At Alabama Comic Con, Andrew and Kinsey had the opportunity to speak with actress Nakia Burrise! She is best known portraying Tanya Sloan, the Yellow Ranger in “Power Rangers Zeo” and “Power Rangers Turbo”. She has also appeared in TV shows such as “Hart of Dixie”, “Moesha”, and “Nash Bridges”. Check out our conversation below and let us know what you think!
How has Alabama Comic Con been so far?
It’s been a lot of fun!
Is this the first convention you have been to in Alabama?
Yes, this is actually the first time I’ve ever been to Alabama.
Do you notice any difference when you’re meeting fans in one part of the country versus another?
No. I actually think it’s very similar. I hear a lot that I’m a part of a person’s childhood and how the show has really helped them change their life whether it’s helped them deal with bullies or gotten them into martial arts or helping their self-esteem. So, I see a similar pattern wherever I go.
How did you first get into acting?
I started acting when I was little in my living room in front of my parents. I used to watch The Carol Burnett Show. She would have sketch comedy and that’s what her show was about. I would just watch her and laugh and create my own little skits with my brother. I would force him to do it. Then I got into acrobatics and I started drama class when I was in high school and I just kind of fell in love with it and I’ve been doing it ever since.
Was Power Rangers your first professional acting job?
Yes!
Was it nerve-wracking having your first job being this hugely popular show and where you had to replace a character?
I didn’t know that I was replacing anyone. When I auditioned for the show I didn’t know what Power Rangers was so I didn’t have that pressure initially. When I got on the show I found out about Power Rangers and how large it was and everything and then also found out that I was replacing someone. The only pressure I felt was trying to do a good job and making sure that I was respectful and appreciative. But I didn’t feel the pressure of “Oh I’m replacing someone.” It was more that if I don’t do a good job then I could be replaced, myself. It was all new. I didn’t have film experience so I just wanted to do the best job. That was probably the most pressure.
Thinking back to your character, one episode that comes to mind was “Another Song and Dance” where Tanya had to teach Tommy how to sing. Was that episode as entertaining to make as it was to watch?
Oh my gosh, it was so much fun. Jason [David Frank] was very nervous about singing because he was like “I can’t sing! I can’t” and I just said “It doesn’t matter! They’re not looking for you to be an opera singer or anything.” I told him to just sing the words and however they come out, they come out. Then once he got started he couldn’t stop. Even when the cameras were off we were still singing by the craft service table. Everything was a song that whole episode. I’m sure we got on everyone’s nerves.
Delving into recent works, you had a recurring role on Hart of Dixie. How did you get the part of Patty and what was the experience like? 
It was so much fun. Originally, when I auditioned for it, I didn’t know I was going to have a sister on the show. I had my initial audition and then for my callback they paired me up with another young lady and we just worked that audition until we had it where we looked like we could be sisters. We did the first episode and they liked our characters so much they brought us back six more times.
Did you have to practice to get the southern accent down?
[Southern accent] No, I didn’t have to do that.
You and Karan Ashley recently teamed up with Rangerstop to do the first Rangerstop and Pop convention in Atlanta. How was it putting the convention together in addition to appearing as a guest?
It is a lot of work, I am not going to lie. But what I love about partnering with Mikey [Buoni], the promoter for Rangerstop, is he has experience. He’s in his seventh year in Orlando, so we were able to pair with a known promoter. With us frequently guesting at cons, we know what guests like, so we were able to put those two aspects together and create a dynamic convention. We’ll be back next year the weekend of June 21st, 2020.
Do you have any upcoming projects you would like to talk about?
Well I’ve written a screenplay and a television series. I’m trying to get funding for the movie and trying to sell the television series. I have two television series in the works, so I’m working as a producer and trying to get my projects up and out. I’m also still auditioning and working as an actress as well.
Is there anything else you want to add?
Conventional Relations 