While the new Netflix sitcom The Upshaws sounded like a two-hander between comedians Mike Epps and Wanda Sykes when it was first announced, the secret weapon keeping the titular blue-collar Indianapolis family together is really the comedy’s matriarch, played by Kim Fields.
With interests further piqued by her inclusion, Fields is ready for people to seek out “what the other crumbs are that lead you to the next step,” which is watching the series.
She’s very direct and certainly in love with her family, with all of its imperfections and flaws, because she realizes at one point or the other, she’s got a nice, big old handful of imperfections that she’s got to navigate as well.
You’ve had such an illustrious career.
I think because of certain platforms and other rules and things that people have seen me as a mom, but they realized that that’s just an extension of many facets of me.
But just overall, I feel like what really drew me to her was every moment I was in Regina Upshaw’s world, and when I would prepare to be or go into her world, it really was a deep dive into someone that I may know, but that I hadn’t been.
I think, if anything, what we have in common is we take a lot on, we absorb a lot.
We’re thrown right into this complicated family dynamic on the show.
They are a master class in terms of being able to put down on the page, and put your whole foot in that thing, with characters and the complexities and servicing each character, let alone engaging in relevant storylines with a tone that has a duality of a throwback and something new.
But I also really love, quite selfishly, that I had an opportunity to really put my foot all up in this as an actor.
And when you do something, and you go, “My God, I was given this wonderful role, this wonderful project, these wonderful sets of dialogue.” And just how engaging it is, the conflicts with Bennie are just wonderful.
It feels like, in recent years, you’ve been known for wearing so many hats, developing as a producer and as a director.
So I love when it’s all said and done, she has these many hats that she wears, that you’ve mentioned, but what it all boils down to is she’s a woman.
That’s what really put me in awe with them, is the fact that they didn’t come across as green.
Very much so.
When they called my name, it was like the beginning of a Marvel movie where all the characters are there to create the words “Marvel” or “Marvel Studios.” You know, when it’s that flash of all the characters.