Do fans call

you Aunt Wanda?

Some people do, but I think because Bernie’s gone they don’t so much anymore.  I’m quite sure some folks still call Phylicia Rashad, "Claire" or "Mrs. Huxtable."

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Folks relate

to these characters?

Yes. They almost forget I’m the Aunt. They think I’m the Mama. That gets real confusing, I was the Mama of the show, but I was the Aunt.

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The character you played, 

Wanda McCullough, was

level-headed and very ambitious.

Well, they wrote that, because I would have been divorced!

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Bernie Mac's character

was a big kid himself?

Oh my God, yes! But Bernie was a real leader. He was a great act to follow. Looking at the kids from the show now, they're just amazing! The kids and I are in the process of putting a project together showcasing our memories of Bernie and how much he contributed to reshaping the kids lives.  He would've been proud of them. Bernie was so good, so brilliant. He was grooming me for standup. So that’s the thing I’m going to leap into.  Out of homage to him and Don Rickles.  When Don Rickles appeared on an episode, he pointed it out and insisted that Bernie help me. Bernie was waiting ‘til the show was over; and prior to him passing, he was booked to do the MGM Grand in Vegas. He had been auditioning women to open up the show for him.  He called me and said, "Kee, I’ve been looking at women to open up my show, I’m going to do a month at the MGM Grand." I said, "yes, and I’d better have some good seats." He said, "well you’re going to have better seats, I want you to open up for me."

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Your role on the

SYFY series “Z Nation"

made you the first Black female

lead in a Sci-Fi series?

Yes. Nichelle Nichols was the third in command, according to billing.  In my case, it was the first time  an African-American woman's name was first on the title card.

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Was this role considered 

to be one of your best?

I think the best role I’ve ever played was taking a chance on Kellita, by being an actor. That was my best thing I could have ever done; because every role I've gotten, I'm passionate about. There’s more that I want to do. I want to do an Egyptian epic, the female Pharaoh.  I still haven’t gotten my Oscar yet.  With the Lt. Warren character, she wasn’t carved out that way in the beginning. She was just one of the people who survived and had some military background. It wasn’t until the show runner watched a few episodes and decided to make her the star of the show. That was almost six years ago. I think the only Black female lead on television at the time was Kerry Washington. I don’t think Viola had gotten her show yet. Taraji hadn’t gotten hers yet either. Back then, Barack Obama was the first Black president, and Kerry and I became the first black leads on networks.

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Was the show looking for an

African American woman for this role?

Yes.  They were looking for a Black woman for this character and wanted to diversify the apocalypse.  I can see where there may not be a lot of brown people in the apocalypse; but you must understand the survivors of anything like this would be brown people.

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Did you enjoy handling weapons

on the show? 

Oh yes!  I was training during the downtime.  Instead of me trying to go get another job, I would go to a play or learn a craft. I started learning martial arts and fencing; not thinking I was ever going to use these skills.  I’ve always wanted to be able to defend myself. It just came in handy.

 

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Fans of the Sci-Fi/horror/drama

genre are very loyal.  

First of all the fans are terrific!  They are so faithful, and they mean it. A few Halloweens ago, they had a little parade in West Los Angeles and one of my stylists asked a little girl who was she dressed as.  She said, "my favorite character, her name is Lt. Warren."  He took a picture and sent it to me.  At that time, we were only in the second season of Z Nation.

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Why did the show end?

Some folks were not  business savvy and with the show having a Black lead.  Even though I broke that barrier of being the first Black female lead in that genre, it still has its' politics attached to it.  What I wanted people to also see is that I’m an actor. Just because I played Bernie Mac's wife for a period of time, that doesn't mean I can't play other characters as well. 

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When going out

on auditions, who were the group

of actresses you would always cross paths with?

All the ones that are working now, every last one.  Niecy Nash, Regina Hall, Garcelle Beauvais, Gabrielle Union, Taraji P. Henson, and Monique. Monique and I did a movie together called “Hair Show,” where Monique was my sister, and Taraji worked in the salon.  Have to mention Regina King; she and I share the same birthday.  We always tell each other "Happy Birthday" every year.  It's a love affair between all of us.  It’s like we’ve morphed into our turn.  

 

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You've appeared in various 

Black sitcoms.  Did you at anytime felt like 

you were being boxed in as an actor?

I was paying my rent without having to be a waitress. It was perfect timing for me when I got to Los Angeles and moved to the Valley.  Black writers and the studios that produced Black sitcoms happened to be in the same area in the Valley and it was easy to get to work.  It was amazing!

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Comedians  have been

lauded for their work 

in dramatic roles. What's your thought on that?

"Because you’ve cried so much you want to laugh."  Bernie used to tell this story about when he was five years old. He distinctly recalled sitting on his mother’s lap and she was crying about something; he was trying to console her. She turned the television on, and maybe it was the Ed Sullivan Show. Bill Cosby was doing his stand-up set and made her laugh in the middle of her cry. To him that was the most powerful thing he saw; Bill Cosby was able to change his mother’s mood in an instant. From then on, he knew he wanted to be a comedian.  The dramatic signature is a dramatic face mask and a comedic face mask.  They’re similar to each other and combined into one.