‘Raising Kanan’s’ Krystal Joy Brown on Renee & Marvin’s Relationship | EUR Exclusive

*In season two of the STARZ hit crime-drama “Raising Kanan,” Raquel “Raq” Thomas (Patina Miller) has gained control over the city’s drug trade but is losing her son as her power rises. In addition, Marvin (London Brown), Raq’s older brother and loyal soldier, has been struggling to earn his daughter Jukebox’s forgiveness after their brutal fight in season one.

Warning this interview contains season two spoilers.

Broadway actor- and family friend of EUR editor-in-chief Lee Bailey – Krystal Joy Brown joined the cast in season two as Renée Timmons, Marvin’s anger management therapist. The no-nonsense Ms. Renee can go toe-to-toe with anyone, especially those attending her class who need help working through their issues. Marvin and Renee developed trust as she helped him figure out what really caused him to lose his connection with his daughter Jukebox. Just as it appeared Renee and Marvin were going to move into a romantic relationship, Renee was gunned down by members of Sal Boselli’s mob looking for revenge on Marvin behind the death of his son.

Check out the Season 2 trailer below.

READ MORE: Sophie Okonedo Talks New Funeral Dramedy ‘Raymond & Ray’ | Watch EUR Exclusive 

EUR talked exclusively with Brown about Renee’s intentions with Marvin. Was Miss Renee interested in dating Marvin? Or was she just a supportive counselor? Brown shared that Renee was attracted to Marvin.

“As a person who has been to therapy, if I had a therapist that looked at me like that, I probably would think they were kind of intimate. I think that, at first, Ms. Renee was trying to be professional. And by the end of the session, you know, he’s undeniably adorable, undeniably fine. And with the teasing, banter, and the little things he would throw in, it just became a little bit irresistible for Ms. Renee,” she explained.

Brown also noted that Renee waited for the sessions to be completed before making any moves. “Yeah, she was a little bit into him. But she also wanted to support the only Black man in that particular group, so to give him the extra care he needed, I think, was genuine. But then I also believe that the more she thought about it, the more interactions they had, the more attracted she was to him,” she said.

So was Renee aware of the type of lifestyle that Marvin led? Brown said that Renee knew, but not to what degree.

“Where Renee is from where she lives, it’s local. So as much as Renee has gone out into the world, been global, and is highly educated. I think she also knows her community and the area and has had a lot of experience with drug dealers and people from gangs. So I don’t think she was completely naive,” she explained. “But I think that was even more alluring to her because she’s like, maybe someone from this community and this world, if you can help one, maybe that person can help others. So I think she saw his potential in multiple ways, not just romantically, but as a catalyst for a bigger change.”

Brown said working on “Raising Kanan” has been one of the best experiences of her career, mainly because she gets to work with many New York and Broadway theatre actors.

“I must say what’s awesome to me of the number of theater people hired in this cast. Patina Miller comes from the theater. So does Haley Kilgore. So do I, I’ve done five Broadway shows, and a lot of the characters that come on, that are day players or have a few scenes or recurring characters come from the theater. So that was one of the things I loved the most, seeing my community shine in this. It’s just a lot of excellence,” she shared.

Check out my full conversation with Brown via the clip below.

The season finale of “Raising Kanan” will be available at midnight on Saturday on the STARZ app and at 9:00 PM Sunday on STARZ.

*Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. You can follow her on all social media @StilettoJill or check out JillMunroe.com

We Publish News 24/7. Don’t Miss A Story. Click HERE to SUBSCRIBE to Our Newsletter Now!