Style File: TEN QUESTIONS WITH ACTRESS AISHA HINDS

UBC is proud to welcome Ms. Aisha Hinds who will be starring on HawthoRNe on TNT. Here are her fun and fabulous answers to THE TEN.

UBC: YOU ARE A STRIKINGLY BEAUTIFUL WOMAN. ONLY THE MOST GORGEOUS AMONG US CAN ROCK YOUR LOW HAIR CUT. DID YOU ALWAYS WEAR YOUR HAIR LOW OR WAS IT A JOURNEY?

AH: Definitely a journey...one that coincided with the evolution of understanding myself. Trust, I was a slave to my hair for many years, and it was a direct reflection of what I thought or didn’t think of myself. Once the hair came off, I could no longer hide from myself--my eyes were looking dead at me, and I then actually looked back and saw ME, and really LOVED her.

UBC: WHAT ARE THE HAIR CARE PRODUCTS YOU’D RECOMMEND TO WOMEN WITH LOW CUTS? IS SKIN PROTECTION AN ISSUE? SCHOOL US!

AH: I keep it simple. There isn’t much up there to "care" for, so I just let it breathe. I wash daily, because I sweat from spin class, with Aveda Rosemary Mint Shampoo and Conditioner (the tingle of the mint on my scalp makes me feel like I've done something!). It’s so refreshing to the scalp. As for the skin, I rock out on Murad's Oil Free Sunblock, since I don’t have the extra tresses to protect the suns rays...

UBC: WE ARE ALL EXCITED TO SEE YOU ON YOUR NEW TV SHOW “HAWTHORNE.” PLEASE TELL US ABOUT THE SHOW IN GENERAL AND YOUR CHARACTER SPECIFICALLY.

AH: I am SO excited that you all are excited...we are excited together!!! You will be the first to know--I am madly in love with a woman, and her name is ISABEL WALSH. I have been so blessed with the honor of articulating Isabel's journey on this first season of “HawthoRNe.” She is a homeless woman who squats outside, and around the Richmond Trinity Hospital in Virginia. From the pilot episode, she struck a special chord because she was so beautifully juxtaposed with the intro of the other characters and staff of the hospital. Here you have a medical drama from the perspective of nurses, celebrating and saluting them as the unsung heroes they are, and then you have ISABEL. A homeless woman who is a hero in her own right, by simply surviving each day under the circumstances she faces.

UBC: TELL US ABOUT THE MAKE-UP/HAIR TEAM ON THE SET OF “HAWTHoRNE.”

AH: The Glam Team of “HawthoRNe” are the most incredibly talented, efficient, and warm group of individuals you will ever want to meet. They are amongst the first point of contact on any given day for the actors, and they make it such a pleasure to come and get all dolled up, or dolled DOWN in my case… LOL.

UBC: WE’RE SURE YOU GET ASKED THIS A LOT, SO ADD US TO THE CHORUS…; HOW IS IT WORKING WITH JADA?

AH: A-MAZING!!!! Int. Day One---Audition Room--Jada set the atmosphere for me to be the best I could be! Jada isn’t but THIS big, but let me tell you, her spirit is GIMUNGOUS--and she shares it very generously, especially in her work. Her posture is perpetually saying "Sis, what can I do, what do you need, how can I help you be your best?" She steps on set with a beautiful blend of confidence, humility, power, and vulnerability which creates an atmosphere for excellence. She's a great woman to watch.

UBC: YOU’VE PORTRAYED SUCH FAB CHARACTERS SO FAR IN YOUR CAREER. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE ROLE AND WHY?

AH: Its been a beautiful ride, and I am super grateful. This last year marked a turning point for me for several reasons, but one of which was I had an opportunity to play some diverse roles that were exciting for me. Miss Jeanette on HBO's “True Blood” was a blast and a half--it was a character within a character--I couldn't ask for more layers to play with. I also played Jackie Blaine, a Transgender on “Law & Order SVU”, which challenged me to reach for beautiful depths of understanding and compassion. Alas, I am playing a homeless woman on “HawthoRNE,” who week to week is layered with so much humanity that even I forget before she is a "homeless" woman, she is a WOMAN, like any other.

UBC: YOU WEAR VIBRANT COLORS AND BEAUTIFUL EARRINGS ON THE RED CARPET, HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO WEAR BEFORE HEADING OUT TO A SPECIAL EVENT?

AH: Well, I am bald, and I am not sure why some folks don’t see that I am also quite curvy, but they mistakenly call me "sir," and I just can’t have that. I have to add a definitive punctuation to the sentence by making sure folks know what I am and who I am!

UBC: WHO WOULD YOU CONSIDER AS YOUR STYLE ICON?

AH: My mom was soooooooooo fly when I was growing up, and she really inspires a lot of my choices. She comes from a big family of 9 brothers and sisters, but the family photos always has "one of these kids are doing their own thing," which was my mom...so she passed it on to me.

UBC: GIVE US YOUR TOP THREE CAN’T-DO-WITHOUT BEAUTY PRODUCTS.

AH: MURAD Facial Products

Johnson’s & Johnson’s Baby Oil

Vaseline

I am simple Sally over here....

UBC: WHAT GIFT OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO YOUNG BLACK FEMALE ACTRESS’ TRYING TO BREAK INTO SHOW BIZ?

AH: I am passionate about a lot of things, but I am purposed to do one...so pursue this craft only if your are purposed to do so---it’s not easy, and it takes knowing your purpose to push you through and over the hurdles. Love on yourself deeply while you find your way....Blessings my beloved beautiful black actresses!