Over the weekend, TV One aired it’s own “Waiting to Exhale” meets “The Hangover” original movie called, Girlfriend’s Getaway. Without giving the story away, 4 girlfriends take a getaway trip to Trinidad, each one dealing with the complications of their separate lives. One of the leading actresses, Terri J. Vaughn, played the pregnant friend Sophie, and I got a chance to talk with her about the movie.
S: So, ‘Girlfriends Getaway.’ I heard that you are 8 months right now, and that you began filming the movie when you were about 5 months?
T: Yes, well originally when I wrote the movie with my producing partner, I was not pregnant. So the character was not meant to be pregnant originally. So by the time we got to shooting I was 5 months pregnant, so we had to write it in.
S: You seemed extremely fearless and confident about yourself, as I watched the movie clips and the previews. You seemed as if, even though you were pregnant, you were confident in your body and the physical state that you were in, how did you feel while you were shooting the movie?
T: I did feel that way! And I think just overall the faith that I’m in now, this turn in my life, and the maturity level where I am now. I feel comfortable in my skin and no matter if it’s with carrying the baby or without, I just feel comfortable in my space and in my skin. And when it comes to comedy or anything in acting you have to be free. If you have anything about you that is uptight, it’s easy to read. So yeah I felt quite comfortable and being pregnant can add some challenges to you, but I never felt any sickness. You know sometimes they had to pull me back and say, “Hey hey hey, lady you’re pregnant, you can’t do that!” (Laughs) I just forgot. I was rolling with it. It was an amazing time.
S: So tell us about your character, now I know originally the character was not pregnant, but when you guys did go back and add in that you were pregnant, did it take away at all from the original character?
T: Nope, it actually added to it. It added more comedy to it, and it was different. It’s like we don’t usually see that, where one of the lead actresses is actually pregnant and its incorporated in the story, it gave us so much more to play off of. So it added more than anything.
S: And you seemed like you were one of the livelier characters, trying to really have a good time, even though you were pregnant it was like you were down to have a good time!
T: Yes my character was like the peacemaker of the group, and she was the one that was kind of the glue in the group that kept everyone in touch with everyone. Like everyone was friends through their relationship with me, so she was the one that wanted the trip to be exciting for everybody, and wanted everybody to be included. Then the other ladies were going through their own personal problems with each other and themselves, so I was trying to be the peacemaker.
S: So the movie was filmed in Trinidad?
T: Yes, we shot the entire film in Trinidad.
S: Oh that’s awesome; do you feel like that was a good destination with your girlfriends or more of a romantic getaway spot?
T: No, I think it’s for girlfriends. We took a plane to Barbados and spent time on the beach there. They have a really beautiful beach on the island in Trinidad and I cannot remember the name of it, but it was really amazing. Just the energy out there was amazing. I think it’s more of a girl trip thing than a romantic trip.
S: Okay! So would you say shooting the film was more of a pleasure trip and the rest of the cast? Did you guys get a chance to squeeze in some fun between sets?
T: It was definitely like a working vacation, you know we had long hours on set of course and long days, but on our days off we spent time together. We went to the beach together, we went out to dinner together, we hiked up a trail and went to a cave, and swam in the lagoon. We spent a lot of girl time together off set as well. It is just a testament to the atmosphere that was created and just the spirits and tones of our relationship between the four of us. And not even just the four of us, it was the crew, a lot of the time we were with the crew too. We were all out at the beach, and out to dinner together it was just an amazing time.
S: Now, you’ve always played some really comical roles throughout your career, from Lovita from The Steve Harvey Show, to Renee from Meet The Browns. What would you say has been your favorite role?
T: Well, Girlfriends Getaway is my most proud baby, something that we created and were able to bring to life. And just given the message and the women I got to work with. This film is intimately my best filming experience. And then behind that definitely Lovita would be my favorite.
S: That’s my favorite role you’ve played! So that’s exciting. With the evolution of you career, like you said being the co-creator of Nina Holiday Entertainment and producing this film, how are your feelings towards the growth of your career? Would you say you’ve seen yourself getting to this point?
T: Definitely. I’ve always been a very creative and business-minded person, so I’ve always known that I was going to do more than just act. It was never just about acting to me. And I’m very conserved and very active about what is fed to our community, to our kids—through film and television. Especially television because television is in people’s homes and where they have their kids, so I’ve always been adamant about creating avenues where we can have good quality projects out there. And it was an easy transition for me to want to pursue.
S: Great. Speaking on your growth, in 2012 you told Essence magazine about your feelings towards love and marriage, in quote “A hopeless romantic, I love being in love and I love being married. Fortunately for me, it is has been much better the second time around." For our readers at Blackbride.com would you say this quote and your views on love and marriage are still relevant now in 2014?
T: Absolutely! It would be a problem if it wasn’t (laughs). But yes I do. I love being married; I love having the support of a supportive husband. I love the man that I married, I love creating a home for my family—I love all that. And I think I am able to enjoy it and I really love it because I also have a career that I enjoy. I’m not a sit-at-home type of person, so I have different facets of me that needs to be fed in order for me to enjoy my life. And I have an amazing career and I have an amazing husband and an amazing family. And I love every aspect of it.
Did you watch the Girlfriends Getaway movie on TV One this weekend? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments below. If not, click HERE to see a preview of the film!
Curated by our Editorial Intern, Starr Davis, who currently studies Creative Writing at City College of New York. Keep up with Starr’s work by following her on Twitter here: @Metaphorqueen_
