'What's So Important About This Is Representation': Jameela Jamil & Dashaun Wesley On HBO Max's 'Legendary'

(CBS Local)-- HBO Max is here and one of the original shows available on the new streaming service is "Legendary."

The reality competition show highlights the underground ballroom community as houses of competitors flaunt their fashion and moves for celebrity judges like actor Jameela Jamil and musician Megan Thee Stallion. Dashaun Wesley serves as the master of ceremonies for the competition show and he and Jamil are excited for a whole new group of people to be exposed to the world of ballroom.

"The environment in the room is like no other," said Wesley in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "Once you get in that room and on that stage and you are dressed up in your character, it's so amazing. It's definitely an emotional roller coaster. I had the opportunity to see that and feel that."

"There were so many fascinating things, but what the contestants were able to pull together week after week after week," said Jamil. "They had such little time to come up with huge, creative storylines. There was no expense spared and no imagination spared. These things take months to plan and the contestants were pulling things together in five or six days. Ballroom has a reputation of being fun, fancy and gorgeous. It also has a reputation of being shady. There can be volatile exchanges between contestants who pull no punches and that's part of the culture."

FULL INTERVIEW:

Jamil jumps onto this HBO max show after a successful run as Tahani Al-Jamil on "The Good Place." One of the things that both Jamil and Wesley love about "Legendary" is how inclusive the show is.

"I think what's so important about this is representation," said Jamil. "This is a culture we've only seen a little bit of. We've seen it so spectacularly displayed on Pose, but now I think we need to keep pushing that. We cannot just have one declaration of ballroom. I think it's important for people to see more and more of it everywhere. A lot of what you see in mainstream culture originally came from ballroom. A lot the fashion, dances and vernacular. It's so great to show that this is where it came from and these are the people you should be celebrating."

"That's the number one thing we try to get through to everyone," said Wesley. "If the stories are being told by us, then you get to see us prevail and progress. We get to give our input and that is what matters the most."

"Legendary" is streaming now on HBO Max and watch all of DJ Sixsmith's interviews from "The Sit-Down" series here.