Yvette Nicole Brown Opens Up About Her Greatest Influence: 'She Is A Very Funny Person'

Size-inclusive fashion brand, Woman Within recently launched their TV mom’s campaign focusing on real women and the celebration of mom’s (single mom’s, dog mom’s, soccer mom’s, etc). And one of the campaign stars, Yvette Nicole Brown, gave us some insight into which fashion items work best for her body and how she’s able to portray a variety of different mother’s on television.  

ESSENCE: Tell us about your collaboration with the new ‘Woman Within’ campaign? 
YVETTE: I was very excited when I was asked to participate in the Woman Within TV Mom campaign. I’ve been playing a mother for years on TV and have a great respect for each hard-working mother out there. It was such a wonderful experience to be able to spend time with these women all while sharing the message of body positivity. I also really love that there are so many types of mothers in the campaign—from grandmothers to single mothers to dog moms—we captured them all! 

ESSENCE: What’s your favorite thing to do on Mother’s Day… how do you celebrate the mothers in your family? 
YVETTE: I love spending time with my mother on Mother’s Day. It’s never about what we do in particular. It’s just about being together. I also always try to put a little bit in her BINGO fund. Fran loves her some BINGO! Ha! Seriously, my mom is the most giving person I know and she has always supported me throughout the ups and downs of my life. Like all moms, she never really asks for anything in return—so I love to treat her, especially on Mother’s Day!

ESSENCE: Who serves as the inspiration for the mom roles that you’ve played on television? 
YVETTE: My greatest influence is my mom actually—she is a very funny person. She has always been the life of the party and really goes out of her way to make folks laugh. I may be biased—but she is also very loving. I think that balance has really influenced the characters that I play on television.

ESSENCE: Out of all the mom characters that you’ve played on TV, which one do you relate to the most? 
YVETTE: I have fun playing all my characters to be honest. The moms I’ve played are all quite similar to who I am –  for example –  Shirley Bennett from “Community” and I are similar in that we both love our faith. It was very easy for me to get in her persona. And Dina Rose from “The Mayor” had my no-nonsense side. That sass is always fun to play.

ESSENCE: How would you describe your personal style… what are your go-to staple items in your closet right now? 
YVETTE: I consider my style very hip and fun. But comfort is key. I don’t believe in suffering…not even for fashion. Lol! So I simply stick with what I know, finding clothes that are comfortable and work for my body shape. I love a tastefully-fitted silhouette, but I also know how to feature what I like best about my curves. So, you will always find a dolman sleeve and a pencil skirt in my closet.