So far Nessa, one of the newest characters on FOX’s Empire, has been a woman of few words. But make no mistake, Nessa’s singing says more than enough.
Sierra McClain, the “new girl” on Empire who brings Nessa to life is far from a newcomer to show business. With roles in films like Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls and Disney Channel’s A.N.T. Farm (which stars her younger sister China) under her belt, Sierra is now taking on a role with some edge that also puts her showstopping voice at centerstage.
Don’t believe us? Go back and watch the season premiere.
TheCelebrityCafe.com's Jorie Goins caught up with Sierra during a busy day on set to get an in depth look at Nessa and talk to Sierra about what her experience as a cast member on Empire has been like so far.
TheCelebrityCafe.com: How are you doing today? What's been going on? You're pretty busy. I know that you've been between LA and Chicago doing recording?
Sierra McClain: I have a little bit. That was the last week. I got to do the Empire after show last Wednesday, then I had a couple recording sessions the day after that and now I am back in Chicago and today is going well. I actually - it's so funny - I have an unexpectedly full day, it didn't get full until like an hour ago.
TCC: Oh, wow.
SM: I know so now I'm going up set and we have a table read today and then we have a couple of other things going on [ADR] and some other fun stuff.
TCC: So filming for season 3 isn't complete yet, right?
SM: No, we're still filming.
TCC: Can you share how many episodes you have left or is that a secret?
SM: You know? I actually don't know, [laughs] I'm actually not sure. I'm surprised just like everybody else [laughs].
TCC: So you're just along for the ride, when we get surprised you get surprised, maybe a little bit earlier, but you still are.
SM: Yeah exactly, it's a little bit early, but it's still a surprise.
TCC: Talk to me about how you got the part of Nessa on Empire, because you've been around for a while, I remember you from Daddy's Little Girls -- How did this come about?
SM: It's so funny because I get that question a lot, but to be honest with you, it was just another audition that came around. My sisters and I were auditioning a lot, we were going out for a lot of different roles and this just -- it was just like any other audition, it just came through and I went through the normal process. I happened to book it which is crazy.
TCC: So what is the process? I'm not an actress at all, so what is the normal process?
SM: You know, I think it varies for each project, but for this one I went in and did a normal read with Lee's sister, I love her name is Leah Daniels Butler, she is absolutely amazing and she casts a lot of his projects. I went in and read with her first, then I got called back and I read with Lee a couple of times. He was so amazing and he's a brilliant director, he's a brilliant writer. As an artist I look up to him so much. I read for him a couple more times and that was it, it actually wasn't as extensive as I thought it was going to be either, it was maybe 3 auditions and I got the call the next morning after the testing, they told me I booked it and then I flew out that night actually.
TCC: Nice. So the total process spanned over some months, some weeks, some days?
SM: Shoot, the process as a whole was maybe a week. And I've been out here since top of July.
TCC: Okay, so you play Nessa who is Shyne's sister?
SM: Yeah, Shyne is like a brother to her.
TCC: And can you describe her in your own words her personality, her character, what maybe drives her?
SM: I think that because she was really raised by Shyne... she has this edginess to her and she's got these walls up and I'm sort of able to kind of identify with her in that way. But [music is] her end all be all, which music is very similar for me. I'm very, very, very connected to my art and so that was one way I was able to connect with her as well. And so I think she's very strong and she's very independent, but she's got a little bit of this somewhat innocence about her as well, or even she's just a tad naive from being up under Shyne and from not experiencing a lot of the...world that the Lyons are involved in. That's more Hollywood and she's been underground, dealing with a lot of Shyne's businesses. So, I think she's very strong , very talented and I'm excited for everybody to see where she goes.
TCC: Wow. So, what's it been like working with the rest of the cast?
SM: Oh my gosh. It's actually been really really amazing. Jussie spoiled me when I first got here, he was just so sweet and he embraced me so and it really drove my nerves away. And then working with X[zibit] is one of my favorite parts about playing Nessa truly. He has really become like a big brother. The cast as a whole, Terrence is amazing and he's amazing not only to work with but just to be around, Yazz is amazing, Ms. T -- I don't even have to -- Taraji -- she is so... love, love, loved her. My sister actually worked with her in a movie she was in called Hurricane Season so I was excited to get to work with her as well. But everybody, Trai, I mean, everybody on the cast is just absolutely amazing. It almost seems too good to be true because everybody is sweet and they want to help you and kind of take you under their wing so it seems, too good to be true, but they're all so so so amazing.
TCC: So have there been any notable, or memorable or really funny moments just working or just being around the cast?
SM: X and I are constantly joking around, like always, he's trying to make me laugh or I'm bugging him so that's, oh my God, we truly have so many freakin' funny moments. And Yazz is actually a lot of fun. I know if I'm going to be working with Yazz whatever's going to be happening, we're going to be laughing. So those are some of my favorite moments. And Jussie's hilarious, Taraji's funny -- I think it's hard to come across a cast that just feels like family, that feels like you know each other, even though you just met.
TCC: It's so interesting because there's constant tension when you watch the show but you're describing just this big happy family. How do you switch from that?
SM: I know, that's so funny, but I think that's one of the reasons. I'm somewhat new, I'm just coming in third season, but I think that's one of the reasons why they are so close and why they laugh and they joke because everything else tends to be so heavy. And so they're just like, "you know what? We're just going to laugh our way through this." That's how I feel.
TCC: So obviously music is a really huge part of this show so how has the music process been, recording the music, working with -- you have a new musical team now so you're working with --Darkchild and a few other people so how has that been?
SM: Oh my gosh. First of all Rodney is just, I don't have to talk about him, but Rodney is a musical genius. He's a musical legend, he's been around forever and the fact that he is so hands on -- because I've had a couple of sessions with him. The fact that he is so engaging and he is so hands-on as long as he's been in this business and has many superstars and directors that he's worked with, he treats you like you're just like them when he steps into the studio and when it's time to work. That's one of the things I have appreciated most about him and working with him and it's been absolutely amazing.
I actually met Rodney when I was a lot younger so it almost felt like a full circle moment, our first sessions together. But it's just, it's out of this world. I mean, this is really, it's one of my first projects as a young adult so the fact that I get to come in and I'm singing and working with this stellar cast and then I'm working with legends like Rodney Jerkins, it feels like an out of body experience some times. But it's been a lot of fun and an amazing experience so far.
TCC: You sang a couple of songs including "Need Freedom," which is the Black Lives Matter song from the season premiere. What has been your favorite song to sing is it one of the songs we've heard already or is it something we haven't heard?
SM: Ooh, you know? I will say that "Need Freedom" because it was one of my first and because the message is so strong, it was one of my favorites. Any song by Rodney is so good. The one I did with Yazz was a lot of fun, but I will say that there are some coming up that I cannot wait for you guys to hear and I love them.
TCC: Can you give us a hint of what it's about or is that just kind of a secret?
SM: Oh, I wish I could but they'd kill me! [Laughter] You'd see a new Nessa next week!
TCC: I'm not about to get you in trouble, so okay. What is your favorite song from the series, it doesn't have to be one you're on, but what is your favorite song in the series?
SM: Jussie's "I am Who I am," is really good. I love the one with Queen Mariah Carey on it, "Infamous" was really, really good, Serayah’s had some good ones the one with Romeo [that are] really good. I actually really like the music this season. I liked it before -- it's really, really good. It's almost hard to, but Rodney's involved so naturally I think you can hear a lot of instrumentation in the song and it's very melodic and so as a singer that's some of my favorite kind of music. Yazz has had some good ones. His one from the first episode, I was actually in that scene so when I heard the song I was like, "uh-oh, this is dope, they're really coming with it this season."
TCC: Oh wow. So last episode, we left off -- I was not expecting that. So can you enlighten me a little bit more as to what is going on with Nessa and Andre? You don't have to spoil anything, but I personally wasn't really expecting that so I was like, "okay, I get it but I don't get it."
SM: [Laughs] A lot of people were surprised. A lot of people texted me like, "Sierra, WHAT is happening? I wasn't expecting this. What about Hakeem? What is going on?" I think the Empire writers did at the end of that episode what they are just so good at. I think it's what they do best and it is leaving the audience like, "what?" with their jaws on the floor. So, shoot, I was even shocked reading it so I got the surprise you know, like we said earlier, I just got it a little bit earlier. But yeah, it was a big surprise. I can't wait for you guys to tune in to 305, for the next episode because that's got some good stuff in it, too.
TCC: Yeah, we have to wait a couple of weeks though because of the World Series but it's alright, it's alright.
SM: I know. [Laughs] I know, after the World Series.
TCC: So -- is there anything we can expect from Nessa soon?
SM: You can be expecting more music, she will be singing. And I think you can definitely expect an interesting character arc from her because now that Andre is kind of in the picture, that's really going to affect her, as it would anybody naturally. I'm excited for people to see how it affects her and her relationship with Shyne because, as we've seen, Shyne is very protective of Nessa. So I think you can definitely expect a really good character arc and some really good music.
TCC: Did you watch Empire before you came onto the series?
SM: I did. My mom was a huge fan and I watched it with her. But actually before I actually booked it I was like "You know what? Let's just watch the whole thing." So we literally sat down in two days and just watched the entire series.
TCC: Is there a difference between your impression of the series as a viewer versus your impression of the series now as an actual participant and an actress in the series and a character in the series?
SM: Ooh that's a really good question. It's interesting being a part of this because sometimes when I'm talking to some of the cast and crew I'm speaking as a consumer because I did watch the show beforehand. So I'm talking about the other characters and storylines and this and that and they're looking at me and they're laughing and I'm like, "guys, you've got to remember I watched the show before this." I was a fan, I watched it with my mother. And so it's interesting feeling a part of it. Shows like this really, even for somebody who is an actress -- I am an actress so watching a show like Empire -- sometimes it seems so real and it's hard to remember that these are just stories and these are characters. If you go on set, you remember that more so than you would just sitting in front of your TV watching it at home. But I do speak sometimes when I'm on set, I do speak as a fan of the show, talking about the storylines and characters and such.
TCC: So have you had a fangirl moment ever on set? Like when you first got there?
SM: Jussie was a big fangirl moment for me, he really really really was. I'm not sure if he even really realizes it. But, first table read I was like, "Oh my God that's Jussie." And then, actually -- I hid it pretty well -- but I had a big fangirl moment when I met Bre-Z. Oh yeah! She was a big favorite of mine. When I saw her for the first time I was like, [gasps], "the first song I sang was about Freda!" I did, I had a fangirl moment for sure. But she's so cool and everybody on set -- it was amazing meeting everybody -- but yeah, those are probably my two biggest.
TCC: Do you have anything else you want to add?
SM: Thank you for talking to me I appreciate it. I love TheCelebrityCafe. And I’m just excited that Nessa is being embraced the way she is. I really, really, really hope the audience likes her and hopefully falls in love with her and it’s going to be a great season. In my opinion this is probably the best season yet. So, keep watchin’! It’s going to get good, I promise you that.