{"id":116473,"date":"2024-08-06T01:01:59","date_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/06\/bre-z-talks-representing-black-masculine-women-on-all-american\/"},"modified":"2024-08-06T01:01:59","modified_gmt":"2024-08-06T01:01:59","slug":"bre-z-talks-representing-black-masculine-women-on-all-american","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/entertainment.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2024\/08\/06\/bre-z-talks-representing-black-masculine-women-on-all-american\/","title":{"rendered":"Bre-Z Talks Representing ‘Black Masculine’ Women on All American"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n Bre Z<\/span> Cindy Ord\/Getty Images for ESSENCE<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Throughout All American\u2019s<\/em><\/a> six seasons, Bre-Z<\/strong> has watched her character, Coop, go from gang affiliate to lawyer in training \u2014 and she couldn\u2019t be happier for how her story has played out.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it because these were conversations we were having internally,\u201d the actress, 37, exclusively told Us Weekly<\/em> about Coop\u2019s law school journey. \u201cI wanted to see Coop progress. I wanted to change the narrative and show the light within a person like me because the representation of that has a dark cloud over it. And the Black masculine-presenting woman, nine times out of 10, would remain in a particular space and not progress.\u201d<\/p>\n

When All American<\/em> premiered in 2018, Coop found herself out on the street after her parents kicked her out for being gay. She later got caught up in childhood pal Shawn\u2019s (Jay Reeves<\/strong>) gang in hopes of making enough money to survive on her own. When Shawn was shot due to gang related violence, Coop eventually pivoted her life to pursue music, before eventually finding her passion in law. The last two seasons of the CW series have seen Coop studying alongside Los Angeles District Attorney Laura Baker (Monet Mazur<\/strong>) and working her way into law school.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to see [Coop] do something. Like, can she take something serious? Let\u2019s really show her put her best foot forward,\u201d Bre-Z said of pitching a change in Coop\u2019s story lines. \u201cLet\u2019s show her change her attitude, change her mindset, be encouraged and inspired by her peers. Let\u2019s tell that story.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span>Fall 2024 TV Schedule: See When Your Favorite Shows Are Returning<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tThe fall season is almost upon Us and the TV schedule is looking better than ever. Fans of NBC\u2019s One Chicago franchise can expect every show to return in late September. The trio of shows \u2014 Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. \u2014 made headlines as several cast members across the franchise announced their [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bre-Z said that co-showrunners Nkechi Okoro Carroll<\/strong> and Jameal Turner<\/strong> agreed with her vision for the character, and Coop\u2019s future was recalibrated. \u201cWe all [stood] in solidarity with that,\u201d she said, \u201cand just telling the stories that are not told.\u201d<\/p>\n

For Bre-Z, the past few seasons of the teen dramedy have been about taking Coop \u201cout of her adolescent phase\u201d and \u201cgiving her something to work toward.\u201d The actress said that making law Coop\u2019s ultimate passion forces the character to take her future more seriously than ever before.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith something like law, you have to know what you\u2019re doing. You\u2019re not going to fly under the radar,\u201d she explained. \u201cYou\u2019re not going to fail a test. You have no excuse. So this is something that we have to see real work be put in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bre-Z noted that she hopes the pivot will help Coop become more popular on social media as she and the writers have seen comments that claim Coop is an \u201cannoying\u201d character at times.<\/p>\n

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\n Chelsea Tavares as Patience and Bre-Z as Tamia \u201cCoop\u201d<\/span> Troy Harvey\/The CW<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe wanted to change the narrative for her because that\u2019s how it happens, especially for Black people,\u201d she told Us<\/em>. \u201cSo we wanted to make sure that we just did a great thing with her. Hopefully we continue on with that for her. It\u2019s honestly helped me as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

All American<\/em> was renewed for a seventh season in June \u2014 and while little is known about where the show is headed outside lead Daniel Ezra\u2019s<\/strong> exit as a series regular, Bre-Z is hoping Coop will continue to evolve in all aspects of her life, not only her career.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think the first shift was exiting that street life that she was just so immune to. I think for this next phase, I want to see her actually grow up a bit. I want to see her develop some emotional intelligence, I want to see her personal relationships and love life change and grow and compliment the seriousness that she\u2019s taken in her life,\u201d she said, referring to Coop\u2019s on-off romance with girlfriend Patience, played by Chelsea Tavares<\/strong>. \u201cI want to see everything around her speak to that. I don\u2019t want her to keep a childlike high school [mentality], like, \u2018You\u2019re my girlfriend, you\u2019re not my girlfriend.\u2019 I really want to see her take that seriousness of law into every area of her life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\tRelated: <\/span> LGBTQIA+ TV Characters Who Became Icons<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tLGBTQ characters can be spotted on the small screen more often than ever before, but there was a time when representation was not only scarce but frowned upon. Ellen became one of the most groundbreaking shows in LGBTQ history when the title character \u2014 played by Ellen DeGeneres \u2014 came out as a lesbian in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Bre-Z added that allowing for that type of on screen representation is of paramount importance, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community. \u201cTo see some growth in your partner, to see the support from a partner,\u201d she explained. \u201cAnd for masculine-presenting women like myself to see that so the mindset can begin to change.\u201d<\/p>\n

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