Interview With a Lifetime Star: Emily Alabi

Trevor Wells: Hello Emily! Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. So to start from the beginning, what first got you interested in acting? I see your first IMDB-recorded role was in a show from my childhood: Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Emily Alabi: Just like dance, I was hesitant to get into acting. It wasn't something that I was inspired to do at first, BUT I knew it was something I needed to eventually get into. There were a few opportunities that had come my way because of my dance experience, but I also needed acting experience and I didn't have any, so those opportunities obviously went away. It got to the point where I was missing out on potential gigs back-to-back, so my brother took the initiative and signed me up for my first acting class; the rest was history. I immediately fell in love and haven't stopped since. My first appearance on TV was as a dancer on an episode of Nickelodeon's Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. I was 14. My first appearance on TV as an actress was as a recurring guest star on MTV's Teen Wolf.

Trevor Wells: Awesome! Speaking of your brother, I found while writing up my review of The Christmas Edition that the two of you have appeared a few times on America's Got Talent as a dance duo. What can you tell me about that journey?

Emily Alabi: My brother Junior and I got into dancing because our father wanted to put us into something that kept us busy and off the streets. He was in a dance company at the time, so he thought it would be a great idea to put us into dance classes with him. My brother especially was getting into a lot of trouble on the streets of San Francisco where we grew up and I was starting to follow in his footsteps. Salsa dancing saved our lives. It gave us something to work towards, it inspired us to do something with our lives. We haven't stopped since. AGT approached us to be on the show in 2008. It was our first time on national TV as the duo "Junior and Emily." This experience opened our eyes and inspired us to take our dancing more mainstream. Our style evolved after this experience and became much more "commercial."

Trevor Wells: Inspiring story, and I'm glad your father and dance were there to keep you and Junior off a dark path. Of all the roles and projects that led up to The Christmas Edition, what would you say was your favorite/the most memorable?

Emily Alabi: I am extremely grateful for the experiences I've had thus far. I always learn something from each set I work on. That being said, my time on Teen Wolf would forever hold a special place in my heart. It was my first ever booking as an actress. I will never forget the day I got the call from my manager, her exact words, "Guess who just booked her first recurring role on Teen Wolf?" I yelled out in excitement, jumped for joy, and cried tears of happiness. It was my first time on set as an actress, and boy, did I learn a bunch. I'm incredibly thankful that I had the most amazing cast and crew to work with and learn from.

Trevor Wells: Awesome! Great to hear that your first acting gig was such a positive influence. But now, let's go forward four years to the role that introduced you to me and to Lifetime. What was it like filming The Christmas Edition and getting your first taste of the Lifetime scene?

Emily Alabi: Loved, loved, loved every second on set. Everyone was so incredibly kind and an absolute joy to work with. Loved my castmates and all of the crew members, we had a blast on set. Everyone was just happy to be there, to be working (especially during a pandemic), to be doing something we all love so much, something we're all so passionate about.

Trevor Wells: With how much heart was in the movie itself, I guess it rubbed off on everyone, haha! Now, as my regular readers no doubt know, Peter Sullivan and his crew are fairly prolific names in the Lifetime circle. What was it like working under them?

Emily Alabi: AMAZING! Can't say enough how wonderful it was working with Peter and all of the crew members. It truly felt like we were one big family, there was love, there was respect, and there was trust on set.

Trevor Wells: That's sweet. With all that was happening with the pandemic, I'm sure that sense of love and trust was greatly needed. There's one co-star of yours I wanted to talk about specifically: Langi Tuifua. As I found out while writing my review, you and Tuifua (who ironically plays your character's husband) have a few things in common. The Christmas Edition was your joint first full-length film/Lifetime movie, and both of you were previously known for something outside of acting: AGT for you and football for Tuifua. I was wondering if that was something you noticed too and what it was like working with a co-star with such a similar background?

Emily Alabi: Langi and I, along with our other castmates, immediately hit it off, so we all got to know each other on a deeper level. It was amazing to know Langi's football background, to know how much of an accomplished athlete he is, and to also hear his passion for acting and see how inspired he was about the work. I connected to that passion immediately because I felt the exact same.

Trevor Wells: Excellent! I interviewed Langi a few days back, and he felt the same way. So overall, what would you say has been your favorite favorite acting moment thus far--either from The Christmas Edition or elsewhere?

Emily Alabi: That's a hard one since I have soooo many but I would have to say, my favorite The Christmas Edition moment would have to be the scene where Jackie (Carly Hughes) and I are giving Edna (Aloma Wright) a hard time about the Mayor (Rick Macy). We laughed so much while filming that scene. Miss those ladies, we had so much fun together on set.

Trevor Wells: Glad to hear it! I could definitely feel that friendship through your guys' dynamic onscreen. Looking back at my review of The Christmas Edition, was there anything you'd like to comment on?

Emily Alabi: Loved your review Trevor! Thank YOU for all of the LOVE you shared, it came through :)

Trevor Wells: Aww thanks! Same to you. So, what are your plans for the newly begun 2021? Can me and my readers expect to see you on Lifetime again?

Emily Alabi: Lots of exciting projects this year. Can't speak on them just yet, but definitely be on the lookout! And yes, looking forward to more Lifetime in the near future, thankful to be a part of the Lifetime family!

Trevor Wells: I'll keep my eyes out, and if you are on Lifetime in the near future, I'm bound to find out about it! To close out this interview, what advice do you have for my readers, speaking as either a dancer or a fledgling actor?

Emily Alabi: You can do and be anything you want, don't let anyone tell you otherwise. The impossible is always possible, so never give up on your dreams.

Trevor Wells: Beautiful words, Ms. Alabi! Thank you again for this interview and I'm looking forward to seeing what you've got in the works for 2021. Wishing you nothing but the best!