Sydney Tamiia Poitier tackles racy sports world and rocky love life as star of new TV show `Abby'

Jet, Jan 27, 2003

Sydney Tamiia Poitier gets to show both her serious and comic sides as a sports producer stuck under the same roof with her ex-boyfriend in the new UPN series "Abby."

Poitier, the daughter of screen legend Sidney Poitier and his wife Joanna Shimkus, was featured in the movie True Crimes, the short-lived series "First Years" as well as the miniseries Noah's Ark and the TV movie Free of Eden.

"Abby" is about a San Francisco woman who's attractive, ambitious, young and professional. She is the producer of a popular television sports program, "West Coast Sports Report." And she is one of only a handful of women in a male-dominated world.

That's the professional side. On the personal side, she has just dumped her boyfriend, Will (Kadeem Hardison), a professional photographer. The only problem is they share a beautiful, rent-controlled apartment in one of the most expensive cities in the world, and he's hell-bent on staying. And, for some reason, they agree to try to remain as platonic roommates. Both are trying to find their own way following the breakup, but they do it in front of each other.

On the job, she has the complete support of her best friend Max (Randy J. Goodwin), who anchors the show. He has a major but very quiet crush on her. Not so, however, with her somewhat chauvinistic and eccentric boss Roger (Sean O'Bryan). The series also features Tangie Ambrose as her feisty sister Joanne.

Following the breakup, Abby has to have her self-confidence boosted and learn how to use her beauty, femininity and brains to find that ever-elusive good man.

"I love the material," Poitier said during a recent JET interview. "Yes, it's a very unusual situation. I thought it was fertile ground for a lot of humor. A lot of things can go wrong and a lot of things are frustrating. A lot of funny things could come out of it. So, I thought there was a lot of potential in Abby's situation."

She applauds the show's emphasis on multiculturalism. Initially, she said, the Will character was supposed to be White. "His being White wasn't made an issue of. It was what it was. And that appealed to me because I'm mixed myself. And that's something you don't see much of on television. When they decided to change Will, that was fine too. But the spirit of multiculturalism was something they wanted to keep, and it's seen throughout the episodes in the people Will and Abby date. In real life I think the situation would be crazy and I wouldn't recommend it. But on TV it makes for a lot of humor and comedy. We hope to make it realistic."

Abby is a woman who's sort of an open book, Poitier said. "She really is sort of that open. She is naive and wears her heart on her sleeve and she's very free with her emotions and herself and the things she loves and doesn't love. She doesn't design herself to fit other people's perceptions and wants."

Being the daughter of a much-beloved screen legend was a double-edged sword for Poitier. Everyone's heard of her father, but there was no guarantee Hollywood would give her a chance beyond having curiosity.

Poitier studied acting at New York University and the Stella Adler Conservatory. "I've tried to carve out a niche for myself. You know, having a career in this business is very hard to do. It was a little bit easier for me than it would be not having that name sort of pique people's curiosity. I think I got a lot more auditions that way. There were certainly higher expectations placed on me. And people have pre-conceived notions of me before I walk into a room because they're so familiar with my father. So, that actually works against you a little bit. I think having a career at all is very difficult. And because the times are so different now than when my dad had a career, it's inevitable that our careers are going to be very, very different--which is unfortunate. I wish there was material like that around today."

No, the award-winning material her father delivered may not be as available, but she agrees that she has worked hard, is prepared and, on reflection, has fared very well.

"I'm very, very blessed. And I'm very happy."

One of the true joys for her was getting a chance to work with Kadeem Hardison. The whole cast and crew are supportive and professional, but Hardison has been relaxing and special for her.

"He's so funny and so sweet," she said. "He's such a joy. We have a ball together because he's such a veteran at this. He did it for seven years on `A Different World.' He knows it like the back of his hand. He's always helping me, nudging me when I'm out of my light or when I'm not facing out to the audience. It's so second nature to him. He's a great guy."

The show is set to air on Tuesday nights at 9:00 p.m. (ET) in the primetime slot behind the UPN hit "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." That night has been deemed a comedy night, but Poitier is anxious to see how audiences handle the comedy and dramatic mix of the series as well as the night.

And she thinks the curiosity stage of people wondering about her is pretty much over as she's had a number of credits under her belt.