Written by | Ray Cornelius
I had the pleasure of talking to multi-talented actress Cocoa Brown Friday afternoon during the BLFF’s Women Superstars Luncheon. Brown is super excited because she will be starring in Ryan Murphy’s new FX series, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.
Brown is best known for creating big laughs as “Jennifer” on Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse. However, the former stand-up comic will be taking on a more serious role when American Crime Story airs this coming February.
“I am playing juror Jeanette Harris who apparently was a secret weapon for the defense during the O.J. Simpson trial. Johnny Cochran realized this and actually started calling her ‘Queen B.’ If you recall, the jury for the trial was majority African-American and I was the one who had them all under my thumb,” said Brown.
The series, which is a companion project to Murphy’s American Horror Story, is based on the book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson by Jeffrey Tobin. It explores the chaotic behind-the-scenes dealings and maneuvering on both sides of the court, and how a combination of prosecution overconfidence, defense shrewdness, and the LAPD’s history with the city’s African-American community gave a jury what it needed: reasonable doubt.
American Crime Story features all-star cast including Cuba Gooding Jr. as O.J. Simpson, John Travolta as defense attorney Robert Shapiro, David Schwimmer as defense attorney Robert Kardashian, Sarah Paulson as prosecutor Marcia Clark, Courtney B. Vance as defense attorney Johnnie Cochran, Sterling K. Brown as prosecutor Christopher Darden and Kelly Dowdle as Nicole Simpson.
Check out a sneak peek below and congratulations once again to Cocoa Brown:
American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson airs Feb. 2016 on FX
Photo Credit: RayCornelius.com
