and grateful that the fans like Monet, you know, I mean, that they like the character, you know, what she does, they like watching her.

John Betancourt: Speaking of that, what does it mean to you personally for the show to be so well-received by the fans?

Mary J. Blige: It means so much, it's an amazing blessing. Like I said, again, thank you so much to 50 Cent and Courtney, for taking the meetings and you know, all of us, coming up with this character, it's a blessing.

John Betancourt: Now, without spoiling anything, what are you looking forward to fans experiencing this season?

Mary J. Blige: Just this whole second season. How it just goes, it creeps in and then it just takes off. And then it's like… “Whoa, did that just happen?” It's full so many amazing, exciting things and murder this and deception this and oh, it's crazy. It's full of twists and turns and ups and downs. Just crazy.

John Betancourt: Also, out of curiosity, I’m sure this season was filmed during Covid, were there any challenges that came about from that?

Mary J. Blige: I mean, just some delays. That's really it.

John Betancourt: Before I let you go, is there anything else you’d like to say to the fans?

Mary J. Blige: Just watch Ghost, new music coming in November. That’s it. Stay tuned.

This interview was lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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