The singer-actress opens up to ETonline about plans for 'Moesha' and remaking 'Cinderella.'
Moesha, which turned 20 on Jan. 23, certainly left a lasting impression on both its star, Brandy Norwood, and
audiences alike when it went off the air in 2001.
“I think for young black girls to grow up through her
journey and through her eyes and to see a young black girl with braids in her
hair, it leaves the legacy of possibility,” Brandy tells ETonline about the UPN
series that followed the titular 15-year-old girl as she navigated family and
teenage life in Los Angeles, California.
MORE: 9 Black Sitcoms From the '90s We Need on Netflix Now
A mid-season replacement, it went on to become one of UPN’s
biggest hits, running for six seasons and producing the spin-off, The Parkers. While not directly related,
writer Mara Brock Akil created Girlfriends
and The Game in the same universe. Despite
its success, Moesha was canceled
before it could wrap up loose ends, leaving fans to speculate about Myles (Marcus
T. Paulk), who was kidnapped, and whether or not Moesha herself was pregnant
after an unknown positive at-home test was found.
“I was very, very disappointed with how the show ended,”
Brandy says, revealing she still gets questions from fans about the fate of the
show’s characters. “I would really love to resolve that issue.”
“Full House is
coming back, right? [A Netflix reboot] would be awesome,” she continues, ready
for the call to make it happen. “We could do, like, two episodes or something. I'm
ready to go!”
While Brandy has since had notable recurring appearances on 90210, Drop Dead Diva, and The Game,
it wasn’t until this year that the 36-year-old entertainer found herself starring
in BET’s Zoe Ever After. “It’s all
about divine timing,” she says of taking on the project. “There were a few
different steps I needed to take in order to get back to the space where I
could carry and hold my own on a show again.”
The series, a hit for BET, is an opportunity to explore that
comedy world she first tasted on Moesha.
“I went into the Zoe experience wanting
to feel that all over again,” Brandy says.
In fact, if it wasn't for some of the lessons learned --
and even the nerves that come with acting -- on her first starring TV role, she
probably wouldn’t be able to tackle such an adult comedy. “The nerves are worse
now. I was fearless as a kid,” she says when asked about her 1996 interview with
ET, in which she talked about being nervous to be seen as an actress. “I have
adult nerves now and basically they don’t go away. But I’m blessed enough to
not allow them to cripple me.”
In addition to Moesha,
Brandy’s other most notable TV role -- as Cinderella in ABC’s adaptation of the
popular fairy tale -- turns 20 next year. It’s place in TV history is cemented by
Brandy’s real-life idol, Whitney Houston, who played her Fairy Godmother, and
smash ratings at the time.
MORE: With Whitney Houston the 1997 Set of 'Cinderella'
While there’s no fabled sequel to adapt, Brandy is open to
the idea of another remake, this time stepping into Houston’s role. “That would
be so amazing to experience being the Fairy Godmother,” she says of the idea
that first came up when Keke Palmer took on the main role for the 2013 Broadway musical.
“I would try to channel Whitney the best way I could. But that would be a
dream.”
As fans -- and Brandy -- hold out for reunions and
remakes, the actress is busy promoting the first season of Zoe Ever After, which draws to a close
on Feb. 16, and renewing her focus on music. She released her first new single
in four years, "Beggin & Pleadin," in January and is planning to
put out a new album before the end of the year.
It may seem like a lot all at once, but 20 years later,
Brandy has a renewed vigor. “I'm just inspired all over again in my life,” she
says, “so, let's do it!”
Additional reporting by Leanne Aguilera.