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carruechedaily · 6 years ago

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KARRUECHE TRAN: THE SUPER-HUMBLE, SUPER-TALENTED SUPERWOMAN

Karrueche Tran needs no introduction, considering she’s been a household name for those who are into celebrity gossip for nearly a decade. “Hi, it’s Karrueche” is the first thing she says when she calls me from her cell phone, quickly followed by an apology for being like, three minutes behind for our scheduled interview. Important note: In my phone-interview-with-celebrities experiences, 99% of the time their publicist is making the perpetually late call, lifelessly greeting me verbatim with “I have [insert celebrity here] on the line.” Annoyingly often the publicist will require that I submit questions in advance for approval, which I do. When I throw in non-approved questions during the actual chat, the celeb offers a nervous, meh-media-trained response—that is, if the publicist, who has been listening to our conversation in an intense manner on mute all along, doesn’t interrupt and shut that shit down. That is not at all the case with Los Angeles born-and-raised Karrueche Tran. Whew! She actually wanted to talk, and was enthusiastic, humble, and filter-fucking-free during our nearly 40-MINUTE conversation. The 30-year-old was just finishing up at a gym in New Orleans, where she’s currently filming season three of Claws. Tran acts opposite the perma-fantastic Niecy Nash in the psychotically amazing, women-led (both on and behind the camera) dramedy that’s been described as Steel Magnolias meets Breaking Bad. In short, Claws is about five fierce manicurists who work at a nail salon in Manatee County, Florida and find themselves laundering money from a strip mall pill clinic in hopes for a bigger, better life. Tran nails it (sorry, had to) as Virginia, an unapologetically-herself ex-stripper. Her scene-stealing one-liners are simply everything: Virginia’s response to “Does it always have to be about you?” is “Uh yes, girl. I’m a millennial.” Tran has been immaculately executing the okurrr as Virginia long before Cardi B trademarked the phrase, and her maximalist, millennial-pink-heavy, Cher Horowitz-rivaling numbers—which, in the forthcoming season, will include a bedazzled eye-patch as a, spoiler alert!, style choice due to Virginia taking a bullet in the season two finale—are unrivaled. Thrown involuntarily into the scrutinizing spotlight in her early twenties for reasons that we won’t entertain mentioning, the then-mysterious Tran could have used the frantic fascination around her for a career in reality television and Flat Tummy Tea-sponsored Instagram posts. But “As if!” to promoting the aforementioned laxative, which is clear to her 8+ million Instagram followers, where she’s very open about her body image struggles, self-acceptance, and self-love. Tran talked in detail with me about that and so much more, including her thoughts re: her wild journey, from those damn TMZ headlines to her breakout role on TNT. Forgive me, but the slogan from the early-2000s MTV program, Diary, came to my millennial mind after we said goodbye: “You think you know but you have no idea.” Below, Tran introduces the (very) real her—the girl who once worked at a boutique on Robertson Boulevard and who dreams of starring in a box office blockbuster. She’s definitely got what it takes, and I, like so many others, will forever root for (a.k.a. stan) this super-humble, super-talented superwoman. You’ve been very open about your body image struggles, self-acceptance, and self-love. When did you become comfortable with your body? “

It took me a long time to be comfortable with who I am. Especially with my previous relationships or just with men in general, I knew what they liked and I knew that I would never be that because I’m a small, petite person. I think curvy women are beautiful, and I would love to have that, but that’s not how I was created. It took awhile for me to realize This is how you were born. This is how God made you. If you want anything close to it, then you need to work for it in a natural way. That’s why I workout—I don’t workout to stay thin. I workout to stay fit and healthy, but to also build muscle.” So many women can relate, and I’m sure so many consider you a role model. “That’s why I try to be very vocal. There are a lot of girls out there who are having the same problems as me. They’re always told, ‘Oh, you’re so small. You’re so tiny. You’re so cute and little.’ It’s like, Shut the fuck up. I’m 30 years old and I can pass for a 15 year old, which is a blessing because I look young, but it’s like, I’m a grown woman and I want to be treated as such. For me, and for a lot of people, having a butt and boobs signifies being a woman. It is hard, but I’ve learned to work around it and accept who I am—and keep doing my squats!”

I just have to say, you’re perfect. I’m not being creepy—I’m gay! “

Heyyy!”

Heyyy! By the way, you and your boyfriend make such a cute couple.

“Thank you. He makes me feel very comfortable with who I am, which is great because it makes me feel more confident and reassured that he cares and loves me. It’s really great to have that support from him.”

You’ve been in the public eye for almost a decade, but 2017 was the year you had your breakout role as Virginia in TNT’s Claws. Was it difficult to make it in the acting world?

“My story is quite interesting. The way I was first introduced to the world was from my past relationship that was obviously very public—that’s how a lot of people knew of me and recognized me. I do remember one time very early on in my career when I first started going to auditions. The casting director was like, ‘What do I know you from? Your name sounds so familiar… Oh yeah! I’ve seen you on TMZ.’ At that time, there was still so much press I was dealing with. I was like, Oh lord, I can only imagine what this woman has seen or heard about or read about me, which may or may not be true. And I was like, Fuck, that’s not the best first impression—being the girl on TMZ that has this relationship drama or whatever the fuck it was at the time. “When I made the decision to be an actor, I wanted to be taken very seriously. I had a lot of opportunities to do reality television and make big money, but it just didn’t feel right. I really wanted to have some sort of longevity in a career. I didn’t wanna bullshit around just to make money—I believe in doing things that I actually stand for.”

Can you tell me more about your acting journey leading up to this breakout role in Claws?

“I had a very, very small role in a horror film. I had like one line and I was very nervous, but from there, I was intrigued. I worked hard and took a lot of group classes where I could break out of my shell and not be so embarrassed around other people. With acting, you have to be vulnerable. “Once I was in those classes, that’s when I booked Claws. In between that time, I had done a lot of different shows and low budget, independent films. But Claws was the biggest production. So I went right back into classes, because if I’m on a show with Niecy Nash, Carrie Preston, Jenn Lyon, Judy Reyes, Harold Perrineau…all of these amazing, experienced, well-known actors, I’m like, Look, I’m not gonna be looking like the new girl! [Laughs] Going into it, I made sure to study with my coach and just really focus. I’m 30; I don’t have time to fuck around and just figure things out. It’s pivotal for me to focus on something that I love and to just keep working at it and perfecting my craft.”

You’ve been famous since your early twenties, but I’ve never seen photos of you stumbling out of the club or anything wild. How have you dealt with “the fame?”

“It’s weird, because I just see myself as being Karrueche from LA. Before I was introduced to the world in a very public way, I had jobs, I was hustling, I was figuring my life out. This journey that I’ve gone on…sometimes I think about it and I’m still mind blown. I was once working at a boutique on Robertson and now I’m on a TV show. “But I try not to think about it too much and let it consume my mind. I never want to change who I am because I’m famous now. I don’t believe in that; I believe in being true to who I am and adjusting to this new life, but still being humble and genuine. I’m lucky to have a great family and I still have friends that I’ve known since middle school and high school. It’s a blessing. My friends and my family are my foundation.”

Let’s talk about fashion. You pumped down the catwalk for The Blonds’ New York Fashion Week show. How was that experience?

“It was a lot of fun. I was so nervous. I’ve always been intrigued by runway models because they’re just beautiful, tall, lean, confident, and strong, and I never thought I could ever model because they’re at least 5’9”. I’m 5’1”! I was like, Oh my God, I feel like a little shrimp right now! But it was a great experience; I had fun. I don’t know if I’d do it again because I was just so nervous and in my own head, but it was a great time and I love David and Phillipe [Blond]. I appreciate them having me be a part of their show.” Well, Lil’ Kim has to be shorter than you, and she strutted down the runway and shut it down! “Oh. My. God. Yeah, she was so dope and her energy! She came out and I was like, Oh shit!”

Now for some random questions. If you could spend a few months anywhere in the world, where would it be?

“If I could spend a few months in New York and work during the summertime, I would love that. For a year, I would love to live in Jamaica or Turks and Caicos or Belize. Somewhere very tropical. This is my retirement goal.”

That should have been the question! Where do you see yourself when you retire?

“Living somewhere very tropical, owning a jerk chicken shack where I’m cooking the food myself. And I’m super tan, smoking weed, and in a great mood. I’ve been to all these places and I was like, I see myself here. Everyone is so nice and the energy is so good. I could live there forever and be content.”

If you could wear only one designer for the rest of your life, who would you want it to be?

“Oh, shit…I would probably say anything that Virgil [Abloh] makes. He is so talented and he is dominating the world right now. Killing it. I would wear anything that man put on me.”

And if you could raid anyone’s closet and steal their shit, whose would it be?

“Do you know who Aleali May is? She can pull anything off and she’s just really dope. I would love to be able to wear all her clothes. And she’s also from LA!” How would you describe your personal style in a few words? “Crazy, sexy, cool petite panache.” And sorry, the question that everyone asks: Where do you wanna be in five years?

“In five years, I want to be on the beach. No, I’m just kidding! In five years…it’s kind of around the corner. Time flies.”

It sure as shit does.

“I would love to be continuing on this path of growth and success and self-love. Just taking care of myself. I’d also love to be in a couple of huge box office movies.”

I can totally see you playing a superhero.

“Oh my gosh! I don’t know what it freaking is, but you might be the 20th person that has said that recently. I would love to as well. That is the fucking dream role. I’m knocking on some wood right now that hopefully that comes true one day.” Karrueche wears dress by The Dolls House, headpiece from Century Girl Vintage, shoes by Manolo Blahnik

I can see it now. The new Storm and/or the new Catwoman…

“Oh, fuck yeah! Hopefully in a few years! [Laughs]”

Is there any actor you would die to work with?

“Halle Berry!”

Who has played both Catwoman and Storm…!

“Mm-hmm! That’s why I laughed when you said that. I see so much of my character Virginia with her character from the movie B*A*P*S.”

Speaking of Virginia, how did you prepare to play her? Where did you find your inspiration to bring her to life?

“Well, because Virginia came from the strip club, before we started shooting, I stayed in Atlanta for a week. They’re huge on their strip clubs! I went to the strip club daytime and nighttime and studied the girls, their movements, the way they looked at other strippers, the way they looked at customers, and the men that were there. I was trying to envision myself as one of them, which I think helped a lot for figuring out Virginia’s mindset.”

Virginia’s been through a lot, and the show doesn’t shy away from it, like when she chooses to have an abortion and must confront the pro-life protesters.

“A lot of shows would shy away from it or are too afraid to acknowledge that topic because it might be sensitive. But we’re bringing light to reality and to things a lot of women go through. It’s very empowering for us to relay a storyline that’s not always talked about that people can relate to and connect with. That’s why I love this show.”

#Karrueche #Karrueche Tran

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slapshot-to-the-heart · 7 years ago

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If You Ever Want to be in Love

May 2018

Saw you today after so much time/Felt just like it used to be/Talking for hours 'bout a different life/Surrounded us in memories

A party in the Upper West Side of Manhattan was the last place Harry expected to see her. They had barely spoken in the past year, quick texts and promises of phone calls that never came broadening the gap that had crept its way in between the once inseparable pair. Alex had never really been one for parties. She had, of course, come as his guest to countless shows and events, from his earliest X-Factor appearances up to last year’s Brit Awards, but was equally at home on his couch with a cache of early 2000s rom-coms. Harry saw her give a sincere hug to Matt— it was his engagement party, after all— and walk over to the bar to pour herself a drink. Scotch straight, he’d bet his life on it. He found himself walking over towards her with barely a whisper of a plan in his mind, hardly knowing anything he wanted to say to the woman who had been in his life for 15 years. Harry swallowed. “Alex, hey.” He cursed himself as soon as the words left his lips. It’s the first time he’s seeing his best friend in over a year, and all he can come up with is ‘hey?’

Luckily for him, his poor conversation starter didn’t seem to dampen her enthusiasm for seeing him. “Harry, oh my God, it’s so good to see you! What are you doing here?” She smiled, and Harry could tell that it didn’t quite reach her eyes. She was glad to see him, that wasn’t the issue. The issue was how they had left things.

He gave a cocky half-smile. “Could ask you the same thing, love. ‘M mate’s with Matt, he works over at the label in mixing.” The pet name had just slipped out. It was a habit, a reminder of things past that Harry (and Alex too, though he didn’t know it) desperately hoped were still a possibility.

“I suppose I walked right into that one,” she said softly, tucking a few strands of wavy brown hair behind her ear. “I work with Julia, her station’s next to mine and she’s been really kind to me the past few months since I moved.” Julia was the first person to welcome Alex to both the firm and a new country, favors for which she was eternally grateful.

Moved? “Since when have you been in New York?” Harry asked, a big, insanely genuine smile beginning to cross his face. If he had known that she was in town, he would have asked her over to his new apartment, or suggested dinner together at a hole-in-the-wall Italian place he had discovered one night.

She gave a sad smile. “I told you, Harry. Remember? ‘Call me as soon as you can, I’ve got great news!’”

His brow furrowed. “But I did call you, didn’t I?”

“After two days. I get that you were working on the album, trust me. It was just getting hard having to constantly feel like I was pushed to the side all the time.” Alex had never seen herself as a jealous person. She knew that he had other responsibilities, other friends, and other commitments. She could have excused the late call if it was a one-off thing, but it was one in a string of several missed calls, unreplied texts, and postponed plans that had made her start to wonder if Harry took their friendship for granted.

“Alex…” Harry trailed off, feeling the guilt build up inside him like some dormant volcano poised to explode.

Unexpectedly, she reached for his hand. “Don’t worry, Harry. I’ve already forgiven you.” She always was too kind to him. Too understanding. Too forgiving. “Do you remember the night before you left for recording, when we were back home? We snuck out to the field, you know the one with the lavender bushes?”

He remembered. “When we stayed up way too late, drank wine that was way too cheap, and brought out all of our awful childhood pictures?”

“That’s the one,” she laughed.

Wanted to ask if we could have been/But my tongue wouldn't break the seal/You always had something effortless/At school you were the biggest deal

Harry cherished that night. But then again, he cherished every moment he had ever spent with Alex. That night had been different, however. There was a tension in between the two friends, one that neither wanted to address. They had promised to keep touch while Harry was off recording in America, and he had even offered to fly her out for a week or two to visit when she could get time off of work. That was the night that Harry had realized that he was falling for her. That he had fallen for Alex, his best friend, the woman who knew him nearly as well as his own mum and never failed to call him out on his shit. The beautiful, intelligent, charming, endlessly interesting Alex. He could have told her. He wanted to tell her. But he hadn’t. The words had been on the tip of his tongue, and he had nearly let them slip right as the sun was coming up, when the golden light hit her hair just right and he noticed the red tones that brought out the green in her eyes. He hadn’t, and he had regretted it every day since. He hadn’t, because he had been convinced that confessing his feelings would mean the end of their friendship, the end of one of the precious few shreds of normalcy his life had left at that point. He hadn’t, because he was sure that she couldn’t possibly reciprocate his love. Being friends with him was one thing, but a relationship was an entirely different beast. Was she ready for that? Did she want that?

What Harry didn’t know was that every time Harry told an interviewer that she was “just a friend,” Alex winced inside. Every time his hand was on her waist or around her shoulders on a red carpet or at an event instead of clutched in her own caused a pang in her heart. Alex hadn’t realized that she was in love with her best friend that night in the lavender meadow. It had taken nearly another month, until one night while mentioning him to an old uni friend of hers, she realized she had never talked about another guy like she was talking about Harry. She had had boyfriends before, that wasn’t the issue. But none of them were Harry. Harry, who she trusted with her life and who had never let his fame cause him to forget where he came from. The romantic, honest, incredible, generous Harry. And it had scared her. Alex had never recalled a moment in her life more terrifying than realizing she had fallen for her best friend. That day, she had picked up her phone three separate times, wanting more than anything to call Harry and tell him how she felt. But she didn’t. She didn’t want to hold him back, sure that confessing her feelings would throw him off track, off schedule, and off of his game. His career was only going up, and Alex couldn’t live with herself if she ever did anything to jeopardize it. Music was what Harry loved, and she never wanted to do anything to come between it. So she lived with her own confusion and pain, resolving that only a friendship with Harry was thousands of times better than the possibility of him not being in her life at all.

That night, they both knew that there were things left unsaid. Harry wanted Alex to know that he had fallen in love with her, and Alex needed to know that their extended time apart wouldn’t change things between the two of them. It never had before, but something in her needed tangible reassurance.

I'll come around/If you ever want to be in love/I'm not waiting, but I'm willing if you call me up

It had been around the time Alex realized her feelings for Harry that things had started to break down between the friends. Alex knew that it was partially her fault— she hadn’t been as committed to keeping up communication as she could have been, but the blame wasn’t hers alone to bear. Harry had become spotty with picking up her phone calls, and their once hours-long Facetime sessions had been cut to a few hurried minutes between riding sessions, in cars home from interviews, and a particularly memorable one where he was piss-drunk after a night out.

Harry regretted not picking up Alex’s calls nearly as much as not confessing his feelings that night in the lavender meadows. He wanted to talk to her. Really, he did. He was just afraid that any time he picked up, he’d let slip. “How is the new design for that nightclub working, and did I ever tell you I’m in love with you?” However, that didn’t ever stop him from hoping that she would call him. He caught himself more than once staring at his phone, hoping she’d somehow be calling to tell him how she felt, to let him know that everything he had been hoping for months on end wasn’t in vain. He felt like tearing his hair out some days, and it seemed like his cell had turned into Schrödinger’s phone. If he never picked up when she called, she both loved and didn’t love him. So he chose the path of least resistance, thinking that the pain of a deteriorating friendship was less than finding out she didn’t love him back. It was selfish, he knew. Who was he to decide how their friendship should be dictated? But in his Alex-induced haze of confusion, any rational thoughts about acceptable human interactions seemed to have gone out the window. Still, his heart ached being away from her. If friendship was the only relationship he would be able to get from her, he had resolved himself to be okay with that. Now, however, he wasn’t sure if even a friendship was on the table.

We were, young we were side by side/Don't know when we started losing touch/If you want we could walk around/Maybe that would be enough

“D’you want to go out to the balcony, talk some more?” Harry said tentatively, jerking his thumb towards the French doors a few steps away.

Alex nodded. “Yeah, I think that would be good.” The two of them walked through the doors onto the balcony, settling into the two wire chairs overlooking the New York City skyline. Alex put her drink on the table. The two of them sat in silence for a few moments until she spoke. “Why did things start going wrong, Harry?” She asked sadly, not quite making eye contact.

He swallowed. He could be honest, but somehow he didn’t feel like that was an option. “I don’t really know, Alex. We’ve always been really good at keeping in touch when I’m working, but I guess…”

She prompted him forward with a raise of her eyebrows.

“I guess I was worried about what was going to change about our relationship. I didn’t want anything to be different, and I didn’t want you thinking you had to be someone different for the sake of our friendship.” That sounded believable, right? Harry thought.

“You’ve always been an awful liar, H.” Alex said with a small smile. She could tell he wasn’t being truthful, but she wasn’t going to push him any further. He’d tell her if he wanted to, her feelings were just a little bruised at the thought that he didn’t want to share it with her.

Harry winced. She always had been able to read him like a book.

“So, how long are you in town for?” She asked, breaking him from his thoughts.

He twirled the straw in his long-since drank Old Fashioned. “I s’pose as long as I want. Bought a place in Midtown a few months ago, I told you about that, right?”

She nodded. “You mentioned it, yeah.”

On a whim, he decided to ask her, “Do you want to come over and see it? No strings attached, just two friends hanging out. We could get some movies out like we used to, and I’m nearly positive I’ve got that trail mix you love.”

Alex was surprised he remembered. Them losing contact hadn’t been entirely Harry’s fault, and it was of unfair of her to give him all the blame. He was always good at remembering details. He had never once missed telling her happy birthday, even when he was on tour and their messages had become sporadic at best. He had sent her mother flowers for Mother’s Day, insisting that “Beth, you’ve been nearly as much a mum to me over the past 15 years as my own,” and had showed up to her little brother’s high school graduation, despite the fact that she had only mentioned it once months prior. Giving up on a friendship wasn’t something Alex took lightly, and this friendship even more so.

Finally looking him in the eyes, she nodded. “Let’s go.”

Hey guys! Sorry it’s up late, I was on a retreat and didn’t have Wifi. Reblog and tell me what you think! I’ll try to keep on a fairly weekly basis with posting, I’m already working on the next entry.

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