I got a chance to catch up with funny man Capone Lee (The Gangsta of Comedy) and the beautiful Laila Odom to gain some insight into the new season of the Cinemax hit series Zane’s Sex Chronicles. Capone a writer and actor on the show has been making his rounds in the world of comedy for years and Laila plays a comedian on the show. Both actors are adamant about the show being much more than sex and that readers can gain a lot by watching.
Parlé Magazine: How did you get involved with this project?
Laila Odom: I actually auditioned for the part. The first season Zane was on set so that if we had any questions, we could go directly to her. I don’t think that you can ask for more than having the writer on set. She basically knows the character better than anyone else. She gave us a lot of freedom to kind of stretch the character and, you know, make them our own. In the second season, it’s been a little different, there are new characters, so the story line changes a bit, not much. Zane is still involved, but I think at this point it’s more up to the actors to develop their characters.
Parlé: Capone, you knew Zane beforehand, correct?
Capone: The producer of the show is my manager and she asked me to write in as just being a comedian to showcase my talent as a comedian. Laila’s character is a comedian and they needed someone who pretty much runs the club. So, it started as me just being a writer and doing some material. But for the second season, they wrote me in a lot more because me and Laila’s chemistry as friends developed real good.
Parlé: Were either of you fans of Zane prior to the show or at least familiar with her writing?
Laila: I was very familiar with her writing myself, I definitely read her books coming back and forth, I live in California but I’m from New York, so on the flight coming back home I would always be able to catch up, you know, read a book. So, for me to audition for the show, I knew exactly what it was all about and it was a very easy transition to go from reading that material and bringing that material to life.
Capone: With me, I was familiar with the books through other people. You know, being a man, it always seemed like Zane was the person who gives women instructions on how to please a man or what it would be in a fantasy world, so that’s how I got pretty much attached to her.
Parlé: Capone, Zane says that the erotica part is just to get people’s attention, there’s a deeper message behind everything she does. So, as a contributing writer, what do you feel is the deeper message behind the show as a whole?
Capone: I feel, as being an African American, or should I say Black man, that she definitely draws on the beauty of what Blackness is all about. In the entertainment field, we don’t really have a lot of people that show what the essence of Black beauty is about. And it’s not about sex. Just the way that they have these beautiful women that go through problems just like the average young lady. I think that it definitely spins off to showing the average woman that you’re not the only one with problems. No matter how beautiful you are or what you’re going through in life, there are other people that have those same type of problems. I think that’s come across a lot in Zane’s Sex Chronicles.
Laila: You put that very nicely, I don’t know if I could have said that any better. For me it is NOT about the sex. It’s very important for me to say that. Even though it’s the Sex Chronicles, at the end of the day it’s not just the relationship you have with your mate or the person that you’re intimate with, but it’s with your friends and how people relate to you based on sometimes how you treat people in those relationships. You can judge a lot from someone based on how they treat their loved ones. It’s just a more intimate look at that, you just happen to have more of the sensuality. It very much so is that the normal every day person can relate to it. At some point in time, we have all had intimate relationships and that’s just one aspect that we use to connect with people. People understand it and people get it and it’s not just about the sex. It’s way better than that.
Parlé: Do you have anything to say to your fans regarding watching the season?
Capone: Being a comedian, it’s not rare, but it’s a pick in a million that you get a chance to be on a show that is so versatile. Usually it’s one sided and they put you in a position to be funny. But this show is a different side of me. There’s the funny part, but there’s also the serious part, where I’m concerned about a friend that’s going through trials and tribulations in a relationship and it gives me a bigger place to reach than just getting up on stage and being funny. Even though I seem like the guy with the most reason, there are fantasies that I want to fulfill and this helps to bring that to life.
Laila: For me it’s about a character that is extremely misunderstood, but this season we see that she has some redeeming qualities and I think we understand a little bit better the relationship that she has with Capone’s character. She really does care and it’s not just about the sex.
Parlé: Do you personally relate to your character, Laila?
Laila: I think the comedy aspect of it is very close to who I am as a person. She’s a good person, but she has some problems and I think that everybody can identify with that.
Parlé: How can your fans get in touch with you all?
Laila: The best way would be to go to my website www.lailaodomonline.com which links to Facebook and Twitter.
Capone: Basically, they can call me! (laughs) Facebook-Capone Lee or my tour web site.
Parlé: Is there anything to share on current projects?
Laila: I want people to tune into the show every Friday and see all of the things the new characters will do. If you tune into this season, you will find what the show is truly about.
Capone: Tune in to Zane’s Sex Chronicles every Friday. If you don’t know anything about life and friendships, you can learn and if you don’t know anything about sex, you should watch it twice.
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