Many people were introduced to LisaRaye McCoy as Diamond in the Ice Cube-written and directed film, The Player’s Club.
Diamond, a single mother, used the world of exotic dancing as a means to an end. She paid her way through college while looking after her naive cousin, Ebony.
The Players Club launched McCoys’s career, making her a household name and a beauty icon. McCoy’s career has blossomed through the years, appearing in projects including Single Ladies, Beauty Shop, The Wood, and now, A House Divided. “
McCoy became quickly associated with 'The Players Club,' but the notoriety weighed heavily in McCoy’s mental space.
In an interview with Page Six, McCoy shared that she had an “identity crisis” after her role in the film.
“I had an identity crisis after Players Club because I felt like I had to have the long hair and look like my character Diamond in order to be recognized, “ McCoy shared. “Players Club put me on the map… it made me a bona fide sex symbol, and when you are a sex symbol people think that you’re sexy all the time, and that stigma follows you. So I am forever Diamond.”
She continued, “I’m an older Diamond now, but diamonds always shine, so I am here for it. I did not know what sexy was at the time… I think it was best for me not to really know, because I probably would’ve tried to play it up in my role and messed it up.”
She also talked about working with Ice Cube and her overall experience on the film
McCoy says she got a trainer to prepare for the film.
“They gave me a trainer for a good six weeks so that helped me feel more confident about my body,” she said. “So when it was time to do a striptease, Ice Cube was so great, and [was] there for me as a new actress.”
On Ice Cube, she said, “They gave me a trainer for a good six weeks so that helped me feel more confident about my body. So when it was time to do a striptease, Ice Cube was so great, and [was] there for me as a new actress.”
A House Divided airs on AMC Networks’ streaming service, ALLBLK. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs and Taja V. Simpson also star.
