Actor Russell Thomas chatted about Season 6 of Tyler Perry’s “The Oval” on BET.
He plays the role of Vice President Eli. The hit BET primetime drama series “The Oval” was created, written, executive produced, and directed by Honorary Oscar winner Tyler Perry.
Season 6
On the sixth season of the series, he said, “It has been really cool. They did air a mid-season finale several months ago, so they picked it back up in the middle of Season 6. It has been cool to go back and remember how the first half of the season went, and then see the action continue!”
“I believe this season has 22 episodes altogether, so they did the first 11 in the first chunk, and we have a total of 11 episodes this time around, which will go on until the end of the year,” he said.
Playing the Vice President
When asked what it has been like to play the Vice President (or Acting President) Eli, he responded, “You know, I think finding that little in-between space of being the Vice President, but technically the president per se, has been really fun for Season 6.”
“Eli is starting off and he is very unsure of himself, and he gets very nervous,” he admitted. “So, it was fun to read that in the script and see what it was like, at that level, but then actually performing it.”
“It was fun to explore those areas of freezing up, which you can connect to stage fright or something like that. It has been fun to see him find his footing as the season progresses and some stable ground to stand on,” he explained.
“Also, we see him trying to find a source of strength from which he can proceed to do the things that he wants to do,” he noted.
“In our show, there is always danger lurking around every quarter, so you can’t ever get too stable,” he said (about the explosive and intense nature of each season).
Future plans
On his future plans, he shared, “I really don’t have a whole lot going on right now. I’ve been pretty focused on ‘The Oval,’ and then in my personal life, I’ve been trying to learn some new skills around film production and writing as well.”
“I find every aspect of filmmaking to be very interesting,” he noted.
“So, I’ve been working, taking classes in feature film writing and TV writing and just trying to really pick up as many new skill sets as I can,” he revealed.
Working with Tyler Perry
He praised showrunner Tyler Perry for always being very professional and for treating him with a great deal of respect and unexpected kindness.
Kaye Singleton and Kron Moore
On working with Kaye Singleton and Kron Moore as his leading ladies, he said, “I really enjoy working with Kaye. She was one of the first people I met while on the show. She is very warm and very talented. It’s fun working with her because the relationship that we play on-screen is very different from the relationship that we have in real life.”
“It’s kind of fun to have that contrast, she is very sweet. I just love working with her,” he added.
“Also, Kron Moore, who plays the First Lady, sets the tone for the show from the actor’s side,” he said.
“Kron is very warm, supportive and she really makes it easy for us to bring our best to the work,” he explained.
Stage of his life
On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Rebirth.”
Success
On his definition of success, he shared, “Being a part of a tradition of storytelling that fans and audience members can relate to.”
Message for ‘The Oval’ fans and supporters
For the dedicated “Oval” fans, he expressed, “The fans of this show are very lovely. I love the kind of interactions they have online; everyone gets on X/Twitter and they talk about all the drama and all the action.”
“At the end of the day, we do it for the fans, and they love it,” he exclaimed.
For more information on actor Russell Thomas, follow him on Instagram, and visit his IMDb page.
