Tyler Lepley Talks Ian's Man-To-Man Moment On 'Harlem'

Have y’all been tuned in to Harlem on Prime Video?

Source: Courtesy / Prime Video

BOSSIP chatted with Tyler Lepley ahead of Season 2 about his character Ian and the moment that is teased in the trailer where Camille’s two love interests end up sitting side by side at a bar.

“I’ve never had that moment,” Lepley told BOSSIP. “That’s a very specific moment that was so fun to play and I can’t wait for everybody to watch. I think what makes that moment possible. you have these two men who have different relationships with a woman but still hold her in very high regard. Have lots of respect for her. I think because the respect is there, we’re able to sit down and have this. If you remove that — it could go up. You’re talking about this man’s woman. It can go up. We don’t have any questions asked. We’re about to move some furniture around in here. But because that respect is there for her we approach it with respect.”

“One thing I love most about this scene, you know, you see it all the time Black men, it’s almost like it’s wired for us to go up but to see us have that respect enough for each other enough to communicate. And for Ian to have a high enough emotional IQ to understand, hey you know what even though I feel this, back up, but I can understand where I’m doing too much and am looking silly. I can say sorry and to see us end the scene with a laugh, and with respect, speaks volumes about the writers too.”

In the second season of the series created by Tracy Oliver, nearly every character has to confront the role they’ve played in the challenges they’re currently facing in their lives.

“When it comes to ownership, one thing with Ian in season 2 is we get to watch him grow into a man,” Lepley told BOSSIP. “You can’t own that title if you’re not taking responsibility if you’re not taking ownership. I feel like in Season 1 it was like Ian the dreamer. He wanted all these things, he wanted to introduce a piece of Paris to Harlem with his restaurant. He wanted his old love back. In Season 2 we get to see how he owns those responsibilities and what he does when he gets everything he’s been asking for.”

Season 2 of Harlem is currently streaming on Prime Video