GOOD TO GO WITH MEAGAN GOOD

[fusion_builder_container type="flex" hundred_percent="no" hundred_percent_height="no" hundred_percent_height_scroll="no" align_content="stretch" flex_align_items="flex-start" flex_justify_content="flex-start" hundred_percent_height_center_content="yes" equal_height_columns="no" container_tag="div" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" status="published" border_style="solid" box_shadow="no" box_shadow_blur="0" box_shadow_spread="0" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" background_position="center center" background_repeat="no-repeat" fade="no" background_parallax="none" enable_mobile="no" parallax_speed="0.3" background_blend_mode="none" video_aspect_ratio="16:9" video_loop="yes" video_mute="yes" pattern_bg="none" pattern_bg_style="default" pattern_bg_opacity="100" pattern_bg_blend_mode="normal" mask_bg="none" mask_bg_style="default" mask_bg_opacity="100" mask_bg_transform="left" mask_bg_blend_mode="normal" absolute="off" absolute_devices="small,medium,large" sticky="off" sticky_devices="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_transition_offset="0" scroll_offset="0" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" padding_top="0%" padding_left="0%" padding_right="0%" padding_bottom="0%"][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type="1_1" layout="1_3" align_self="auto" content_layout="column" align_content="flex-start" valign_content="flex-start" content_wrap="wrap" center_content="no" column_tag="div" target="_self" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" order_medium="0" order_small="0" margin_bottom="0%" padding_right="0px" padding_left="0px" hover_type="none" border_style="solid" box_shadow="no" box_shadow_blur="0" box_shadow_spread="0" z_index_subgroup="regular" background_type="single" gradient_start_position="0" gradient_end_position="100" gradient_type="linear" radial_direction="center center" linear_angle="180" lazy_load="none" background_position="left top" background_repeat="no-repeat" background_blend_mode="none" sticky="off" sticky_devices="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" filter_type="regular" filter_hue="0" filter_saturation="100" filter_brightness="100" filter_contrast="100" filter_invert="0" filter_sepia="0" filter_opacity="100" filter_blur="0" filter_hue_hover="0" filter_saturation_hover="100" filter_brightness_hover="100" filter_contrast_hover="100" filter_invert_hover="0" filter_sepia_hover="0" filter_opacity_hover="100" filter_blur_hover="0" transform_type="regular" transform_scale_x="1" transform_scale_y="1" transform_translate_x="0" transform_translate_y="0" transform_rotate="0" transform_skew_x="0" transform_skew_y="0" transform_scale_x_hover="1" transform_scale_y_hover="1" transform_translate_x_hover="0" transform_translate_y_hover="0" transform_rotate_hover="0" transform_skew_x_hover="0" transform_skew_y_hover="0" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" spacing_left="2%" spacing_right="8%" last="true" border_position="all" first="true" spacing_right_small="0" margin_top_small="0" margin_bottom_small="0" spacing_left_small="0" min_height="" link=""][fusion_text columns="" column_min_width="" column_spacing="" rule_style="" rule_size="" rule_color="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" content_alignment_medium="" content_alignment_small="" content_alignment="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" fusion_font_family_text_font="" fusion_font_variant_text_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" text_color="" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_speed="0.3" animation_offset=""]She had our attention back when she was 12 years old and throwing shade at Chris Tucker from under a side-slung baseball cap in the 90s hit Friday. She had it again at 14 when she took on Samuel L. Jackson in the acclaimed indie drama Eve’s Bayou. Her recent roles as charmingly awkward Camille in Harlem and Darla, the purple-clad accidental superhero in Shazam! Fury of the Gods have officially cemented her star power. So what character is there left to play?According to Meagan, the best is yet to come.Her latest venture—launching a signature vodka in collaboration with St. Royale— takes her singular sexy spirit from screen to bottle. The vodka itself is all about contrasts, combining earthy green tea with the sweet vacation vibe of lychees in a six phase distilling process that gets rid of the hangover-causing impurities, leaving us with a drink that’s as naturally cool and confident as Meagan herself.We can’t wait to see where she goes next.THE INTERVIEWCigar & Spirits Magazine: First of all, thank you for gracing our cover.Meagan: Thank you for having me.We work with many high-profile people who’ve entered the spirits arena. Why did you feel that this was a good time for you to get into it?I think what got me excited was the idea of a vodka that’s clean because of the way it’s created. Then when we started talking about lychees, I was like, "Oh now, we're talking because that's my favorite fruit! That's my favorite martini!"It seems you’re a bit of a vodka connoisseur. Do you enjoy your St. Royale straight or on the rocks as well?I do, actually. It's crazy because it's that good. I've done the lychee vodka straight on the rocks. I've done it with some soda water without any flavor. I've done it with a little bit of Fresca and lemon juice. You can add just a pinch of Drambuie if you’re feeling frisky.Will you be doing bottle signings, in-store consumer engagement in 2024?Yes. I want to be as involved as possible, like really boots on the ground, because this isn't something that I've done before. Initially, I was like, "Yes, I like vodka a lot, but do I want to represent a brand? What if it's not that good? What if I don't like the way it tastes?” Then I tasted it, and I was just like—and I'm not being sarcastic at all—“It is the best vodka I've ever had.” I want to be there when people taste itfor the first time, to see their reactions, and hear what they think.You have a busy schedule with your entertainment career, but consumer engagement makes a difference.I think so. I think people can feel it if something isn’t authentic.Do you think it’s possible to include your vodka in entertainment projects?Yes, I think that there is. We've already been kicking around ideas. I have a film coming out with Tyler Perry called Divorce in the Black. I'm already thinking about ideas for great cocktails for the premiere. Maybe, something about my ex-husband, something about a ball and chain or freedom or whatever it may be. Something to just make it fun.Then, it’s the same thing with Harlem. You've got these four women in their 30s, living life, experiencing love and relationships, nights on the town, and just figuring out their lives. I think there's a way to integrate [the product] that's completely organic.Talk to me a little bit about Harlem. What's coming up this season that you can divulge?We ended on a cliffhanger last year, where somebody is pregnant. We don't know who yet. We go back to filming in February, and I'm really excited about that because I love this show. I love this character, this world, and this friend group, but I don't know what to expect this season. I just know that it's going to be as great as, if not way better than, every other season.You guys bring such an excitement to it.Thank you. That makes me happy.You started your career at 12 years old and have appeared in some critically acclaimed films ever since.How do you stay connected to that initial inspiration?I knew very young that I wanted to be an actress. I just didn't know how seriously I wanted to take it. It was a hobby. Other kids went to ballet practice or soccer, and my sister and I went to auditions. I started when I was about four, doing extra work on Doogie Howser and Amen. I think I was around 12 when I realized, "I genuinely love this. I want to do this. I want to be a serious actress.” That next year, I booked my first speaking role in a movie–Friday. Then the following year, I booked my first leading role.I'm a free spirit. I know hard work. I know dedication. I'm always going to go after what I believe and what I want, but I'm also one of those people like, "Let's just see what happens." In this season of my life, I still very much love acting, but I also love directing and producing. I think the vision’s stayed alive because it's had the freedom to change and not feel stuck or like “It’s my identity.” It's what I get to do for a living, and it's a wonderful thing. My identity is whatever’s in my heart and then, obviously, with God. I could be doing any job in the world, but I get to do something that I really love. I just want to be thankful. I want to be kind. I want to be humble. I want to help whoever I can along the way.Was there ever a point where you said, "Hey, I got this. I've arrived.”?I think I've had lots of moments like that at different times and for different reasons. With Friday, it was the first time I had lines in a movie." I was only Girl Number Two, but the movie ended up being a cult classic. It was Chris Tucker's first movie and people loved it. People remembered me as the little girl at the ice cream truck. I was like, "Okay, foot's in the door.”Then Eve's Bayou. I didn't even know what an independent film was at the time, and it was so different from what people had seen in a lot of independent films, especially films with people of color, at that time. That was my first leading role asa teenager.Waist Deep made me feel that way too. It was 10 years later, I was 24, but it was my first role as an adult, where I was the leading lady. Shazam made me feel that way. I was like, "Yes! I'm finally a superhero!"Harlem made me feel that way because I finally found a show where I'm not afraid of commitment. I want to be here for as long as I'm here, playing this character that I love. I get to be quirky and awkward and do physical comedy, but I also get to do drama and come from the heart and be honest in those feelings.Do you have a specific role to date that you feel like it defines you?I don't think I've had it yet. I think she's coming.That's a great answer.[laughs] Thank you.Have you talked about any expansion with [St. Royale]? Or do you just want to get your sea legs and see where it takes you initially?I think it's both. We've been kicking around ideas for different ways we want to get it into the world, and for the way we want to present it. We want it to be organic because if it's coming from the heart, if it's coming from a genuine place, it will go where it's supposed to go.What else might be in the pipeline entertainment-wise for 2024? Anything else that you might want to share?Well, definitely the movie that I just finished with Tyler Perry, which was great because I went through a divorce two years ago now. To be able to go into that space, I understood what the character was feeling, having her marriage end. It was very therapeutic in some ways, but also, it’s not our story at all. It was just a lot of fun and interesting.Then I have a few other things I can't talk about just yet, but two or three other projects that I'm really excited about.Acting or directing?Both. I directed a film for Tyler's company. He started an initiative to put up money for young filmmakers to come in and direct films under Tyler Perry Studios. He will distribute them. I did his first film out of the gate. I directed it, co-starred in it and produced it. It's called Russ and Drew. I'm really excited about itWomen of color are being given more opportunities in terms of directing. Maybe the time is now.I do feel like the time is now. I want to do it for the younger generation. I want to help usher some people in and help them have opportunities that they may have struggled to get, the way that I did. Just creating opportunity. I love to be a part of those stories.Do you enjoy a cigar now and again?I do like a good cigar. I wouldn't say I'm an enthusiast, but I'll join the party if it's happening.Cool. We’ll sample some more of your brand at our offices and recommend the perfect cigar you can pair up. After hours of course…Oh my gosh. I would love that so much.It's a tough job, but we’ll do it.[laughs] Definitely. Thank you.What would you like your legacy to be? What would that look like for you?I would like my legacy to be loving people. I hope that people who come in contact with me feel loved and valued. That they feel like they've met a person who believes in them and believes that they can do anything they really desire in their hearts. I hope I give that to people.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]