Porscha Coleman on Why ‘Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!’ Is the ‘Comfort Show’ We All Need
After Dad Stop Embarrassing Me, Jamie Foxx’s return to sitcom, premiered on April 14, it quickly rose to the top of Netflix’s list of most popular shows — and for good reason.
The feel-good comedy (much-needed these days) centers on 16-year-old Sasha (Kyla-Drew) who, after losing her mom, moves in with her father, Brian Dixon (Foxx), a bachelor businessman with a knack for silly impressions, pop culture references, and mortifying his daughter.
Suddenly, Sasha is at the center of the Dixon household, a motley crew of Brian’s father Pops (David Alan Grier), best friend Johnny (Johnathan Kite), and charming sister-auntie-girl-boss extraordinaire Chelsea (Porscha Coleman).
TYLER GOLDEN/NETFLIX
Coleman attributes the show’s early popularity to its accessibility, its ability to bring joy to viewers of all ages — many of whom, Coleman notes, have been spending a lot of time with family during the pandemic. “I think people need a show that they can sit down and watch and enjoy with the entire family,” Coleman tells TV Insider. “it’s a comfort show.”
Not only does Dad, Stop Embarrassing Me offer a window into a loving, star-studded household, but it also bears clear resemblance to many of its beloved domestic comedy predecessors — particularly In Living Color, on which both Foxx and Grier made their mark in the ’90s. And watching the many bloopers and improvised moments, it’s clear that the cast had fun on set.
Looking forward, Coleman has big hopes for Season 2. “As you saw, Jamie Foxx played three amazing characters on the show, Johnathan Kite had a chance to play a character… I’d love to see myself get to play a character or two,” Coleman says. Other hopes? More guest stars, more opportunities to sing, and more romantic prospects for Chelsea. (“She wants love like a lot of people do, but she has this tough exterior.”). And finally, Coleman is looking forward to more opportunities to address social justice issues, as the show did in the season finale with its police brutality plotline.
“The women’s movement has been so empowering,” Coleman notes. “I would love to touch on that… And definitely stuff in the LGBTQ+ world. I love seeing everyone being represented on our show.”
And they succeed because the show is based in reality: Foxx modeled the show’s central relationship on his real-life dynamic with daughter Corinne Foxx (who serves as an executive producer). Much like their inspiration, Sasha and Brian are constantly at each other’s throats for the usual reasons: Sasha dates a boy, Brian disapproves; Brian suspects Sasha is smoking weed, Sasha chastises him for not trusting her. It’s the prototypical antagonistic teenager-parent relationship, and Foxx, aided by his experience, pulls it off.
“I would definitely describe our sense of humor as real,” Coleman states. “My older brother is the exact same age as Jamie Foxx, and one of my niece’s names is Sasha… so it was beyond easy for me to step into that role.”
Yes, the sitcom’s arcs can get, well, sitcom-y, but the characters’ relationships — and the authentic experience that underpins them — keep the show feeling real. And they invite audiences to connect with the Dixons. “I think when you see the family — whether you’re your white, Black, Asian, Hispanic — you’re looking at just a family with a teenage daughter, a grandfather, a father, an auntie, a best friend, and a next-door neighbor,” Coleman says. “Everybody can relate to that.”
Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!, Season 1, Streaming Now, Netflix
