The cast of the Starz show "Survivor's Remorse." From left: Teyonah Parris, Jessie T. Usher, Tichina Arnold
It’s now Season 4 of Survivor’s Remorse, the LeBron James-Maverick Carter—produced dramedy on Starz, and our characters find themselves in the midst of an identity crisis. Like, all of them. Cam and his sister M-Chuck are searching for their respective fathers; their mother, Cassie, would rather they not; and their sister-in-law Missy is working to establish herself aside from having married into the family of an NBA star. You’ve seen Season 3, right? Then you know that the death of Uncle Julius (Mike Epps) sent each member of the Calloway family on a personal journey with grief. This go-round sees them digging through those ashes for deeper meaning.
“Oh yeah, I think a lot of this discovery stuff happened because of that loss. Everybody was like, ‘Life is so short,’” Jessie T. Usher (Cam Calloway) tells Complex. “That’s kind of how Cam was feeling and that all came from the death of Uncle Julius. He started thinking about life and death and what’s really important. He’s made it. He’s rich, he’s successful, he’s at the top of his game. But now he’s trying to figure what else matters and what’s more important.”
Image via David Cabrera
And if, by chance, you have not seen Season 3, and you don’t know the characters above on a first-name basis, then you’re missing out. Survivor’s is a hardworking show that runs the emotional gamut in just 30 dexterous minutes. Fortunately, the stars of the show stopped by Complex to catch you up.
“With Starz, because people have to pay for it, we got a lot of people that can’t afford it, so we have to give them something that’s worth their while. Gladly this show is interesting and everybody can identify with it,” says Tichina Arnold, who plays Cassie Calloway. “I always tell them, it’s not about basketball. You’ll never see him on the court playing basketball. It’s about the life that surrounds basketball.”
Image via David Cabrera
Teyonah Parris, who plays Missy Vaughn, agrees. “The relationships, the family, the fame, and basketball is the backdrop to what’s actually happening.”
What’s actually happening is Cam has signed a huge contract extension in Atlanta, making him the anchor of the franchise. Mo’ money, mo’ problems, but Cam seems to finally be mastering the game.
“That is actually is a big thing that happens in this season—how Cam starts to deal with the media and fans. It’s crazy for a star athlete, which is something I brought to them early on when we sat down in the writers’ room,” Usher says. ”This lifestyle basketball players live is bananas. It’s something you can’t even imagine.“
Before you tune in on Sundays at 10:30 p.m. to watch it all play out, learn more about the cast and what you can expect.
Cassie Calloway: "I'm Not Afraid of Showing My Weak Side"
Cassie Is: The mother of NBA star Cam Calloway and his sister, Mary Charles; dating Chinese billionaire Da Chen Bao
Played By: Tichina Arnold
Where You've Seen Her: The legendary Pamela James on Martin, Rochelle Rock on Everybody Hates Chris
Tichina's Song of the Summer: "If You Let Me," Sinead Harnett
Would you rather be trapped on a tour bus with R. Kelly or Usher?
Fuck it, R Kelly. You know why? Because somebody can censor his ass like, "She can’t get on."
What can we expect from Cassie this season?
She and Chen get through a hump. Now that Cassie has really settled in love, here go these goddamn kids! That’s how I equate it, with motherhood. Your kids can be 50 years old but you’ll die as a mother; that’s your number one job. You see Cassie being forced to struggle with her kids’ passion for wanting to find out part of who they are. It’s a little selfish of Cassie and you see that in our first scene. You see her evolve a little bit and give in, which you don’t see Cassie do a lot.
Missy Vaughn: "Missy Is Really Trying to Find Herself"
Missy Is: The supportive, well-bred wife of Cam's cousin and manager Reggie Vaughn
Played By: Teyonah Parris
Where You've Seen Her: Colandrea "Coco" Conners in Dear White People (film), Lysistrata in Chi-Raq
Teyonah's Song of the Summer: "Broken Clocks," SZA
Who's more intimidating: LeBron or Maverick?
I'm seen more of Mav, but neither.
What can we expect from Missy this season?
She tries set up her own business, helping Cam and the Calloways, but this season she wants there to be a difference between Calloway money and Vaughn money. Some might say she steps out of her lane even a little bit trying to make that happen, but it gets very heated between Reggie and Missy because Missy wants to set up generational wealth.
Cam is not going to play basketball for the rest of his life. It’s impossible. So what happens to us when we’re not all eating off of him? That’s where we are.
Cam Calloway: "Cam Is One of the Greats in That Universe"
Cam Is: The center of it all. He's carrying the team and the family on his back—but he can't save everybody.
Played By: Jessie T. Usher
Where You've Seen Him: Dylan Hiller in Independence Day: Resurgence, Lyle in Level Up
Jessie's Song of the Summer: I honestly like that DJ Khaled song, the one with Chance ["I’m the One"]. It’s got a good summer vibe to it. Either that or "Thick" by O.T. Genasis.
Would you rather be trapped on a tour bus with R. Kelly or Usher?
I think I would rather Usher. That Confessions album? That’s a classic.
What can we expect from Cam this season?
I feel like Cam has had so many people pulling the strings on his life for a while in major ways, and he kind of just wants some of that power back to be able to control his own destiny outside of basketball, so that’s a big thing for him this season.
He’s made it. He’s rich, he’s successful, he’s at the top of his game. He’s now like there’s more to life than that because for so long that’s all that mattered. But now he’s trying to figure what else matters and what’s more important.