In The Director’s Chair with Tichina Arnold – BET Her & The Waiting Room

Tichina Arnold is a Hollywood success story starting at the young age of 11 and has been in the business since. Her journey has been one of perseverance, networking, and showing that hard work and talent will take you further than you could ever imagine. But now she is in the Director’s chair and flexing a new muscle everyone saw. 

The Project

Cox: What about this project made you say this was the one for me to make my introduction?

Arnold: I took this opportunity with BET Her and Tressa because after learning about the project and reading it, I knew this would  represent something real and relatable for women. So many women go through it. So, it was just a good opportunity and timing. 

Cox: This short highlights the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness. Was there something that you’ve experienced that made this hit home?

Arnold: I lost my aunt years ago to Breast Cancer. It was detected late and it took her out so quickly because she didn’t have the chance to go through the mastectomy or chemo stages of treatment. I have a very close friend who just recently got out of a mastectomy. 

Arnold(continued): Breast cancer has ravished our Black woman community so we have to talk about it and we have to fight it. But we just have to fight for health in general. 

Cox: What do you hope people take away from this short?

Arnold: That they can survive and you can get through it. I’m all about no fear. No matter what you are going through in life you have to learn to not let fear take over because once you do you will lose. I want them to be fearless and understand the importance of perseverance, and deal with the problem at hand, and that’s through taking care of your health by eating right and getting regular check ups. 

Her Directorial Debut 

Cox: I’m so excited to speak with you today Tichina Arnold. I want to get right into your directorial debut. First, where did this spark for directing come from? 

Arnold: It wasn’t until after I got off of Martin that I started to think I should direct. I thought it would be a natural progression for me and a good look. Then when I hired my sister 15 years ago she would tell me that I need to start directing. Then, actors and directors in the industry would tell me the same thing. So, it all just kind of manifested itself.

Cox: Was the transition difficult to being a director on set?

Arnold (continued): I think from watching and working with so many directors it became second nature. Overall, I know how to do it and I’m comfortable with it. Now, I’m just focusing on the semantics of it all. I think it’s also a testament of how I have been able to sustain a long career because I’ve worked with so many people. I’ve had my hands in a lot of things in this business so I’ve got first-hand knowledge and experience that I was able to apply to this new role. 

Cox: There seems to be an increase in women directors in the industry, especially Black women?

Arnold: This is the age of women. It’s time we tell our stories from our perspectives. Everyone has been wanting it and now it’s just perfect timing. But most importantly,it’s great now for Black women to tell stories for Black women. 

Cox: So tell me what is Director Tichina Arnold like?

Arnold: I’m bossy, I’m very bossy (laughs jokingly). I noticed during this project that I’m an actor’s director. I’m about the performance. I want to make sure I get the best out of the actor so that we can convey the message as best as we can. I want people watching to see it as believable and not “acting.” 

Arnold (continued): One thing about directing is you have to put your ego to the side. It’s because the job of directing is to convey what I want from the actor. So, I would watch and learn more about the individual, especially their personality. This will help me understand how to approach them and give them a proper example of what I want from them. 

Arnold (continued): A lot of times actors don’t go through the subject matter that’s written in the script. They need help understanding where and how they can pull from their own experience. Sometimes, they are clueless about what and where they should be pulling from. This is why I give examples to help them understand. I do this because my number one focus is believability. I want whoever is watching the screen to believe everything is happening. 

The Actor’s Corner

Cox: This question is for the actors because when you play a role I don’t know if it’s Pam playing Tichina or Tichina playing Pam. How have you been able to make a role your own? 

Arnold: I always insert a little bit of myself and my personality. This is how I make the role believable. For example, when I played Rochelle on Everybody Hates Chris. I was a new mother in real life and this was my first time playing a mother role. I was able to bring that to the role. 

Cox: Last question, how have you been able to sustain a career in this tough industry?
Arnold: I have been able to sustain my career this far because I’m able to work with anybody. In this industry, you have to deal with so many personalities and I thank God that I’m able to deal with anyone.