Tonya Lee Williams discusses her return to The Young and the Restless and celebrates the 10th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival

Tonya Lee Williams launched the 10th Annual ReelWorld Film Festival this week in Toronto where the actress and I caught up with her upcoming projects, which include a return to The Young and the Restless. While Williams has been on a recurring capacity with the show since 2008 (after starring from 1990-2005), her character, Olivia, has been severely underused and missed by fans. Viewers can expect to see the return of Williams on Y&R in the coming weeks.

During her hiatus from the show, Williams recurred on CBC’s The Border last season and will be appearing in the new Lifetime movie, Double Wedding with Tia and Tamera Mowry this coming June. The actress has also snagged a lead role in VisionTV’s She’s the Mayor which will also star Colin Mochrie (Who’s Line is it Anyway?) and Janet-Laine Green (M.V.P.). Williams is slated to play the mayor’s glamorous and self-involved communications director. The series will premiere in early 2011.

What can you tell us about She’s the Mayor?
I’m having a blast. It’s a great cast and I get to play someone completely out there and crazy! Think of [someone like] Karen from Will & Grace and Vanessa Williams put together. It’s just fun. I can be as broad, big and out there as possible.

Are you filming the series in Toronto?
Yes – we’re definitely filming here. We just finished our third week and it’s a twelve week shoot.

You’ll finally be back on Y&R soon!
I go back next week to block-shoot four shows in two days. I just started going back [to Y&R] and then booked She’s the Mayor so it all just came at the same time.

That’s great because fans have been worried. Your film festival celebrates diversity whereas Y&R isn’t so diverse anymore.
No. And you know, [head writer Marie Bell], addressed it with me. She said “I want to get that black storyline up and pumping again.”

That’s great! Victoria Rowell (ex-Dru) did an interview with Buzzworthy Radio last week and she pretty much said that the Barber women should be sticking together during a time of crisis. Lily’s got cancer and her aunt Olivia is nowhere to be found.
You know, we’re just the actors. But I have already shot some scenes and they should be airing in a couple of weeks and I’m definitely going to be more present. It hasn’t been their fault completely. I had a lot on my plate so they’ve been really great.

Have you worked with Darius McCrary (the new Malcolm) yet?
I did. I had a couple of scenes with him and I thought he was wonderful. I like the fact that they’ve gone completely opposite. I think it would have been impossible to get someone that was like Shemar [Moore; ex-Malcolm] because there’s no one else like Shemar. What Maria likes to remind me is that she went back to the original bible and Bill [Bell; the show’s creator and former head writer] had always wanted the character to be “this” kind of character. But then Shemar came on the scene and he just went with “that.” But this is originally how the character was meant to be written. To be almost like the Nathan character. A really rough and tough character so when Shemar started the role, it was clear that he was not going to be that kind of character, so they just wrote for him. I think it’ll be interesting. I definitely saw a great scene between [Malcolm] and Neil (Kristoff St. John).

So fans should give him more of a chance.
I think so. I think he’s a strong actor and it’s hard to step into shoes like that.

There’s no doubt that he’s a strong actor, viewers are just wondering why the show couldn’t just create a new black character?
I know. I thought so too, but I think Maria really wanted history in the dynamic. There were things that they wanted to bring up in terms of storyline. So if they brought a brand-new character, the history would not have been there. So I understand [now]. But I did say the same thing to her.

Is there any hope for the future of the black family? With Neil and Devon [Bryton James], they’re just props for Lily [Christel Khalil]. Fans want an actual black family back.
Yeah, there’s gonna be more. But fans need to get a little more vocal. I said it would be nice to get Aunt Mamie back!

Where is she?
[Laughs] I actually don’t know. But [they can] find her!

What about Olivia’s parents? Are the parents still alive?
I can’t remember if the mother died or not but the father is still alive. Supposedly, but we never see him. But there’s so many characters that they could bring back. I think if the fans got vocal about it, they’d do a lot more about it. I said to her [Maria Bell] that I hope I don’t play in-between the two brothers again [a triangle with Neil and Malcolm]. I’ve done that to death, so let’s not go there.

The ReelWorld Film Festival runs until Sunday, April 11th. For more information, click here.