Just as series four of Private Practice is about to air in the UK, the handsome star talks to Joanna Abeyie about the new craze of rappers turned actors and why he is such a big fan of Glee.
It’s a Saturday morning, and I’m sitting in the “media lounge” of the Soho Hotel in central London. I am about to meet ladies’ favourite Taye Diggs, who is in town to promote the fourth series of his most recent acting venture, the Grey’s Anatomy spin-off Private Practice.
After reading over my questions, I find myself wondering whether Taye’s handsome exterior will be nullified by the disappointing arrogance that often comes with these men who know they have it all. But my thoughts are abruptly broken by Taye’s PR, who escorts me to the star’s suite. When I meet Taye, most famous for his roles in films like The Best Man and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, I can safely say that I am so not disappointed. Dressed in a khaki V-neck T-shirt, stone-washed jeans and open-toe sandals, topped off with a sun-kissed glow and pearly white teeth, Taye looks fresh. Yeah, ladies, you know what I mean! He is also a true gentleman, greeting me with a warm but formal handshake and waiting for me to take my seat at the breakfast table before he joins me in for our cosy twosome. (Just a figure of speech!)
Taye is quick to explain how much he enjoys the UK and says so with genuine enthusiasm. “I love it here. I’m staying an extra day – and I got a wife and kid, so that’s big!” Taye speaks of his wife on several occasions throughout our interview, referring to her with fondness and pride. The couple, who have a two-year-old son, Walker Nathaniel Diggs, are clearly still smitten, even after seven years of marriage.
Keen to get started, we put our “I love London” conversation aside, and Taye starts to reveal all. You started your career in musical theatre. How easy do you think it is for actors to move from theatre to TV and film?
It’s easier now, especially with the success of Glee. I love that show. I’m a huge fan. My wife had an arc in the show, so it was fun watching that. Talent is talent, and I’m more surprised when I come across TV and film actors who haven’t worked in theatre.
What drew you to a show like Private Practice?
I wanted to be on a show like Grey’s Anatomy. There was no script written, but I just said yes. It was the same writer as Grey’s Anatomy, so I thought, “How bad could it be?” I was lucky, and it turned out okay.
There seems to be chemistry between you and your co-star Kate Walsh, who plays Addison. How real is that chemistry?
It’s easy just because she is a great person. It’s also easy because the characters are well written, and we get to go to work and play each day. It’s not like we’re digging ditches. It’s fun. We get to do what we love.
The show has come in for some criticism, with a New York Times writer calling it “one of the most depressing portrayals of the female condition”. What do you think?
[Laughing] I don’t know what that means! At least that person’s watching. That’s what people enjoy watching: drama. Everything can’t be hunky-dory all the time. The women are strong, independent, successful women. They are doing their thing. They have issues in their personal lives, but everybody does.
Pride readers know and love you from films like The Best Man. Will we see you in another film like that?
If I have the time. Literally, I was doing a bunch of those movies for a time, and then it felt like those movies stopped being made. Luckily you have the Tyler Perry types doing their thing, so slowly you get the return of, for want of a better term, the “black movie”.
Why do you think American black films are not released here?
I think people tend to forget about us until we make such a big splash that we can’t be forgotten. That is why doing this tour meant so much to me and why I was flattered that I was personally asked to go on the tour. Slowly it’s changing, through actors like Will Smith and Denzel Washington. I think it’s coming back, and I think Tyler Perry has helped that. Slowly, it will come to a point where it’s less about race. Slowly, we are getting to a point where black people are not just going to see movies with black people in them.
Nia Long was quoted as saying, “If you’re a singer, not an actress, you should sing.” How do you feel about that?
Oh, Nia! Like, what was she going to do in Dreamgirls? For me, it’s rappers. When you see someone who is popular as a rapper… Sometimes a director will just want a rapper in his or her movie, so that they look cool. Common is doing his thing; Tyrese has really kind of made his mark in the industry. LL Cool J – sometimes people forget he didn’t start out acting. The industry kind of has its own way of making sure real recognizes real.
You’ve had a successful and consistent career. What qualities do you feel you possess that have kept you firmly in the spotlight?
I don’t know. [He knocks on wood.] I’m proud when people say thank you for representing. I’m proud when people say that they are proud to bring their children, and they are happy that there are characters like this for their children to see, as I know for my mother that was important. I don’t necessarily know if I want my child in this industry, because I think a lot of it is luck. You’ve got to be very lucky in this business.
PRIVATE PRACTICE
Living TV (Sky 112), Thursdays at 10pm
From the creators of Grey’s Anatomy comes spin-off medical drama Private Practice. This show is a great replacement for ER for those of you who miss that series, and it’s at least as tantalizing and energetic, if not more so. Currently in its third season, the series stars Taye Diggs, best known for hit films like The Best Man and Chicago. The show follows neonatal surgeon Addison Forbes Montgomery (Kate Walsh) as she starts over in Santa Monica, California. This sexy alternative to the usual medical dramas will have you perched on the edge of your seat.
