Devale Ellis talks Zac’s evolution on ‘Tyler Perry’s Sistas,’ relatability with fans

Tyler Perry‘s Sistas is back on BET, with a new episode airing Wednesday. The show is in its eighth season, enough time for fans to witness Zac’s evolution over the years.

“I would describe Zac’s evolution as a coming-of-age story,” Devale Ellis tells ABC Audio of his character. “You know, he started off as a young man dealing with recidivism, in and out of prison, doesn’t have his finances in order, has a tumultuous relationship with his on-again, off-again girlfriend, Karen. It’s like everything in his life is going wrong.”

“At his worst, he meets a young woman named Fatima who pretty much, you know, breathes life into him, teaches him affirmation, tells him to trust himself, gets him a job,” Devale continues. “So as he meets Fatima, he starts to ascend in life. And that’s what we get to watch.”

He adds, “The evolution is Zac’s ascension into life as a fully fledged, fully functional adult as he’s trying to be. And he’s still struggling.”

But Zac’s approach to overcoming battles, Devale says, is something viewers can relate to.

“I think on purpose, Tyler was giving Zac a lot, and what we want to watch is … somebody get thrown everything and still constantly believe enough to keep moving forward because we deal with that every day as humans,” Devale says. “When you watch Zac go through something and he’s getting beat down, but he finds a way out, comes back up before he’s beat down again. It gives people hope because Zac is that type of character who does it with a smile on his face.”

“It’s like, how is he still able to be goofy … with going through so much?” Devale adds. “I hope that Zac can be a little bit of escapism for people.” 

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