Showtime's Your Honor tells the story of a judge, played by Emmy award winner Bryan Cranston, dedicated to his career — but even more dedicated to his family when he is forced to cover for his son in a hit-and-run accident. Looking even deeper, the limited series draws attention to the American judicial system, where money and privilege often give those accused of crimes another leg to stand on.
Andrene Ward-Hammond, who plays Big Mo on the series, told Cheddar the show is a springboard for jumping into uncomfortable, but necessary, conversations about the court system.
"It's holding a mirror to exactly what's happening right now. It's generating the conversation that we need to have," she said. "People are triggered by it. People are upset by it. It's not just for entertainment but calls into question, 'Why does this happen and why do you feel the way that you do after watching it? Why are you triggered by it?' and I think we don't have enough of that conversation."
Ward-Hammond's character, a strong arm in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, commands attention when she speaks and often makes her presence felt without relying on overbearing tactics, a trait the actress said was easy for her to embody.
"I am Big Mo. Not in the illegal sense, but I'm a mom. I'm a protector of my community. I root for the underdog, and I make sure that those that are not taken care of, that they have a voice," she said. "I'm a huge protector of those that are around me, so it wasn't hard to draw for Big Mo at all."
In the series, New Orleans itself plays a role as the plot is steeped in the city's rich culture. Ward-Hammond explains that The Big Easy is as integral to telling the story as the dialogue between characters.
"The color, the culture, the history in itself is the backdrop of the story. You see what post-[Hurricane] Katrina looks like there. You see the culture from two vantage points, the privileged and the poor, and what that looks like," she said.
Though the limited series has garnered much attention, Showtime currently has no plans to extend the show beyond this season. The finale is slated to air Sunday, February 14.
Jessie Woolley-Wilson, President and CEO of DreamBox Learning, joins ChedHER to discuss how technology is transforming the way the world learns, and her career journey as a leading woman of color in the tech industry.
Chicago schools opened their doors again following a dispute between the teachers union and the city over as the omicron variant continues to surge, but the safety issues they fought over weren't just limited to the Windy City. Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, family medicine and urgent care doctor, joined Cheddar in discussing concerns of parents, teachers, and students as schools try to operate amid COVID and noted what she's been observing as the number of infections among children rises. "I am seeing them contract the illness from so many different aspects," she said. "It could be from a fellow classmate. It could be from a parent. All of those things really play in the effect of transmission as well as contracting the illness."
One startup is working to reverse climate change one seed at a time. Terraformation is a global forest accelerator that provides tools, training, financing, and business support to help scale forest restoration projects worldwide. Forests naturally absorb carbon and Terraformation says that reforestation is a safe, low-cost, and scalable solution to the climate crisis. Yee Lee, VP of growth at Terraformation, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Tony Horton, fitness guru and creator of the famous P90X workout joins Cheddar News to discuss how people can stay focused and maintain fitness in the new year.
Meet Corrine Tan, American Girl’s 2022 Girl of the Year. Corrine is the first doll of Chinese descent from the company, debuting in response to a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American community. Jamie Cygielman, president and general manager of American Girl, spoke to Cheddar about the long development of the character. "As the pandemic began we started to see a lot of anti-Asian sentiment across the country," she said. "We sort of blended all of these stories together to create Corinne, an outline for Corinne, and then partnered with the wonderful author Wendy Shang to help tell that story to our fans." Cygielman also touched on linking up with AAPI Youth Rising, donating $25,000 for education efforts.
Janet Phan, founder of Thriving Elements and author of 'Boldly You,' joins Cheddar News to discuss the importance of being a mentor and how her organization is helping the next generation of STEM leaders.
Daniel Freedman, co-CEO of Burnalong, joins Cheddar News to talk about how Burnalong is helping companies support its staff and prevent workplace burnout.
Dave Epstein, meteorologist and contributor to The Boston Globe, joins Cheddar News to discuss the arctic blast hitting the Midwest and Northeastern area.
Decorated skier Lindsey Vonn did not hold back when touching on mental health in "Rise," her new memoir. "My mental health is definitely part of my story," she said. "Now I'm just thankful that this conversation is so much more talked about — Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka, Kevin Love, Michael Phelps, all have been outspoken about it." She noted that she felt happy that readers, particularly kids, get to see a vulnerable side to her in the book. The gold medalist also went on to note what she's most looking forward to watching in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
