Have you started watching Season 3 of Harlem?
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
After a shocking Season Two finale cliffhanger that left audiences on the edge of their seats, Harlem has returned for its third and final season on January 23, exclusively on Prime Video. From creator and writer Tracy Oliver (Girls Trip), Harlem Season Three follows the core four women on the precipice of change like never before.
BOSSIP’s Sr. Content Director Janeé Bolden chatted with Harlem star Tyler Lepley about his experience playing the on-again-off-again paramour to Meagan Good’s Camille. This season begins with Camille and Ian having recently ended their relationship because he wanted to have a family and she didn’t. Despite the split, Season 3 finds them back in each other’s arms casually, which is all good and well until it isn’t.
“I would say always follow your heart, but it’s gonna behoove you to close the chapter before you open the next one,” Lepley told BOSSIP about the advice he’d offer Ian stepping into Season 3. “So I want you to get your boundaries right and I want you to stick to them.”
That sounds like a real spicy tease right?!
As you can see from this clip Ian has his hands full this season.
Lepley also opened up about some of his favorite moments behind the scenes with his co-stars over the last five years.
“The first thing that comes to mind is just, I remember having a moment with Megan, maybe Season 1, or early Season 2 but as we started develop — you know it takes a while for us all to gel even though we gelled quickly on set — in terms of finding the chemistry and being professional doing what we’re doing but you know it takes a little while to gel off set to the point where we can start to feel like this family we’ve created five years in. I remember having conversations with Megan just about how we have similar upbringings, being Black like in a white space, kind of what that feels like, how it shaped us.”
“I remember having conversations with Shoniqua about venturing into a different space of our artistry,” Lepley continued. “You know she got a new single coming out, I’ve dropped music in the past, so creating that. What being an actor really means to me with Jerrie and then you know parenthood with Grace. I would say one of my biggest takeaways is really just having a specific relationship with each of the ladies because they’ve just been so gracious with you know opening up their village to me. It’s really their show, so being able to soak that up is just probably been the highlight of my experience.”
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
As you can see from the Episode 1 clip and photo, Ian does have a new lady in his life. The final season welcomes Logan Browning in the recurring role of Portia, an edgy and beautiful woman from Ian’s childhood, whose return to Harlem causes a stir. Tyler spoke with BOSSIP about how his character goes on a journey to better communicate with both Camille and Portia over the course of Season 3.
“I think we’ve seen some growth with that, even though he’s caught in a space that seems a little messy on the surface,” Lepley told BOSSIP. “As he’s in each situation he definitely is communicating what he’s experienced, what he hopes for the future and how he’s going to go about it even if it does seem like he’s juggling, so I feel like he does do a good job of of communicating the truth, even if it’s ugly sometimes. Even if it’s something that doesn’t want to be heard because no one wants to hear, ‘I’m going to start my relationship with you, but I am going to welcome my baby at the same time so I may be gone some nights.’ He still was at peace, he still was able to communicate that, because no one wants to be left in the dark either.”
Source: Courtesy / Prime Video
After three seasons of portraying Ian, Tyler weighed in about his character’s growth, navigating breakups and more.
“I would say I would say staying open to what his heart is feeling and what his heart is communicating,” Lepley answered when asked what makes him most proud of Ian. “Sometimes when we get hurt in life, it’s easy to just unplug your heart, let it go cold, but I feel like that’s not what our heart wants us to do. I feel like we’re more in-depth, fuller humans in totality when we’re able to to feel and honor that. I just love seeing him go through the whole arc and at his heart is full.”
Prime Video announced Season 3 would be the final season for the hit series, but Lepley told BOSSIP he’d love to see more from Ian and the other characters.
“We have so much more to give,” Lepley said. “It’s so crazy to end right here. We just started cooking.”
The first two episodes of Harlem are available on Prime Video now! New episodes drop every Thursday.
The post ‘Harlem’ S3 Exclusive: Tyler Lepley Reveals The Advice He’d Give His Character Ian, “Get Your Boundaries Right!” appeared first on Bossip.
