Tell us about Simon
Simon is a queer Nigerian American man, British also, he was born in the UK. I would describe Simon as a superstar stylist. Kind of does it all. Great for the hair and the makeup. The script talks about him doing Michelle Obama’s hair, which I’m like, that’s pretty cool. For a young kid from London to move over to America and work his way up in that way, that’s pretty amazing.
Simon’s relationship with sister Nina…
My best friend in real life and on the show! Deborah better back that up. Simon and Nina, they’re best friends. They’re really very close, supportive of one another. They have this thing, which I would say is similar to your backbone, Simon is behind Nina, Nina is behind Simon in that way and they support and hold each other down. There are no secrets, very transparent, very honest, always loving to each other. It’s a lovely relationship to see play out.
What drew you to the script?
I first read the script of Riches and I screamed. I’d never read anything like that coming out of the UK or to be shot in the UK. Seeing people of colour written this way. We’re not really written in such complex ways. We’re not given the space to breathe on camera and show the inner turmoil of who you are. You’re not always perfect, you can be messy, but you can be put together and you can be strong and beautiful and powerful and weak and vulnerable and you can be all of these things that make one human. We’re not often given that opportunity. When I read Simon, this successful queer man in this Nigerian household, is embraced by everybody around him, it’s very aspirational for me. I’d hope for other queer men in general just to grow up in a community that’s a little bit different and be accepted in that way. I think it’s lovely. Abby’s a genius.
What do you like/ dislike about Simon
I dislike Simon’s wardrobe – it’s far too good! I would love to exist like this on a daily basis but I can’t. I walk around in sweats sometimes. What I love about him is his heart. He’s funny, he’s really funny I think – I mean I think I’m funny – but he’s funnier than me. He’s also very genuine and kind and it’s important to be kind.
How do you think viewers will react to Simon?
First of all, I pray they believe my accent. I’m like, please don’t call me out! The second thing is I think they’ll see his truth. Simon doesn’t hide. I think now in the world we live in, a lot of people hide who they are for different reasons. It might be culture, it might be religion. Simon is very open, he’s transparent all the time. I think that’s something people will see in the way he dresses and the things he says and where he goes and how he does what he does. I think people will see his truth, he’s constantly being truthful and that’s a nice character to play. That’s something I’d like to take on in my life. Just be truthful.
Describe Flair & Glory
It’s a business our father started with our mother. Nina and Simon have come back to sort of take-over in a way. But Simon isn’t so hands on with the business. His sister is far more equipped to handle things in that way, which is lovely to see this beautiful, but delicate, powerful Black woman take on the sea of opposition in that way. I think Simon’s very supportive of her. Whatever she needs. Simon does what needs to be done. But Nina headlines in that beautiful way. That’s lovely to see. This haircare business saw a hole in the market that needed filling in the UK/ Europe, for non-European hair. I think that’s a beautiful story to tell. It was all started by an immigrant man, it’s very aspirational.
What do you think viewers will take away from watching Riches?
One of the major things I’ll take away is just how dynamic and interesting and how multifaceted people of colour can be. I’ve been acting for a short while and I’ve not seen many depictions of people of colour or Black people to be so varied. Usually we play an archetype. This shows the spectrum that lies out there and just how different people can be and you don’t expect it. I think the script is so clever in its depiction. I hope people can learn to see people in a different light. And just how dynamic people can be. Nobody’s ever one thing. It shows you not to generalise.
Did you take inspiration from anyone for Simon?
I feel like Abby’s been watching me. It’s so close to my life. I’ve been fortunate enough to summon my own experiences and that’s given me a place of truth to work from. At the same time I’ve been lucky to have queer friends and family around me who’ve helped me mould and shape this character who is so connected to his culture. He’s so grounded in his Yorubaness, which I love about him. He freely expresses that whenever he can. Not in an overbearing way, it’s subtle and delicate. I hope people like that.
How have you seen Black beauty evolve in television?
I don’t really recall seeing Black people on TV growing up. I watched a lot of American TV. I grew up watching Black people over there and it’s a different ball game over there. They’ve been given the opportunities for much longer than we have over here. There’s far more diverse representation of Black people on television. Over here I think we’ve got a long way to go. I want to see more Asian people on TV. I want to see more of everybody. More trans people on TV over here. We need to see different people on television.
I would say this show sets itself apart. What we are doing here has never been done before. I think that’s going to really shift the conversation and the focus. Black beauty and Black British beauty has never been represented like this before and that will change things I hope and I pray.
It’s impacted me in a way that I now see what is possible. I now see that it is possible for me to step onto a job and they have my shade of makeup. At work I believe I’m required to wear some level of coverage and I usually get powder. I usually bring my own lip balm, I cut my own hair, bring my own hair brush, I bring my own hand cream. You get into a habit of taking care of yourself. It’s nice to step onto a job now in 2022 – it’s been so long but finally you can surrender. You don’t have to take up that battle before you get there. You can just learn your lines and show up and say it like any other actor that gets to. So that’s nice and I pray that continues. I honestly pray more people gain the skills and the know-how the knowledge to do the make-up and the hair of people of colour, Black people especially.
Why is it important to be on a show with a Black showrunner?
It’s that thing isn’t it – authenticity. Nobody’s going to represent you like you. I believe having a Black showrunner who is writing about Black people, there’s a lot of power in that. Abby seems to know her stuff. With the impeccable CV she has, it’s wonderful she’s been given this opportunity but clearly she’s worked for it. She’s where she’s supposed to be. It’s not a fluke, it’s not nepotism, she’s worked for it, it’s hard work. It’s incredibly hard for her I’m sure, she’s done so much. She was a beautiful director. I love working with her. It’s inspiring to see that. I’m going to spiral to say we need more woman on sets, operating cameras and lighting and we need more trans people. We need more of everything. The world is made up of all kinds of people. We need that represented in front of the camera and behind the camera.
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