The E-Spot With Camille Kauer

At GalaxyCon Raleigh, I had the pleasure of sitting down with actress, singer, and voice artist Nakia Burrise for a heartfelt conversation about Power Rangers, Barbie, representation, and the lasting impact performers can have on their fans.Many fans know Nakia Burrise as Tanya Sloan, the Yellow Zeo Ranger, from Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. During our interview on The E-Spot with Camille, Nakia shares how attending comic conventions helped her understand that her work was never just another acting job.Through meeting fans at GalaxyCon and other conventions, she discovered how much seeing a Black female superhero on screen meant to children and families. Fans have told her that her performances inspired them, gave them strength, and even helped them through hospital stays and major surgeries.We also talk about Nakia’s lifelong passion for performing and how Power Rangers became the foundation for new opportunities. The relationships she built throughout her career later helped connect her with Mattel, Barbie projects, and roles that continue to introduce her work to new generations of fans. She also reflects on being recognized for her work connected to the Star Trek universe through convention appearances.Nakia offers honest advice for aspiring actors, voice artists, and creators facing rejection. She shares a personal story from her time in the UCLA theater program and explains why one person’s “no” should never stop you from pursuing the path meant for you.This GalaxyCon Raleigh interview celebrates Black superheroes, women in entertainment, nostalgic fandoms, cosplay culture, and the power of representation on screen.Subscribe to The E-Spot with Camille for more celebrity interviews, Power Rangers cast conversations, voice actor interviews, cosplay coverage, comic con highlights, and exclusive moments from GalaxyCon Raleigh and fan conventions across the country.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to The E-Spot00:26 Meet Nakia Burrise01:04 Why Representation Matters02:15 Early Dreams and Motivation02:47 Her Childhood Passion for Performing03:20 From Power Rangers to Barbie04:57 Advice for Aspiring Actors05:57 Hugs and Farewell06:11 Post-Interview Banter06:29 Closing Moments

GalaxyCon Raleigh always brings together the best mix of cosplay, comics, anime, voice actors, and passionate fans. In this episode of The E-Spot with Camille, I sit down with acclaimed voice actress Vanessa Marshall to talk about what makes the Raleigh convention experience so special.Vanessa shares why she loves returning to North Carolina, from the kindness of the fans to the incredible food and welcoming convention community. We also discuss how every comic con has its own personality and how fans connect with different parts of her career.Some convention attendees know Vanessa as Mary Jane Watson in The Spectacular Spider-Man, while others celebrate her work as iconic DC characters, including Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy, and Black Canary. For many fans, however, Star Wars Rebels remains a major part of her legacy.Vanessa also explains how streaming platforms have introduced her work to a new generation of viewers. Years after their original release, animated series and beloved characters continue to gain fans, inspire cosplay, and create new convention memories. Streaming has made fandom more timeless, giving people fresh ways to discover the shows, voices, and stories they love.We wrap up as Vanessa’s fan line continues to grow, proving that the cosplay and convention community never really slows down. It simply finds another line to stand in.Subscribe to The E-Spot with Camille for more celebrity interviews, voice actor conversations, cosplay coverage, comic con highlights, and exclusive moments from GalaxyCon Raleigh and fan conventions across the country.Chapters00:00 Welcome to The E-Spot00:35 Why GalaxyCon Raleigh Is Special01:09 How Fandoms Change by City01:38 How Streaming Revives Classic Shows02:31 Meeting Fans and Creating Memories02:43 Wrap-Up and Dog Names

Legendary actress and action-film icon Pam Grier joins Camille Kauer on The E-Spot for a special interview from GalaxyCon Raleigh. The trailblazing star of Foxy Brown, Coffy, Black Mama, White Mama, and Jackie Brown reflects on her groundbreaking legacy as one of cinema’s first Black female action heroes and discusses the importance of Black superheroes and representation in entertainment.

Hosts Elle and Camille discuss their anxieties about true crime, internet culture, and safety before breaking down three documentaries; Netflix’s The Crash, Hulu’s Killer Cases, and HBO Max/Hulu’s Mean Girls Murders—about the July 31, 2022 Strongsville, Ohio crash that killed Dominique Russo (20) and Davion Flanagan (19) and led to driver McKenzie Shirilla being investigated and convicted for intentional murder. They review key evidence cited in the shows, including surveillance, black-box data, phone data, prior relationship volatility, alleged jail calls urging a seizure/POTS narrative, and debate whether a jury vs. judge trial might have changed the outcome, noting some documentary framing issues, such as TikTok timestamps. They also discuss parenting, teen screen time risks referenced in a surgeon general's report, a TikTok account from an inmate describing Shirilla’s prison behavior, and a preview of the Alex Murdaugh trials next week.

The family of George Floyd is speaking out after backlash over a racist joke made during the Kevin Hart Netflix roast. On She’s Got News, host Camille Kauer and co-host  @BriefedByElle  discuss why jokes about Floyd’s murder are not comparable to jokes about celebrities or public figures. Roger Floyd and Thomas McLaurin from the George Floyd family join the episode to discuss grief, media trauma, and their work through the Floyd Family Center for Social Equity, while comedian Guy Torry explains where roast comedy crosses the line.This is the kind of conversation that goes beyond entertainment. It’s about respect, grief, and who gets to decide what’s fair game in comedy.Subscribe now! join use live next week.Raleigh friends, get your tickets NOW: https://improv.com/raleigh/comic/guy+torry/

Camille and co-host Elle open the episode by sharing recent updates, including Elle working as communications director for New Jersey congressional candidate Rachel Peace ahead of a June 2 primary, and Camille’s hyperfixations on shows like Summer House, Real Housewives of Rhode Island, and The Black Hamptons. They discuss Megan Thee Stallion accusing Klay Thompson of cheating and react to commentary from Stephen A. Smith and Paul Pierce. We then welcome guest Lanisa Renee Frederick, a Cincinnati-born performer, writer, voiceover artist, and podcast host, known for work including Call of Duty and Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat. Lanisa explains the skillset required for the show’s format, including character backstory work, rehearsals, and using earwigs while filming with Anthony. She also discusses her podcast about Black and brown cult survivors, her own cult-adjacent upbringing, and projects she is writing and pitching.

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Shanel Y. Robinson is a U.S. Air Force veteran, public servant, and community advocate dedicated to delivering strong, compassionate leadership for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. A proud Avionics Specialist and Flight Leader, Shanel credits her military service with shaping her core values of discipline, integrity, and commitment to others, principles that continue to guide her work in public office. https://shanel4congress.com/biography/

On The E Spot at Animate Raleigh, host Camille Kauer interviews voice actors: Anne Yatco, Zach Tyler Eisen, and Jack De Sena about their favorite characters, convention routines, and the craft of voice acting. Anne shares why Nova is especially meaningful, praising her as a role model and noting that the role increased her visibility, then discusses the industry’s push for more authentic casting, acknowledging it isn’t always possible, and highlighting how language-informed localization teams help honor source material. Anne advises newcomers to prioritize acting training; classes in acting, improv, or on-camera work, before focusing on microphones. Zach explains how to stay healthy on the road by hydrating and drinking tea with honey, recalls preparing lines as a child with their mom, and suggests creating and sharing original content to lower barriers to entry. Jack shares his character prep, warmups, and how remote auditions and home studios have changed recording, including full-cast Zoom workflows.

In this episode of The E-Spot with Camille (Season 10), I have the pleasure of interviewing Rekha Kanhai, who was born and raised in the Netherlands in a large Hindu family before moving to Queens, New York, at 16. They discuss culture shock in the U.S., differences in food, language barriers between British and American English, and adjusting to American slang and communication styles. The guest shares her studies in finance and economics in New York and Miami, her early interest in modeling, and her work in restaurants and nightlife to support herself, which exposed her to the entertainment scene and its challenges for women. She explains how she eventually left the corporate financial sector, pursued logistics as a more independent path, and learned the industry through research, mentors, and hands-on experience. The conversation also highlights her nonprofit, RPA, founded during the pandemic to support mental health through art therapy for seniors (ages 70–90+), veterans with PTSD, and children, including a summer/afterschool program in Miami. She describes how art therapy sessions can reveal loneliness and unresolved grief, sharing examples of seniors expressing disappointment about infrequent family visits and a participant memorializing a son lost to suicide, which led to partnering with bereavement support. The episode closes with a lightning round (coffee, morning routine, leadership as a go-getter, poetry, advice about not taking things personally, and keeping emotions out of business), a discussion of inner beauty and giving back, and where to follow: www.rpa.org and Instagram @akandhai.