“The Bold Type” Exclusive: Aisha Dee Talks Kat’s Mentor Moments, Relationships, and Character Growth
All of the characters on The Bold Type subvert any trope in their vicinity and continuously prove to be complex and relatable women week after week. One such character is Kat Edison, played by Aisha Dee (MTV’s “Sweet/Vicious”). Kat has been slowly allowing herself to take down the walls she has put up for herself in her own personal life. We still see her go-to being a snappy retort rather than a heart-to-heart but that might be changing soon.
OMFGTV caught up with Aisha Dee to talk about mentor moments with Jacqueline (Melora Hardin), Kat’s relationship with Adena (Nikohl Boosheri), and where the show will be taking Kat as a character.
In episode three, “The Woman Behind the Clothes,” Kat becomes the target of a particularly nasty group of internet trolls who are angry she had the audacity to be a strong confident feminist who speaks her mind. Throughout the episode she is tormented by them and we see her really start to be affected by it but continue to play it off as if it isn’t phasing her. Until the end. She has a moment with Jacqueline where she finally allows someone else to see her be vulnerable and it is a huge moment for her as a character moving forward.
When asked what her favorite mentor moment was, the actress listed this one immediately. “There was something about when we were figuring out the scene, it was clear to all of us, Kat doesn’t like being vulnerable,” Dee tells us. “She doesn’t like making mistakes. She doesn’t like feeling like she doesn’t know how to navigate a problem because she’s so confident. She doesn’t come up against problems like that often and she’s really resisting Jacqueline’s help.”
Jacqueline has the ability, not just with Kat but with all of the girls, to know exactly how much they need to be pushed and give them exactly that – no more, no less. Dee says Jacqueline, “has this way of breaking down the walls in a really gentle way and we see Kat for the first time break a little bit with Jacqueline. I think it’s special to see Kat being vulnerable in front of Jacqueline and Jacqueline being there for her not in a preachy kind of way but in a real way where Jacqueline’s just being there for Kat and supporting her and letting her know it’s going to be okay.” I joke a lot that Jacqueline has jedi mind powers but at the end of the day it is her compassion and attention to all of her girls’ little tells that give her the ability to know exactly what they need to feel safe and grow as women.
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Kat’s fear of vulnerability juxtaposed with her outward confidence has always been a fascinating dynamic and Dee brings that complexity to every scene. “Kat doesn’t like being vulnerable,” Dee says. “She doesn’t like making mistakes. She doesn’t like feeling like she doesn’t know how to navigate a problem because she’s so confident she doesn’t come up against problems like that often.” We are starting to see more and more of Kat’s inner struggles through the small changes in her expressions in those moments and Dee brings so many amazing layers to an already well written character.
One person who will be bringing out those moments is Adena, who has made Kat rethink a lot of things she assumed about herself up until this point. “I think the great thing about Kat and Adena is that Adena is the first person I think that Kat has met in her adult life that challenges her and kind of intimidates her,” Dee says, “because she is equally as strong and equally as outspoken and Kat’s not used to encountering that.”
Through her figuring out her feelings about Adena, we will be learning a lot more about Kat’s past romantic life and about her as a person. “For Kat, you find out that she’s never really been in a real relationship. She’s just kind of coasted, and done the casual thing, and had a lot of flings and one-night-stands, and that’s kind of what she’s comfortable with.” That is why when Adena shows up in her life, and she starts to have all of these new feelings, she doesn’t quite know how to deal with them.
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For Kat, it is as much about learning to be vulnerable with another person as it is about her questioning her sexuality. “With Adina, yes she’s questioning her sexuality and that’s an important thing we’re exploring, but it’s also just the fact that having an intimate relationship and being asked these really intimate questions and being vulnerable with someone is really hard for her. And we see that Adina is kind of the only person that’s able to really push her to go there.”
The two will be spending a lot of time together in tonight’s episode (“If You Can’t Do it With Feeling”) as they get to know each other but it may find them in a bit of trouble. “We see them get closer and get into some trouble,” Dee teases. “Kat may or may not spend a night in jail. We’re going to get into trouble with the law!”
One thing is for certain, as the layers to Kat are peeled away by the people in her life that care about her, we will get to see more and more of her insecurities and hopefully watch her grow as the strong woman she is. Dee is excited for the audience to see what is in store for Kat this season as she goes on this journey and shares, “It’s definitely not going to be an easy ride but I think it’s one that people are going to really enjoy and I think people are going to really connect to it, too.”
If you are a big Kat fan, and let’s be honest who isn’t, you are not going to want to miss tonight’s episode. Catch The Bold Type Tuesdays at 9pm on Freeform!