Coming into a show that has just a single season left and becoming a major part of the plot might sound intimidating, but not for Amber Stevens West on The Neighborhood. She shared that she cried on the last day of filming, despite only being on the CBS sitcom for its last hurrah.
West joined The Neighborhood in Season 8 as Mercedes, a reality TV star on the Trophy Divas of Brentwood who wants Malcolm Butler (Sheaun McKinney) to ghostwrite her book, but their relationship becomes more than professional the more time they spend together.
Mercedes and Malcolm get into a relationship, and it goes public after someone takes a photo of them at a Mexican restaurant together. Malcolm sees the real side of Mercedes — “Sadie” as she is called — but is nervous to bring her around his family because of her reputation and his mom’s love of the show.
In the March 16 episode, Mercedes meets Malcolm’s family for the first time during a Murder Mystery party. What could go wrong?
The Neighborhood wrapped filming the series in February. The series final will air on Monday, May 11.
Amber Stevens West talked with TV Insider about what made her cry on the last day of filming, her hopes for a spinoff, how she channeled Mercedes for her audition, and more.
Monty Brinton/CBS
TVI: You were a new character this season, but it seems like you fit right in. How did the cast welcome you into their little group?
Amber Stevens West: Thank you! It was an immediate connection. It was really lovely. I felt really lucky about it. Many, many years ago, I worked with Max [Greenfield]. I was on a show called Greek, and Max was on the show. So we have known each other for many, many years. I felt very comfortable knowing that he would be there, and then Beth [Behrs] and I, both our husbands starred in a film together years back, so we go back. Our husbands are friends. I’ve been seeing Marcel [Spears] and have been friends with him for a while, just through acting and working at CBS in the past.
So I felt very comfortable entering because I had these previous relationships, but I’ve got to give most of that credit to Sheaunn, because I didn’t really know him, and we did our chemistry read together before I was cast, and I very instantly felt very at ease, not with just him in the room, but also the other producers, like Bill [Martin] and Mike [Schiff] were in the room, and I just felt immediately at ease. I think it’s just a chemistry thing sometimes, where you just all click with each other. So it sounds like it would be intimidating to enter into this space after eight years, and it is such a well-oiled machine over there, but I immediately just knew how lucky I was to be there, and everyone else knows how lucky they are to be there. And so it’s just a very warm, warm environment. I had the best time.
What are you most excited for fans to see for the rest of the season?
Oh, for the rest of the season! I’m playing such an interesting character because Mercedes is this person that you’ve been hearing about on this reality show that the characters watch and they love, and she’s this diva, and she’s scary and has this like checkered past, but what was so fun about playing her is that there’s this difference between Mercedes and Sadie. And they wanted to really show people that she actually is a kind-hearted person who’s loyal and really loves this man and lets her guard down with him. So there’s a lot of love story that will develop over the season, and I think that people will be happy to finally see Malcolm’s character in love and have that next, grown-up step happen for him.
You said that Mercedes is kind of portrayed as a diva and high maintenance. What drew you to a role like that?
The audition drew me to the role. [Laughs.] Working in multi-cam is my ultimate goal in life. It’s all I ever really want to do. It makes me the happiest in all the different mediums of acting. So knowing that this series was probably coming to an end, and getting the opportunity to join the cast there for several episodes, was really exciting and appealing.
On top of it, shooting at CBS, where I have so much history, that goes back to my childhood there. I was just thrilled at the opportunity for all of that. But on top of it, I had never played anyone like that before, and so, because it was an in-person audition, I just decided to go all in, and I came into that audition in character because I didn’t know they were going to show this side — Sadie— so much. It was really nice. The audition was Mercedes, and she was really over the top. I dressed up, and I wore these rhinestone-studded sunglasses. I borrowed a Labubu from my daughter, and I put it on my Celine purse, and I walked into the room in character, in my sunglasses, and I just went hard, and I was like, “If I don’t get it after that, it just wasn’t meant to be.” Because I’m showing them what I would do, and it was so fun.
I just left the room with such a big smile on my face, because it was so silly, and I had never done anything like a character like that. I’m very much a people pleaser, but to go into the room in character was scary to me. I just took that leap, and I’m grateful it worked out.
Even though Mercedes has only been on for a season, what would you say was your favorite storyline of hers?
Monty Brinton/CBS
Oh, my favorite storyline. This murder mystery episode is really good. Not only do you get to see all the characters in the show do something different and have so much fun playing this game, but it’s the opportunity for Mercedes to meet the family, and I think that’s a big moment for these characters, for everyone.
Also, Mercedes and Tina [Tichina Arnold] have their own interesting interaction, which I think is a long time coming, because Tina’s character, she’s really been obsessed with the show, and she thinks that she knows Mercedes and who she really is, and it’s kind of shocking that her son would be interested in someone like her. Mercedes is a person who is not afraid of conflict and is not afraid to speak her mind, so she really gets an opportunity to do that with Tina, and I really enjoyed that scene so much. It was a lot of fun, and I think it’s grounded in a really, real place.
I think the writers did a great job of finding moments for them. So I think that this one’s probably my favorite, and also French [Stewart] is guest-starring in it, and he’s so funny and so interesting in the episode, but I think it’ll definitely be like one to remember.
What was it like on the last day of filming? How did you feel about the show coming to an end?
It was interesting. I cried as if I had been there for eight years. There was something so palpable and almost tangible in how everyone really knew how lucky they were to have had the opportunity. It’s a once, and then, if you’re lucky, like a few of these actors, a couple times in a lifetime, that you get to be on for this many years and become a family with everyone. And it’s not just the cast that was family, it really was the entire crew.
So, it’s 100 people who all love each other so much and feel so lucky to be at their job every day. But ultimately, the reason the person that I looked at that got me to cry was Hank [Greenspan]. He was such a little boy when the show started, and to watch him graduate, basically, from this experience in his life, got me very emotional. I just felt so lucky to be a part of those final moments. I really felt almost like a fly on the wall, because it wasn’t really for me.
I felt very lucky that I was embraced by everyone. But I just wanted to watch all these people who are really wrapping up something that was such a big part of their lives. So, ultimately, I’m just full of gratitude. It was a really special experience.
Would you say that you’re happy with how Mercedes’ story ended?
Absolutely, yeah, I think the writers did a beautiful job of wrapping up the series for all the characters.
You talked a little bit about the cast being a family, but why do you think that The Neighborhood has lasted for eight seasons? What made fans resonate with it?
The show is about finding family anywhere — in your next-door neighbor, and your friends, in your blood— and I think that ultimately, you really love these characters because they truly see each other for who they are and accept one another, flaws and all. It’s a reminder that you can love thy neighbor, even if they are so different than you. So it’s just ultimately such a feel-good show. That’s just what it is.
Is there any last thing you want to say about The Neighborhood or anything else at all?
I feel very blessed to have the experience, and I think that CBS should make a spin-off with Mercedes. *laughs*
They can make a Trophy Divas of Brentwood spinoff.
There you go!
22 Jump Street came out 12 years ago, but at the end of it, they teased multiple spinoffs. Would you be open to doing another one? And if so, what would you want it to be about?
First of all, could you imagine if I said no? Obviously, I would do that. I still, to this day, get recognized probably the most from that. I’ve been doing this for 20 years, but that movie made such an impact. It’s so funny. Yeah, obviously I would do that. And I don’t care what part I play; they can put me in anything. They can do whatever they want with me.
Do you have any projects coming up that you want to talk about?
Well, currently, I’m up in Squamish, B.C., right now filming a Lifetime thriller that’s a lot of fun. I don’t know if I’m allowed to say what it is yet or anything, but I have a movie coming out later this year, and then I’ll also have another movie that I’ll be making this year that I also don’t know if I’m allowed to say anything. There are two projects, and they both will come out this year. So stay tuned, but those are both great.
One is scary, and one’s not scary, and then I’ve gotten more into producing, so I’ve actually met Kelly Park, the director. I met her while working on The Neighborhood, and we clicked right away. And we were just gabbing with each other, thinking we had to work on something else together. “What else can we make?” And this opportunity came around later, and I got this script sent to me that was incredible. Immediately said, “I want to make this movie. I have to be in this.” And I texted Kelly, and I was like, “Do you want to work in movies?” And she said, “Yes, more than anything.” And so I was like, “I’ve got this script, and I think you’d be wonderful if you wanted to do something like this. Just let me know what you think.” And I’m not kidding, in 24 hours, she wrote me back and said, “Amber, make this movie. It’s so good. It would be so much fun.” And and so she is now attached, and we’re in, putting all the pieces of that together. And I’m just very excited about entering that more into the producing world of it all, too.
The Neighborhood, Mondays, 8/7c, CBS, stream on Paramount+