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Drew Sidora Finds Truth in ‘She’s Not Our Sister’

1 May, 2012 By: Ashley Ratcliff

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From her breakout performance as Derwin’s girlfriend on “The Game,” to starring in films such as Wild Hogs and White Chicks, actress Drew Sidora brings a bit of herself to every part she’s in. She’s Not Our Sister, a stage play from Johnnie Johnson, is no different, as she plays Cynthia Walker, the middle sister with her own strong opinions and sense of humor to match.

In the play, Cynthia and her sisters, Vivian (Kellita Smith) and Deniece (Azur-De), are thrown for a loop when, at the reading of their father’s last will and testament, they discover that they have a half-sister (Jazsmin Lewis) — a product of an extramarital affair — and that their dad was loaded. He leaves his four daughters $4.3 million, only if they can live together for six months. However, emotions threaten to keep the Walker women from getting their prize.

Home Media Magazine caught up with Chicago native Sidora to discuss stage plays, the similarities to her character and the release of She’s Not Our Sister, which One Village Entertainment — a subsidiary of Image Entertainment — welcomes home on DVD ($14.98) May 1.

HM: So the play hits DVD May 1, which I hear is someone’s birthday …

Sidora: It’s my birthday! It’s perfect, right? I have a reason to celebrate. It’s awesome whenever we get a chance to do what we love, and also to be able to have people can go and get a chance to view it and support us on my birthday. I’m definitely going to enjoy this birthday.

HM: Was this your first stage play?

Sidora: The producers actually gave me a chance to do a stage play three years ago, called Man of Her Dreams, which Clifton Powell directed. That was my second play at that time. Swirl Films really gave me an opportunity to really get a challenge, because these [plays] are kind of the foundation of acting. It has a lot of fundamentals that a lot of TV and film actors [need] to go back to the roots of theater, because you don’t get any second takes. Everything is more intense because you’re in front of a live audience.

For me, it was an awesome experience because it was something I really hadn’t done a lot. When they called me for this project, I was like, “Awesome!” Working with Kellita Smith was amazing because she’s incredible, and Jazsmine Lewis, Christian Keyes and Clifton Powell again. It was just a great cast.

HM: If you had to choose one medium — play, television or film — which do you like most?

Sidora: I enjoy them all, but with plays, you get the energy from the audience and you never know what your co-stars are going to throw at you on different nights. Some try to be playful and try to throw you off. It sort of keeps you on your Ps and Qs as far as having to be quick on your feet. I enjoy that because I’m constantly learning and growing and getting better.

HM: Are you anything like your character, Cynthia — the more comedic, laid-back sister?

Sidora: I think that when us, as actors, have a character that someone else writes, it’s our responsibility to find a little bit of truth in those characters. Even though we may not be that way on the day-to-day, I think for me, I do have a comical side, where I can kind of not take myself so seriously. I was able to bring that side of me out. She’s just a crazy, funny girl who … is trying to find her way in life. She’s trying to find love. She’s trying to make sure he’s the right man. She has a lot of insecurities, which I think a lot of women do when we’re trying to find our place in this world. What do I want to do professionally? Do I want to go to school, or do I want a job? I think that part of me was real ... I think I was able to bring a lot of truth to her character, and find those things about myself that were similar to her.

HM: What’s the dynamic like between you and your sisters?

Sidora: I have three sisters — two older, one younger. We’re best friends and we all are in each other’s lives. We know everything about each other and we all talk every day, three times a day. Actually, one of my sisters manages me. There were a lot of similarities. It’s great when you siblings that you can relate to and learn from. I have older ones who have been there, done that, and want to teach you and be protectors over the younger ones. Then I have my little sister, similar to the show, where she looks up to me as well. I have to have some level of responsibility to set that example in her life.

HM: As She’s Not Our Sister heads to DVD, who do you think should see it?

Sidora: I definitely think it’s a family program. People from my mother to my grandmother love it. Obviously, churchgoers — they are super fans of the show. Then I’ve got my friends, who are struggling in their relationships that find it appealing because they’re able to watch it and learn how to get over their mistakes in their relationships. Then I’ve got my niece, who loves it because we’ve got a lot of music and singing in the show. It’s a program that you can just sit your whole family down and eat dinner and just watch the show, which we don’t have a lot of on television. That’s why I think it’s so refreshing.

HM: As far as the messages that are in the play, what do you hope people will take away from it?

Sidora: No matter what you’re going through, it’s so important to keep your family around, a communicate what you’re going through with them and have that support and that love, to know that you’re not alone. That it’s OK to make mistakes, and that it’s OK to cry. But at the end of the day, keep family close.

Keep up with the latest from the actress at drewsidora.com. Catch the replay of She's Not Our Sister June 2 on GMC. The first film Sidora produced, Blessed and Cursed — starring Deitrick Haddon, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Karen Clark Sheard and others — currently is available on DVD.

 

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