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Home · Entertainment

Even Jay Ellis Is On Team Condola: "If you’re not mad at Lawrence then I’m not doing my job."

The actor and father spoke with the hosts of the returning 'For Colored Nerds' podcast about that explosive co-parent scene on 'Insecure.'
Even Jay Ellis Is On Team Condola: “If You’re Not Mad At Lawrence Then I’m Not Doing My Job”
Photograph by Merie W. Wallace/HBO
By Keyaira Boone · Updated November 29, 2021

Jay Ellis shared his opinion on the controversial co-parenting scene he starred in with Christina Elmore during the return of the For Colored Nerds podcast. Ellis’ character and Elmore’s characters clash over their expectations of how they will share the responsibilities of raising their son Elijah. 

Ellis criticized his character’s poor communication skills. “He’s built this vision of what fatherhood is in his head and how he is going to be a father and he has built a vision of like how they’re going to co-parent together. The problem is he never expressed that vision to Condola and then never asked for her take on how they’re gonna do it and what she thinks about it. He was just like yo it’s gonna be like this,” he told hosts Brittany Luse and Eric Eddings. 

Even Jay Ellis Is On Team Condola: “If You’re Not Mad At Lawrence Then I’m Not Doing My Job”
Photograph by Merie W. Wallace/HBO

“You don’t applaud him, it’s what he was supposed to do,” he added about Lawrence choosing to be involved in Elijah’s life. 

“Lawrence has to at some point say what’s more important here,” he continued. “The thing that I’m trying to force and make happen my way from hundred of miles away while I’m sitting myself in this big empty apartment, with a crib that this baby is never gon’ see and all these toys that the baby never gon’ see or is it about is it about figuring about how to do this with her and making the best life for this child and being the best parent I can be for this child?” 

Ellis suggested that the goal of the episode was for Lawrence to “get out of his own way.”

He showered his costar Elmore with praise calling the Twenties actress, “a national treasure.” 

Even Jay Ellis Is On Team Condola: “If You’re Not Mad At Lawrence Then I’m Not Doing My Job”
Photograph by Merie W. Wallace/HBO

“I don’t know that I could have done those scenes with anybody else,” he admitted. “She made me a better actor.” 

“In that scene in her kitchen where we blow up at each other, where Lawrence blows up at her I don’t know if I would have been able to get there if it wasn’t for her,” he said.  

“I believe that if you’re not mad at Lawrence then I’m not doing my job,” Ellis told the hosts. 

Even Jay Ellis Is On Team Condola: “If You’re Not Mad At Lawrence Then I’m Not Doing My Job”
Photograph by Merie W. Wallace/HBO

“I don’t know how many people watch our show – to be honest with you, I’ve never asked – but however many people it is, I truly hope they all like cut his head off, throw it in the river. Dispose of the body however you need to,” he said. 

He said that he hopes he and his fellow actors can “service the story right,” and make “the journey” worth it for the viewer. 

Watch the journey continue on the final season of Insecure Sundays at 10pm. 

Stream For Colored Nerds across digital service providers.

TOPICS:  Christina Elmore co-parenting HBO Insecure Insecure Jay Ellis
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