'Being Mary Jane' Actress on Minorities in TV

Lisa Vidal, who plays a busy, cable news producer on the new, BET original series, “Being Mary Jane,” spoke with Alicia Menendez about the significance of representing real women of color in real world jobs.

“It means a lot,” Vidal, who is of Puerto Rican descent, said. “It means that we’re starting to see more of ourselves in the real world on television. Characters representing women of color and minorities that are in the workplace, that have really important jobs that contribute to our society and how women are juggling so much.”

The series is a follow up to the network’s original movie by the same name.

Called a “solid primetime player” by Variety, the hour-long show stars Gabrielle Union as the title character. She’s a TV anchor dealing with the dramas of being a successful, ‘single black female.’

“We can’t see enough impressive women debating professional ethics to make up for TV’s decades-long lack,” penned Newsday writer, Diane Werts in a review. “And they are minorities, too. Which means, ‘Being Mary Jane’ stands for a lot of things, in addition to conveying a lot of ground.”

Vidal (who plays Kara Lynch, Mary Jane’s executive producer) shared how she prepared for her role as well as how she used her real-life experience as a working mother which informed her portrayal.

The show’s Facebook page is full of excited viewer comments in anticipation of Tuesday night’s premiere. Whomever manages the page told fans to “Get the popcorn, get your girls and get a comfy spot on the couch!” Well, we’ve got our popcorn. Do you have yours?