Vanessa Simmons has found success as a reality star on Run’s House, and a soap star on Guiding Light. She’s also modeled, and is also becoming a fashion mini-mogul with her sister and fellow Run’s House star Angela Simmons.
As we saw on the show, her stint on Guiding Light really galvanized Vanessa to pursue her passion for acting. Now, the eldest of the Simmons children is going to be branching out into a new venue: theater
She’s hitting the stage in a play that centers on a subject near and dear to the Simmons family: hip-hop. The play is described as a “hip-hop infused comedy, where pop culture meets satire, examines the downward spiral of an African-American actor who begins to lose roles – and a girlfriend – to a famous rapper-turned-actor.”
One of Vanessa’s co-stars, actor J Kyle Manzay, said the play touches on topic that’s not new, but is becoming a larger issue for some actors lately. “This has been happening for a while now. At first no one said anything because (the rappers) were playing themselves or roles that were very close to themselves,” he said. “But now rappers are getting meaty rolls and that’s why it’s becoming a bigger issue.”
Vanessa also weighed in, saying, “I think that it’s good that people are giving rappers the opportunity to be film stars, but at the same time I feel that because of a name, real hard working actors miss out on great parts where they know they can deliver.”
Vanessa is taking on a role that she’s had a lifetime to learn about, that of a rapper. “My character in The Actor’s Rap, her name is Lil’ Tease, and she’s a rapper,” she said. “So you can imagine how fun it’s going to be to play this character ‘cause it’s so different from who I am and what viewers are used to seeing on Run’s House. It’s definitely been a great experience.”
– Leslie Seaton, BuddyTV Staff Columnist
Source: TheIndustryCosign, Allhiphop.com
(Image courtesy of MTV)
Staff Columnist, BuddyTV
