Naturi Naughton is making major moves seeing that she has a lead role in NBC's upcoming TV drama, The Playboy Club. After portraying hip-hop royalty in 2009's Notorious among other leads, the actress/singer is set to play Brenda, the first person of color to work at the Playboy Club in 1960s Chicago. In her recent interview with Loop 21, Naturi speaks on her new role, training to be a bunny, if there's a solo album in the near future and if she’d consider posing for the magazine.
Check out the excerpts:
I went in for this role multiple times. I auditioned for Imagine TV. I screen tested for Fox, who is producing it and I auditioned and screen tested for NBC, which is our network. It was a total of about four call backs and every time I was excited to go in and just prove that I could bring Bunny Brenda to life. I sang at my audition as well. I actually sang a Nat King Cole song, “When I Fall in Love” and I also did three scenes. I loved the process. I felt like I worked hard for it and at the end of the day it’s so much more rewarding when things don’t always come easy.On how she prepared for the role
Most of my preparation for this role was research, not so much physical preparation, but mentally preparing myself, you know, going back into time especially when doing a period piece like this, a show that takes place in 1961 and also being one of the first black bunnies. So I read a lot. I actually watched a documentary called The Bunny Years …I read the book 50 Years of the Playboy Bunny, which was awesome. I researched Hugh Hefner and how much he was such a progressive, rebellious man at the time by integrating the Playboy Club.
I also spent time with an African-American Bunny from 1965, Pat Lacey who trained all of us and worked with me on things that are required of a Bunny. I actually went through bunny training with Pat Lacey.
On Bunny Training
Bunny training is essentially where we learn things like the “Bunny dip,” which is how you serve a table when you’re a Bunny. A Bunny can’t just bend over in her costume with all the boobage that we have going on. We can’t be indecent, so a Bunny has to dip backwards in a sense and bend her legs in order to serve a drink to make sure she doesn’t spill out in front of the guests. …Also the “Bunny stance.” There’s a stance that a Bunny has and it’s very elegant where your knees are pulled together, your toes touch. It gives the shape of an hourglass and it makes your legs long. And also the “Bunny perch.” One of the things I realized is that a Bunny cannot sit down in that costume. It’s very rare that you’ll see a Bunny sitting; she always perches. It’s basically when you lean on let’s say the back of a chair with your butt, but you don’t really sit.
I also learned a lot about what the camaraderie was like between the women. We learned that this was a sisterhood and there was a Mother Bunny. I learned all the rules and there’s a Bunny manual. Bunnies aren’t allowed to give out their numbers. They’re not allowed to give out their last name. They’re not allowed to date key holders. They’re not allowed to do things that are inappropriate.
On if she will be doing a solo album anytime soon
Not right now, but yes definitely in the future for all the fans who have followed me since my 3LW days. I definitely want to do a solo project. I’m just focusing right now. I’m really the type of person who likes to master a trade instead of being a jack of all trades. With the show I’m grateful that I get to include my singing talents, which is heaven sent to me because there are not that many opportunities where you get to sing, act and dance.If she’d ever consider posing for Playboy
A lot of people ask me that. You know, I’m an actress. I’m not a Playboy model. I’m not a Playmate. I’m not any of those things, which is nothing wrong with that but I’m just an actress playing a Playboy Bunny. Don’t get it twisted. Not to say that I would never consider doing the magazine, but if i did pose it would definitely have to be classy and something respectable and something that I feel comfortable with. So who knows! I would never say never.
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