'P-Valley': Meet the cast of Starz’s drama, 10 years in the making, about Black strippers in the Deep South
'P-Valley' took 10 years to craft for Olivier award-winner playwright Katori Hall, who put in six years of research visiting strip clubs across the country to first write her play 'Pu**y Valley' and then another four adapting it into a full-fledged TV drama for Starz, serving as a first-time TV showrunner. According to Hall, who is from Memphis, setting the story in the South was deliberate.
In an interview, she revealed that strip club culture was part of the "coming of age" experience where she grew up. "I have been to so many parties at a strip club, I've even been to a baby shower at a strip club. It really is this social hub for a lot of people down south. I remember going into those spaces and looking up on those stages and just being in awe of the women who were flying around those poles," she said.
In a labor of love, Hall took her time casting the roles on the show. The casting was important because 'P-Valley' is a "unicorn" in the sense that its focus is Black Southern strippers and queer and non-binary persons. Essentially, it is about marginalized folks who are traditionally sidelined or stereotyped on prime time TV.
Here is the low-down on Uncle Clifford, owner of the Pynk strip joint, and its four strippers -- Mercedes, Autumn, Keyshawn, and Gidget -- around whom most of the story revolves and the actors who play them.
Mercedes “The OG”
Played by Brandee Evans, Mercedes is a true boss, both fierce and ambitious. She is on the verge of hanging up her Lucite heels after a long reign at Pynk, the strip joint where the story is set. She is determined to parlay her side hustle as a youth dance-team coach into a viable career. When unforeseen obstacles threaten to derail her retirement, she’s forced to reckon with her own deep-seated fear of failure, a manipulative mother, and a new competitor for her Pynk throne, Autumn Night.
Brandee Evans is a Memphis native who gave up her career as a high-school English teacher to become a professional dancer and choreographer, who has worked with Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Ledisi, Kelly Rowland, Snoop Dogg, and Katy Perry. She also created a series of popular dance classes for women, and was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network television special 'Dance Crash'. After finding success as a dancer, she branched into acting. She has appeared in Trey Haley's 'Note to Self', 'The New Edition Story', 'Lethal Weapon' and as Tina Brown in BET's 'The Bobby Brown Story'. She also guest-starred in 'Games People Play'.
Uncle Clifford "The HBIC"
Played by Nicco Annan, Uncle Clifford is sharp-tongued, wise and always serving up a side of “extra extra.” The owner of the finest “shake junt” in the Dirty Delta, she is a gender-fluid hustler, who is masculine and feminine in equal measure. She doesn't just make the rules — she enforces them with a set of perfectly manicured talons and she'll stop at nothing to protect her club and her girls from impending doom.
Nicco Annan played the role 'Uncle Clifford' in the original play 'P***y Valley' as well, but auditioned for his part, just like the rest of the cast, to be recast in the role. Annan's experiences as a gay black man in America inform and bring texture to all of his performances and, in particular, to the nonbinary roles he plays. He has served as the "choreographer-in-residence" at the Yale School of Drama, and pursued a career in theater, film and television. Annan’s TV credits include the series 'Half Sisters', 'Shameless', 'This Is Us', and 'Claws'.
Autumn Night "The Chameleon”
Elarica Johnson is Autumn Night, a mysterious beauty with a harrowing past, who washes up on the shores of the Pynk seeking employment. She is blessed with the privilege of having a lighter skin color compared to the other performers at the club that helps her as a stripper because of the "colorism" in the business. However, Night also has a dark secret and comes from money. Described as a "bad and bougie femme fatale", she is down-and-out and totally out of her element — or so it seems. Cautious and crafty, cool and cultured, her manufactured facade disguises the fact that she’s walking wounded in desperate need of connection and care. But she isn't the type to "depend on the kindness of strangers.” Instead, she's looking out for herself as she races against the clock before her past catches up with her.
Elarica Johnson, a British actor, was last seen in Sky One/NOW TV’s 'A Discovery of Witches'. She also starred opposite Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, and Ruth Wilson in 'How to Talk to Girls at Parties'. Before that she was in Denis Villeneuve’s 'Blade Runner 2049' and J.K. Rowling’s miniseries 'C.B. Strike' on BBC One, which also aired on HBO. Johnson made her feature debut in 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.
Keyshawn aka Miss Mississippi “The Masterpiece”
Shannon Thornton plays Miss Mississippi, a young mother back from maternity leave to rake it up at the Pynk and provide for her growing family. Impressionable and naïve enough to dream the impossible, she’s determined to become Instafamous, like Cardi B and Blac Chyna. Goofy with the gift of gab, her well-staged and popular Instagram selfies show us she could have all that. But she’s often brought down to earth by an abusive boyfriend, who threatens her bright future and promising life.
Shannon Thornton's role on 'P-Valley' is her first major lead role. She began modeling after finishing school, appearing in print ads as well on music videos. She has appeared on episodic television before in shows like 'Power', 'Rise', 'Dynasty', 'FBI', 'Law & Order: SVU', 'Blue Bloods', 'Time After Time' and in the Netflix feature film entitled 'The Week Of'.
Gidget "The White Girl"
Skyler Joy plays quirky and earnest Gidget. As a second-generation pole dancer, she views stripping as an Olympic-worthy sport. She’s the ultimate ride-or-die best friend but the habit of putting the needs of others first might prevent this driven athlete from taking her rightful place among the stars. Her fear of flying also prevents her from competing in the annual U.S. Pole Dancing Championship in NYC. But by facing the music, this little Mississippi girl learns to shed her inhibitions as she prepares to go for her crown.
Skyler Joy, originally from Alaska, moved to Atlanta, Georgia, when she was only 18 to pursue her television and film career. 'P-Valley' is her first series regular role. Before this, she landed a guest-starring role in the hit series 'Your Worst Nightmare' and also played the younger self of Juliette Lewis’ character in Blumhouse’s production of 'Ma' and appeared in 'American Zombieland'.
'P-Valley' will premiere on July 12 at 9 pm ET/PT on Starz.