*Actress, writer, and acting coach Tiffany Black isn’t afraid to sit in the uncomfortable. In “Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story,” premiering Saturday, April 12 at 8/7c on Lifetime, she steps into the emotionally layered role of Elizabeth, a mother whose generational trauma sets the stage for a real-life decades-long search for truth and identity.
“When I read the script, I immediately thought, this is the character I want to play,” Black told EURweb. “Not because she was the good one — she clearly wasn’t — but because I gravitate toward characters who are interesting. I love stories where the protagonist is also the antagonist.”
The film follows Monique Smith (played by Yaya DaCosta), a woman who always felt out of place in her family. After surviving years of abuse, Monique’s search for identity reveals shocking family secrets – including missing birth records and a biological history she never knew.
Black’s portrayal of Elizabeth is raw and heartbreaking. But stepping into such a heavy role wasn’t easy.
“I’m always looking for her humanity,” Black shared. “Even when the audience might not see it. I try to add small moments — a laugh, a look — that show she’s more than her trauma. But I’ll be honest, I take the work home with me. I’m not one of those actors who can just leave it at set.”
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Adding depth to her process is her work as a coach, where she’s trained artists like SZA — most recently coaching her for the hit film One of Them Days.
“I started using my class to work through Elizabeth,” she revealed. “Coaching my students on my material gave me a chance to hear it back and make adjustments. It’s become a huge part of how I coach myself too.”
The weight of telling a real story wasn’t lost on her either.
“Knowing Monique is a real person made me want to be extra respectful,” she said. “Elizabeth doesn’t get to tell her story, only Monique does. So I had to consider what might have happened to her, what might have shaped her choices.”
That insight was deepened during her first day on set, when Black met the real Monique.
“She told me my audition tape triggered her because I sounded just like Elizabeth. It was because I sounded Southern, and I’m from the South,” Black laughed. “Turns out, Elizabeth was from North Carolina. That conversation made me realize how important it is to honor the nuance.”
With Lifetime becoming a consistent platform for Black women’s stories, Black sees this moment as more than just a career milestone.
“This is a full-circle moment for all the women in my family,” she said. “We watched Lifetime every Sunday growing up. And now they’re investing in our stories. It means everything.”
As she continues to thrive both in front of and behind the camera, Black is already thinking about her next chapter.
“I’ve been writing something inspired by my nieces for the past five years. Working on One of Them Days gave me the confidence to know I’ll be ready to direct when it’s time.”
Tiffany Black is living proof that when Black women tell our stories, we do more than perform — we heal, we teach, and we reclaim the narrative. Tune in to Not My Family: The Monique Smith Story Saturday, April 12 at 8/7c on Lifetime.
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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