Javicia Leslie is celebrating the global success of ‘High Potential,’ as her character Daphne steps into the spotlight
TheGrio...
The actress reflects on the ABC hit’s growing audience, her career growth since ‘Batwoman,’ and balancing a breakout moment with an upcoming wedding.
Javicia Leslie has had her share of big television moments—from making history as the first Black woman to wear the Batsuit in “Batwoman” to now helping lead one of ABC’s biggest breakout hits with “High Potential.” But even she admits the scale of the show’s success didn’t fully sink in until it started showing up in unexpected places.
For Leslie, one of those moments happened thousands of miles from home.
“My fiancé is in a completely different world than I am,” Leslie told theGrio during a recent conversation. “And when I’m in his world, and people stop me, I’m like, ‘Oh, this is really going somewhere.’”
That realization became even clearer during a recent international trip.
“We went to Berlin in November, and we were walking into a restaurant, and a young lady stopped me,” she recalled.
Moments like that have made it clear that “High Potential” is resonating far beyond its ABC audience.
The procedural—centered on a brilliant but unconventional crime-solving single mom (portrayed by Kaitlin Olson)—has quietly become one of the network’s most talked-about series. This week fans of Leslie’s character Daphne saw things get even more intense. Leslie opened up about sharing a side of Daphne fans haven’t fully experienced before.
“It’s just a journey,” she explained. “You’re going to watch Daphne from beginning to end, leading a case that actually ends up hitting very close to home and is very personal to her.”
The storyline places Daphne firmly at the center of the action, something fans have been eager to see.
“When I say she’s leading the case, she’s in pretty much almost every scene,” Leslie said. “It’s really cool to watch a character arc like that and see her go on this journey in one episode.”
Leslie’s path to leading roles hasn’t been without its share of pressure and self-doubt, something she reflected on when asked what advice she would give her younger self.
“I wish my younger self knew that I’m enough,” she said.
That realization, she says, would have changed the way she approached her work early on.
“I wouldn’t overthink so much,” Leslie explained. “And I think if I wasn’t overthinking so much, my creativity would have been more bold, more brave.”
Instead, the actor says she has learned to trust her instincts and embrace the process of growth as her career continues to evolve.
Part of that growth has come from working alongside a cast Leslie says constantly pushes her creatively.
She praised the show’s lead Kaitlin Olson for her comedic instincts, describing her as “the queen of comedy,” and highlighted how effortlessly she adapts to changes during filming.
“The way she can bend and turn and take things… all of a sudden she can just do it and make it feel like it was already written weeks ago,” Leslie said.
She also credits veteran actors in the ensemble like Judy Reyes, who plays Selena, with reminding her that longevity in Hollywood is possible.
“To me it’s just like she reminds me that you still have so much to do,” Leslie said. “You still have so much available to you.”
While “High Potential” continues to build momentum, Leslie is also preparing for a major milestone in her personal life.
The actor will marry her fiancé Nana-Yaw Asamoah, Chief Commercial Officer for AMB Sports and Entertainment, this April in Mexico, surrounded by close friends and family.
“We’re getting married in Riviera Maya and all of our close family and friends are coming,” Leslie shared. “It’s about a hundred of us, and we’re going to do events for three days. It’s going to be so much fun.”
Balancing wedding planning with a hit television show isn’t easy, but Leslie says the support around her has made all the difference.
“Everyone in my life has been very supportive, very patient with me,” she said. “It is stressful, but to have people around you tell you they got you—it makes it a lot easier.”
With a global hit on her hands and a wedding on the horizon, Leslie says this moment in her life feels both overwhelming and deeply fulfilling.
“Anything can be done if I have him,” she said of her fiancé. “So we’re good.”
“High Potential” airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on ABC and also streams on Hulu.