She’s played a dancer on Parenthood and a Navy sailor in Antwone Fisher, but in Amazon's new series Good Girls Revolt, which premieres on October 28th, writer, actress, and former model Joy Bryant takes on her biggest role yet. As Eleanor Holmes Norton, the lawyer who helped female employees of Newsweek sue the magazine for gender discrimination in the late 1960s, Bryant takes on the establishment in a tale that has surprising resonance today. “This is a story that needs to be told,” she recently told Architectural Digest. “It’s so relevant to where we are now in all aspects of life, from fair pay and the wage gap to our reproductive rights. It’s showing where these fights came from. We see how far we’ve come but then use that to show how far we have yet to go.” Here, Bryant talks about the show, her life at home, and what’s playing on her television.
What was it like filming Good Girls Revolt? It was like a dream to play someone who is as brilliant and accomplished and principled as Eleanor Holmes Norton is. Even without the election cycle, it’s perfect timing for a show like this to remind all of us that we have to power the fight to fight the power. And I think it’s also great for men to see how things were from a woman’s perspective, so that men today can be more enlightened about the privilege that they inherently possess.
Tell us about your home. Our house was built in 1948, and I guess you could say it’s in the model of the California Ranch-style house. It’s not a Cliff May but, working with our contractor, we definitely used him as inspiration. Over the years people Frankenstein houses, and additions are made, and you’re like, ‘Where did that come from—it’s not even period.’ Our goal was to bring the house as closely back to California Ranch as possible. The house is flanked by two massive oak trees that are over 100 years old so it actually feels like a treehouse. It’s beautiful, and I love it, which is great and not so great because I never want to leave it.
Are you a big design connoisseur? Well, I got into design because this is my first house. I lived like a college student before. I connected with a really great contractor who exposed me to a lot of things that just opened my eyes in a way that I never really thought about. I was able to articulate the kind of vibe that I wanted, and then that combined with his knowledge and wanting to bring things back to their original essence. I just learned. I didn’t grow up with that type of information or even desire, really, until I was given a canvas.
Who makes the design decisions in your home? My husband needs to be comfortable. He’s a six-foot-five-and-a-half stuntman, and it’s not about stuff just looking cool. So that’s always at the forefront of everything. He’s a great designer—we have a clothing line together, and he sews and makes patterns and things—but when it comes to the interiors and stuff I kind of steer that. But I don’t do it all on my own—I work with great people. I worked with a great designer to help articulate what was in my brain that I couldn’t really express. She exposed me to things that I never would have chosen. I didn’t know anything about Brutalist design, but I have a chandelier that’s from the Brutalist period.
What is your favorite thing in your house? We put in a window seat off of the kitchen, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the house because the main part right in front of the window is wider, so it’s kind of like a twin-sized bed. It’s right by the kitchen—so it’s right by the food—and the TV is right there, and I can stare out the window all day at this beautiful tree that can never be cut down. I can’t wait till I’m sick so I can just lay there, take naps, binge watch, and look outside at the trees.
What shows are you binge watching? I haven’t binged anything lately. The most recent thing might have been Stranger Things, but I have a lot of things on my queue. I want to binge Luke Cage, I want to binge Transparent. There’s still a lot more for me to get into.
What do you always have in your refrigerator? Orange juice, coconut milk, fancy ginger ale, white wine, beer, and blueberry lemonade. You gotta stay hydrated—it all starts there.
What is on your bedside table? A beautiful framed poem that a producer friend gave me many years ago, some pieces of jewelry, some meds, and Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Davis.
If you could own any work of art, what would it be? It’s tight between anything by Basquiat and Klimt. Honestly, I love anything shiny. I love the gold accents, I love that Art-Deco vibe.
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, living or deceased, who would it be? Jimi Hendrix. He’s such a revolutionary in his presence in his music, and he’s left a lasting legacy. He just seems cool as shit. We would totally get along.
What was the best prop you’ve gotten to take home? When I was on Parenthood, we were shooting a scene with these old school military tents, and I managed to get one. It’s always been a dream of mine to live partially in a teepee, so I took one of those. I still haven’t been able to put it up because there’s not enough clearance in our yard, so it’s still kind of sitting around waiting for its moment to shine.
