*By now it’s well understood that Naturi Naughton is multitalented. A former member of R&B group 3LW, the New Jersey native singer/songwriter has since developed into a finely tuned actress, one with high profile roles on television, the silver screen, and Broadway.
Currently Naughton portrays the seductive Tasha St. Patrick on Starz hit crime drama “Power,” which returns for its highly anticipated 3rd season on Sunday July 17. Asked if she were to write and sing a song about her acting success, Naughton said the tune would be called “Thank, God I Made It.”
“It’s been a long time, it’s been a journey, but I made it,” Naughton said. “Thank God I made it.”
First making her mark as Little Inez in Tony Award-winning Broadway musical “Hairspray,” Naughton would next portray real-life hip-hop star Lil Kim in the 2009 Notorious B.I.G. biopic, “Notorious.” That same year she appeared in the big screen remake of “Fame,” playing the lead role of Denise Dupree.
Though each of those roles incorporated music, ‘Hairspray’ was different from the others, Naughton said, because she had to act, sing, and dance in front of a live audience. “On Broadway I learned how to tell a story through music, but it was film that really taught me about acting.”
As Lil Kim, Naughton said she learned how to breakdown a character.
“Throughout the film Lil Kim grows, the character changed.”
Naughton brought that experience to the ever-evolving role of Tasha on ‘Power’, a character that’s been described by some critics as unrealistic. The wife of drug dealer-turned-night club owner James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick), Tasha exists in a lavish-yet-dangerous world of deception and role-playing.
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If you follow the show’s impression on social media, especially its shocking 2nd season, then you’re aware of how intensely its viewing audience reacts to Tasha’s anything-goes personality and sometimes manipulative behavior.
“The audience sure has a strong, visceral reaction,” Naughton said. “We got a lot of reactions with some of Tasha’s crazy behaviors and outbursts. At times she’s very sexual, and I think initially that was off-putting for some.
“At the same time there’s a lot of women who can connect with and understand Tasha,” Naughton added. “I don’t think she’s that unrealistic!”
The behind the scenes tension that lead to 3LW’s breakup was an unscripted reality for Naturi Naughton. She said her departure stemmed from being mistreated and disrespected by their management. With that act behind her she’s been able to find the right role again and again.
“Being in the music business, and going through what I went through in 3LW, it could have completely destroyed me,” Naughton said. “It could have ended my entire career or it could have stunted my growth and my passion for the business in general. But I had the ability and the talent and the support system to get back on my feet and be here, where I am today.”
Known as “The Word Heavyweight Champion,” Mr. Joe Walker has been a biographer, entertainment journalist, and columnist for 18 years; his acclaimed, award-winning work has been published thousands of times regionally, nationally, internationally, and online for numerous publications including SoulTrain.com, Kalamazoo Gazette, WrestlingInc.com and Nation Magazine. Walker’s currently writing for EURweb, Concrete Magazine’s Concrete615.com, RealMenReport.com, and Hood Illustrated Magazine. Like him on Facebook, follow on Twitter @mrjoewalker, and visit his official blog.
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