They met on the set of Soul Food some 20-plus years ago, and Boris Kodjoe and Nicole Ari Parker have been what they call “a dynamic duo” ever since.
“We met working, so one of our love languages is working together. We try to work together as much as possible,” Kodjoe says during an interview to discuss their recent partnership with Microban 24 and Bounty Paper towels. “There’s no butting heads—I know she’s in charge. I just follow her lead.”
Now married for 17 years with two teenagers, Kodjoe and Ari Parker (he’s currently filming Station 19 and she most recently went back to work on And Just Like That…) also agree that pairing up with the brands was a no-brainer and, no pun intended, “right on brand.”
“We have such a busy life with the two teenagers, two dogs, all the traveling that we do…we make up a pretty dynamic duo, if we may say so. So, to partner with another dynamic duo, like Bounty and Microban 24, was a no-brainer. We have two kids who are young adults now, so there are a lot of germs wandering around. There’s a lot of traffic in the house. With everything going on and being conscious of bacteria and things like that, our clean routine became our priority. We’re constantly looking for something that’s effective and easy to fold in. You just spray, wipe, spray and walk away.”
Something else that hits the routine: A fairly solid schedule for fitness, wellness and some “absolutely necessary” balance.
“Boris has a good routine,” Ari Parker shares. “He gets up. He goes right to the gym and just takes his 20 minutes. He’s so fit that everyone thinks he works out 12 hours a day. He’s done in 30 minutes, but he commits to it, and no one bothers him. He’s in the zone. I’m still winging it. It’s hard for mom sometimes because we also have to wash out our face. You know what I mean? How am I going to meditate, do yoga, go to the gym, put all the moisturizers on? It’s a lot.”
While she may think she’s not-so-great with making time for the moisturizers, Kodjoe says Ari Parker has taught him a lot about taking care of his skin. “I didn’t know much before her. I was an athlete, so I just splashed water in my face and went. She’s taught me about moisturizing my face and cleaning the pores. I mean—look at her. She looks like she’s 27!”
“Well, as a black woman, I did not know about the importance of sunscreen until later in life,” Ari Parker admits. “I didn’t grow up with that kind of fear of the sun. These days, I use an SPF 50, and I understand it now. I believe in it, and it’s really changed my skin. I’m still trying to find the perfect sunscreen. I have some that I like that are powders because they’re in the purse and that some I spray on and some that are heavy cream. It’s a whole little dance I’m doing!”
