Malinda Williams for Denim Magazine
Malinda Williams for Denim Magazine
A few days ago I posted photos from a Denim magazine shoot that featured actress Malinda Williams rocking a gorgeous natural look. The New Jersey native, popularly known for playing Tracy โBirdโ Van Adams in the critically acclaimed drama Soul Food, spoke with me about her new do, and being a popular icon of black beauty. Enjoy!
When I posted the pictures of you, a few of my readers said that youโve actually been natural all along, but just straightened your hair for photos/press. So I wanted to clarify; how long have you been natural? Is this look a new thing for you?
Malinda Williams: I go back and forth. I think the great thing about having short hair is that you sort of have the freedom to, you know, diversify, move around a little bit if you want to. Because Iโm constantly cutting my hair, if I do decide to put chemicals on it itโs literally a matter of month before it gets cut off.
I decided to grow my hair long and when youโre transitioning into natural hair from a relaxer you have that whole โchemical on the ends, curly in the rootsโ thing and itโs kind of difficult to really rock a style, so I put a weave in it. Also, when Iโm in the in-between stage I get so tempted to cut my hair off. I wanted to just braid it and wrap it down so I wasnโt able to touch it.
I think I had the weave in for maybe about 5 months. It grew out to where it was long enough that I was comfortable cutting the rest of the perm off. And once I did that it was pretty long. It was down below my neckline where I could get a short bob. But I was just so used to having short hair that I was dangerously close to just taking a pair of clippers and rocking skin (laughs). Just buzzing it all off. I sat down and thought better of it and I just said, โYou know what, let me just cut off the rest of this relaxer and then cut it down to where I can rock a short little afro.โ
I just got really comfortable with it, I started really loving it. Our hair is so versatile; we can rock an afro, we can rock a weave, we can rock short or long or curly or straight. And I just happen to be one of those people whoโs just not afraid to try anything. I love doing hair! And particularly doing my own hair, it relaxes me. One of my hobbies is doing hair. When Iโm bored Iโll say, โLet me go in here and do something with my hair.โ Thatโs kind of how it came about.
So if your readers are saying Iโve been natural. Yes, Iโve been natural back and forth. Every now and then Iโll put a relaxer although at this stage I donโt think Iโm going to go back to a relaxer. I think if I need to Iโll just blow my hair out and either press it or flat iron it. But of course, that is until I get bored again (laughs).
And when did you cut out the relaxer?
MW: It was last October when I did this film with Chris Rock called 2 Days in New York. I knew I didnโt want to wear the weave in the film so just prior to starting production is when I took it out and cut the hair down. And I actually went into a fitting with the director of the film and she loved my natural hair and she said, โCould you wear that in the movie?โ and Iโm like, โOf course!โ
How would you describe the texture of your hair? In photos it looks like it has a soft curl to it.
MW: You know itโs funny, I have about 4 different textures in my hair (laughs). I describe it by different family members; I got my grandfather at the nape of the neck, I got my grandmother on one side, I got my mama in the center. You know what I mean? I use gel and Moroccan oil to manipulate the different textures. So, yes, itโs soft and curly. But itโs not so soft and curly that itโs like a wave. Itโs more of a curl than a wave. I would say that down at the nape of my neck is where itโs wavy and the rest of the hair is curly.
Malinda rocking her curls at a Showtime Style event in 2006. Photo Source: Zimbio
You said that you love doing hair. Do you do other womenโs hair too? Like, do you do your sistersโ hair? Or just yours?
MW: Itโs funny. I will do my sistersโ hair just because I canโt say no. So if they ask me, โMalinda, do my hair!โ yes I will. I enjoy it and I give them good results. Right out of high school I was in cosmetology school and I worked in a salon for 5 years.
Wow! I didnโt know that. How did you go from cosmetology school to acting?
MW: My parents always nurtured my gifts and one of my gifts was playing characters and imitating people, so they put me into modeling and acting when I was very young. But I wasnโt sure I wanted to pursue it as a career because itโs sort of one of those extracurricular things that you do as a child, like ballet class or violin.
What I really loved was makeup and hair and beauty and products. And I also had a very strict father who didnโt let us go that far from home. I was one of those girls who definitely had to be home before the street lights came on, no hanging out with boys. So one of the ways I found to occupy my time was to do my hair. And I became known throughout my school years as the girl who wore a different hair style every day. Because I had lots and lots of time to just practice.
So I figured that I would go into cosmetology and go on to own my own beauty salon. That was my real dream. My aunt owned a salon at the time and I worked in her salon doing nails while I was in cosmetology school. Then I got this show called Laurel Avenue, and [executive producer] Charles Sutton, he encouraged me to come out to LA. I thought I would take a break, stop working at the salon, go to LA and try my hand at the Hollywood scene. What I really had in the back of my mind was, โOh, Iโll go to LA and Iโll start my beauty career and on the side Iโll do the acting thing.โ Well, it kind of turned out to be the other way around because I kept booking these television gigs and it was like, โWowโ.
Finally, when I booked Soul Food I was on set one day and I realized โ and it had never occurred to me โ that I was playing the woman of my dreams; the entrepreneurial salon owner. It was so bizarre. I was like, โOh my God! Iโm completely living my dreams โ both my dreams.โ
Iโve heard women say that they cut their hair to look like you, or theyโre rocking the โMalinda Williams lookโ. Do you ever have women coming up to you and saying you inspired their style?
MW: I experience it all the time and especially with social media. I have people send me messages on Facebook or tweets to mention how they love my hair and Iโm the inspiration for them cutting their hair. Itโs very flattering, it really is, and I think that whole trend of cutting your hair is great because โ not that I have anything against weaves โ but weaves are very expensive, time consuming and I think it takes away from the freedom of being the real you.
Malinda shows off her signature pixie cut at the 33rd Annual Peopleโs choice Awards. Photo Source: Zimbio
And how did you come up with the idea for that style?
MW: I worked with a stylist years ago, his name is Niko. I remember sitting in his chair and telling him I wanted my hair cut. And together he and I came up with the style. He styled it and then he would play with it, and then I would say, โWait, wait, wait, let me look.โ Because you know in the salon thereโs glass mirrors all around so you can see the back and the front.
Iโm a shape girl. Iโm a cut and shape girl, so I know what shape works well on my face. I have a very small face, I have a very small head. And so, we were just playing with it, and there were four hands in my head, mine and his. And we kind of sculpted this style.
I styled it according to how I felt about myself; it felt really classy and sleek, but it had a little edge to it, but it wasnโt so far left that it was punkโy, it still felt like it could go in the corporate world, but it had that little rebellious feel to it. I view my hair almost like art. You inject what youโre feeling into how you style your hair.
When people talk about the ideal black woman, physically, your name often pops up. How does it feel to represent ideal black beauty for so many people?
MW: I donโt really think about it but Iโm very flattered to hear that. People, especially women, are so much more than skin deep, so much more than what we see on the surface. I think the beauty that people read in me is not necessarily the exterior beauty. I think what theyโre reading is; this girl is honest and sheโs herself. And I think โ and I can only speculate โ thatโs what shines through more than anything. Iโm not trying hard to look like anybody or be like somebody or even fit into molds of what people think celebrities should be.
I think Iโm beautiful but I donโt even know externally what that means for other people. I know what it means for me; it means I accept who I am. I accept everything that my parents gave me. I accept my hair, I accept my skin, I accept my eyes. So Iโm very secure about being Malinda.
Attainable beauty is all any woman really wants. And attainable beauty comes from accepting yourself first, before you even plop anything on your face or in your hair.
And also, I often get; you look like my cousin. I get that all the time; I look like a friend, a family member, a co-worker. I have so many twins out there. And one day I thought to myself, โMaybe thatโs what the appeal is. Maybe I have such a familiar feel to them that everyone feels that Iโm their girlfriend or their cousin.โ
Malinda Williams will appear in the film 2 Days in New York, alongside Chris Rock, later this year. This summer she started production on another upcoming film. Follow Malinda on twitter @MalinsWorld, and tell her BGLH sent you ๐
Great interview! She seems very down-to-earth. And who knew she wanted to do hair and wound up acting??!! Thatโs the first time Iโve heard that!
Great interview! I really enjoyed her answers. Love her.
I LOVED this interview. She comes off as very real. Sheโs OUR version of โthe girl next doorโ. I love it. She just earned herself a new fan! Thanks for posting ๐
WOW! I thought this was homegirl from Family Matters (Kellie Williams aka Laura Winslow)!
i like her even more now! great interview!! thank you!
โattainable beauty comes from accepting yourself first, before you even plop anything on your face or in your hair.โ <โ-yesssss
Malinda, you are an inspiration.
fabulous interview.
Would love to hear more about her hair regimen. Can there be a part 2?? ๐ *praying and hoping* lol
have no idea how i just found this, but you can see closeup shots of malindaโs hair on this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4lT1tN-IDw
just beautiful.
She is absolutely gorgeous โ short natural hair really suits her face.
Great interview, I always thought Malinda was gorgeous and short hair looks amazing on her.
Great interview! She sounds so cool. Thanks for sharing!
Her hair is always on point. Love it.
Wow, what a down to earth beautiful sista. I need a Soul Food Reunion any chances of that happening?
Love Malinda, sheโs a beautiful person inside and out.
Sheโs gorgeous and that print dress is hot!
I loved this interview. Iโve always been a fan of Malinda and her quote about attainable beauty sums up my thoughts about beauty as well. Great job Leila!
Great interview! She is humble and thoughtful. This interview makes me like Malinda even more ๐
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