“Love is… getting my way,” Mara Brock Akil joked at the premiere of OWN’s new scripted series “Love Is__” Monday night. The series creator was standing on the carpet alongside her husband, director and producer Salim Akil, ahead of the premiere screening at NeueHouse in Hollywood when she explained why there was an empty space in the series title. “There is not one definition of love and we are supposed to fill in that [space] for ourselves,” Mara explained, adding that it needs to be a commitment between people. While Salim has collaborated with Mara on a number of projects, including “Being Mary Jane” and “Black Lightning,” he admitted to being hesitant about disclosing aspects of their personal lives onscreen. “I wasn’t ready to do it, [but] Mara was,” said Salim. “I think part of the theme of ‘Love Is__’ is love realizing you can’t allow another person to do anything. If they respect you enough to ask your opinion, you can can give your opinion but she’s a grown woman independent of me. So as an artist, she should be able to do what she wants to do… but I wasn’t down with the s—.” The series follows a blossoming TV writer (Michele Weaver) who meets and falls in love with an aspiring director (Will Catlett) in ’90s Los Angeles. Mara admitted that while the “essence” of their relationship throughout the story is captured and many details are factual, other moments have been altered for the show. “It is an inspired by story and it needs to be so that the story can stay compelling and intentional for what the show is,” Mara said. “The pilot sort of nails a lot but as the season of courtship goes on, we manipulate some of the facts so that Nuri and Yasir can be ambassadors for this idea that love is achievable if you define it for yourself.” The Akils’ love story made Oprah Winfrey want to bring the series to OWN almost instantly. “Mara walked in with this story about her actual courtship with Salim and before she even finished the pitch, I said: ‘Yes I’m in,'” Winfrey said. “I think the intimacy, the tenderness, the true affection, the real trust and the most important — wanting you to be the best you can — that’s what real love is, and I’m so excited for people to see it play out in a way that they will absolutely recognize.” Following the screening, stars including Weaver, Catlett, Kadeem Hardison, Idara Victor and Tyrone Marshall Brown attended the reception where Winfrey made a toast to the new series with tequila shots. “Love Is __” premieres June 19 at 10 p.m. on OWN.<doc-sep>When Mara Brock Akil set out to write, produce and direct the series premiere for her new OWN drama “Love Is___” she says she wanted to share the story of black love with a wider audience. “I don’t really think we’ve really seen the humanity of black love deep enough,” she explains. “I treated the direction of this almost like an independent film or a foreign film because…that is how I feel our existence is in this country is. We’re foreigners, so we have to tell our stories in ways that celebrate our own beauty and even our own flaws. And we invite the audience into that conversation so it will then open them up and the conversation will evolve.” The series, which is set in the 1990s, centers on a young couple in the earliest days of their courtship. Nuri, played by Michele Weaver, is based on Brock Akil, with Yasir, played by Will Catlett, based on Salim Akil. Pulling from their own lives, Brock Akil wrote both characters as writers, though to different degrees of success. Nuri works on a television series and is about to break out, while Yasir is struggling — so much so that he has trouble paying his pager bill. “We’re using real facts and manipulating them and making sure I hit some of the tentpole moments that I thought were specific and unique to our relationship and the time,” Brock Akil says. “I actually think it’s a lot of fun for the audience to kind of play that game of ‘What is real and what is [exaggerated]?’ That’s the freedom, actually, to let it go.” In real life, the producing powerhouses have been married for over two decades. The first season of the show explores a slightly fictionalized version of their trials and tribulations from the first year of their relationship, punctuated by flashes into the future to find the couple still happily married after two decades. “It allows the viewer to lean back into a journey and hope people will just embrace it,” Brock Akil says of knowing the outcome for the couple from the start. She admits that when she first thought about doing a show based on her own relationship, it wasn’t at the top of her list of projects. But, she shares, a combination of constantly being asked by fans on social media about how she does it, finding a passionate way into the story, and the timing being right is what led her to ultimately explore the idea. “When I was in ’97 I didn’t know I was in a very major moment,” she points out. “But with the privilege of reflection I do. And that’s what artists should do — they should help illuminate and reflect the human condition.” Two decades may have passed since the Akils were at the point in their lives that the characters find themselves in during the first season of the show, but some of the topics touched upon will certainly still be raw for those involved. The show dives into past relationships for both Nuri and Yasir, and Yasir has an off-screen son, just as Akil himself has a son from a previous relationship. But Brock Akil adds that at this point in her life, she finds it “beautiful…to stand in the middle of my fear and then get to be on the other side of it.” “To choose love and jump in not knowing, with a lot of unknowns, is a brave act,” Brock Akil says. Brock Akil notes that in the past jumping into love has been depicted as “naive” or falsely “pure,” pointing out that “romantic comedy…sort of took a nosedive in the ’90s because we learned how to get the girl or get the guy but [not] how do we keep them?” So while visually she was all about using sunlight and camera flares to depict the “magical moments” of falling in love, she also made it a point for the story to “talk about love in its complexity.” “It’s not all a smooth road because that bubble that they’re in when they fall in love is very safe, but then you get under the gaze of society and, more importantly people you love and they’re telling you, ‘He’s broke, he’s not worth it’ or ‘She’s not what you thought you’d have.’ And yet they keep choosing — whether their conscious mind is choosing it or their heart is choosing it — they are choosing it,” she says. “If we define it for ourselves, then it’s achievable.”<doc-sep>The OWN network is bringing the heat to summer with the premiere of its new romantic dramedy, Love Is_, on Tuesday. The series is based on the real-life love story of renowned television showrunners Mara Brock Akil and her husband Salim Akil—both of whom are creators and directors of the show. Love Is_ introduces a slew of burgeoning talent as they portray characters facing the trials and triumphs of falling and staying in love, all the while striving for success in their personal careers. Aside from seeming like the quintessential Hollywood love story, the new series appears to dismiss that age-old stigma of having to give up true romance for a life of success, but rather, depicts a coming-of-age black woman actually having her cake and getting to eat it too—that is, when she's willing to work hard for it. "It's great because the woman who is writing [the show] has already experienced it," Michele Weaver, who stars as the series' lead protagonist Nuri, told Newsweek recently. "They say, 'Write about what you know,' and [Brock Akil] knows the journey of climbing the ladder in Hollywood, especially as a black woman starting in the '90s. And she also knows what it takes to keep a relationship alive in an industry where a lot of relationships fail just because of the pressure of the career." Read on for Weaver's full interview with Newsweek below. This interview has been condensed for purposes of length. How did you end up getting involved with the show? People always ask me that and, you know, [it was] nothing glamorous. Just like any normal actor, I got an email for an audition, went through the audition process and they ended up picking me. Did you feel any pressure playing a role based on Brock Akil? Of course! I think there's pressure with any role. I wanted to make sure that I did it justice, but it was great because she was on set a lot. And she's a writer. The good thing about playing a person who's also the showrunner and the writer is that she gave me a lot on the page. She knocked it out on the page for me. What do you love the most about Nuri? I love her boldness. She's fearless and she takes risks. Unfortunately, sometimes when you take risks, you start to doubt them. But at Nuri's core, she follows her gut. When you meet her in Love Is_, she's still pretty early on in her career, so it looks like she's being a little unwise with some of her boldness. But you get to see what actually makes her successful is that she's willing to take risks. Her instincts are good and you see her learn how to follow her instincts. Any successful person kinda breaks the rules a little bit. That's what makes them stand out. Nuri doesn't really fit in and she sees things differently, and through her progression, you get to see that's what really makes her stand out and become the trailblazer. We know that it works, because Mara already did that and [the show is] based on her. The show seems to dismiss that stigma that women who are very focused on career success can't have love too. I think what it shows is a realistic approach to love and career. It's great because the woman who is writing [it] has already experienced it. They say, "Write about what you know," and [Brock Akil] knows the journey of climbing the ladder in Hollywood, especially as a black woman starting in the '90s. And she also knows what it takes to keep a relationship alive in an industry where a lot of relationships fail just because of the pressure of the career. That's just something I appreciate as an actress and also an actress who is very much like Nuri—I'm very much in the beginning stages of my career, I'm not married, I don't have a family. It's great to see that you can have your cake and eat it too, but you also have to know the truth that you are gonna have to sacrifice some things. You are gonna have to fight for some things. You can't just show up and get what you want. You have to show up and fight for it, and that's also a part of Love Is_. It has this truth element to it. It's lighthearted, beautiful and hopeful, but it's also real. Love is gonna take everything that you got. Are you willing to give everything you got for what you want? What is love, in your opinion? I would say that love is a journey. I believe that when you love someone, your love should grow as time passes. So as you're beginning to know them and as life evolves your love also evolves. You love someone at their worst, you love someone at their best, whether it's your mother, your father, brother, sister or friend, or your partner in crime. Basically when you say you love someone you commit to having a journey with them. Have you ever been in love before? [Laughs] You're the first person to ask me that! I believe I've been in love before, yes. I mean it didn't work out so you wonder, "Was it love?" But I do believe I've been in love before. Did you draw on any past feelings help portray Nuri's strong love for Yassir? This show is very intense for me because a lot of things that Nuri went through throughout the season, I have gone through in the past few years. It was almost freaky because there were moments I was like, "Oh my God, I know exactly how she feels." I am a woman of faith and spiritual woman, so it almost was like I realized why I went through something in the past, I needed to know how to play that in a scene. So it was actually very healing for me and rewarding because of that. It's very freaky how much my life kinda mirrors Nuri. Obviously, there are still a lot of differences, but there's a lot of things that kinda come and some of the decisions that she had to make, I've actually had to make. So I definitely drew a lot from my personal experiences. Even if my situation wasn't quite as high stakes as her, I knew the essential emotion and fear that was happening in that situation. How did you like working with Will Catlett? It's so funny because we've known each other for years. I know his wife. We have similar friends. My best friend was in the same acting class as him and I was in the same program but a different class years ago. I actually was so relieved to see him at the chemistry read because already I knew his talent and I know him as a person. Even though we weren't super close, we had a similar circle of people that we were always around. So I knew his character as a person. I've seen him really mature and I've watched his career grow. So as soon as I saw him I was like, "Oh my God! It's about to be lit!" I'm super excited to work with him! He's a talented actor. I can trust him. He's respectful and I know he's a good guy. It definitely was an advantage for us, because the second I went into a reading with him—opposed to the other actor—I completely was comfortable. Was filming a collaborative effort or did you guys just stick to the script? It really was collaborative. The great thing about Mara is she's really open, and so were a lot of the directors [we worked with]. When we came in we were free to improv a little bit, make some choices, challenge some choices. Considering Mara is the visionary of this project, there were things that she said, "No we're gonna do it this way because of this, this and this." And then at that point, we're like, OK, let's just trust the vision. That's what collaborative work in the creative is.<doc-sep>
OWN’s latest relationship drama, Love Is___, is a look back at the humble beginnings of TV power couple Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil. “It really came from a conversation I’ve been having specifically with Black women,” said creator and executive producer Brock Akil on the genesis on the project. Speaking on a panel discussion at the annual American Black Film Festival, the creator behind shows like Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane said she’d often get inquiries from Black females on how she and husband Salim Akil were able to maintain such as strong relationship within the confines of Hollywood. “I wanted to share what my journey is like and what his journey is like. I think now is a time in which we need love in a narrative. It has been missing for some time in a sincere way.” Related Story 'The Legacy Of Black Wall Street': OWN Sets Doc On History Of Tulsa Economic Hub From Trailblazer Studios Love Is___, set primarily in 1990s Los Angeles against the backdrop of Black Hollywood, follows Nuri (Michele Weaver) and Yasir (Will Catlett), a couple from seemingly opposite worlds, as they chase their dreams and learn to follow their hearts. Told from the perspective of the couple’s present-day selves, the romantic drama explores the highs, the lows and the magic of falling — and staying — in love. “This is my attempt of sharing this and really to say I think that love is achievable if you define it and design it for yourself,” said Brock Akil. “This is not a blueprint. I’m not offering a how-to,” she adds. “The how-to is hopefully to be inspired by figuring out what you want as an individual and share it with another individual to build something together, whatever that may be.” Brock Akil was joined onstage by stars Weaver, Catlett, and Kadeem Hardison, who is taking his own trip down memory lane of sorts. Hardison is best known for his role as Dwayne Wayne in the colligate-set ’90s sitcom A Different World. He’s starring in another ’90s-centric series albeit filmed in the modern era. “It’s a dream come true,” said Hardison on getting to revisit the 90s. “That was the best time in the history of time. This genius [Brock Akil] decided we’re going to go back, back in time and tell it the way we should have been telling it… So really I can’t even express how proud and how excited I am to be a part of this.” As newcomers in leading roles, Weaver and Catlett leaned on the guidance of the Akils to shape their performance “I figured since she’s the voice of the show so she’s giving me a palette already to work with,” said Weaver. “I just looked to [Brock Akil] and I knew she wasn’t going to make me look bad and I was inspired by her… I just trusted that and I purposely did not want to get stuck in my head and try and imitate anything but make it authentic in the moment.” “Mara’s incredible,” said Catlett. “When she’s 40 feet deep and I’m only operating at 30, she has to pull me down there to be where she’s at and sometimes that’s difficult.” Catlett added, “Sometimes you want to give up but she has that experience. She’s been having a conversation with women and men in all her projects and this is a continued conversation.” Brock Akil directed the first episode of the series, which not only marked her television directorial debut but also fulfilled a longtime ambition. “Salim was supposed to direct the pilot. That was just how we were moving,” said Brock Akil. “Then when he couldn’t and someone said we have to find a director I was like oh, hell to the no.” She said it was her younger self that pushed her into the director’s chair. “It was Mara, the 23-year-old, who came to LA and finally raise her hand and stop being scared… I was nervous but it ain’t no stopping me now.