Nzinga Imani is changing what it means to be a leading lady in Hollywood. The multifaceted talent has built a career that spans acting, modeling and fashion design, proving that versatility and confidence can break through industry barriers. Best known for her role as Angela in BET’s Sistas and as a series regular on the spinoff Zatima, Imani now stars as the romantic lead in Friend Zone, a film that premiered on ALLBLK. The rom-com follows lifelong best friends Queen and Marcel as they navigate the complicated territory between friendship and romance after one unforgettable night together.
Beyond the screen, Imani has made her mark in fashion, designing sold-out collections for Fashion to Figure and launching her own line, Shop Nimani. With over 511,000 Instagram followers and 244,600 on TikTok, she has built a devoted community that sees themselves reflected in her work.
What excited you most about playing Queen in Friend Zone?
Honestly, being able to work alongside people I’ve grown up with in this industry. Courtney Arlett, the writer-director, was one of the first people to ever cast me as a lead when we did our web series, Pretty for a Big Girl. To continue growing alongside people who’ve always had faith in me, and watching all of our careers elevate together, has been really incredible.
What made your collaboration with Courtney special?
Courtney’s always a blast. She’s a love bug who pours into people and stands up for her team. The whole production consisted of people who are either family or friends of hers. She has an amazing network of people who really rally behind her. She’s put out so much content, and she always has a special place in her heart for making a plus-size lead. Her being a plus-size Black woman and wanting to show that representation has been great to see. She’s doing it across different genres, whether it’s sci-fi, romantic or whatever the case may be.
You and Angelo Diaz had incredible chemistry. What was it like building that dynamic?
It was so cool to work with him. I’ve known him for about six or seven years, just in the acting world. So many people were asking if we dated after watching the movie. I was like, no, we’re just great actors, and we had natural chemistry on set. He always made me feel super comfortable. He’s very respectful, so it was very easy to work with him.
How does it feel to finally see a plus-size woman centered in a romantic, sexy, fun story as the star, not the sidekick?
It feels incredible. We had the premiere, and seeing it on the big screen, seeing everyone’s reaction, having people of all ages come up and tell me how that representation means so much to them, it’s phenomenal. I know that the work we’re doing is important, but to see the real-time impact it has on people and how emotional they can be about something that is relatively simple when you think about it. They see themselves in that character, and for some of them, it’s the first time they’ve ever really identified with a character that way.
From Sistas to Zatima to Friend Zone, each project shows another side of you. What’s the biggest way you’ve grown as an artist?
I would say trusting myself more than anything. Learning that the character is not you, so don’t get too attached. Sometimes I’ll read something and be like, she would not do this. Then I’m like, okay, you’re an actor, you’re at the liberty of the writer. You have to figure out your motivation, figure out how you got there. That’s your job as the actor.
Learning to take myself out of it in that way and be more malleable, but also trusting myself when things go too far or feel unrealistic. At the end of the day, I represent something as a brand in addition to the characters I play. I never want to go too far, and I always want to be accountable and respect myself enough to stand up for myself when things feel wrong or misrepresent the community I serve.
What message do you hope your journey sends to the next generation?
Whether it’s acting or anything else, I hope that people see me and feel confident standing on their own. That’s the biggest thing, whether you’re plus size or not. I definitely have smaller girls who tell me what it means to see me and the way that I present. I like that people recognize the confidence and can take that away. I am that girl, but you have to believe it first before anyone else can.
In any situation, you’re not going to have me questioning whether or not I’m that girl. I already know it, and I feel like everybody should have that attitude about themselves. Don’t let anybody else make you doubt the things you have going on, what you want for yourself. There’s a level of confidence you have to walk into every room with that’ll set you up in a better position.
You’ve designed sold-out collections and modeled for brands like Fashion to Figure and Ashley Stewart. What inspired you to step behind the design table?
I’ve always been someone who has a creative eye. I’ve always painted and drawn. I was an influencer for Fashion to Figure, and I did so well that they were like, let’s do a collab. I already had sketches ready, looks in my book of ideas that I never really thought too hard about, but once I had that opportunity to bring it to life, we hit the ground running. When they dropped, they sold out. I see people to this day wearing my collections.
I wore a few of the pieces on Sistas. Then I maneuvered into my own line, curating looks that are more in line with the young, hip, plus-size girl. A lot of times we’ll go into stores, and as plus-size women, we feel very limited. There’s a lot of paisley, a lot of floral, and as a young, curvy, confident woman, that’s not the look you’re going for. To have more options, more risqué, more bodycon, all of that, because when you’re young, you should be able to flaunt it and love it and embrace it.
What’s next for you in acting, fashion and life?
There’s so much I’m promoting right now. I’ll be doing a Nimani pop-up sale in December. Always writing, always collaborating with my fellow artists. I want to do a project with my best friend Wondrea, another plus-size actress who’s fantastic. I’m working on things with my family as well. There are so many things in the pot right now. You can stream Zatima on BET right now, the fourth season is out. We have Friend Zone on ALLBLK, and you can find that through Prime as well. Also working on music. Hopefully it’ll be dropping in February if all goes according to plan.
Find Nzinga Imani: Follow Nzinga on Instagram and other social media platform at @nzingaimani. Check out her fashion boutique at @ShopNimani and follow Friend Zone the Movie at @FriendzoneTheMovie on Instagram for updates.