Teyonah Parris is sharing how motherhood has transformed her relationship with herself. At the premiere of her new Netflix show, No Good Deed, on Dec. 4 in Los Angeles, she opened up about various aspects of her life. The 37-year-old actress spoke exclusively to PEOPLE. During the conversation, she also discussed her new hair extension company, Blum by Teyonah Parris. Since welcoming a daughter with her husband James in 2023, her perspective on life has changed.

Motherhood Inspires Self-Kindness in Teyonah Parris

How Motherhood Helps with Self-Kindness

When it comes to her little girl, whose name remains private, Parris noticed a powerful connection. She said, "Talking to her and encouraging her...is also encouraging and talking to myself." For example, she would tell her daughter, "Don't get frustrated, baby. You can do it. It might not work this first time, but it's okay." Then, she realized the importance of applying the same words to herself. "I have to find the space to give myself more grace," she continued. "And I'm giving [it to] my child, giving it to myself." This shows how motherhood has become a source of self-awareness and self-compassion for Parris.

Balancing Motherhood, Acting, and Business

Dealing with motherhood, her acting career, and a new business is a constant juggling act for Parris. She said, "It is constantly a juggling situation with the new baby, the husband, acting—but it’s really fun." She is enjoying the learning experience on the business/CEO side of her endeavors. Although it is very challenging and hard, she finds it to be an amazing time so far. She has lots of help along the way, which makes it possible to manage all aspects of her life.

Reasons for Launching Blum

Parris decided to launch Blum because of her experiences in front of the camera. She realized that for women with natural, kinky, curly, or coily textured hair, there weren't many options. She wanted to be herself while protecting her hair, so she needed quality extensions. She said, "Most everybody you see—men and women on camera—have some sort of extensions, something to help." Her mission years ago was to start this company to ensure that women can shine and feel seen and loved while protecting their hair.

About the New Show No Good Deed

Parris' new show, No Good Deed, is a dark comedy about three different couples trying to buy the same L.A. home owned by a family hiding a dark secret. Parris plays Carla, a high-achieving expectant mother and one of the hopeful potential buyers. The cast also includes Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Luke Wilson, and Linda Cardellini. She described the filming process as fun, as it was a challenge to nail the tone. "It is a very dark comedy, so there is a lot of drama, but the comedy is still there. Everyone has been so generous in this process and coming to set and to our table reads. So it really just has been a really beautiful time." No Good Deed premieres on Netflix on Dec. 12.