There are a few new reasons to get Netflix—or to keep Netflix—and that reason is Michelle Buteau. Not only is she funny (maybe, one of the new greats in the making) she’s beautiful. I admit, she’s not a household name—yet—but she will be very soon.
So let’s begin the process of falling in love with Michelle Buteau via the new BET series “First Wives Club.” After neglecting their friendship, best friends Bree (Michelle Buteau), Ari (Ryan Michelle Bathe) and Hazel (Jill Scott) reunite to help each other through rough patches in their lives. Together, they navigate music superstar Hazel’s tabloid-ridden divorce, campaign manager Ari’s unsatisfying marriage to her political candidate husband, and orthopedic surgeon Bree’s cheating husband. Tired of always being the ones to make sacrifices in their lives, Ari, Hazel, and Bree vow to prioritize their friendship and have more fun. Along the way, the women learn that as long as they have each other, there’s nothing they can’t do.
The first three 30-minutes of the ten-episode series on BET+ can be viewed for free on their website.
Buteau started in comedy a few days after Sept. 11, 2001. Born in New Jersey to a Haitian father and Jamaican mother, she quickly caught the attention of industry insiders and in 2017 she was as listed one of 10 comedians to watch by Esquire magazine. In 2018, Buteau started hosting the Late Night Whenever! podcast which was labeled as “one of the best podcasts of 2018 so far” by Time magazine. Buteau was also part of “The Comedy Lineup” on Netflix where up and coming comedians have 15-minute stand-up sets. Film producers are getting the “proverbial memo” and Buteau has appeared in the movies: “Someone Great,” “Isn’t It Romantic,” “Sell By,” and “Always Be My Maybe.” She also began hosting the WNYC podcast, Adulting, with co-host Jordan Carlos.
Here is an edited conversation with Michelle Buteau who plays Bree in BET’s “First Wives Club” executive produced by Tracy Oliver (co-writing the hit film “Girls Trip”).
AMSTERDAM NEWS: You are one of my new, favorite finds. When I saw your work in Netflix’s “Someone Great” I re-wound the scene three times before I completed the movie. I saw something under your wonderfully comedic performance.
MICHELLE BUTEAU: (laughing, a lot). OK. Really? Wow…
AN: Nope, naw. You Michelle Buteau, you have layers.
MB: Thank you. I think my surrogate was pregnant then and I was really emotional. It was a lot of improv [improvisational] and I think at one point, I asked ‘why he leave you like that’ and I started to cry. The crew started to laugh.
AN: See, I saw that there was something under that.
MB: You did! Thank you very much. That makes me feel good. That makes me feel like a [size] 14.
AN: You are quick and funny and beautiful. In “First Wives Club” your character is wonderfully funny and very complicated despite this being a comedy. How did you get the part and then I want to know what type of stuff you want to do?
MB: (laughing)—Yessss. You have to tell the universe. I was actually in Vancouver filming “Always Be Maybe” when I got the audition for “First Wives Club.” Look I loved the movie. Anything with Goldie Hawn, Diane Keaton and Bette Midler I was watching it. Those are the comedy sheroes back in the bzz-days along with Whoopi [Goldberg] even Angela Bassett, I’m sorry—she’s funny. I am all into female empowerment and just finding themselves at different times of their lives, interesting. So, I put myself on tape but you know, an actor’s mind plays tricks on you. You will say stuff like I’m not going to get it, I’m too far away, or they are going to give it to somebody famous. Also, those kinds of thoughts make you fearless too, because you think f– it, I’m not going to get it anyway so I might as well have a lot of fun doing this. That’s what I did. I was so surprised that I got the callback and that I was going to do the callback, in New York, with Tracy [Oliver] on Skype. I had just started seeing Tracy’s name everywhere because of “Girls Trip” and I thought, this is pretty dope. She’s someone who understands female relationships and she knows how to find the funny in the real.
AN: So what’s good in your life?
MB: Glad you asked. I now have two beautiful bouncing twins and my husband and I just bought our dream house. It’s like I want that life. That life like Ally Wong that JLo that Mariah Carey that Angela Basset; that working mother’s life where I don’t feel like I’m compromising anything for anybody and I’m just like keeping it moving. I’m doing what I love and not apologizing for it. Bringing my kids on set and exposing them to what you can do when you don’t tell yourself no.
AN: What’s next?
MB: I really can’t talk about it but I’m scheduled to do a one-hour Netflix comedy special. I’m working on some writing projects that I can’t announce, yet.
AN: Wow, that’s great news. My writing partner (Art Shrian) and I just entered that screenwriting space. An executive suggested the book “Making a Good Script Great” and “Writing Subtext” both by Linda Seger and “Story” by Robert McKee.
MB: Thank you.
AN: Hey, do you mind sharing your social media information?
MB: OK, now we getting intimate.
AN: Hell yes we are!
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