Nia Peeples Details Magazine interview 1991
INTERVIEW: Nia Peeples (Pam Fields) from Pretty Little Liars
INTERVIEW: Nia Peeples (Pam Fields) from Pretty Little Liars
January 10th, 2011Nia Peeples
January 10th, 2011Nia Peeples
The mid-season premiere of Pretty Little Liars featured Emily coming out to her parents. Her friends know and love her for who she is, but her parents aren’t so quick to accept her sexuality. I think it’s very important to have this storyline on television because it gives teenagers something to relate to — whether they are questioning their own sexuality or they have a friend who is doing so. Emily’s dad’s reaction was a bit softer than her mom’s, and it’s clear that her mom is really struggling to accept this news. In tonight’s episode, there is a Fields family dinner with Maya, where we get an even clearer picture of how Emily’s mom feels about everything. I recently had the chance to talk to Nia Peeples, who plays Pam Fields. She is quite different from Pam and has a lot to say about what’s coming up for her character and how Pam is really exploring who she is as a mother. In the books, there’s an interesting turn of events with Emily and her family, but Nia Peeples was told not to read them.
The mid-season premiere of Pretty Little Liars featured Emily coming out to her parents. Her friends know and love her for who she is, but her parents aren’t so quick to accept her sexuality. I think it’s very important to have this storyline on television because it gives teenagers something to relate to — whether they are questioning their own sexuality or they have a friend who is doing so. Emily’s dad’s reaction was a bit softer than her mom’s, and it’s clear that her mom is really struggling to accept this news. In tonight’s episode, there is a Fields family dinner with Maya, where we get an even clearer picture of how Emily’s mom feels about everything. I recently had the chance to talk to Nia Peeples, who plays Pam Fields. She is quite different from Pam and has a lot to say about what’s coming up for her character and how Pam is really exploring who she is as a mother. In the books, there’s an interesting turn of events with Emily and her family, but Nia Peeples was told not to read them.
This past week’s episode of Pretty Little Liars was a big one for Emily and her family. I noticed you have gotten some not-so-positive reactions on Twitter?
This past week’s episode of Pretty Little Liars was a big one for Emily and her family. I noticed you have gotten some not-so-positive reactions on Twitter?
Right. (laughs) Well, they’ve been kind to me, but it’s a little unforgiving — the character, the way that she’s written to begin with. But what I’m really really excited about now and believe me it’s tough — I’m an actor [who's] done maybe one other recurring role. I’m usually a regular on shows. And so to come on as a recurring role, really my job is to service Emily. My job is to prop her up and give her stumbling blocks, and to sort of magnify her storyline and the things that she’s going through. So what happens is I don’t have the opportunity to develop everything about my character personally. So you get her in bits and little pieces. But one of the things I was really delighted about in this particular go-around this season of Pretty Little Liars is that they allowed me to explore the deeper aspects of being a mother with a teenager with that kind of questioning going on. So rather than just painting it as “Well, she’s short-minded and small minded, Emily’s right and she’s wrong,” they really allowed me to explore the depth of what would be going on. Because very few mothers would only be holding the position “You’re wrong!” I mean, they’re there. There are parents like that. But the much more interesting choice is “I love you, and I want you to be happy and I want you to find the right things. Are you messing with the wrong thing here?” There’s something much deeper than just “You like girls.”
Right. (laughs) Well, they’ve been kind to me, but it’s a little unforgiving — the character, the way that she’s written to begin with. But what I’m really really excited about now and believe me it’s tough — I’m an actor [who's] done maybe one other recurring role. I’m usually a regular on shows. And so to come on as a recurring role, really my job is to service Emily. My job is to prop her up and give her stumbling blocks, and to sort of magnify her storyline and the things that she’s going through. So what happens is I don’t have the opportunity to develop everything about my character personally. So you get her in bits and little pieces. But one of the things I was really delighted about in this particular go-around this season of Pretty Little Liars is that they allowed me to explore the deeper aspects of being a mother with a teenager with that kind of questioning going on. So rather than just painting it as “Well, she’s short-minded and small minded, Emily’s right and she’s wrong,” they really allowed me to explore the depth of what would be going on. Because very few mothers would only be holding the position “You’re wrong!” I mean, they’re there. There are parents like that. But the much more interesting choice is “I love you, and I want you to be happy and I want you to find the right things. Are you messing with the wrong thing here?” There’s something much deeper than just “You like girls.”
Especially because Emily’s whole storyline leading up to this was questioning what she was going through.
Especially because Emily’s whole storyline leading up to this was questioning what she was going through.
Yes, yes, absolutely. And also I’m a mother of a 12 year old daughter, and I have a 21 year old son. So I’ve been through the teenage thing. It’s a crazy time. It can be for a lot of kids. And forget about the fact that she’s coming out of the closet and questioning her sexuality, if she came home with a boy and said “Oh I’m in love with this boy. I want to marry him and have his child.” You would look at her and say “You’re out of your mind. You’re 16, what do you know?” And so there’s all of that underneath everything. I love it, because it’s an opportunity for people to look at this and really examine how two people who love each other can try to come together compassionately, out of their love.
Yes, yes, absolutely. And also I’m a mother of a 12 year old daughter, and I have a 21 year old son. So I’ve been through the teenage thing. It’s a crazy time. It can be for a lot of kids. And forget about the fact that she’s coming out of the closet and questioning her sexuality, if she came home with a boy and said “Oh I’m in love with this boy. I want to marry him and have his child.” You would look at her and say “You’re out of your mind. You’re 16, what do you know?” And so there’s all of that underneath everything. I love it, because it’s an opportunity for people to look at this and really examine how two people who love each other can try to come together compassionately, out of their love.
And because you are a recurring role, how do you get into the mindset to play Emily’s mom and build her up as you said?
And because you are a recurring role, how do you get into the mindset to play Emily’s mom and build her up as you said?
It’s been tough because there are a lot of questions I have that simply cannot be answered at the get go, because they haven’t fleshed the character out. Normally, when I take on a job and when I take on a character, I have her entire life backlogged before I start day 1. I already know where she’s coming from, where she’s going and sometimes there’s a few questions that are left unanswered, but mostly she’s very fully fleshed out. But because like I said my job is to support Emily, and make her storyline interesting, they leave it very open. So as an actor, not having made certain choices about my character is tough. Sometimes, you just have to play it and literally ask “Am I going in the wrong direction for you in the future if I make this choice in this moment?”
It’s been tough because there are a lot of questions I have that simply cannot be answered at the get go, because they haven’t fleshed the character out. Normally, when I take on a job and when I take on a character, I have her entire life backlogged before I start day 1. I already know where she’s coming from, where she’s going and sometimes there’s a few questions that are left unanswered, but mostly she’s very fully fleshed out. But because like I said my job is to support Emily, and make her storyline interesting, they leave it very open. So as an actor, not having made certain choices about my character is tough. Sometimes, you just have to play it and literally ask “Am I going in the wrong direction for you in the future if I make this choice in this moment?”
That makes sense. And were the scenes with Emily very emotional for you to film?
That makes sense. And were the scenes with Emily very emotional for you to film?
Absolutely. And coming up, it even gets much much deeper. And I’m so happy that they allowed my character to explore that emotion. Because at the onset, she was almost presented like picture perfect and she’s happy so long as everything looks okay. Which isn’t very interesting to play as an actor. It’s just not. It’s easy, and it doesn’t really get into the deeper aspects of a character where it causes an audience to see a little bit of themselves in there. And that to me, it’s all about communicating and making people see that we’re all kind of one. Whoever you are, I kind of am too. There’s that little thing that I’m kind of dealing with too. So that is what’s interesting for me as an actor it’s connecting people, so when they create a character that’s just sort of one dimensional up front, it’s not fun to play. But they really opened her up this season, which makes it fun for me.
Absolutely. And coming up, it even gets much much deeper. And I’m so happy that they allowed my character to explore that emotion. Because at the onset, she was almost presented like picture perfect and she’s happy so long as everything looks okay. Which isn’t very interesting to play as an actor. It’s just not. It’s easy, and it doesn’t really get into the deeper aspects of a character where it causes an audience to see a little bit of themselves in there. And that to me, it’s all about communicating and making people see that we’re all kind of one. Whoever you are, I kind of am too. There’s that little thing that I’m kind of dealing with too. So that is what’s interesting for me as an actor it’s connecting people, so when they create a character that’s just sort of one dimensional up front, it’s not fun to play. But they really opened her up this season, which makes it fun for me.
Definitely. And something that really struck me was Emily’s dad who’s this tough guy, a military dad, was more open and accepting of Emily’s sexuality. What was it like to play off of that dichotomy?
Definitely. And something that really struck me was Emily’s dad who’s this tough guy, a military dad, was more open and accepting of Emily’s sexuality. What was it like to play off of that dichotomy?
It was an interesting go-around because when we first tackled the scenes, his first take on it was rough and tough and harsh and coming at it from a very stern side. And when we were filming it, they said “Take a different path. Let’s allow it to wash over more softly.” And it was such a great choice because it allowed his character to kind of soften up, like you said. And it wasn’t a change in the dialogue, it was a change in the way the dialogue was delivered. And that completely changed the dynamic. Because if he’s going to stand up against me, harshly, and say those things, I’m going to counter it in a different way than if he says it in a more forgiving fashion. So it creates a much more interesting dynamic between the two of us. And the tough thing for me is that I’m nothing like my character. (laughs)
It was an interesting go-around because when we first tackled the scenes, his first take on it was rough and tough and harsh and coming at it from a very stern side. And when we were filming it, they said “Take a different path. Let’s allow it to wash over more softly.” And it was such a great choice because it allowed his character to kind of soften up, like you said. And it wasn’t a change in the dialogue, it was a change in the way the dialogue was delivered. And that completely changed the dynamic. Because if he’s going to stand up against me, harshly, and say those things, I’m going to counter it in a different way than if he says it in a more forgiving fashion. So it creates a much more interesting dynamic between the two of us. And the tough thing for me is that I’m nothing like my character. (laughs)
I would imagine not.
I would imagine not.
I’m having such an identity crisis. I don’t do my hair like that, I don’t wear clothes like that. I’m not that conservative. I’m very forward thinking yet kind of old fashioned. And when it comes to ethics, I’m very very old fashioned but I’m not in terms of how those ethics are expressed. So I believe in the truth, I believe in goodness and I believe in honesty and all of that. But I don’t believe in labels. And I don’t believe that people can absolutely define what’s right or wrong for other people. I think everyone has to make their own decisions, so it was tough as an actor who doesn’t hold those truths to be so, to find the truth that is. But once they opened up this season for me, I thought “Oh they’re going to let me go there.” Then it was easier to paint, if you will, the core of me. The core of Pam is Nia. In that, I love my daughter, I want her to be happy, I want her to find what is absolutely best for her. With that, Nia shares a common ground. And once we found that common ground, it was much easier for me to paint the flesh as being practiced in other ways. She was raised to believe that being homosexual is just a choice that you made, and it was wrong.
I’m having such an identity crisis. I don’t do my hair like that, I don’t wear clothes like that. I’m not that conservative. I’m very forward thinking yet kind of old fashioned. And when it comes to ethics, I’m very very old fashioned but I’m not in terms of how those ethics are expressed. So I believe in the truth, I believe in goodness and I believe in honesty and all of that. But I don’t believe in labels. And I don’t believe that people can absolutely define what’s right or wrong for other people. I think everyone has to make their own decisions, so it was tough as an actor who doesn’t hold those truths to be so, to find the truth that is. But once they opened up this season for me, I thought “Oh they’re going to let me go there.” Then it was easier to paint, if you will, the core of me. The core of Pam is Nia. In that, I love my daughter, I want her to be happy, I want her to find what is absolutely best for her. With that, Nia shares a common ground. And once we found that common ground, it was much easier for me to paint the flesh as being practiced in other ways. She was raised to believe that being homosexual is just a choice that you made, and it was wrong.
Just from talking to you, and from what you said earlier, it’s obvious that you are very different from Pam. So I imagine your reaction would be very different if one of your children came out to you?
Just from talking to you, and from what you said earlier, it’s obvious that you are very different from Pam. So I imagine your reaction would be very different if one of your children came out to you?
Oh absolutely. Of course the first thing would be at that age, “Hold on. You have no idea. Do you know who you are? You’re 16 years old. You have a lot of questions about everything.” And everything you have is going to feel more real to some degree when you’re that age. What you’re feeling is deeper and bigger and broader and higher than almost any other time in your life. It’s so magnified when you’re that age and your hormones are going like that. The only other time I can reflect upon that was close to that was when I was pregnant and having a baby and again, it’s the hormones! So that would be my first take on it. The second thing would be let’s really see what that means to you. And then of course it would be an exploration of how do we deal with that going from here. Because it’s already, just when you have a heterosexual child, how do you deal with dating? How do you deal with how they express their sexuality? It’s a rough road for parents of teenagers.
Oh absolutely. Of course the first thing would be at that age, “Hold on. You have no idea. Do you know who you are? You’re 16 years old. You have a lot of questions about everything.” And everything you have is going to feel more real to some degree when you’re that age. What you’re feeling is deeper and bigger and broader and higher than almost any other time in your life. It’s so magnified when you’re that age and your hormones are going like that. The only other time I can reflect upon that was close to that was when I was pregnant and having a baby and again, it’s the hormones! So that would be my first take on it. The second thing would be let’s really see what that means to you. And then of course it would be an exploration of how do we deal with that going from here. Because it’s already, just when you have a heterosexual child, how do you deal with dating? How do you deal with how they express their sexuality? It’s a rough road for parents of teenagers.
I’m sure. And I think this is such a great storyline. Why do you think it’s important that it’s addressed on TV?
I’m sure. And I think this is such a great storyline. Why do you think it’s important that it’s addressed on TV?
Well, because in general, I think in this country and probably everywhere, kids have a really hard time with anything that’s different than what they are. Everybody is looking for a place to fit in because they don’t have the courage to be who they are. And they’re seeking who they are, so what this does is that it offers up an opportunity for everyone to look at the differences and see themselves in those differences. And see that we’re all battling at that age for an identity and it doesn’t make you right or wrong. We’re all in the same boat in regards to that, and there has to be compassion for everyone.
Well, because in general, I think in this country and probably everywhere, kids have a really hard time with anything that’s different than what they are. Everybody is looking for a place to fit in because they don’t have the courage to be who they are. And they’re seeking who they are, so what this does is that it offers up an opportunity for everyone to look at the differences and see themselves in those differences. And see that we’re all battling at that age for an identity and it doesn’t make you right or wrong. We’re all in the same boat in regards to that, and there has to be compassion for everyone.
And what is your relationship like with your TV daughter, Shay Mitchell?
And what is your relationship like with your TV daughter, Shay Mitchell?
She’s unbelievable! I look at her and she’s so together. When I was her age, I had my first hit show on — “Fame.” I was as mature as she is, but I was much younger in experience in life than she is. Probably because she started modeling at a young age and traveling around the world. So she really has a maturity to her in terms of the world, that I just didn’t have. She is really, really together. This isn’t going to be an experience for her that brings her down or do anything but expand her. She’s a smart girl, and I adore her.
She’s unbelievable! I look at her and she’s so together. When I was her age, I had my first hit show on — “Fame.” I was as mature as she is, but I was much younger in experience in life than she is. Probably because she started modeling at a young age and traveling around the world. So she really has a maturity to her in terms of the world, that I just didn’t have. She is really, really together. This isn’t going to be an experience for her that brings her down or do anything but expand her. She’s a smart girl, and I adore her.
In Rosewood, everyone has their secrets. Does Pam have some that we might not have seen yet?
In Rosewood, everyone has their secrets. Does Pam have some that we might not have seen yet?
You know, if anyone has some secrets, it would be Pam. But secrets even from herself, like I think there’s a lot of discovery. Pam prides herself with being an honest, steady, hard-working woman, but I think that if she keeps secrets, it’s mostly from herself. Going through this thing with Emily is going to force her to take a look at somethings in herself. And, oh my gosh, I would absolutely love it if suddenly season 3 or 4, the producers came and said “Well, we’re going to make the decision that Pam Fields used to be a stripper, or that Pam Fields is gay herself.” I would love that!!
You know, if anyone has some secrets, it would be Pam. But secrets even from herself, like I think there’s a lot of discovery. Pam prides herself with being an honest, steady, hard-working woman, but I think that if she keeps secrets, it’s mostly from herself. Going through this thing with Emily is going to force her to take a look at somethings in herself. And, oh my gosh, I would absolutely love it if suddenly season 3 or 4, the producers came and said “Well, we’re going to make the decision that Pam Fields used to be a stripper, or that Pam Fields is gay herself.” I would love that!!
That would be fantastic. And in the books, there’s a very interesting turn of events with Emily and her family. I know you can’t spoil too much, but what’s coming up in this next episode with Emily and her family and in the rest of the season?
That would be fantastic. And in the books, there’s a very interesting turn of events with Emily and her family. I know you can’t spoil too much, but what’s coming up in this next episode with Emily and her family and in the rest of the season?
All I can tell you, is that for me, as an actor, it’s a bigger chunk of meat to chew this season, in that it allows me to explore how I really feel as a mother. Not just as a mother of a teen who’s dealing with her sexuality, but who I am as a mother, raising a child that I absolutely love. That’s all I can tell you. In terms of how it follows along with the book, I cannot tell you. They told me not to read the books.
All I can tell you, is that for me, as an actor, it’s a bigger chunk of meat to chew this season, in that it allows me to explore how I really feel as a mother. Not just as a mother of a teen who’s dealing with her sexuality, but who I am as a mother, raising a child that I absolutely love. That’s all I can tell you. In terms of how it follows along with the book, I cannot tell you. They told me not to read the books.
Ohh, interesting. (laughs)
Ohh, interesting. (laughs)
So I didn’t and I think that’s helpful.
So I didn’t and I think that’s helpful.
And lastly, do you have any other projects coming up that we can see you in?
And lastly, do you have any other projects coming up that we can see you in?
Absolutely! This year has been such a phenomenal year for me. I created a website called niaselementsoflife.com. And it has turned into the most awesome thing in my life. I came to this point in my life, where I realized I have outgrown everything I’ve done. I’m more woman than Hollywood could ever give the proper value to. And so I took this Tsunami relief trip in 2004, and it just started this whole journey in my life. It turned into this whole thing called the Elements of Life, which is 12 things that I think are really important for people to re-examine. Everything from individuality and passion and adventure to forgiveness. So the whole website is built around these 30 minute audio seminars that I created and it’s just absolutely exploded. It’s such a wonderful, fun place for people to come.
Absolutely! This year has been such a phenomenal year for me. I created a website called niaselementsoflife.com. And it has turned into the most awesome thing in my life. I came to this point in my life, where I realized I have outgrown everything I’ve done. I’m more woman than Hollywood could ever give the proper value to. And so I took this Tsunami relief trip in 2004, and it just started this whole journey in my life. It turned into this whole thing called the Elements of Life, which is 12 things that I think are really important for people to re-examine. Everything from individuality and passion and adventure to forgiveness. So the whole website is built around these 30 minute audio seminars that I created and it’s just absolutely exploded. It’s such a wonderful, fun place for people to come.