NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) – Meet New Orleans’s newest resident, Tony-nominated actress and star of NCIS New Orleans Shalita Grant. Grant stopped by the News With A Twist studios to talk about the city, working on a hit show and the People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond.
A transcript of our interview with Grant is below:
LBJ: Fine. How’s it feel to be the Tony-nominated… everyone has to say that now., right?
Shalita: I feel so awesome. I feel so great.
LBJ: NCIS: New Orleans…
Shalita: Yeah, right?
LBJ: Are you having fun with that?
Shalita: I am having so much fun.
LBJ: Really?
Shalita: Yeah, we were at the museum yesterday, and I was yucking it up with the background actors, the babies, the kids love me for some reason.
LBJ: Well, maybe your stature, that big stature… you know, that you have…
Shalita: I… you know what? I said the same thing yesterday! And we were like, after every take, they gave me a hug: “I love you.” I was like, “I love you, too!”
LBJ: But you have a big personality even on the show it’s a very big personality. And we were talking about it earlier and everybody was like oh I like her a lot. She kinda jumped in and jumped on the scene.
Shalita: Aww thanks guys. Thanks.
LBJ: So that’s really cool. But you haven’t just started doing this.
Shalita: No, no, no, it’s not my first day.
LBJ: It’s not your first day. Prior to the whole NCIS thing, the Tony nominee came a few years ago..
Shalita: Yeah
LBJ: And, so you got the whole stage thing, and doing some television. Which do you prefer best?
Shalita: I hate that question.
LBJ: Really?
Shalita: Yeah
LBJ: Cause you just prefer to keep the lights on?
Shalita: Ah Yeah, You know what I’m saying! Keep it real. We are in New Orleans. Yes. Keep my lights on. Pretty Please.
LBJ: So how did you get involved with the People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond?
Shalita: Well, I am a pretty strong personality.
LBJ: Yes
Shalita: And I wanted to couple with a charity that was about big social change.
LBJ: Hmm
Shalita: So, People’s Institute of Survival and Beyond they’ve been around for over 35 years, it’s a collective of multi-racial, anti-racist educators and organizers. And it’s a national organization. And their aim, sole focus, is undoing racism, and all forms of oppression.
I mean they’ve done these workshops, they’ve taken their message East, West, North, South, Japan.. it’s international.
LBJ: Fantastic
Shalita: So go online donate, and request the workshops.
LBJ: We are so happy to have you here. Continue, best of luck and all that. get out there and eat some good food In New Orleans.
Shalita: I will. I’m gonna eat all the food.
LBJ: It looks like it hasn’t affected you much.
Shalita: No cause I workout.
LBJ: We understand! Thank you so much for being here today!
Shalita: Thank you for having me.