Telma Hopkins Remembers the Viral 'Young and the Restless' Moment That Had Fans Cracking Up

Well, what drew me to the project was an audition, and I really wanted the job

I wanted a job, but I landed this part, and it's just been a blessing to be a part of telling a wonderful story with this wonderful cast

And this character is sort of like really, it's tangentially related, close to me a little bit

You know, we have a lot of similarities. I grew up in a choir. My character, Lewis, is a choir director

you know he struggles with coming out to his family I had those struggles as well

so it's very topical but it resonates with me so I love that aspect about this show

I mean I first of all Norman Lear mic drop to get a chance to do a story that is timely sensitive

but you know it's going to be handled with care with a Norman Lear project I mean

That is such an honor for us to be a part of his legacy

And the other thing well George Yeah I love me some George Never work with him before But I was looking forward to the chance of just really having that acting moment with him

But a great cast for her, come on. You know, Orange is New Black

This girl is phenomenal. So it was just a chance to do something

And I could swear. That's a first for me. I'm never on a show where I can

I'm an adult. I'm an adult. She sure is. I'm adult. on the show. But just a wonderful opportunity, wonderful project, a wonderful, exciting, you know

I mean, this is a project that we know may not agree with everybody, but it's going to help so many

more people than it hurts. I think the show is, I mean, first of all, we're a family comedy, right

We're family comedy. It's a Norman Lear project, and, you know, in line with his legacy

we are talking about sensitive topics but we're doing it with laughter

and laughter is literally the best medicine we've been saying that all day and so I think people can be rest assured that it going to give them laughs and it might teach them a couple of things And it okay to learn It okay to be challenged and changed But at the end of the day we are here to bring joy and laughter and love

And teach you about acceptance. Yeah. Our fans and our friends. And just if you think you might not know whether it's a show for you, give us one show

Give us one show. I guarantee you'll come back. Yeah. Watch the pilot

See how you feel. Oh, yes. All those things are powerful and great. And it's all about love

And it's all about listening, learning, living, loving, and laughing. That's what it's all about

So when you watch all of the scenes, there's going to be some moments you might drop a tear

And we try to tackle everything with a bit of humor. We know it's controversial

We know this is actually real life. People are living these lives. And we are proud to

tackle it. And I'm proud to have come up with the idea to do it all. And we made it come to

fruition with a great co producer Ms Laverne Cox and it just wonderful And I just blessed to be on this spot and it came to fruition we started this seven years ago came up with my head seven years ago

we had COVID and we had the right of strike and guess what we're doing it

and guess what? Made in Georgia oh my favorite piece is just all the time

actually it would be a natural stand-up I love my stand-up on anything else

and I love doing it all over the world I'm blessed to have worked from Hong Kong to Singapore

and making people happy. And when I see happy people, it makes me happier

Valerie and I decided that for this particular time, we were doing a lot of press for Young and the Restless

that we wanted to do our own particular thing, which is something we did on half and half

And that's when I would like casually go by and just take her wig and walk out the door

And she always has another wig in her purse. We did a whole thing where I came down the stairs

Oh, hi, Val. hi, and she had the dog, hi Coco, and then I just went past and just took the wig, and she was just

standing there in a wig cap, and that got over a million views