Last week I was honored to speak with actress Anjelika Washington who stars alongside Chloe Bailey in the latest Will Packer produced film PRAISE THIS! on Peacock.

Praise This! is centered around the world of The Oil Factory Church and a Gospel competition show (who else remember those from back in the day? (Growing up our church choir always lost to Walt Whitman and the Soul Children of Chicago… they still be singing their face off!)

Standout character Jess who is played by Washington is a devout member of The Oil Factory church and their Gospel choir (she plays the mess out of the drums!). She gives true southern belle/church girl vibes. Her energy jumps off the screen! As the film begins we see her welcoming her sister/cousin Sam (played by Chloe Bailey) to Atlanta after her father sends her to live with her aunt and uncle and cousin. She immediately takes Sam, who is unchurched to The Oil Factory.

When they arrive, she points out the unchurched crowd, joking that “it smells like D’Ussé and Black & Milds over there.”

“The point is to try to reach an audience that doesn’t sit in a church pew every Sunday,” producer Will Packer recently shared during media rounds about the scene, “and maybe hasn’t in a very long time. And maybe has never.”

Washington shared with me what it was like working with Packer on the set of the film.

“I had him on my vision board since 2018. So when I found out I got the part I was so excited. This was something that I wanted for so long and this is my first predominantly Black film. I felt like a member of the cast. I didn’t feel like a token Black girl.”

“It felt really special to be apart of that, to be taken care of and to be seen by my community, Washington concluded.

Praise This! is now streaming on Peacock TV.