Novi Brown Opens Up About The Upcoming Season Of Sistas And Other Projects - Exclusive Interview
Like many actors, Novi Brown caught the performing arts bug early. Per Brown's webpage, she began exploring piano and acting when young, and after graduating from the City College of New York, she threw herself into show business full time. Since then, the versatile actor has taken roles in everything from stage plays such as "The Vagina Monologues" to TV commercials for national brands to lead roles in over 18 film and television productions. Currently, she is best known for her role as Sabrina Hollins, one of a group of close friends navigating life as single women and rising professionals in the hit BET show "Sistas."
But Novi Brown can't be defined just by her acting. She's also an active advocate of natural hair and regularly offers styling tips and ideas on her Instagram page. In addition, she's passionate about astrology, which she credits with helping her find direction in her life, and she hosts a YouTube program, "Conversation & Constellations," the first full-length show dedicated to astrology. In this exclusive interview, Brown talks about her latest projects and passions.
She loves thrillers — and will be starring in one soon
First, I wanted to ask you about your upcoming thriller, "Alone in the Dark." Can you tell me a bit about how you got involved in that and what attracted you to your character?
"Alone in the Dark" is a thriller, suspense movie. I love thrillers and suspense. It's definitely something I've been looking forward to for a very long time. I love being on the edge of my seat. I think it's because of Krystal [Harris]. Krystal's another actress that's on "The Oval," which is another Tyler Perry show. Because she did such a wonderful job with Tubi, these Tubi movies, they said, "Let's look at more [of] Tyler's girls." That's how they found me, actually, and I was like, "Whoa, that's crazy."
The director — his name is Brant Daugherty — he's also an actor. He was on "Pretty Little Liars" for a very long time, which is another suspense-thriller kind of show. He saw my tape, he saw my reel, and he saw my materials, and he said, "Yeah, let's hire her." So it was actually a really simple process, but I think it was all because of my fellow coworker who already broke down that door for me. This movie is about when a woman gets trapped [under] house arrest and she becomes the target of a deadly stalker, a game which begins that only one of them can win. That is "Alone in the Dark."
Her character on Sistas has evolved over five seasons
The 5th season of "Sistas" is coming up. Can you tell me a bit about your character, Sabrina Hollins, and how she's evolved over the years?
Five seasons of "Sistas" — it's basically like "Sex in the City" but in Atlanta. Sabrina is still in her single phase. She's still trying to figure out what she likes. I don't know if some people can relate to maybe when they were younger, they had a certain aesthetic in mind, like, "I want a really tall guy. I want him to look like this. I want him like a ... looks good on paper." But as you get older, you start finding out, "Oh, it's not really what looks good on paper; it's what makes me feel good on the inside." Sabrina is still journeying with that. She's still dating different men and having a good single time.
Could you share any hints on what we could expect from Sabrina and her love life this season?
We don't know if she'll have much of a love life because Sabrina is in jail. ... Maybe one of her lovers can help her out, so maybe we'll see. [She] and Maurice are actually in some drama this season, so I don't know how much loving she's going to get.
Novi Brown respects how the women on Sistas defy stereotypes
You've said that one thing you love about "Sistas" is this depiction of successful Black women. Do you see Sabrina and her friends as role models in any way?
No, I don't think they're rivals; I think they push each other. They're all at different economic stages and demographics. There's a couple business owners, there's a lawyer, there's a manager, and they push each other to see what their dreams are for the next level. They've been around [each] other for a long time, but there's no rivalry because they're not all in the same businesses. They do help each other out, because Andi's the lawyer, so the lawyer can help out the friends, and Karen's the hairstylist, so she can help with the hair.
What I was wanting to ask is, do you see them as role models?
Sometimes they can definitely be role models. It depends on ... Everybody's career aspirations are different, so I can't speak for everybody, but I definitely think that these are some aspirational women of color. Definitely. Seeing a business owner, seeing a lawyer, seeing us in different spaces outside of the entertainment industry or performing arts, it's really nice to see us in other spaces professionally.
Here's how Novi Brown got into astrology
Besides all of these shows, you also have a YouTube show where you talk about astrology. How did you get into astrology, and what would you like your viewers to know about that?
I got into astrology because I was feeling lost in life. I was like, "When is it my turn? I don't understand. What am I doing wrong?" Astrology was a way to put me back on [the] right path and [know] that my timing is correct. [My astrology YouTube show] "Conversation & Constellations" was basically born out of the conversations that I have with people on Twitter, specifically about astrology and astrological stars.
I like to talk to people and ask them questions, and it's like my notebook, my research notebook. It's been a really, really great space, and it demystifies astrology and makes it more relatable and digestible for the everyday person.
For Novi Brown, astrology is a practical tool for living
Can you share an example of how astrology has had a positive impact on your own life?
Yes, I can share many. One would be knowing, understanding my family dynamics. [That's] definitely number one. Also, knowing the overall theme of my life. If you had a trailer for your life, I would be like, "This is what you will mostly be going through." Let's say, if you're a Libra, I'll say, "A lot of your life is going to be about your personal relationships and finding love and seeing what that means to you." Then you can know, "Okay, well, when people, places, and things come into my life, this is probably the theme of the information I'm going to get."
It's helped me that way, and it's also helped me practically. You can use it for workouts; you can use it for learning where you can make money or where you can save certain assets. You can also use it for networking as well, knowing what your purpose is, knowing where to meet certain people. And you could find it for your love relationships, if you really want to know.
Do you have any other big projects coming up that you'd like to share?
Yes, "Alone in the Dark" [and] "Sistas" Season 5. And "Conversation & Constellations" is actually going to be on the BW Network, which is a streaming platform owned and operated by Black women, content created by Black women. You guys can definitely check out Season 1 there, and Season 2 will be coming out next year.
"Alone in the Dark" is now streaming on Tubi, and Season 5 of "Sistas" launches on BET on October 12 at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT.
This interview has been edited for clarity.