Ayesha Harris Talks Glamorous, Power of Vulnerability & Positive Representation

Ayesha Harris is making her mark.

Starring in two of the biggest series released this year, Amazon Prime Video's Daisy Jones & the Six and the Netflix drama Glamorous, Harris continues to flourish.

In the LGBTQ+ Netflix hit, Harris stands out as the kindhearted Britt, who navigates various relationships and the ups and downs of the makeup business in the series' illuminating first season.

Harris was kind enough to jump on a Zoom with us, and talk about a range of topics, including the importance of positive LGBTQ+ representation, Britt's beautiful relationships, and her love of sci-fi.

Harris was an absolute delight to speak to and was incredibly thoughtful and forthright in her responses. And oh, so funny as well.

Check out this wonderful and important chat, TV Fanatics!

Can you tell us a little bit about Glamorous?

Glamorous, okay. It's a show about a makeup company. The makeup company is going through a transition, and we, as the folks who work there, this beautiful collective of beautiful gays and queer folks and how we band together to save the company. I don't want to give it away for people who haven't seen it.

And then, just some of the interpersonal office romances and some of the hurdles that we go through as gay folks in this world, all brought together in a beautiful little collective of comedy and hijinks.

Your character, Britt, is great. She's very steady, calm, kind of the voice of reason a lot of the time. And she's a very fully realized character, which I always appreciate as well. So what was it about the character that really resonated with you and appealed to you?

I mean, literally all the things that you just said—being the anchor of all the things that are swirling around. I can relate to Britt in the way that she creates her own atmosphere, and then you're going to have to adjust to her. She's the same all the time in a beautiful way. And she's like a tether, you know what I mean?

Whenever you get too far, she brings you back, and I can really relate to that. I can't relate to how sensitive she is. I'm like, "Girl, get it together. Ain't nobody telling you about work, okay?" but outside of that, she's a fun character to play.

Are there certain qualities of hers that you see in yourself?

Yeah, 100%. Her sticktoitiveness, I'm a little bit of a bulldog for my friends as well, and I'm also a very vulnerable woman. I've said it a million times. I feel like vulnerability is a superpower.

I like how Britt shows her emotions, and not in this very stereotypical box that sometimes they put masc of centered lesbians in, that they have to be so tough, and she is tough, but in a beautiful way that I think most women are balanced that way.

Yeah. And one thing I liked about Glamorous is that it really tapped into the now, with social media and everything like that, and had a very positive spirit. So how do you think Glamorous has had a positive impact or made its mark in providing positive LGBTQ+ representation in media?

I would say how they show our lives, that us being gay is not necessarily the focal point of our lives. We've already gotten past that point. I think a lot of times when they highlight us in our community, it's a story about coming out or some type of struggle, and that's not always the case.

It really truly isn't, so I really enjoy that, which I think our community needs with so much going on in the world, just storytelling about a life of a person who happens to be gay.

And I think if we can get more into that mode of, "Well, gay folks are just as regular as anybody else," I think that would break down some of the stigmas and some of the misconceptions of our community.

We're not always partying on a float. I got to go and pay these bills and get these groceries, just like anybody else, so I find the beauty in the normalcy of it all.

I was reading something about black joy, which encompasses that same thing: just showing stories of people being joyful and just what life is without being boxed into one certain thing. Because you are just living your life. I really enjoyed that about Glamorous.

Same.

Britt has these great relationships, too, on the show, and I really liked the relationship between Britt and Ben. They were platonic besties. Can you talk about that relationship and that bond between Britt and Ben?

It's actually me and Michael in real-time. It's very similar to how we ended up coming together on set, and Michael is such a sweetie. He's so sweet. So it was really easy to tap into that energy with him being so open and such a warm-hearted individual. And he's my favorite on the show as well, our relationship, how I guide him.

And I wouldn't go so far as another mother, but I'm a big sister type to him, and I just love that dynamic and how they showed that. It's really cute. That's one of my favorite parts of the show as well.

Yeah. I like that. She did guide him, but he always stepped in there, too.

Yeah. He's no pushover, and I like that. We have this banter where it's not like I'm just on him. He holds his own, and I think that's what Britt likes about it.

Yeah, it was a real friendship.

And then, on the flip of that bestie side, you had Britt getting into a romantic relationship as well. On the surface, she and Venetia seem very different, and I believe Britt even says that at one point, references that they're very different, but it really does work.

So how would you describe their relationship, and do you think this is a relationship that could have staying power?

Yeah, definitely. Me and my partner are very opposite, and if you're not so rigid in those differences, then you can see the beauty on the other side, the flip side of things, and I think that's what our characters share.

I think Britt goes about it in a particular way where she can be a little whiny, but she's really trying to show her like, "Look, this is me. Meet me halfway so we can do this thing." And I think as opposite sides of the spectrum, as far as she's this way and I'm type A, type B, I think that's where it comes in, the communication of it all, and I think they display that.

She's trying to show her that she cares in the way she can with Venetia, which is her actions. Giving her a little present, and I think people do that in real-time when they care. I might not have all the tools, but I'm going to try in a way that I know how to show love, and I can appreciate that about her character.

That's so funny. I wouldn't have said Britt was whiny, but now I'm trying to think back.

Oh, she's whiny. She's whiny, girl. She's all whiny. She's like, "I'm talking about my work. Damn. What did he do?"

I thought she was telling it like it is, more than whiny. But now I'm thinking back, like, "All right, all right. I can see it."

60-40. Get it together.

Yeah. But no, I liked their relationship. I liked how it evolved too from the beginning. You could tell they were already close and then bridging that and working through and navigating that. It was nice. And you had great chemistry with everybody you were in a scene with.

Yeah. I appreciate that because everybody really got along on set, and it's starting to creep out on Instagram and showing how much camaraderie we had. Everybody really hung out, so it showed on camera, and I love that.

You guys had this great chemistry, especially those big scenes together, like when you had those scenes where you guys were talking about the products and all meeting together and stuff like that. You guys bounced off each other well. So how was the filming experience, and do you have any fun stories from filming?

I couldn't keep up in the green room because everybody was in musical theater but me. It was so much singing and dancing. I just sat back and watched. Actually, I hate that I've missed it.

They had a big party when I was in Los Angeles for Jade's birthday, and they went to a cabin and brought wigs and played dress up, and I didn't have the heart to tell them. I was like, there was only one bathroom in that cabin, so I was never coming.

But yeah, so overall, we still have dinner together. We were all drinking together, partying together. We all lived very closely together. So yeah, we were there for a while. We were there for four months or so. So we had a long time to hang out and kick it. They're absolutely friends, and we just hung out the other day. So yeah, we're good.

Do you have a favorite episode or scene from the first season?

I would say when me and Venetia go to the drag show, I enjoyed shooting that. I really watched the performance. And I liked the glitter bomb moment 'cause it was not properly displayed how funny Lisa Gilroy is, and she can do every take different, Alyssasays. You could come up and see a different thing every time.

I mean, she is effing brilliant. And so I enjoyed that. And man, all kinds of scenes, but those are the ones that stuck out. I really enjoyed those.

What do you hope that people take away from Glamorous?

I would say that you can live a beautiful and truthful life as a queer individual and that your life doesn't have to focus on your life choices within your sexuality. What I'm saying is that life is filled with so many things that you should realize that this is a small part, whether people really want to realize that or not.

There's so much more to life than who you fall in love with. Even though love is such a big part of life, but it's not who you fall in love with. It's if you get the opportunity to fall in love because everybody doesn't have that. So I would say you can have a beautiful, very fabulous gay existence and just go for it.

Don't worry about all the other jazz. There are going to be so many hurdles anyway, so leave that one for the stars and just go for it.

So I would be remiss not to mention Daisy Jones & the Six because it was one of the biggest shows this year. What was that experience like, and how did you enjoy the role of Bernie?

Wow. Daisy Jones, that was my first reoccurring. And so, being able to watch everything from the ground up was really fun. Really breaking down a character, it being a period piece, which was incredible. We went to Greece for a month, and that opened my mind up in so many different ways.

And just the success of the show and being able to have an introduction into that world in such a grand stage. I mean, I couldn't be happier. And it's freaking good. And it's like, you laid down your work, and you hope the best, but it turned out so good. The show just turned out so good.

And I feel so lucky to be a part of it. Auditioning is such a crapshoot. You just never know. You can be great for the role. You can be too tall. Your eyes are too close together. You know what I mean? So to be in consideration for them both, getting them, I couldn't be happier.

Reading through your bio, it mentions that you came into acting after your barbershop tragically was destroyed. So what was it about acting that's always really appealed to you?

Well, I did it for many years and then took a really long break and whatnot. But I'm a big sci-fi nerd, so acting is reminiscent of me, like a multiverse. You get to see so many different iterations of yourself. And I love that. It's the essence of me but a completely different version of me.

And acting is such a, I've always had such a big imagination as a kid and adult, very whimsical adult. So to be able to do these fun projects, be a different thing all the time, and get paid handsomely for it. Hey, I'm living a dream.

Do you have a favorite sci-fi story, show, or movie?

Oh man, yes. You're going to laugh at me, but my favorite movie of all time is Terminator 2. The Terminator series in general, but 2, to be specific. My mother, God rest her soul, that was our favorite movie to watch. I'm a big Arnold Schwarzenegger fan—Predator, Event Horizon, like horror, horror-sci-fi, The Matrix.

I'm not a big fantasy girl. I'm more like horror, sci-fi, thriller. And you can get me. I'll watch it. I'll sit down. I'll watch it. Everything.

Do you have any advice for people who may be trying to navigate a career change into acting?

Be patient. Be patient. Realize that you cannot age out of acting. You might not be a Disney kid, but there are roles constantly for everyone. So I would say, just keep the dream going and be patient. That's it. And look for your openings. These openings for a woman like myself were just closed a moment ago, just a moment ago.

People were not trying to see Black gay folks on TV, period—especially not butch women. Well, I'm not super butch, but you know. So look for your openings and stay fresh and stay ready.

What shows are you currently watching, and what is your all-time comfort show?

Ooh, what am I watching right now? Well, I just finished rewatching A League of Their Own because my girlfriend hadn't seen it yet. She was literally standing at the TV, crying. I was like, I told you. I just finished Interview with the Vampire, which was so good.

My heart is open for Severance. Please come back for another season. But my comfort show, this is crazy. I watch it every single night before I go to sleep. Seinfeld.

Seinfeld and Family Guy. I'm playing the TV, and it's Seinfeld, Family Guy. I've watched every episode a million times. I didn't watch Seinfeld until it was in syndication as an adult because, as a kid, I was like, what? And now it's like hilarious. And I just love it. So brilliant, brilliant show. So great.

***This interview was edited for length and clarity.***

You can watch the first season of Glamourous in full on Netflix!