Rutina Wesley on Greg Vaughan’s ‘Queen Sugar’ Return: ‘He Makes Me Feel Sexy’ (VIDEO)

Even if last season’s finale of the OWN drama Queen Sugar ended on a high note, with the Bordelon land being declared a historical landmark (and keeping the villainous Landrys from taking it), it’s safe to assume there’s more drama to come in the seventh and final season, which kicks off September 6.

The series, created by Ava DuVernay and based on the novel by Natalie Baszile, has put the Bordelon siblings — Nova (Rutina Wesley), Charley (Dawn-Lyen Gardner), and Ralph-Angel (Kofi Siriboe) — through the paces over six seasons and we can only hope there’s a happy ending in store for them all once the series finale arrives later this fall.

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Wesley tells TV Insider that playing Nova all these years has taught her much in her own life. “She’s taught me self-care. That’s a big thing I’ve taken away, is just learning how to take care of yourself in the midst of life,” says the actress, who catapulted to fame with the HBO vampire drama True Blood in 2008. “Nova being an activist has made me more of an activist, in a sense of I know that I have a platform and I know that sometimes I post stuff and actually people are listening. So I’ve learned to really research stuff before I post, especially if it’s political or if it’s about anything like that. I just want to make sure I do it right because Nova would do that.”

Besides Nova’s activism, her love life has always been a point of story in the series, and while the final episodes start out with her happily dating cultural anthropologist Dominic (McKinley Freeman), there could be a bumpy road ahead for the pair. “When the love gets going, I feel like Nova’s out the door. She leaves. So we’re going to see if she’s going to stay in the room.”

Based on the recent trailer, Nova’s ex-boyfriend, Calvin (Greg Vaughan, Days of Our Lives) is back to throw a wrench in that situation. “I love working with Greg Vaughn, and I’ll tell you why,” Wesley starts, before adding, “We tested together and ever since the moment I saw him, we were really connected. I remember he walked in the room and I was like, ‘Whoa’ … Greg makes me feel sexy, he makes me feel beautiful. He looks at me in a way that people haven’t looked at me before. So he makes me feel good, and I need that.”

For more on Wesley’s conversation about the final season, her last day on set (with DuVernay directing the series finale), and more on working with Vaughan, watch the video above.

Queen Sugar, Season 7 Premiere, Tuesday, September 6, 8/7c, OWN