WASHINGTON — From Largo High School to Hampton University to Hollywood. That's the path actress Javicia Leslie has taken as she makes a name for herself in television and film. WUSA9 spoke with her about her journey, and breaking barriers in TV.
Leslie just wrapped filming on the fifth season of the BET series 'The Family Business.' She works alongside Ernie Hudson in the long-running crime drama. She says working on the show has allowed her to learn from some big names.
"I end up as an actor crossing paths with so many legends, starting with Ernie Hudson and Valarie Pettiford. The last five seasons we have had everyone you could think of that has been impactful in the film and television industry. Specifically, as Black people, they have had a chance to show up and show out on our show. That's one of my favorite parts," she said.
Her second-favorite part? The action. Action-packed TV is something Leslie has experience with. She played Batwoman on the CW series for three seasons.
"In my previous show 'Batwoman,' I learned a lot of fighting techniques, so I was able to use some of the stuff from that show and bring it to 'The Family Business,' Leslie said.
As Batwoman, Leslie broke barriers as the first Black and gay Batwoman on TV.
"The character of Batwoman is the first gay superhero, that's how it has been since the beginning of time for that character," Leslie said. "She was cast as white because the comic version of the character was white. When I came on it was cool to be able to break that door and have the first Black Batwoman. To also play a character that's been gay and underrepresented has been amazing to do."
The fifth season of "The Family Business" airs in July.
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