{"id":1856198,"date":"2024-09-19T14:57:36","date_gmt":"2024-09-19T18:57:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stylecaster.com\/?p=1856198"},"modified":"2024-09-21T15:39:59","modified_gmt":"2024-09-21T19:39:59","slug":"lori-harvey-fight-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stylecaster.com\/entertainment\/tv-movies\/1856198\/lori-harvey-fight-night\/","title":{"rendered":"Lori Harvey Is That Girl"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Lori Harvey loves to refer to herself in the third person. \u201cShe is moving,\u201d she says when running through her daily schedule, which includes business meetings for two companies, interviews, acting classes, and preparing for fashion month in London, Paris, and Milan. “She gets hot,” she says when explaining why she keeps a Louis Vuitton<\/a> fan in her bag at all times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It makes sense why Harvey, the daughter of comedian Steve Harvey<\/a> and fashion entrepreneur Marjorie Harvey, would think of herself as another person. She\u2019s accomplished so much in the 27 years of her life that it’s almost unfathomable. At 14, she was on the track to become a professional equestrian rider. When a back injury derailed her equestrian career at 18, she pivoted to modeling and made her official runway debut in 2017 for Dolce & Gabbana. Her career continued with ads for brands like Michael Kors, Valentino, and Burberry and spreads for magazines like Vogue<\/em>, W<\/em>, and Harper\u2019s Bazaar<\/em> before the launch of her first company, SKN by LH, in 2021. Two years later, Harvey started her second business, a swimwear brand named Yevrah (her last name spelled backward), inspired by the envious Euro summer vacations she’s become synonymous with on her Instagram. <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Full look: Ferragamo. Earrings: Erede. Rings: Jacquie Aiche, Shay, Erede.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Now, at 27, Harvey just made her first major on-screen debut in Peacock<\/a>\u2019s new critically acclaimed drama, Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist<\/em>, based on an armed robbery of more than $1 million of stolen valuables at a party in Atlanta the night of Muhammad Ali\u2019s historic comeback fight in 1970. Despite what haters may think, Harvey stays booked and busy. \u201cI feel like the biggest misconception about me is that I don’t work,\u201d she says. \u201cBut no, she’s a working gal. She works very hard.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have definitely gotten a leg up and had doors been open for me because of my dad, but I had to put the work in when I got there.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This misconception is why it was important for Harvey to audition like anyone else for her role in Fight Night<\/em>. Though Harvey went to theater camp as a kid and had a one-line role in the sitcom The Game <\/em>as a teenager, it wasn\u2019t until the start of 2024, when she made it her New Year\u2019s resolution to do something that pushed her outside of her comfort zone, that she officially made the jump to pursue acting professionally. \u201cThere was something holding me back. I\u2019m a perfectionist, so I never want to do anything unless I know it’s going to be amazing out of the gate,\u201d she says. \u201cBut going into the new year, I was in a space where I was like, \u2018You know what? I’m gonna do everything that makes me uncomfortable.\u2019 Because you don’t grow when you’re comfortable. You grow when you’re uncomfortable.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Full look: Ferragamo. Earrings: Erede. Rings: Jacquie Aiche, Shay, Erede.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The timing worked out. Around that same time, her manager heard Peacock<\/a> was casting for Fight Night<\/em>, a true crime series featuring a who\u2019s who of Hollywood including Kevin Hart<\/a>, Taraji P. Henson<\/a>, Samuel L. Jackson<\/a>, Don Cheadle, and Terrence Howard. \u201cOnce you hear that cast, it\u2019s a no-brainer,\u201d Harvey says. Her team managed to get her an audition but Harvey knew that she couldn\u2019t just coast on her fame to get her the part\u2014nor did she want to. \u201cI like to work for and earn everything I have. I don’t like to have anything handed to me,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everybody should feel like they’re that girl<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Even before Fight Night<\/em> came around, Harvey had already been working with an acting coach since the start of the year. When she got the audition, she upped her hours with her coach significantly before she went in to read for Lola Folana, a real singer and Broadway actress who was dubbed one of Black Hollywood\u2019s it girls in the \u201870s. She nailed it. \u201cI was walking around my kitchen when my manager called me and was like, \u2018Guess what? You got it,\u2019\u201d Harvey recalls. \u201cIt took a second for it to register because I was like, \u2018Wait, is this really happening? Is this real?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Scarf: Hermes. Swimsuit: Yevrah Swim. Coat: Kate Hundley. Earrings: Lag World. Necklace: Jacquie Aiche. Waist chains: Jacquie Aiche, Yevrah Swim. Rings: Shay, Jacquie Aiche, Erede. Bangles: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: Rene Caovilla.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

While Harvey never met the real Folana, who is now 82 and has mostly stayed out of the spotlight since her retirement, she acknowledges the impact Folana had on future generations of actors like her. \u201cI loved how confident she was. She was really a badass and was just that girl during that era. I hope I did her justice,\u201d Harvey says. Folana\u2019s confidence is also what Harvey saw the most about her in herself. \u201cAs I\u2019m getting older and more confident in who I am, I definitely relate to her on that level,\u201d she says. \u201cI think I am that girl. I think everybody should feel like they’re that girl.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with being her first role, Fight Night<\/em> also holds a special place in Harvey\u2019s heart for another reason. The series is set in Atlanta and tells the story of how the city, once a railroad town, became the \u201cBlack mecca\u201d of the United States. Harvey was born in Memphis but grew up in Atlanta, where she spent most of her childhood as the youngest of seven children. Her parents still live there, so when she showed up at her family\u2019s house days before production started on Fight Night<\/em>, her dad, Steve Harvey<\/a>, was surprised to learn she had begun acting\u2014let alone booked her first TV show.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Scarf: Hermes. Swimsuit: Yevrah Swim. Coat: Kate Hundley. Earrings: Lag World. Necklace: Jacquie Aiche. Waist chains: Jacquie Aiche, Yevrah Swim. Rings: Shay, Jacquie Aiche, Erede. Bangles: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: Rene Caovilla.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Scarf: Hermes. Swimsuit: Yevrah Swim. Coat: Kate Hundley. Earrings: Lag World. Necklace: Jacquie Aiche. Waist chains: Jacquie Aiche, Yevrah Swim. Rings: Shay, Jacquie Aiche, Erede. Bangles: Alexis Bittar. Shoes: Rene Caovilla.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cIt honestly wasn’t even intentional not telling him. We\u2019re just so busy.  We’re always in different time zones. I don’t even think I know where he is right now. He could be in Africa,\u201d Harvey jokes. \u201cWhen I got home, he was like, \u2018What are you here for?\u2019 I was like, \u2018Oh, I’m filming.\u2019 He’s like, \u2018Filming what?\u2019 It didn’t register to him, even as I was saying it. Of course, once I told him the cast, he was like, \u2018This is a big deal. You got to focus. You got to lock in. I’m so proud of you, but it\u2019s work time now.\u2019 I was like, \u2018Oh, I know I’ve been working. Don’t worry.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just because Harvey grew up around Hollywood doesn\u2019t mean she didn\u2019t have anxiety the first time she stepped onto the set of Fight Night<\/em>. After all, one of her first scenes was with the<\/em> Samuel L. Jackson, a family friend who she affectionately knew as Uncle Sam, but needed to view as the \u201cBlack Godfather\u201d of New York\u2019s criminal underworld. \u201cBeing with him in a work setting was very nerve-wracking, obviously, because he is a legend. I just wanted to do a good job and impress him,\u201d Harvey says. \u201cHe would be super encouraging. He would be like, \u2018That was it! That was the one! Now you’re getting comfortable. You’re feeling it now.\u2019 That helped me relax.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the family she grew up in, Harvey is aware of the effect her last name had on where she is in her career. But that doesn\u2019t negate the work that she put in to stay there. \u201cThere are definitely advantages to it. Anybody who says there aren’t is either delusional or very tone deaf. I’ve definitely had advantages. I\u2019m not blind to that,\u201d she says. \u201cI’m extremely grateful and appreciative for all the advantages I’ve had. But just because you have it easier to get in the door, does not mean that you will be able to stay in the door just because of who your parents are. You have to actually put the time and put the work in and be good at whatever it is you’re doing. I have definitely gotten a leg up and had doors been open for me because of my dad, but I had to put the work in when I got there.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Bra, dress & underwear: Dolce & Gabbana. Coat: Michael Kors. Tights: Calzedonia. Shoes: Andrea Wazen. Earrings: K Salamoon. Bracelet: Jacquie Aiche. Rings: Mondo Mondo, Jacquie Aiche, Shay.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Bra, dress & underwear: Dolce & Gabbana. Coat: Michael Kors. Tights: Calzedonia. Shoes: Andrea Wazen. Earrings: K Salamoon. Bracelet: Jacquie Aiche. Rings: Mondo Mondo, Jacquie Aiche, Shay.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Harvey is also proud of her father. She never considered dropping his last name to distance herself from him in Hollywood, and she even named Yevrah, her swimwear brand, after their shared last name backward. Her older brother, Jason Harvey, used the name first for a now-defunct footwear company before she asked for his permission to keep the legacy going with Yevrah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvey launched Yevrah with Revolve<\/a> in 2023. The brand was one of Revolve\u2019s most talked-about swimwear partnerships of the year and has been worn by celebrities like Normani<\/a>, Winnie Harlow<\/a>, and Justine Skye<\/a>. Two years later, over Labor Day weekend 2024, Harvey restocked Yevrah. This time around, she fully operated the brand on her own via Yevrah\u2019s new site, yevrahswim.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You’re expected to be very, very tall and very, very thin. I definitely was self conscious about it when I first started, because I’m not a traditional model.<\/p><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we initially launched, I wanted to launch it with Revolve. They have such an incredible infrastructure that they’ve built,\u201d she says. \u201cI wanted Yevrah to be a part of their brand as to help promote it, get eyes on it, and be in their orbit of their clientele space. Once we did that, and it was very, very successful, I knew I wanted to launch my own site. It was really all about timing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though Yevrah has a new home and fresh designs, it\u2019s still committed to the same values Harvey had when she first came up with the idea for the company years ago. One of those values was size inclusivity\u2014Yevrah\u2019s sizes range from XS to XXL\u2014something important to Harvey after spending years as a model and struggling to fit into sample sizes. \u201cI absolutely felt pressure to be a certain size, especially when I first started,\u201d she says. \u201cWhen you’re backstage and they’re fitting you, everything is sample size. You’re expected to be very, very tall and very, very thin. I’ll be honest, I definitely was self-conscious about it when I first started, because I’m not a traditional model. When it came to developing my brands, I was like, \u2018OK, inclusivity is number one on my list.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Bra, dress & underwear: Dolce & Gabbana. Coat: Michael Kors. Tights: Calzedonia. Shoes: Andrea Wazen. Earrings: K Salamoon. Bracelet: Jacquie Aiche. Rings: Mondo Mondo, Jacquie Aiche, Shay.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

A swimwear brand is also a far cry from what Harvey thought she would be doing as a kid. A self-described tomboy, her outfits rotated between two looks: a baggy polo with baggy shorts or a baggy T-shirt with baggy pants. It wasn\u2019t until her mom brought her to her first fashion week show at 12 years old that she was officially bit by the fashion bug that led to her career now. \u201cI loved the energy and the artistry behind it,\u201d she says. \u201cThen it was, \u2018I want the dresses. I want the little heels. I want the little purses. I want everything.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the owner of two brands\u2014her skin care brand, SKN by LH, sold out within 48 hours of its launch\u2014Harvey also dispels the stereotype that she was just another celebrity who slapped her name on a company. \u201cI’m literally the brand. Everything runs and flows through me,\u201d she says. \u201cI handle all the creative, product development, design\u2014you name it, everything from curating the Instagram down to the content of the shoots. Let\u2019s clear that misconception up. She is heavily involved. She is the brand.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even with two thriving companies and a burgeoning acting career, Harvey still has a long list of goals she wants to achieve. For starters, she\u2019d like to launch her own fragrance and clothing line. She\u2019d also like to star in a comedy. After all, humor does run in her family. \u201cI think I’m quite hilarious, so I would love to showcase that,\u201d she says. What\u2019s off the table is stand-up. She also doesn\u2019t see herself acting alongside her father. \u201cI don’t think he is acting anymore. I think he\u2019s done with that,\u201d she says. \u201cI would be shocked if he did another acting role because he’s starting to wind down. My dad is older. I told him, \u2018I give you two more years tops, and I think you’re gonna retire.\u2019 I think I missed that window.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Full look: Versace. Earrings: Lag World.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
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\"Lori
Photo: Michael Buckner. Design: Sasha Purdy. Full look: Versace. Earrings: Lag World.<\/cite><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

While Harvey teases that she has another exciting acting project in the works, she assures it\u2019s not a role in her dad\u2019s upcoming biopic, which she joked with E! News at the Fight Night<\/em>\u2019s red carpet in September that she wanted to play herself in. \u201cI was joking. When the biopic is set, I don’t think I was born yet. I think it’s just him when he was younger. If I read it correctly, I don\u2019t think any of us will be in it. I think it’ll just be based on him,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The week after her cover shoot with StyleCaster, Harvey flew to New York City<\/a> for the premiere of Fight Night<\/em> and an appearance on the TODAY<\/a><\/em> show. She was only there for a hot second before returning to her home in Los Angeles for a quick break before jetting off again to Milan<\/a>, London<\/a>, and Paris<\/a> for a month of fashion weeks. In between then, she has meetings for her two companies and is still in regular acting lessons to perfect her craft. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With her schedule constantly on the go, Harvey understands how her life can come across on the outside. But she assures you, she\u2019s clocked in. \u201cPeople think my life is just one long vacation,\u201d she says. \u201cI try to take it as a compliment, because I’m like, \u2018OK, I guess that means I make it look easy.\u2019\u201d When asked if that preconceived notion ever bothers her, she pauses before casting the idea away. \u201cFor a second, but then I got over it because I was like, \u2018Girl, you work your butt off,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cLet the work speak for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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