Putting a spin on the noir genre, BET+’s new original series Diarra From Detroit is a fun and edgy dramedy that follows a divorcing schoolteacher (Diarra Kilpatrick) who refuses to believe she’s been ghosted by her rebound Tinder date. While searching for the missing man, she encounters a decades-old mystery involving the Detroit underworld.
As the case unfolds, Diarra’s co-workers, friends, and lovers become unlikely allies as she falls down a dangerous rabbit hole, but fortunately, she has the support of fellow teacher Mr. Tea, who keeps her from going off the deep end.
Played by accomplished LGBTQ+ actor and singer Bryan Terrell Clark, Mr. Tea is a handsome, ripped member of the queer community, but what’s refreshing is the fact that are no tropes or gimmicks with the character. He is simply existing.
For Clark, who has performed in widely successful Broadway productions (Motown: The Musical, Hamilton, Thoughts of a Colored Man) and a wide range of popular television shows for various networks (Queen Sugar, Snowpiercer, Inventing Anna) over the years, he says that playing Mr. Tea was a “big deal” because “as a queer Black man, it’s very rare that I get to see the kind of man that I am and a lot of my friends are on television.”
Instinct had the opportunity to catch up with the artist to talk more about portraying a different type of queer Black character and why he considers this role to be a gift, as well as the need for more representation in Hollywood for Black LGBTQ+ men and other career ventures such as his recent Carnegie Hall debut.
Check out the full video interview below.
Bryan Terrell Clark…
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