‘The Oval,’ is a political drama that is written, directed, and executive produced by Tyler Perry. The BET network series made its debut in October of 2019. The first scene was an immediate indicator in regards to The Oval being a different type of political drama.Â
During the course of the first scene, viewers witnessed an argument between President Hunter Franklin and first lady Victoria Franklin. The verbal exchange quickly escalated into a WWE style altercation.
The Franklin’s aren’t the quintessential first family. The president and the first lady have a marriage based on social status and monetary gains. Love isn’t part of the equation. Their children Gayle and Jason display a variety of inappropriate behaviors.
The president is easily sidetracked from running the country due to his wandering eye. After a sexual encounter with his mistress, he wakes up to discover her decapitated body. His mourning process is rather quick as days later he spots a potential replacement standing near the doorway of the oval office.Â
Ellie is a white house aide who receives an invitation to enter the oval and have a sit-down with the president.
The character Ellie is played by the incredibly talented Natasha Ward. A product of the Bay Area, Ward spent a significant portion of her upbringing in Portland, Oregon. For most of her adolescence, she was raised by a single mom, but she would spend summers and holidays with her dad and her brothers.Â
In high school, Ward was an innovative student who thrived under pressure. She was also an exceptional athlete as a member of the track team. In addition to running track in high school, Natasha competed in the Junior Olympics. She would go on to earn a college athletic scholarship for track. Ward was also a member of the college choir. As a singer, she is trained in classical and jazz. The choir toured and participated in competitions in Europe. After college Natasha had intentions of going to law school until she found success as a fitness model. Her career took off when she booked a worldwide Nike campaign. The marketing campaign included print such as billboards, videos, and commercials. Ward actually worked as a legal assistant during her first two years as a model. The modeling opportunities kept pouring in and she had to make a decision. Due to the fact modeling is window specific in regards to age, Natasha decided to focus on the modeling. She has done campaigns with Nike and a host of other major brands. Her work as a fitness model parlayed into acting as she would receive the opportunity to join the cast of ‘The Oval.’
Sports/Entertainment Journalist Vince D’Writer went one on one with Fitness Model/Actress Natasha Ward.
Vince: Define your Swagher. What makes Natasha, Natasha?
Â
Natasha:Â I’m the only girl out of five boys. I was raised very much a tomboy. I could spit farther, run faster, and hit harder than my brothers. My swagher is a quiet confidence mixed with an elegant tomboy. The way I carry myself is my swagher. It’s not anything you need to say. It’s a way and a presence you carry, and mine is a quiet confidence.
Vince: How did you get into modeling?
Â
Natasha:Â My senior year of college a friend of mine was taking a photography class. For his final, he had to put together a magazine spread, and he asked me to be the model for his project. We shot the pictures and then my best friend said we should send them to an agency. We looked at different agencies and then we found one that specialized in fitness models. We sent the pictures to them and a few months later I signed with that agency.
Vince: True or False. Model #19 on Deal or No Deal was Natasha Ward?Â
Natasha:Â That is true. I was actually moving out of my apartment at the time and my agent called and said I have a last-minute audition for a show and they want to know if you can hop on a skype call and do a personality interview. I said sure so I was on the call wearing jeans and a t-shirt sitting on my kitchen table because it’s the only thing I had left. I do the call and they’re like you supposed to be in a cocktail dress. I had no idea because my agent left those details out. I didn’t think I would get the job, but a month or two later I got a call from the producers to join the cast.
Vince: On Tyler Perry’s ‘The Oval,’ you play the character Ellie. How was the audition process?
Â
Natasha:Â Originally I was sent a role for the show and I went to audition in L.A. A couple of weeks later I got a call from my manager that Tyler and his production team wanted to fly me to Atlanta to do a chemistry read. While I’m at the airport my manager called me and told me they wanted to switch the part I was going to read for. They sent me a different role which I had to learn in less than 24 hours. I read the role with Ed Quinn, and instead of reading it like it was written, I read it as myself. I didn’t get the role. A couple of months later I got a call and was offered the role of Ellie.
Vince: How would you describe your character, Ellie?
Â
Natasha:Â Ellie is a breath of fresh air for the show in general. She’s bright, wide-eyed, got spunk, and not afraid of a challenge.
Vince: How is it working with Tyler Perry?
Â
Natasha: A Tyler Perry production is like an active bootcamp. It’s fast-paced, and you better have done the work before you show up on set. You can’t get around the work with Tyler. He knows what he wants and you may get one to three takes. That’s all you get. With him, you must be invested in your character as an actor. It’s fast-paced, efficient, and a lot of fun.
Vince: What’s next for Natasha Ward?
Â
Natasha: I’m gearing up to launch a beenie line called Beenies and Bread. It was kind of born out of my own experience with anxiety and depression. The purpose of the line is to focus on mental health and spiritual wholeness. On each beenie will be a scriptural theme. I’ve been involved in the protest and activism we’re seeing in the country right now. A group of friends and I got together and hosted an event for creativity and education on Juneteenth. As far as the entertainment industry I just plan to continue working and growing. I would love to do voice over roles, and I would really love to do action movies.
Natasha Ward has experienced an enormous amount of success as a fitness model. Her career as an actress is also starting to travel down the road of prosperity. Her character Ellie is a fresh addition to the cast of ‘The Oval.’ Ellie’s storyline is becoming very interesting. Tune in to see what happens next Wednesday night at 9 p.m. eastern time on BET.
