27/05/2025
Harlem follows four friends who met while attending New York University and are now in their thirties, living in Harlem, as they try to balance love, life, and their careers as working professionals. The series stars Meagan Good, Jerrie Johnson, Grace Byers and Whoopi Goldberg.
Shea William Vanderpoort aimed to bring forth his creative experience and ethic of supporting the cast and crew with a selfless and additive mindset from working on Awkward Black Girl to Harlem. As an Asian-American, he believes filmmaking is problem-solving and believes diverse backgrounds empower us with the ability to overcome any obstacle.
In a full circle moment, working on Harlem brought him back to collaborating heavily with creator Tracy Oliver as well as Pharrell and Mimi Valdes, who had all helped launch Awkward Black Girl a decade prior. Starting out as a cinematographer, then editor and co-director before becoming a full-fledged director, Shea knows how to work hard to create a product he’s proud of and see the full picture when creating projects.
Watch the full interview at HHBMedia.com
Host: Ben Welch
Edited by Dylan Smith
