L to R: Essence Atkins as Ivy and Damon Wayans as Poppa. Robert Voets/CBS
Poppa’s House is clearly establishing Essence Atkins and Damon Wayans‘ characters to get together — however the show isn’t in any rush.
During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Essence Atkins explained why the CBS sitcom benefited from writing Ivy and Poppa as a slow burn.
“Initially once we were starting the series, we thought it could occur sooner. But I feel that there’s something really beautiful about them becoming friends first and that they really grow in respect for each other and admiration for each other,” Atkins, 53, said. “Also in having the ability to see behind the scenes of each other, they’ve a bit of bit more trepidation and a bit of bit more caution about leaping forward.”
Atkins identified that each Ivy and Poppa were beginning to develop an “awareness” of their connection, adding, “He’s gaining an awareness of like, ‘Well, what do I get? It looks good, but what does the inspection report say if you buy a house?’ That’s wisdom, and I feel that that results in a rather more satisfying take when it actually happens. It won’t feel so jumped or rushed.”
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By constructing the fictional relationship over time, Atkins has hope that it can feel earned.
“These characters have earned this closeness. We’ve seen them grow on one another. We’ve seen them get on one another’s nerves,” she told Us. “I just like the pace that we’re continuing at. So far as how long it can take, I don’t know. I definitely think that they’ll be moments this season where you’ll be rooting for it to occur.”
Poppa’s House, which premiered in October 2024, follows legendary talk radio host Poppa (Wayans), who has his perspective challenged at work when a brand new female cohost (Atkins) is hired. At home, meanwhile, Poppa finds himself still parenting his adult son (Damon Wayans Jr.), who’s attempting to pursue his passion while balancing the responsibilities related to being a father and husband.
The sitcom is a family affair for Wayans, 64, and Wayans Jr., 42, who’re joined by other family members behind the scenes. Atkins told Us that working with the Wayans family was a significant bonus when she signed on to hitch Poppa’s House.
“The reality of the matter is that it’s all the time going to be a direct yes after I hear ‘Wayans.’ That is my sixth project with that family, I actually have met all of them at this point and worked with nearly all of them,” she noted. “I actually desired to work with Damon Wayans Jr. again [after Dance Flick] and I had all the time desired to work with Damon Wayans, in order that’s really all I needed to know. It was a direct yes.”
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Before Poppa’s House, Atkins played Marlon Wayans‘ ex-wife on his short-lived sitcom and Shawn Wayans‘ girlfriend in Dance Flick.
“I just have to be Kim [Wayans]‘s love interest after which I’ll have the trifecta. I’ll have been the love interest of all of them,” she quipped. “But at this point I feel like an honorary member of the family. To a certain extent, it feels a bit incestuous but probably not.”
She continued: “I really like them a lot and I really like working with them. It’s all the time such a pleasing, skilled and fun experience. I might like to dispense it as medicine. Are you going through something difficult? Work with the Wayans family, you’ll feel higher. You’ll feel an entire lot higher. It’ll bring some healing to your soul.”
Atkins was incredibly happy with the work put into bringing Poppa’s House to life — including her scene stealing character.
“Initially of the show, she’s a bestselling writer, she’s written all of those self-help books and she or he has a successful podcast before she meets Poppa. [And] there was a component that I played within the pilot, which I used to be so grateful for. Each [creators] Kevin [Hench] and Damon were very open to me writing something the way in which I believed Ivy would say it,” she recalled. “So I got to definitely improve on the complexity of her articulation of certain things. It was about making it what I believed could be just learned and more of an analyst speak. Any time you’re employed on a personality, there’s so many elements to them that you just are in collaboration with from makeup to hair to wardrobe.”
Along with a virtually 4 decade profession as an actress, Atkins has also ventured into directing. Atkins hinted to Us that she wasn’t ruling out possibly directing an episode of Poppa’s House in the longer term.
“The hope is yes and the reply is yes. I might love that,” she shared. “Being an actor, I actually have found that a few of the most effective directors I’ve ever worked with were actors. I just think that having Kim, Phil Lewis, Kim Fields, Alfonso Ribeiro às directors [was different]. Working with individuals who know what it’s to do what I do, there’s a shorthand and there’s a heartbeat that they operate from. …The script is the skeleton and the actor puts the flesh on it. Having a director who understands that process really does make great storytellers and the most effective storytelling.”
Poppa’s House airs on CBS Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET. Recent episodes stream the following day on Paramount+.
