Teyonah Parris Says She Needs to 'Give Myself More Grace' as a Mom to Her Infant Daughter (Exclusive)

Teyonah Parris is opening up about how motherhood has helped her be kinder to herself.

The actress, 37, spoke to PEOPLE exclusively at the premiere of her new Netflix show, No Good Deed, at the Netflix Tudum Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 4. During the conversation, Parris opened up about work, her new hair extension company (Blum by Teyonah Parris) and what life is like since welcoming a daughter with her husband James in 2023.

When speaking about her little girl, whose name she has not shared publicly, The Marvels star said that “talking to her and encouraging her … is also encouraging and talking to myself.”

“I found myself telling her just a simple thing, like, ‘Don't get frustrated, baby. You can do it. It might not work this first time, but it's okay.’ And then I hear myself say it, and I'm like, ‘Hey, you should say that to yourself, too. You know what I mean?’ “ Parris explained.

“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.”

As for how she is handling motherhood, her acting career and a new business, Parris said, “I have lots of help."

"It is constantly a juggling situation with the new baby, the husband, acting — but it's really fun," she added. "I'm finding myself really enjoying learning things that I just did not know, just being on the business/CEO side of this endeavor. It's very challenging, very hard, but it has been an amazing time so far.”

Related: John Stamos' Wife Caitlin McHugh Reveals Who Is the Tougher Parent to 6-Year-Old Son Billy (Exclusive)

Parris also revealed why she decided to launch Blum amidst her already busy personal and professional life.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I wanted to do this because being in front of the camera, I realized that, well, even in my real life, that there weren't a lot of options for women with natural, kinky hair, curly, coily textured hair. And I wanted to be myself, but I also wanted to protect my hair and so I needed quality extensions that could do that," she said.

“Most everybody you see — men and women on camera — have some sort of extensions, something to help,” Parris continued. “So it was my mission years ago to start this … and I just want us to shine and feel seen and loved and protect our hair while doing it.”

The If Beale Street Could Talk actress also spoke about her new show No Good Deed, a dark comedy about three different couples trying to buy the same L.A. home — which is owned by a family hiding a dark secret.

Parris plays Carla, a high-achieving expectant mother and one of the hopeful potential buyers. Others in the cast include Ray Romano, Lisa Kudrow, Luke Wilson and Linda Cardellini.

Related: Ray Romano Jokes He Needs 'Medication' to Manage His 4 Kids Joining the Entertainment Industry (Exclusive)

“It is a very dark comedy, so there is a lot of drama, but the comedy is still there. So that was really fun in just trying to nail the tone,” Parris told PEOPLE of the filming process.

“Everyone has been so generous in this process and coming to set and to our table reads,” she added. "So it really just has been a really beautiful time. “

No Good Deed premieres on Netflix on Dec. 12.

Read the original article on People