Born into a family of nine siblings, actress Sufe Bradshaw knows how to stand out. Her refreshing humor on HBO’s Emmy-nominated comedy Veep, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, has quickly turned her into a fan favorite as the Vice President’s personal assistant.
Ahead of the show’s return to television, UPTOWN got the opportunity to speak with Bradshaw about the comedy’s second season, what fans can expect from her no-nonsense [but loveable] character and an upcoming project that is near and dear to her heart.
Sue Me
With season one under her belt, it’s safe to say Bradshaw has comfortably settled into her role as Sue Wilson and found her place among a cast of colorful characters. “[Sue's] funny, fun and exciting,” she explains when asked about what attracted her to the role. “To be able to work with the caliber of talent that I’m working with on Veep– Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tony Hale, Timothy Simons, Reid Scott– it’s just an amazing group of funny people. I’ve always been attracted to comedy, so it was really great to be able to do one.”
Bradshaw says she and her fellow castmates were able to flesh out their characters by taking a trip through the West Wing. During the field test, she found that the ladies working at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. were no different from the assertive, get-to-the-point women in our everyday lives and that anyone could relate to her character.
Round Two
Bradshaw says she’s most excited for fans of the series to be re-introduced to the hilarious mayhem inside the office of Selina Meyer. “It’s fun, it’s fresh. There’s amazing situations in that office,” she says of the upcoming season. “What craziness will [Vice President] Selina Meyer get into today and how will her team get out of it. [...] Julia is so great in playing that part, so I think that’s going to translate to season two.”
Hollywood’s Sweetheart
A brief chat with the Los Angeles resident shows the unselfish heart of a star immersed in a world of, often, narcissistic personalities and callous jerks. Bradshaw is a firm supporter of One Billion Rising, the largest global action in history to end violence against women and girls. With more than a billion women and men representing 207 countries, individuals came together on Feb. 14, 2013 to express their outrage against violence. Fellow actresses Kerry Washington and Jane Fonda, among others, also represent the movement.
“Charity seems like it goes hand-in-hand with being a celebrity. [...] I’m largely using my celebrity to bring light to some charities that need to be out of the dark,” she states. “I think it’s just a natural compassion that I have for people and furthering society. I think I’ve always had that.”
Different Paths
When she’s not working on Veep (or practicing yoga, attending open mic nights, hiking, etc.), Bradshaw is putting the finishing touches on her forthcoming documentary New Leaves. As a product of the inner city, the Chicago-born talent wants to explore the lives of troubled youth and the choices they make to either do right or wrong. “I saw a lot of kids who had the same educational opportunities, both from either single or double-parent households and literally had similar backgrounds, but for some reason one kid would always go down the wrong road,” she explains.
Bradshaw says she interviewed friends, colleagues and experts, as well as two men from the inner city who faced two completely different fates: one went to Harvard while one went to jail.
The project is expected to launch in June.
Season two of Veep premieres tonight (April 14) at 10 p.m. EST on HBO.
