Harlem Nights star, Jasmine Guy, revealed that her late co-star and beloved actress, Della Reese, was an ordained minister and owned a church when they filmed the 1989 comedy. Interestingly, in the Eddie Murphy-directed flick, Reese played the fierce madam, Vera Walker, who was the head of a nightclub prostitution ring.
“Do you know Della Reese had a church while we were doing Harlem Nights?” Guy said while chatting with V-103 Atlanta’s Danie B on Feb. 12.
In shock at how Reese’s portrayal in Harlem Nights diverged sharply from her real-life religious background, Danie B gasped, “She was playing that role, with the girls?”
“Yes!” Guy, 61, responded.
“She said, ‘This is what I do when I’m acting. This is what I’m doing when I’m preaching. And she had a good following in L.A.”
Reese’s role as the no-mess Vera Walker was just as captivating as her portrayal of the kind and loving Tess in Touched by an Angel.
Guy went on to star alongside Reese in the television series that aired from 1994 to 2003, for which Reese received two Emmy Award nominations as well as Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nods. The Different World actress told Danie B that she and the beloved singer and Hollywood veteran would talk endlessly about their relationship to the Lord and how they would “balance love, religion and the business.”
According to The Garden Initiative For Black Women’s Religious Activism, Reese – known as Rev. Della Reese-Lett to her congregants – became an ordained minister in 1987 and opened up The Understanding Principles for Better Living Church (UP Church). Located in Inglewood, California, the church guides its members to achieve higher thinking and self-assurance while expressing gratitude to the divine.
In her 1997 memoir, “Angels Along the Way: My Life with Help from Above,” the actress revealed the significance behind the UP church’s name.
“The name is what it is because we believe that God wants only the best for all of us and that there are principles to learn so that we can thrive in partnership with God,” Reese penned, The Garden Initiative For Black Women’s Religious Activism noted.
“UP is what we call the church for short because that is the way we’re going—UP, UP in spirituality, in truth which will lift us up in attitude, in faith, in joy, love, peace, health, harmony, and abundance.”
Reese led the Up Church for three decades before her passing in 2017.
In addition to portraying Vera Walker, Reese graced the screen in several diverse films and TV shows.
The inimitable star’s acting career was as diverse as it was illustrious. Reese graced both the big and small screens with her presence, delivering unforgettable performances in various TV shows and films such as Beauty Shop and Dear Secret Santa.
Beyond her acting, Reese was also a gifted singer with a soul-stirring voice. Her musical journey encompassed a wide array of genres, including gospel, jazz, and R&B. With hits like “And That Reminds Me” and “Don’t You Know?” she enchanted listeners and earned accolades for her rich, velvety voice. The star earned the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the R&B Songs chart for “Don’t You Know,” which appeared on her album, Della, in 1959.
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