Tami Roman announced this will be her last season on Basketball Wives but that doesn’t mean that she isn’t still booked and busy.
Roman spoke about the evolution of her social media series, Bonnet Chronicles, saying that she’s in talks to adapt it into a scripted sitcom.
She also discussed her upcoming role in an Apple TV project titled, Are You Sleeping? starring Octavia Spencer, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, And Ron C. Jones.
But the thing that stood out the most in this exclusive phone interview is that Tami Roman plans to hit the studio as her rapping alter ego, Tatiana Trill, to kick some flavor in our ears.
Read the full interview below:
Interviewer: Now I know with you Tami, you’ve had experience in acting and I know you’ve got the Bonnet Chronicles going on so we want to know what’s next for the bonnet chronicles?
Tami: The bonnet chronicles is potentially going to be scripted sitcom where I kind of bring that “Petty Betty” character to life with family members. We did a small run in tidal and it was really well and I think now I just want to evolve the character even more. Build it out and flush it out even more and bring something really funny to the people. I was with nick cannon this morning and he wants me to do a bonnet chronicles one-woman show. So I’m gonna hold him to that because if nick cannon says something it’s usually good as gold. So you know just figuring out how to always elevate it. Instagram and social media is a wonderful medium to let people know what you’re doing and get people interested in you and your content. So I do this thing called bonnet black cinema now where I kind of insert that “petty Betty” bonnet chronicles character into some of our most famous African American movies. People seem to like that. So we’re just always thinking of how to take it to the next level.
Interviewer: Now you know with you being in a woman, obviously a Black woman, right now in this social climate where we have you know movies like When They See Us showing how the black man was treated a certain way, I would love your definition of what it is to be a woman in this century. A woman of color in this particular time.
Tami: I have to tell you quite honestly it’s a great time to be a black female. I feel like we’re finally stepping into our destiny as a whole. When you have people like Michelle Obama, Ava Duverney, Mona Scott young, and of course we all love Oprah and gayle, when you have those moments people out there — Kamala Harris, auntie Maxine— they are showing us from an African American female standpoint we can be powerful. We have not really recognized or stepped into the footsteps of those who have come before us. I think finally we are at a point where it’s like “you know what, I can do great things. I can be something powerful. A force to be reckoned with.” Not just in entertainment but in life period. So for me, it’s a wonderful time. I never thought that I’d have a development deal with Mona Scott young to be able to bring content to tv. To be able to offer jobs. To be able to tell stories. I didn’t think that I would have that opportunity. And guess what? I thought it, I put my pen to my paper, I picked up my telephone, you know what I’m saying, and she said yeah I’ll take a meeting with you. The rest is history. If you really and truly think something it can really be brought to fruition if you put the action and power into the possibility of the thing.
Interviewer: We’re excited for you too! We wanna know what else you got to start this year?
Tami: People who are familiar with me on “Real World” knew that I had a singing group and that I was the rapper in that group. I kind of felt like getting married and having children, and all the ladies parting ways, that I left that open-ended. So I developed an alter ego, named her Tatiana trill, and I’m gonna put some music out. Not because I wanna be the next Beyoncé but because it’s something that I feel like is a talent. I’m gonna use every God-given talent before I leave this earth. So it’s just something to fulfill that dream of mine.
I’ve got a project with Octavia Spencer, Michael Beach, Mekhi Phifer, And Ron C. Jones called “Are You Sleeping”. It’s executive produced by Reese Witherspoon. That’s going to be on Apple TV. So I’m excited to be working amongst such caliber of talent. I couldn’t ask for a greater blessing. I play Octavia Spencer’s step-mom on the show. Her hot spicy stepmother. I was blessed to be in that company and be able to absorb their energy.
Much the same way as saints and sinners. That starts July 7th. My character is introduced on the episode coming up this Sunday. Working with Vanessa Calloway, Keith Robinson, and Clifton Powell, I have really been blessed to be apart of some great projects. Bounce has welcomed me into their family by way of saints and sinners. It’s just doing what I love to do because I love Scripted programming so much
Then, of course, continuing Tami ever after and bringing that to full series.
Interviewer: Yes, now we know that you had a special with your husband. Congratulations on that. Can we expect another special for you guys it was a one-time thing?
Tami: That particular situation was a one-time thing so now we’re on a discussion to bring that to full theory. It’s looking good. I was very happy that it did well ratings-wise and public perception wise. People really want to see more of me and my family which is what I’ve always wanted to show people so I’m excited about the Opportunity.
Interviewer: I wanted to backtrack a little on Tattiana Trill. Is Tatiana Trill going to be a rapper or singer?
Tami: Tatiana Trill is a rapper and people are gonna see some of that journey play out on this season of basketball wives. It was work because I haven’t been in the studio since 1994. I haven’t opened my mouth to rap since 1994. My daughter Jazz reminded me of that. She made so much fun of me. She was like “We gotta get out of this honey. It ain’t 1994. We gotta bring you to 2019.” So I enlisted her to be my writer and my muse during this journey. It’s just me having a good time and fulfilling something that I felt was open-ended and continuing to evolve.
Be prepared because she’s nasty. She is sexy. Somebody heard one of the tracks and said: “ok now this is city girlz in 30 years”. So maybe some of the things that she says, Tami Roman would never say but because she’s an alter ego, another character of mine, she’s saying it all.
Interviewer: One more question for you. With the Saints and Sinners a role that you have, that’s going to be a current role in the coming seasons right? This character is here to stay?
Tami: This character is here to stay. She came to Cypress, which is the town that saints and sinners operate out of, and she’s coming to get everything that people have tried to keep her from. Being the arch-nemesis of Lady Ella, played by Vanessa Bell Calloway, we go toe to toe a lot. Also, my brother, played by Karon Riley, is like “Daddy left you the company when I really should have it,”. So she’s a little vindictive. She’s a little manipulative but she’s also ambitious in what she’s trying to get and she’s coming to get it.
Interviewer: Amen to that. Well, with all that you’ve got going on, I would presume in the coming years that you will be eventually directing and doing your own Tyler Perry thing because you got all the formulas already working right now. Yay or nay?
Tami: I’ve directed before. I think people forget and they think my life started at basketball wives. I had a long run before I rejoined reality TV. I’ve directed before and I’m 100% real with everybody including myself. It’s not particularly my strong suit. I’m too much of a micro-manager. I’d be standing up there trying to tell people how to act you know and it’s like, it’s too much. So directing probably not but executive producing, bringing content, letting people tell their stories, and bringing more African American females jobs in production behind the camera that’s what I’m into. That’s the headspace that I’m in right now. So definitely more of that behind the camera in that way and still continuing to act in front of the camera.
Interviewer: Well, thank you for that Tami. We look forward to everything that you got going on from the music to the acting, to the new project with Mona Scott. That right there is amazing. Yeah, we look forward to everything and we’re so proud of you. You obviously came out like you said on the real world. We didn’t forget that. We knew that. We knew you were out there on “Real World”. We also love the way you bounced back. You came back you did what you had to do for a few. Little seasons in and out and here you are doing what you were destined to do. We wish you lots of luck in everything. Thank you so much for taking the time out for us.
