(Photo: Essence Magazine, April 2014)

In her latest film, Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club, Nia Long has the pleasure of acting alongside her 13-year-old son Massai. In the cover story of Essence's April issue, the 43-year-old mother of two opens up about working with her son and preparing him for disappointment after auditioning for the role.
"I was so nervous Massai wouldn't get the job. I didn't want to have to break disappointing news, so I explained to him that as long as he gave it his best that's all that mattered," Long said. "I also told him that life has highs and lows, wins and losses. Just as I was saying all this, the phone rang. It was my agent with the good news. We did the happy dance and started packing our bags."
Long says the experience helped her spend more time with her family because as an actress who doesn't have a nanny or chef helping out around the house, she says she feels "like a clown half the time." We think it's super sweet that the mother and son get to act together and we're looking forward to seeing how their dynamic plays off on screen. If anything, the opportunity has given Massai a new understanding of the hard work his mother puts into her career.
"Filming The Single Moms Club was a lot of fun," Massai wrote in an open letter to his mom on Essence. "It was awesome working with you, and I can't imagine how hard it would have been if you weren't there. Now I really understand how hard you work."
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