While Toya Bush-Harris may be the resident firecracker on "Married to Medicine", she definitely keeps grounded with help from her husband Dr. Eugene, and keeps busy with her two boys, Ashton and Avery. Seeing Toya as the resident pot-stirrer on Bravo's hit franchise (now entering it's fourth season) is only one aspect of her personality, with this Atlanta transplant (via Detroit) dabbling in being a children's book author and even a voice over artist! I sat down to chat with Toya about the newest season of "Married to Medicine", whether or not she has found her groove with her fellow Season One ladies, and what unique opportunities are coming.
You are back for another season of "Married to Medicine"! As a veteran cast member it must be surreal that you have been there from the beginning.
I know, Season Four can you believe it?! That's so funny, you become a target (to some of the newer girls). The great thing about being a veteran is that now, you actually have had experience. You know how to answer things in just the right way. Getting the people involved because you said just that one thing. Now the new people are stuck! They don't know what to say, what direction to go in, I can see the sweat building up. It's really good.
Some may call you one of the resident "pot stirrers" on the franchise.
I don't know, I like to call it and hold everybody accountable. Keeping things at a place with honesty. People don't want to see another sitcom. They want to see real life, people giving real answers to real situations. I'm just making sure they do that, that's all.
Do you think that you have finally found your groove with the other ladies? There was so much fighting with the ladies initially, but as a veteran, do you think you and some of the other original cast members have kind of a "sisterhood" between you?
You know, we actually have. We spent alot of time together during the off season, and really got to embrace each other during some tough times. This season brought some of us closer together than we had been in a long time. Really and truly, our husbands played such a huge role also, since they were hanging out without us. It was really an amazing thing. We actually now are at a place where I know what's going on in Quad's life, Jackie's life, Simone's life and we can all put ourselves in honest situations and it is okay for me to comment since i have been there with the ladies throughout these situations.
Do you think sometimes that ladies made it harder for you to get "in" with them?
Initially it did yes. I think it goes back to a situation where you have some stay at home mothers, and a husband who is very supportive of me staying at home and raising our children. You have someone like me who walked away from my career, but the other ladies did not know me when I had my career. They saw me as an individual who was not working hard. Some of them could not relate to what I was doing because they don't even have children. They also heard the other ladies who had older children and have now conveniently forgot what it's like to have newborns. It made for a really good season though, because you can see how people are quick to judge your situation without knowing the person and knowing the situation behind the decisions my husband and I make.
Last season, the relationship with your husband developed into a true partnership and we even got to see you step back into having a career of your own.
Thank you! Is that what you want me to to, you want me to go back to work? (laughs). I thought being on the show was a job (laughs).
If you could choose any career, what do you think it would be?
Right now, I am really positioning myself to get into voice overs. I am so behind the scenes, I'm not into the makeup and all that, I am definitely that girl. I know you would think that I would be, but I would love to be a voiceover artist for an animated show. You know, one of those Disney shows, or Nickelodeon, something of that nature. I'm trying to position myself to do that now, since it's something you can do from home. It's not a nine to five job, but it can be very lucrative, and I can still be very present in my children's life.
You know, many people will say, you definitely have a "signature" Toya voice.
You know what's so funny, I can be anywhere, in a store for example, and people will say that they knew it was me from my voice! It's just something they remember. I never even realized it. I thought i was going to be a pharmaceutical rep for the rest of my life! (laughs).
So many of the other women work, but with the political climate being so much about women empowerment, do you think you ladies are a good representation true "sisterhood"?
I think so. We position ourself to show the world and the younger generation that you have to go with the flow of this society. We could have stayed comfortable and stayed in the jobs we were in, and been in them for five or ten years. That's not the case anymore. We are showing that any thought or any dream could be possible. From me doing a podcast or having my own board game, anything I think of now, I am thinking about how I can actually do it.We are all actually doing the things we all wanted to do. You don't have to be stuck in a certain career and be stuck with it and you don't have to be stuck in the shadows of our husbands, that isn't happening either.
A Toya podcast could be definitely something that would be "must listen" podcast.
Yes honey, that TBH- "Toya Being Honest", absolutely!
If you could think of one word that really defines where you are and how you are feeling right now, what would be it?
Highly Blessed. I am, I am extremely blessed. My husband is so supportive of my dreams and we compliment each other in ways that I never would have thought or deserved. My children, I can't even speak on them, we have one that is just like me and one that is just like my husband. They're like the perfect duo (laughs)! They are so smart and educated, driven, and not show at all. When yo can see that in your children, at the ages of six and five, c'mon now. It doesn't get any better.
"Married To Medicine" premieres on Sunday November 6th at 9/8c
"Married to Medicine Houston" premieres Friday November 11th at 9/8c