Riches | Interview with Nneka Okoye (Wanda)

Who is Wanda?

Wanda is the baby in the family but as you’ll see in the series she’s not afraid of taking up space. She’s a daddy’s girl through and through. She is someone who comes across as quite self-assured and confident and she enjoys her privilege and enjoys her status, but she is also figuring herself out and finding who she is in the world. I think there is a vulnerability in that, that people sometimes miss.

We first meet Wanda at the hospital. She gets a call and she’s told her dad has collapsed in the office. So she rushes over there, she’s full of anxiety and panic. It’s extra distressing for her as she’s the only one there. She’s been calling Gus, she’s been calling Alesha and her mum and no-one’s answered. I’m not really sure what she was expecting when she got to the hospital, but when she saw him wired to all of those machines and looking frail and kind of helpless it really did hit her because she’s used to seeing her dad as someone who’s quite strong and capable and robust. And even though he was ill and he was weak, I think she still expected to see a degree of strength.

What drew you to Abby’s scripts?

They’re just really addictive – addictive storytelling, aspirational. Even the characters themselves, you might seem like you know them on the surface, but they’re very layered and they’re complex, like human beings. It was just another way of exploring the human condition but creatively through the stories we get to tell and how we choose to live our lives through them.

What is Wanda’s role within Flair & Glory?

Wanda very much wants to immerse herself in the art world, she wants to get into that space and she’s still figuring out how she’s going to do that. She isn’t as invested in Flair & Glory in that she doesn’t want to work there but she does have that autonomy to come and go as she pleases. She wants it to do well as her life is dependent on its success. But she can very much be separate from that and drop in and out when she wants to.

How would you sum up the family dynamics and the politics at play?

I think there are a lot of politics in the Richards family. I think because her dad is someone who really grafted and really worked to get to where he is today. I think he wanted the same for his children, so he really encouraged them to work hard, so that they could excel. But I think in doing that he encouraged a lot of competition, but not necessarily healthy competition, more just sort of pitting one another against each other. I think that that was something that was very present in their lives growing up, Wanda, Alesha and Gus. I think Wanda brought into it a lot more as she sees her dad as this hero and she wants to be validated by him. But also, because she is quite competitive anyway. Whereas I think Alesha and Gus, as time has gone on, they’ve kind of sussed him out and they don’t buy into it as much.

I think Gus and Alesha also have a shared bond as well, because they were around before Stephen had the money. Whereas Wanda was born into money. I think they have this bond that Wanda is

envious of, she’d never come out and say it, I think it just propels her to do more and take up more space, which again doesn’t really do wonders for their relationship. But I think amidst all of that there is this real value for family. So no matter what that’s one thing, amidst all the squabbling, backstabbing, they still know that family is the most important thing… it’s one thing their dad really drummed into them. That does really carry them.

Have you formed bonds with your on-screen family?

We just get along so well. They actually do feel like my family. I just love them. I love them so much. It’s been a great way of just meeting people and having special people in your life, so I’m really grateful for that.

Tell us about the themes of the show

There’s a lot of secrets – I can’t really go into what they are! There’s a lot of lies. There’s a lot of power struggles in terms of people vying for the business and figuring out who should be in control of the business and who should be in control of certain events. There’s also a lot of dysfunction. We love each other as a family but we’re a pretty dysfunctional family. You’ll see that for many reasons.

Success is an important message. Success is really at the heart of the show – amidst the dysfunction, the secrets and the lies it’s because people are trying to rise to the top. I think success is what drives a lot of the themes.

How have you seen Black beauty evolve in television?

Black beauty in television, it’s an interesting one. I watched a show recently called Shrill and the girl who played Fran, she had braids one time and then she had weaves one time. I remember thinking, ‘Oh she’s changed her hair quite a bit’ and I remember just really appreciating it because I do remember watching shows that would span over weeks, months and maybe a character would have the same hairstyle throughout. And not everybody, but we do change our hair. I imagine we’d change our hair a number of times within a couple of months. So when I watched Shrill and I saw it within Fran, I just remember thinking, ok not only is this a show representing to a degree a Black woman, but they’re doing it accurately.

What difference does having a Black showrunner make to the series?

I think Abby is great, Abby has got such a clear vision, she knows exactly what she wants. She’s literally created these characters, this world that we’re inhabiting. It’s been a real joy to have her around. She also directed episode 4. It was a treat really to have the writer there and pick their brain, because they’ve created this space for us. There are certain details and nuances in the script that really just allow an authentic voice to shine through. So I think her scripts are really special and her input is really, really valued. I’m really grateful that we’ve had her.

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