'Run the World': Amber Stevens West, Bresha Webb, and Corbin Reid on Season 2 Changes, Defying Relationship Myths, and Importance of Friendships (Exclusive)
Run the World is back. The STARZ comedy-drama follows the highs and lows that Whitney (Amber Stevens West), Renee (Bresha Webb), and Sondi (Corbin Reid) must endure in their pursuit of world domination. With Ella abroad, they lean on one another more than ever to get through life's daily ebbs and flows. Whitney must follow the road of self-discovery in order to thrive in her life with or without Ola after her cheating scandal, while Renee and Sondi must decide what they truly want out of life – in their careers and making some major and unexpected decisions for their relationships. These powerful Black women, fortified by their impenetrable friendship, won't let anything get in their way. And now they have Barb (Erika Alexander), Ella's former boss and mentor, to guide them through, whether they want her advice or not.
Ahead of the Season 2 premiere on Friday May, 26, PopCulture.com spoke with the core three – Stevens West, Webb, and Reid) – about all to expect from their intertwined storylines this season. They also dish on fashion, and how the show expands upon the conversation of Black women not settling in relationships. Watch the full video interview on our YouTube channel.
PC: So I got a chance to watch all episodes of season two and was excited. First and foremost, were you guys nervous about moving forward as a trio, and did you have any input into your storyline or character development this season because of the change?
ASW: I wasn't anxious. I was actually really excited. The three of us have really great chemistry, and so I knew that it would just be captured in the show. And I was excited when I read the scripts and we talked with Rochelle, our showrunner, about where she was headed with these characters, and I was thrilled because I personally didn't see it all coming. I think that there are so many fun things that happen throughout the season that are unpredictable and exciting, and I was feeling good about it.
CR: It was such a collaborative process, truly. I mean, anytime we had a thought, Rochelle, our showrunner was so incredible. I mean, I can't tell you the amount of times. She walked over to the side of a set after I had a concern about something and she would rewrite the entire scene. I'm like, three minutes, and I'm like, "How did you do that?" And it's brilliant. So no, we were in very good hands, and the fact that we're the three of us are such good friends in real life, we were like, it was a no-brainer. It's summer camp.
ASW: It really is. It's summer camp. That's so helpful.
PC: There were a lot of fun surprises in there. Obviously, I can't say too much because I can't give it away, but one of the things I loved, just going off of what happened in season one, was the idea you guys don't necessarily do group therapy, but you have the same therapist, because I feel like therapy is important. And I feel like friendship therapy probably should be more of a thing because it's more difficult to juggle or handle than I feel like most romantic relationships. So Bresha, what is your take on the idea of the way that therapy is shown throughout the series?
BW: Well, I think it's a product of self-care. I feel we all are taking our self-care into consideration. We're all going through this big transition, our characters individually, and we know how much it is important for us to lean on each other as a sisterhood, but how also it is important for us to check in with ourselves and to make decisions for ourselves that support where we're going. And that was so great about this season that we get to see us make those decisions confidently. And it's not like our therapist is telling us what to do, she's asking us the right questions so that we can ask ourselves and walk, honestly, walk through those really difficult and uncomfortable situations. And I think that's the challenge that a lot of people are scared to even embark on, and that's why some people don't even go to therapy because they say it's, "Oh, I have to ask myself these questions." But it's like you walk firmly into what you believe in, and you just discover it for yourself and it's a part of self-care.
PC: Now, I love that the show highlights women in their thirties who are refusing to settle in relationships, even if they are fearful, no matter how good a partner may appear on paper. We saw it last season, obviously with Amber's character, and she's still reeling from that. And we also see it with Bresha and Corbin's characters as well. You guys are, y'all have no problem leaving these men without apology. So Corbin, for you, how do you feel like the show contributes to the conversation about not settling in relationships, the whole idea of black women's standards being too high or unrealistic, and even in terms of starting a family because you are unapologetic about all of it this season?
CR: I think specifically too, we haven't really even talked about this yet with Black women. I think a lot of us end up in the caretaker role. And there can be a lot, there's a huge responsibility, and there's a huge amount of compromise and selflessness that comes with that. And if you're not with the right partner, you can feel very taken for granted. And I'm not so sure that every single woman feels emboldened enough to make the decision to say, to draw the boundary with their partner or whomever they're making that sacrifice for her to say, "Listen, I need more. You're not giving me what I need in exchange for what I'm giving in this situation."
And the wonderful thing about Sondi is she has the courage to choose herself, and to decide what it means to set those boundaries and then act on them. And like you said on paper, it doesn't matter how good something looks if it's not working for you, you do have to have that courage and that self-awareness to say, "Is this really what I want? Is this really what I need?" And I really hope that through the choices that my character makes this season that I give license to women watching to make similar choices. Because I do think it's very courageous, and I think it's super important to care for yourself in that way, especially as a black woman.
PC: There's also a big change this season with seeing more of Barb and her storyline and where she fits in with the group, and I love her inclusion this time around. So for you, Amber, how do you feel a character like Barb is in one's personal and professional life? Because she is a bit older than you guys are on the show.
ASW: She's someone that all of our characters admire. We like when she's around, she makes us laugh, but she's living life on her own terms and she's successful in the ways that she wants to be. And so in a way she reflects the aspirations that we have is for ourselves individually as characters on the show. So to have her as a blast, but also she's just a reflection of a generation ahead of us, and how she can live her life also unapologetically.
PC: Now, my favorite aspect of the show, aside from the storylines, is obviously the fashions. We thoroughly enjoy them. So talk to us about working with the wardrobe team and establishing you guys' fashion for your specific characters. And outside of your characters, whose style do you love the most?
ASW: Oh, outside of our characters. What do you mean?
BW: In the show or in life?
PC: It's on the show.
ASW: On the show. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.
BW: Well, I love Renee's style. Yeah, Renee's style is a lot my style. Renee is embarking on her own journey, and so she's playing more with her hair, she's creating her own lane with her own business. So she doesn't have to conform to other people's standards of how she should look, so she's taking those chances. And I love that I was given the opportunity to incorporate different hairstyles that matched the outfits, and shout out to Tracy Cox and Patricia Field who also collaborated with each and every one of us to figure out what feels good to us. And they also allowed us to give them feedback. I wanted to use more Black designers, and Laquan Smith, he's definitely shouted out in the first season and in this season as well as so many others. So yeah, it was a collaborative process.
CR: I would say it was really exciting to work with so many black designers and to give, because if we do have a big platform, Patricia and Tracy were both totally on board to do that. I wear a custom Andre Walker coat in the second episode that's actually a personal of Patricia's, a Black designer obviously that I did not want to take off. Amongst some other really fun things, but to Bresha's point about hair, my character is getting her PhD in African American studies, and I just got so excited about the fact that I even work for a network that supports the fact that I wanted to be able to really show women that they can embrace their textures no matter what space they're in. And I had an incredible hair stylist who was able to help me capture those moments and has that diversity with my hair, which is not something that you often see with my hair type on television.
ASW: And it's elevated.
CR: And it's elevated. Yeah, it's exciting. You don't have to be one way as a Black woman, you can embrace what you have and also do fun stuff and add it in. And I just really love that I was able to embrace that sort of Afrocentric modern-day woman on the show. So it was fun to play with this season. Definitely had hair envy,
ASW: Yes, in real life I would wear Sondi's clothes to answer that question.
BW: And I took a little bit of Whitney's outfits for myself. I've been incorporating more suit jackets.
ASW: Yes, yes. I wear a lot of cool vintage nineties suits, like-
CR: Supermodel.
ASW: Like supermodel suits, that was really fun. Like Richard Tyler classic fitting awesome suits. Those are really fun.
PC: Well, this season was so fun to watch. I cannot wait to see what happens in season three, so let's-
ASW: That's right.
BW: I thank you for that.
CR: Speaking into existence.
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