But the doors of The Pynk will absolutely be open again soon."
WhenP-Valleypremiered in 2020, it quickly became a TV obsession.
“Rule 1: Let that stage be your stepping stone, not your tombstone.”
“I am at work on another project that’s down in the valley and will give you all a tease and a taste of some good-good in between. But the doors of The Pynk will absolutely be open again soon."
It’s a lesson that Nicco has learned first-hand as an actor, dancer, and activist in Hollywood.
Check out our full interview with Nicco below.
Note:This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
BuzzFeed:How has your role onP-Valleyimpacted how you show up in the world personally?
Nicco Annan:It proved that things come to you when you’re ready.
I started my journey withP-Valleyin 2009, when it was a play calledPussy Valley.
You know, I’m a tall drink of water.
I’m 6'3”.
I can play a king, I can playHamlet, I can play inHappy Days.
I can play inFriendsorLiving Single.
I can play anything.
What’s your favorite thing aboutP-Valley’s portrayal of Black and LGBTQIA+ people?
Its message that we don’t throw away our children.
There are people who throw away their children.
Can you tell us anything aboutP-ValleySeason 3?
What about a release date?
It’s a new day, it’s a new year, it’s 2024.
I am sure that the doors of The Pynk will be open very soon.
I am not back at work on that project.
But the doors of The Pynk will absolutely be open again soon.
You recently hosted BET’s Black and Iconic Soiree.
What does Black excellence mean to you?
It doesn’t matter how many people see you or how many followers you have.
What truly makes you Black and iconic is owning your shit, whatever that is.
Baby, I know I’m dark-skinned.
Do you want a piece of chocolate or not?
‘Cause it’s good for your blood pressure.
What’s your proudest moment being Black and gay?
When I told my dad I was cast as Uncle Clifford.
When I was doing the play, he wasn’t able to come and see it.
But I do see that you’re not a joke."
His understanding of the conversation around expansive gender expression was something that was totally foreign and unexpected to me.
My father is from Ghana and had never been exposed to those parts of our culture.
So it was great to have that conversation and be embraced by him.
Has he watched the show since?
My father has seen the show.
He’s always surprised by the scenes.
It makes me happy because there was a time when he wouldn’t look at certain content.
He actually felt bad about that, because it seemed rooted in internal homophobia.
I had to tap him on the shoulder and say, “Dad, listen.
Did you ever think your sexuality was a phase?
I was really blessed in that I never thought, like,Oh, I’m going through something.
Something’s wrong with me.
I was more concerned about how people would respond to my truth.
My journey through adolescence to high school was about figuring that out.
Do you have any advice for young Black queer people?
[My advice is to] listen and control your fire.
Sometimes we have so much spark in us.
That’s not just because you are queer.
That is because you are who you are.
Embrace your identity and don’t let others use it as something that can be weaponized against you.
It makes you who you are.
I’m still grinding.
I think we all grow until we die.
Do things on your own time.
What are your hopes for Black queer representation?
I pray we gain access to the things that make our dreams manifest.
But I also know that sometimes you gotta go through things to know what you want to do.
So until then, be easy with yourself.
Know that you’re the ish.
You got the goods, baby.
What does Black history mean to you?
It shows I’m not alone.
It also lets me know what’s possible.
Sometimes, as an artist, you’ve got the option to create what has not been seen.
I grew up knowing the portrayals of queer people and certain tropes in the industry.
What were some things you wish you saw being represented more?
I wanted to see more representation of myself on screen when it came to different body types and complexions.
Black comes in all shades, shapes, sizes, heights, and ways of speech.
I see more representation of that now.
Melanin looks like this in the moonlight.
This is the way that these tiger stripes shine.”
But I wanted to be part of that change because it’s sexy and beautiful.
It’s also powerful, not just something sexual.
How much progress do you think has been made for LGBTQIA+ people in all?
Representation has definitely advanced.
That award came from one of the oldest organizations that we have in this country.
Frederick Douglass and Ida B.
Wells are part of building that.
The fact that the organization went from no public acknowledgment to acknowledgment and honor shows progress to me.
Again, I just don’t want to be “the first.”
My brotherColman Domingois so great and so good.
He was recently on thecoverof Out magazine with the headline, “First Black Gay Movie Star.”
I was like, “Colman isn’t the first, is he?
Oh my God, he is!”
BayardRustin, Andre Leon Talley,Billy Porter.
Why didn’t they have the space to do these things?
But I’m not gonna cry over spilled milk.
Thanks for speaking with us, Nicco!
Be sure to keep up with himhereand check outP-Valleynow on Starz.
you’re able to read moreBlack, Out & Proudinterviewshere.
