Sierra Capri Gets Candid About the Final Season of 'On My Block'
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For Sierra Capri, saying goodbye to On My Block after four seasons was bittersweet.
The actress who plays the lead role of Monse Finnie on the groundbreaking Netflix series tells ELLE.com, “We [the cast] were trying to absorb the last few moments that we had together, but at the same time, it's not like it's the last time I'm going to see them because they're truly my family off screen.” Although this marks the ending to an iconic television show, it’s just the beginning for 23-year-old Capri as she continues to take on roles that highlight intersectionality and self-assured characters like Monse and sharpen her directorial skills behind the camera.
ELLE.com caught up with Capri to discuss the making of On My Block’s last season, her plans for a dual career in forensics and acting, and her dream to develop a show that honors her mother’s upbringing in Newark, New Jersey.
What was it like for you and the team to deal with the series coming to an end?
I honestly feel like acting in general is a therapy session, which is why I love the field so much. But for our show in particular, that last day, we were all looking at each other like, where did the time go? Can you believe that we filmed four seasons of a show? The fact we even made it to four seasons with the support of our amazing fans and all the love we received over the years, we would not be in these positions without it. We're very aware of that and we never take it for granted. It was almost like a blink, and we're done.
It’s been a long ride! How would you compare 2018 Monse to 2021 Monse? Do you feel like you’ve grown alongside her at all?
Oh, my goodness. I'll put it this way. I tried to watch season 1 and I was like, “I can't.” It was like going back to school, being on this show, because you're with people for four years. I basically was able to grow in my personal and professional life with all of them and we all got to see each other evolve. And now people are married. I was at weddings and seeing people have babies. It's crazy.
As for Monse, I think she has grown since season 1 and I'm so grateful that this season, I feel like I was given the freedom to really do what I wanted to do with the character. I felt like I didn't really have that freedom in season 1 through 3 because it was more of me playing the idea of what they wanted me to be and me not really having much say in it, so I was grateful to the producers and the rest of the crew for allowing me to just do what I wanted to do and go out with a bang since they were like, “You guys all know your characters well by this point, just do what you want to do with it.”
One thing that you were adamant about is not having your character revolve around a man. Monse demonstrates a lot of independence and is a great symbol of empowerment for women. How do you feel Monse's experience mirrors real-world challenges that young Brown and Black women face today?
I mean, it's interesting that you bring that up because me and Jessica [Marie Garcia, who plays Jasmine], we would talk about this all the time on set. Even with her character, she felt the same. She didn't want her character to revolve around a man. And she always felt like it was Jasmine going after Ruby, and I always felt like it was Monse going after Cesar [played by Diego Tinoco], so we both supported each other, and we helped each other find our footing this last season. We both had a clear understanding and a clear vision, and we wanted young girls who look up to us to know that you don't need a man to be complete. Especially when you're so young and you don't even know yourself, it's really important that you figure out who you are first before you try to complete someone else. I'm very glad that we both used each other, and we displayed friendship amongst Brown and Black girls, as well as self-improvement and self-empowerment, so I'm very excited about that. I hope everyone likes that.
Monse struggles with code-switching and assimilation with her mom. Since this is a common struggle for young people of color, do you feel like this is something we need to see more representation of in television and storytelling?
Definitely. I'd say about 50 percent of households, if you're of color, are raised by a single parent. I was raised by a single mom even though my father is very much in my life, but I did spend most of my time with my mom, so I definitely think that is a topic that needs to be explored more in Hollywood and needs to have light shed on it, because I'm sure that she is not the first girl that was raised by her father and not her mother, even though I know a lot of people thought that was strange. They're like, “Oh my goodness, how is it that a mom doesn't want to raise her child?” But it happens, there are situations like that, of course, in real life. I'm glad that we did touch on that on our show, and I hope that a lot of young girls can relate to it and can know that they're not alone.
Through the years, do you have a stand-out moment of favorite memory that you’ll carry with you from On My Block, on or off set?
If you go back and watch season 4 with a fine-tooth comb, you can literally see the scenes where we're trying not to break. And I see Brett smiling and he's smiling and I'm like, “Oh God, I hope the fans can't see.” You’ll see us grinning. Also, because I lived with Brett [Gray] and Jason [Genao] the first two seasons, aside from the show, those are probably my fondest memories because we really got to know each other. I love them. They're my brothers. We made so many great memories. Brett said, "I knew me and you were going to get along here because as soon as I came into the house, you opened the door and you had a bonnet on and you were like, 'I'm about to wash my hair in the sink.'" He was like, she's going to be my friend.
You mentioned in one of your older interviews that you have a passion for biology and forensics. Do you ever see yourself pursuing a duo career alongside acting?
I was going into my last year of college when I booked the show and I was studying biology, but my plan was to become a pathologist. I had one year left, I intended on finishing. I did not go to school for that long not to get my degree. I remember I tried to go back online because I was in the year where you have to be in the classroom for your labs. I couldn't do it at the time, so now I have the time to go back and actually be hands-on, so I'm excited.
Are you thinking of delving into any new creative ventures outside of acting?
I was talking to our showrunner and she's letting me shadow her, directing-wise. The goal is to eventually come out with my own show based on my mom's hometown, Newark, New Jersey.
So many great and so many intense things that have happened in her childhood and in her past that I was like, mom, this would be the perfect plot for a show, because in Baltimore [where Capri grew up], nobody really talks about the city like that. Nobody talks about Newark like that and what it's like for people who are from there and to come so far, because it's not easy to come from there and to make it out and to make it to where you are today. I think it could be something really inspiring and I'm looking forward to that. And maybe I want to get into music, eventually; the possibilities are endless. Who knows?
What advice would you give to other young girls who are reading this and want to get into acting or producing, but don’t know where to start?
First and foremost, never take no for an answer. I always say that. You're never too big to learn. You're never too seasoned to learn. There's always room to improve on whatever you do even if you've been doing it for years, there's always room for improvement. And I always say—word to Denzel—which is so true, “If you have the dreams but you're not willing to put the momentum behind them to make them come true and move your feet, then that's all they're going to remain, dreams, and they're just going to pass you by.” Definitely take initiative and get motivated and don't wait for someone else to give you the okay first. You're going to have to make it happen yourself.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
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