Life has changed drastically for P-Valley star Brandee Evans over the past year. Of course, there’s the paycheck and the heightened profile that comes with being the lead actress of a hit TV show. But for Evans, the most important impact becoming an actress has had on her life is allowing her to take better care of her mother.
“The show has afforded me an opportunity to be able to do more for her as her caregiver, which is a complete blessing,” Evans tells ESSENCE. “Truly, my biggest thing is to be able to care of my mom and just live my dreams. I’m really doing what I want to do with my life and I’m so thankful to Katori Hall and Starz.”
Credit: Kendrick Ken
Evans’ mother, Diana Harrington, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis nearly 20 years ago, and more recently, Alzheimer’s disease. Up until this year, the trained dancer and actress was her sole caregiver.
“We might wrap at 2:00, 3:00, maybe even 4:00 in the morning and I would come home and then be changing diapers or feeding mama and trying to figure it out.” Evans says she would only get a couple of hours of sleep before she’d have to be back on set, oftentimes watching her mother through a live camera between takes to make sure she was okay. “It was very, very hard,” the Memphis native adds. “But I just tell myself, seriously, God doesn’t put more on you [than you can handle]. And if I could do that last season, what can I do this season with more help?”
It was knowing that another season of the series Hall created would mean she could take better care of her mother that excited Evans most about the show’s renewal and reprising the role of Mercedes.
“I’m very excited that Season 2 is going to be a less stressful working environment for me. I’ve been afforded the opportunity to be able to leave my mom in Los Angeles with two amazing caregivers this season,” she shares.
And like her character, who often battles with her mother over each other’s choices, Evans said there was a time she and her mother had a tough time seeing eye to eye. Over time, though, they’ve been able to develop a better relationship, and that healing was a crucial part of Evans’ becoming her mom’s caregiver.
“I truly believe in what the Bible says about honoring your parents. You only get one mom,” she states. Even with P-Valley, I had a toxic relationship with my mom growing up, but that forgiveness for us has come. I forgave her. She’s forgiven me. So I’m sitting in the gratitude of being able to have her with me, in whatever capacity she’s in, in this space.”
Loading the player…Evans has seen hard times before. In an interview with
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