PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — From L. A. to Broadway and beyond, Patrice Covington, who attended Chesapeake Public Schools, is another star from the 757 who has proven there’s something in the water.
Friday afternoon Covington joined Regina Mobley for a Zoom interview from her Chesapeake home.
Regina Mobley: I was on your Facebook page a few minutes ago and they called you a show business veteran.
Patrice Covington: Oh, well, I guess here I am as a veteran. I still don’t feel old enough to be a veteran. But, you know, I have worked quite a bit. I’ve been very blessed and very busy, blessed, as the kids like to say. So I’ll take it all. We learn a lot from veterans, so I hope I am educating and sharing and inspiring.
Regina Mobley: How does it feel when you run into other people from the 757 who are also in show business are doing beautifully?
Patrice Covington: It’s always love. We are always so excited for each other. We inspire and support each other. I mean, the list goes on and on and on — the Broadway professionals, the TV and film professionals, the musicians, my good friend Tyler Cain, Adrienne Warren, Anthony Wayne, Tiffany Evariste and Rashidra Scott. The list goes on and on and on.
Regina Mobley: And it all started on the water, aboard the Spirit of Norfolk.
Patrice Covington: I definitely worked on the Spirit of Norfolk; rest in peace to the Spirit of Norfolk. I was also a Hurrah Player and I went to the Governor’s School for the Arts and I was a part of Western Branch High School drama and forensics, the pageants including Miss Teen Chesapeake. I did everything, and I was really, really active in my church.
From the Color Purple on Broadway, National Geographics Aretha, and the new League of Their Own, Covington now uses technology like Zoom for remote auditions from her home in Chesapeake. Last year, she filled in for Tara Wheeler on the Hampton Roads Show, and from a 757-based audition, Covington just landed a role in NBC’s Chicago PD.
The Patrice Covington bio is extensive:
Patrice Covington is an Emmy award winning Broadway, Television and film actress. She is an accomplished singer, actor, voice over artist, media personality and educator of the arts. As a broadway vet, Patrice has graced New York City’s Great White Way and toured the globe with all-star Broadway casts in several shows including The Book of Mormon, Motown The Musical, Dreamgirls, and the Tony Award Winning revival of The Color Purple. As a vocalist, she has traveled the world providing background vocals for top-billed performers including Jennifer Hudson, Christina Aguilera and Stevie Wonder. On television, Patrice is best known for her role as Erma Franklin in NatGeo anthology series, Genius: Aretha, a biopic about the legendary Aretha Franklin and Gracie in Amazon’s TV series “A League of Their Own,” a reimagining of the hit 1992 film. She can also be seen in guest star roles on All Rise, Chicago PD, and Sincerely Love. In 2024 be sure to catch her playing opposite Nicole Kidman in the murder mystery series “The Perfect Couple” on Netflix and and as the lead in the new made for TV movie, For What It’s Worth on BET. Patrice is a is a proud member of the illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her trademarked motto is, “Don’t be a star…be a galaxy.” A motto meant to inspire and motivate humans to not only shines their light but to share the light with others because there is truly enough room for all!
“Well, first of all, Chicago is my favorite city,” Covington said. “I had the best time being there, although it was literally unbearably cold and -8 degrees. We sat outside and my scene was outside and I got wind burn and I got all kinds of things that happened to me. But the joy of being able to perform such a dramatic role, I’ve never done anything so dramatic.
Monday, on the 5th day of Black History Month, Covington will share her showbiz words of wisdom at Western Branch Middle and high schools. It’s Patrice Covington Day!
“Don’t be a star; be the galaxy. It means so many things,” Covington said. “But ultimately, at the core, it means there is enough light to share for everybody. We have room for everybody. We need each other to shine in this industry. If we look up in the sky at night and we just see one star, it’s quite amusing. But when we see multiple, a magnitude of bright stars, that’s when we are moved.”