You star as Jess Merriweather. Whats she about?
SMOLLETT: (Laughs) She’s a small town girl who attends East Dillon, a neglected high school whose football team is really bad and they lack resources like uniforms and such. But they slowly get going, and she’s there to cheer them along and eventually joins the drill team to help them out. Jess has a lot on her plate and she is a joy for me to play just because I can really relate to her. She’s that family oriented person who’s trying to do a lot; working at her father’s BBQ shack, doing her homework, and helping to care for her three little brothers because her mom passed away. And, she loves football. ESSENCE.COM: How did she develop an affinity for the game? SMOLLETT: Well, her father is a former football player but he hates the game and it drives an awkward wedge between them. He even forbids her to date any athletes, but she ends up in a complicated, love triangle. ESSENCE.COM: We love it! So, Jess has options and she’s playing the field. You have four brothers in real life, do th
