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Enjoy a Hot Cup of Tea with Olivia Charmaine Morris

Enjoy a Hot Cup of Tea with Olivia Charmaine Morris

The Tea

A veteran in the entertainment industry before the age of 30, Olivia Charmaine Morris is one of Hollywood’s best kept secrets.

Known for working behind the scenes with production companies like TNT, TBS, and Kerry Washington’s Simpson Street, Morris recently started her own in August 2020 called Black Monarch Entertainment which is about centering, amplifying, and celebrating otherness. As someone who has embraced her melanin, queerness, and woman power, Morris is committed to diversifying the industry and bringing new voices into the fold.

Black Monarch Entertainment is prepared to film its first project this summer in Chicago, and Morris has some projects in the works with Whoopi Goldberg which will be announced at a later time.

Additionally, Morris has turned the camera on herself with her weekly livestream show, The Tea, currently on IGTV. Building from her innate ability to connect with some of the industry’s elites, the show discusses topics that the public wants to hear their favorite stars talk about. Authentic and a breath of fresh air, The Tea brings people of color and colorful people together to have a moment to check in with themselves.

OFM had the opportunity to chat with Morris about The Tea and her passion for showcasing the voices of those who hope to make their mark in TV and film.

You are the host of IGTV’s The Tea, which recently began its third season. For those who do not know, can you explain the premise behind The Tea?
The Tea is myself and one guest, and essentially, it is normally a celebrity or some sort of media personality, and we are drinking a fresh, hot cup of tea while talking about them. It is an opportunity to really shine light on their career journeys, parts of their path that would be surprising to the audience, or maybe people do not know exactly how they got to where they are today. We talk about pop culture, current events, wellness, and self-care, especially during the pandemic and the height of social anxiety.

What inspired you to begin this livestream show?
I was really inspired, honestly, because of the pandemic. I was feeling rather isolated, and I wanted opportunities to connect and check in with friends of mine. It started off with just friends before reaching out to some figures who I have not met before. I wanted a space for connection and a space for accountability. I knew that if I did what was ritualistic routinely, I would be able to hold myself accountable for the things that I am passionate about including self-care and taking care of myself. Then, it became very exciting and a fun way to get to know a little bit more about these people that we know a lot about, but some fun facts about them that they are willing to share.

Why should one check out The Tea, and what do you hope viewers take away from it?
I would say, check out The Tea if you are interested in learning more about some of your favorite celebrities. Check out The Tea if you are interested in community and making new friends. I hope that people take away a lot of things from it. One, I think some insider entertainment industry news is really interesting for people who want to be a part of the business as well, like myself, but I also hope that they realize that every, single time you are pausing in the middle of your busy day and drinking some tea along with us, you are incorporating self-care into your routine as well.

You have a ton of experience working behind the camera. How does it feel to be in front of it?
It feels kind of cool. Every, single week, I have to get used to it. I used to act when I was very little, and I used to do stuff in front of the camera and onstage, so I am kind of tapping into a younger me.

The Tea has had some outstanding guests including Janelle Monáe, Angelica Ross, and Twiggy. Who are some upcoming guests we can expect?
We have some pretty exciting guests coming up this season. We typically do not announce them too far in advance, but one episode that I was very excited about was last week’s. I shined the light on myself. So, instead of having a guest, I took some Q&A questions from the audience in advance and reintroduced myself to the audience. Told people about my specific journey in the industry and answered questions about how I became a producer and things like that.

Have you always had a passion and desire to work in the entertainment industry?
Always. Since I was a little girl. I used to watch old, black-and-white movies when I was 4-5 years old, and I used to love musicals in particular. I would perform musicals, as well. I have always had a vision for myself as being a part of this industry.

You are committed to showcasing the voices of women—Black, LGBTQ, minorities, etc. Why is this so important to you?
I, myself, sit at the intersection of otherness. I am someone who is Black, who is queer, who is female, and historically, there have been limited opportunities for us in every walk of life and in every arena. I think that because media is on such a grand scale, there are huge glaring oversights of minority representation in the media. As someone who wants to see myself in the work that I create, I understand what that feels like for other people. I really want to make sure that I take the big responsibility that I have, and honestly, the honor that I have, to create mass media, and allow other people to see themselves in the work that we create.

Being a Black, queer woman yourself, what are some of the personal challenges you have had to overcome?
A lot. I am someone who is often the only one that looks like me in the room, and the room is full of powerful, white men, honestly. Being able to vocalize on behalf of my community is sometimes difficult because being Black is not a monolith; being queer is not a monolith. It is difficult being the one spokesperson for an entire community, but I will say, it is something that I do with pride. I am deeply grateful that I have been able to have that opportunity, but it can be very tricky at times when you are the only one that looks like you in the room.

Last year, you started your own, full-service production company, Black Monarch Entertainment. Can you tell us more about that?
Yes! Black Monarch Entertainment, I like to look at it as an arts collective. From other producers we have working with us to publicists, directors, writers, actors, and other creatives—we have so many people working with us that are true artists in many facets. Essentially, we create TV programs and films, and we sell them to networks. Right now, I am working on my first independent, feature film. We are shooting it this summer, and it is called Dreyana Grooms.

Dreyana was 16 years old living on the south side of Chicago when she was in the middle of gang violence, and someone got murdered. She was picked up on first-degree murder charges, but for a crime that she did not commit. She was incarcerated from when she was 16 to 19, and this is a story of her resilience, and also that of her mother’s, fighting to get her out and her eventual acquittal. I think working on a project like this, especially against the backdrop of all the civil unrest that we experienced last year in this country, I think it is going to really resonate with a lot of people.

What more do you hope to accomplish with your platform?
I am very excited to have some programs on the big and small screen. That is a huge market for success for a production company. We also have a budding internship program for people who have full-time jobs who want to have a hand in the entertainment industry, and to learn more screenwriting and producing. I definitely want to grow that program as well. As for The Tea, I would love for it to be like a network talk show. I would love to be a talk show host. That is the goal.

Before we wrap up, are there any other upcoming projects or anything else you would like to mention our plug?
The Tea comes on every Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on my Instagram Live, and you can catch up on recorded episodes from previous seasons as well on my IGTV!

Stay connected with Morris by following her on Instagram or visit her official website.

Photos Courtesy of Dominique Oliveto

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