How Raven Goodwin Amber Riley relate to their ‘Single Black Female’ characters

nypost.com:

Bridget Fonda), Goodwin stars as Monica who, following the death of her father and a nasty breakup, tries to land a job hosting an afternoon talk show.

She hires a new assistant, Simone (Riley), and they become close friends. But after Simone moves in next door and immerses herself in Monica’s life, her creepy side starts to emerge — with tragic consequences and a revelation of her deep, dark secret.

K. Michelle and Janet Hubert co-star.Goodwin, 29, who co-starred on BET’s “Being Mary Jane,” said she has always tried to audition for roles that stretched her boundaries.“I have read for parts that were literally for a caucasian [actress] and have … nothing to do with me being a big black girl.

None of that,” she said. “I always think that maybe I can change people’s minds and completely change the character. I think it’s all about a feeling, about connecting … with the dialogue and building the character’s life beyond the page.“Once you do that, the sky’s the limit.”Riley, 35, who played Mercedes Jones on the Fox series “Glee,” said she shares similar sentiments, particularly as it applies to the music industry.“I was signed to a record label and my biggest qualm with them was they had an idea of who I was, and what my voice was, even after I got on ‘Glee,’ on which I was typecast,” she said. “There were some scenes where I got to break out of that, which is really dope, but I was never a belter, the person that sang loud and hollered.