P-Valley’s A’zaria Carter (Terricka) reveals unscripted BTS moment
Monisha J. Brown: This is Monisha J. Brown for rolling out’s Star Studio. I have the pleasure of speaking with a queen today. I just love her energy. I love her smile. I love her enthusiasm. This is Ms. A’zaria Carter. She is an actor on NBC’s “Found” and stars in “P-Valley.” She has also had roles in “NCIS New Orleans” and has this great program for the youth called “Just A’zaria.” We are going to get into all that today. Azaria, welcome to Star Studio. How are you, queen?
Azaria Carter: I am good. How are you? Thank you for having me.
Monisha J. Brown: I am good. Thank you. I am going to start with “P-Valley.” Tell us a little bit about your role in “P-Valley.”
A’zaria Carter: I play a character named Terricka. Terricka is Mercedes’—everybody loves Mercedes—daughter. Terricka is just feisty. Terricka is fast and flip. Terricka is your typical teen girl who has her own issues. She has her neck rolling and is always battling her mama. But Terricka is also shy. She is also a little scared and very tender. She has this little front like she is this girl, but she is still a little girl who just wants her mama.
Monisha J. Brown: A’zaria, you are just an amazing sweetheart. You are unassumingly pleasant. How do you toggle back and forth between the real you and this feisty character?
A’zaria Carter: I feel like Terricka and I have some similarities because of her boldness. I feel like she and I are similar in that way. So, I see myself in her, minus the whole you know? I feel like the toggle between them is not really hard on that level. Now, when you go into the depths and what she is going through, that is when the work comes in. I was fortunate to have both my mom and my dad, in my life. But it is fun to play Terricka.
Monisha J. Brown: “P-Valley” is such a hit show. Why do you think “P-Valley” resonates so much with audiences?
A’zaria Carter: I feel like “P-Valley” resonates so well because, first, it is such an amazing show. Shout out to all the writers, Katori Hall and everyone. The whole cast and crew are just dope. Period. Even if you are not going through the situations they are going through, you just have to watch it because it is just good. The storylines are good.
But speaking of the storylines, I feel like it resonates with a lot of people because so many people are going through the same situation as the show’s storylines. So, to see themselves on this screen, through the characters, it becomes relatable to see how this character got through the same situation that you may be experiencing. It is like a voice for them. I feel that is why they relate to the show.
Monisha J. Brown: That is true. You make a good point. It does have a lot of storylines, and the writers are exceptional because it does not seem busy. They make it work.
A’zaria Carter: They connect everything.
Monisha J. Brown: I ask actors and actresses to tell our audience a fun fact, something that we, as audience members would not know about the show. What is a fun fact about “P-Valley?“
A’zaria Carter: A fun fact for me occurred during an episode when my character, Terricka is going back and forth with her mom, Mercedes, because she (Terricka) got pregnant. There is a part where Mercedes slaps Terricka.
The fun fact is that, Brandy Evans, who plays Mercedes, accidentally slapped me. That is the take they used for production. So, when they edited the episode, the slap was real. It was on me, though. It was completely my fault. It was not her fault because, when those types of scenes are filmed, it is staged. When your hand goes across the camera, you are supposed to move. I was supposed to move. I moved too late. So, we kept it going. But after the cut, she was like, “Are you okay?”
Monisha J. Brown: She was concerned afterward.
A’zaria Carter: Yes. In real life, Brandy Evans is like a second mom to me. She is a friend. She always asks, “How are your grades looking? How are you doing?” She makes sure I am always on my Ps and Qs. I can talk to her about anything!
Please click the video above to watch the full interview.
