“I had turned down several network offers, as I really was not interested in doing another show at the time, but because Gabrielle is a friend, I told her that I’d seriously think about and talk with my team. At the end of the day, I felt like we all have a social responsibility to help elevate material with people of color in any way that we can, and if there was an opportunity for me to help my friend and the cultural perceptions of our work, then I would do my part.”

Ealy, nominated for a Golden Globe for “Sleeper Cell,” stars opposite Juliettte Lewis in ABC’s “Secrets & Lies,” and recently wrapped the remake of cult film “Jacob’s Ladder” in the title role.