By CORTNEY M. WILLS
When Jill Scott signed on to star in “With This Ring,” she had no idea she would find such fulfilling friendships in her costars, Regina Hall, Eve Jeffers-Cooper and Brooklyn Sudano.
“I love them. I had no idea that they would be so humble and so real. We did everything from unbraiding braids to prayers,” she explains.
“Eve had just recently been married and Brooklyn had just had a baby with her husband and just talking to them about why they chose their husbands and talking about how they are…we were very transparent with each other.”
According to Jill, the bond between the characters in the film were easy to portray thanks to the real-life friendships they forged on set. 
“I can never thank Nzingha [Stewart] enough for introducing me to Brooklyn and Eve and Regina. It has been a really wonderful experience getting to know these ladies. They are in my life for the duration,” she says.
“There’s something so pure about it. There’s really this overwhelming sense of love and support for one another without ego. It was a beautiful thing to partake in. I love those girls.”
Jill says she was glad to play the role of Viviane in the film for a few reasons.
“I think I really liked her unyielding love. I have become more and more attracted to women who had this all-encompassing, unyielding love for someone. There’s just something about that and it’s so strong and so vulnerable,” she says.
“It’s that grandmama kind of love. How people loved each other in the past. How devoted she really was and how she was holding it quietly is torturous but it’s also delicious.”
She could also relate to the urgency the ladies feel about finding a partner.
“Before I got married I know that I was very concerned for myself being a single woman in this business. I didn’t want to be single,” she admits.
“Now I recognize how important it is that if you’re going to get married it can’t just be right on paper. You have to really know that person and know yourself more importantly.”
The actress was interested in the selflessness she sees in her character who is a single mother secretly in love with her son’s father.
“Sometimes as women and particularly as mothers we make a decision to long suffer for what we perceive to be for the benefit of our children. I don’t know if I agree with that long suffering and I don’t know if it benefits them to see one parent not living to their full potential,” she says.
“I think when we glow from the inside it’s good for our children. I don’t know if it’s healthy but I appreciate her tenacity.”
Another reason to love Jill’s character?
“They had pretty cute clothes for Viviane,” she says. “I’m turning heads. I look cute.”
That she does.
“With This Ring” premieres on Lifetime at 8pm ET/PT.
“Jill Scott On Falling In Love With ‘With This Ring’: “There’s Something So Pure About It” appeared originally on Cocoafab.com. It was reprinted with permission.
