Nia Long For Playboy Magazine’s Spring Issue

Today, Playboy published a new feature and photoshoot featuring one of Hollywood’s most enduring sex symbols, actress Nia Long.

In the candid conversation, the iconic actress reflects on her decades-long career, from defining roles in beloved Black films and television to stepping into one of her most significant roles yet as Katherine Jackson. She opens up about the cultural impact of her work, the responsibility of portraying real-life figures, and the discipline it takes to remain grounded in an industry filled with noise and scrutiny.

Long explores her relationship with fame, privacy, and public desire, offering an unfiltered perspective on dating, independence, and personal evolution. She also shares insight into motherhood, co-parenting, and the freedom she has fought to claim, revealing a deeply self-assured, unguarded version of herself, one rooted in grace, intention, and the power of choosing her own path.

• On Raya and dating younger men: “I can’t be on Raya because I wouldn’t even keep up. They’ll be like, “She’s flaky! Get her of of here!” I’m so picky. I’m really picky. I do like younger, though. I think there’s something fun about younger.”
• On what annoys her about dating: “Also, here’s my biggest thing about dating. People talk too much. I need them to shut up. If we’re going to have a one-night stand, I almost feel like I need to have them sign NDAs.”
• On facing the public scrutiny over the Michael Jackson movie: “No one can interfere with my sanity. That’s number one. I learned a long time ago that you cannot be successful in this industry if you listen to the noise and the distractions. And the one thing that I am very, very, very protective of is my peace.”
• On the responsibility and emotional weight of portraying Katherine Jackson:“We had tough days, and we had easy days, like any other movie set, but I think the common thread in all of this is everyone involved really loves and adores Michael Jackson, and we wanted to get it right, and although the film went through some changes, the version everyone will see is really, really spectacular and entertaining, and I think Michael would be happy.”
• On the cultural legacy of Love Jones despite its box office performance: “When Love Jones came out, it was considered a box office flop. We didn’t make a lot of money, but what we created was something cultural and iconic. That is more valuable than anything.”
• On her upcoming romantic drama with Larenz Tate: “It’s sort of an extension of where Nina and Darius [from Love Jones] could be today, but it’s a completely different film, there’s a lot more comedy, we’re parents now, we literally just wrapped a couple of weeks ago, I love Larenz, that’s my guy, forever and ever and ever.”
• On co-parenting with ex Ime Udoka: “I love my co-parenting situation. We have the best: we go on holidays, we go on vacation, sometimes we carve out space to go to dinner, and we had a really good time the other night, and then it’s like, ‘OK, bye. Have fun. Talk to you later,’ but there’s still a sense of community within that where I can call them if [our sons] need something or they can call me, and there’s obviously boundaries there, but we can still be a family.”

Please see highlights below and read the full story on Playboy.

Photo Credit: Max Montgomery for Playboy

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