Zoë Saldana
The Blackout/Vantage Point Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Zooming in on Zoë
Zoë Yadira Zaldaña Nazario was born in New Jersey on June 19, 1978, but raised in Queens till her father died in a car accident when she was ten. At that point, her immigrant mother moved the family back to the Dominican Republic where Zoe enrolled in an elite ballet academy.
She returned to America for her junior year of high school, which is when she developed an interest in acting, although she also had to take a part-time job at Burger King. After making a well-received screen debut in a Center Stage, a ballet-driven ensemble drama, Zoe landed lead roles opposite the likes of Kirsten Dunst in Get Over It, Britney Spears in Crossroads, Nick Cannon in Drumline, Tom Hanks in The Terminal, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and Bernie Mac in Guess Who.
Here, the rising young star shares her thoughts about Blackout, Vantage Point and some of her upcoming films.
KW: Hey, Zoë, thanks so much for the time.
ZS: Of course, absolutely!
KW: What interested you in Blackout and in playing Claudine?
ZS: Well, as a New Yorker, I’d been there during the blackout. So, when I read Jerry’s [writer/director Jerry LaMothe] script, I just felt like it was pretty much right on with all the things that had happened. And it felt like a grounded script where the characters were very real and tangible. The story between Claudine and James itself, about two people trying to make it work after being left traumatized by 9/11, and experiencing setbacks, seemed so normal to me. So, it felt really good.
KW: What was it like for you during the actual Blackout of 2003?
ZS: I was caught with my entire family in the City [Manhattan], and the girls and I were going to go on like a spa day, and all of a sudden everything just turned off. We were uptown, at like 55th and Park, and we had to walk from there all the way to Forest Hills. It was kinda crazy.
KW: What do you see as the basic idea behind Blackout?
ZS: It was inspired by real events that happened, so it’s designed to show how people deal with pressure in different ways. How some people just break, some take advantage of other human beings, and others are helpful and become completely sympathetic to the less fortunate.
KW: Would you consider Center Stage as your breakout film?
ZS: Well, it was my first movie. It gave me a taste of what it was I could be doing in this business. And I really saw myself doing it, and I kinda liked it.
KW: How did so many great roles immediately start coming to you one after the other in blockbusters like Drumline, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Terminal and Guess Who?
ZS: I think it’s a combination of having a good team behind you, fighting for you, and continuing working on your craft. I like to study, even when I’m not preparing for a role. I think it’s very important. It just keeps you on your toes.
KW: I think even some of your smaller movies, like Premium have been great. I thought that was a charming little love story.
ZS: I’m glad you liked it.
KW: How did you enjoy making Vantage Point surrounded by such a stellar cast?
ZS: What do you think? I was blown away by [director] Pete Travis and by the opportunity to work with all these amazing actors, primarily Forest [Whitaker], William Hurt, Dennis Quaid and Sigourney Weaver. But I was so looking forward to working with this director after seeing a film he did called Omagh. I was so impressed with his touch, how he’s able to make things feel so real without altering anything.
KW: Yes, I loved Omagh, a very moving Irish film about the aftermath of an IRA bombing. I gave it four stars. I see that you’ll be playing Lieutenant Uhura in the next Star Trek movie. Did you discuss the role with Nichelle Nichols, the actress who originated the role?
ZS: Yes, I did meet her, and I was so humbled to have met such an icon. She’s an amazing woman and a strong human being. That was very interesting, as was working with Leonard Nimoy [the original Mr. Spock]. I felt like the entire cast and myself were honored to be filling in the shoes of the original [Starship] Enterprise [cast]. We really hope we don’t disappoint.
KW: Given all the loyal Trekkies, I’d guess that you’ve got a guaranteed hit on your hands. What about The Skeptic which you made with Tom Arnold?
ZS: Oh, yes, that was fun. I made that almost three years ago. I kinda wish for the movie to come out, but we’re still keeping our fingers crossed.
KW: You’ve worked with Spielberg in the past, and now you’re working with another Oscar-winning director, James Cameron, in Avatar. Are you in the process of filming that one now?
ZS: We actually filmed it all last year, and yes, we’re going to come back and do some pick up shots later on this Spring. But it’s going marvelously. He such an amazing director. It’s been a great experience.
KW: Do you still make your home in New York or have you moved to Los Angeles?
ZS: I live in L.A. now.
KW: Where in L.A. do you live?
ZS: [Giggles] I’d rather not say.
KW: Nosy Jimmy Bayan, “Realtor to the Stars” wants to know just the general neighborhood.
ZS: I’m a very private person. You know that. I live in an area where there are too many New Yorkers, and I’m so happy about that.
KW: Can you still go to the mall or the movie theater like a regular person?
ZS: Of course I can.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Would you describe yourself as happy?
ZS: Yeah. I like that question.
KW: Well, thanks again for the interview. I’ve loved your work thusfar, and I’m eager to see what’s in store.
ZS: Thank you so much. Have a good day.
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| Angela Bassett |
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Angela Bassett
The Meet the Browns Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Angela Gets Her Groove Back
Born in New York City, but raised by her single-mom, Betty, along with her sister, D’nette, in St. Petersburg, Florida, Angela Evelyn Bassett studied acting at Yale University, where she received a Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies and a Master’s in Theater. She began her professional career on stage, performing both on and off-Broadway in productions of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Colored People’s Time,” “Henry IV, Part I,” “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” “Antigone,” “Pericles” and “Black Girl.”
Angela later landed what might be described as her breakout role as Reva Devereaux in John Singleton’s BOYZ N THE HOOD, and she received additional critical acclaim for her moving performance as matriarch Katherine Jackson in the ABC mini-series “The Jacksons: An American Family.” Nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for her unforgettable portrayal of Tina Turner in WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT, Angela is also a thirteen -time NAACP Image Award-nominee, winning for that picture along with THE ROSA PARKS STORY, SUNSHINE STATE, THE SCORE, HOW STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK, MUSIC OF THE HEART, WAITING TO EXHALE, RUBY’S BUCKET OF BLOOD and MALCOLM X..
The embodiment of dignity, pride and grace, she invariably electrifies audiences via her emotionally-charged characterizations. Away from the set, with her husband, actor Courtney B. Vance, she co-wrote FRIENDS: A LOVE STORY, a best-seller published on Valentine’s Day last year. The inspirational autobiography chronicles the real-life love story of Bassett and Vance, who were friends for many years before marrying.
In 2006, the couple became parents, celebrated the arrival of twins, daughter Bronwyn Golden and son Slater Josiah. Here, Angela talks about life, career and her new movie, Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns, where she stars opposite former NBA star Rick Fox.
KW: Hi Angela, this is an honor. Thanks for the time.
AB: Sure.
KW: How was it being directed by Tyler Perry?
AB: It was great, even though there were some long, hot days in Atlanta. [Chuckles] But, they weren’t long enough.
KW: How about working with Rick Fox?
AB: It was absolutely delightful. He was a joy to work with.
KW: Even though you’re such an accomplished actress, and he didn’t have nearly the same amount of experience?
AB: That’s true enough, but he has life experience, and he certainly brought all of himself to the moment. He wasn’t afraid of hard work, and he was open and emotionally available. So, he won me over as a co-star.
KW: Where did you channel your character from? Have you ever known a single-mom at the end of her rope like Brenda?
AB: Oh, absolutely! My mom raised my sister and me single-handedly in Florida. So, day-to-day, I saw the struggles of doing it on your own without help, and how tired that makes you, and the dreams and aspirations you have for your children. I know that she pushed us in regard to getting our education, finding advocates in our principals and teachers at school.
KW: And she was quite successful, given your graduating from Yale.
AB: Yeah, it was a wonderful victory and accomplishment for her, especially since she wasn’t able to go to college herself. Education was something stressed almost to my chagrin growing up, at times. Since we were toddlers, she stressed, “You’re going to college! You’re going to college! You’re going to college!” So, it was a happy moment for her.
KW: I can remember how my mother always made me finish my homework before I was allowed to go out to play.
AB: Yeah, all that extra-curricular stuff came to a screeching halt, if your grades weren’t up to par. And par was at least Bs or better. If you wanted to keep your good thing going, then you took care of your job, and that was getting those grades together.
KW: What sort of message do you want people to get from Meet the Browns?
AB: To persevere and keep on moving forward. Just put one foot in front of the other, whatever the obstacles may be. Hold out for hope, because you will turn a corner and find a situation that’s a whole lot better.
KW: Is there any question that no one has ever asked that you wished someone would ask you?
AB: Oh no, no question’s been off-limits. [Laughs] I can’t say I’ve ever thought to myself, “Oh, I wished they’d ask me this or that.”
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
AB: Ecstatic!
KW: “Are you ever afraid?” I got that question from Tasha Smith.
AB: Oh really? Am I ever afraid? Oh, yeah, absolutely. I’m human, so...
KW: Who are you supporting for president?
AB: Barack Obama.
KW: Jimmy Bayan, “Realtor to the Stars,” wants to know where in L.A. you live.
AB: Hancock Park.
KW: Congrats on your many NAACP Image Awards. You might not know that I’m on the nominating committee.
AB: Oh, are you? I wondered who voted. Where are you based?
KW: I’m in Princeton, New Jersey. You have quite an impressive body of work. Which of your roles has been the most satisfying?
AB: I love all my “children” but I would have to say What’s Love, because it was the most challenging and the most fulfilling, because it resonated with so many people, and because it has stood the test of viewing again and again. It was the role that pushed me and pulled me more than any other.
KW: You’ve been everyone from Tina to Katherine Jackson to Betty Shabazz to Rosa Parks in bio-pics. Do you enjoy playing real-life icons?
AB: Yeah, I absolutely do, and I’m always humbled and I’m grateful for each opportunity.
KW: Have you ever gotten any feedback from a person you’ve portrayed?
AB: Yes, Tina was very, very pleased. I got very positive feedback from her.
KW: How about Rosa Parks?
AB: I was able to meet her, but she was elderly at the time, and had other priorities in her life. I also got positive feedback from Katherine and her children, and from Betty Shabazz and her family.
KW: Do you have any plans to work with your husband soon?
AB: We did a play a couple of years ago, His Girl Friday. And we’re always holding that out as a possibility.
KW: I hope to be able to catch you and Courtney again up on the screen. Well, thanks for the time, Angela, and good luck with Meet the Browns.
AB: Thank you so very much.
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Thandie Newton
The Run, Fatboy, Run Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Sweet as Thandie
Born in London on November 6, 1972, Thandiwe Newton spent some of her formative years in Zambia with her Zimbabwean mother, Nyasha, and her British father, Nick. However, political unrest would prompt the family to relocate to England where Thandiwe would attend the University of Cambridge.
After a back injury curtailed her plans for a career in dance, she dropped the “w” from her name when she turned her attention to acting. In 1991, the regal beauty made her screen debut in Flirting, an Australian film featuring another then unknown, Nicole Kidman.
Thandie has since proven herself to be one of the most talented thespians around, delivering very memorable performances in such pictures as Crash, Beloved, Besieged, Jefferson in Paris, Mission: Impossible II and The Pursuit of Happyness. Recently, the versatile actress has even mastered comedy, first as the object of Eddie Murphy’s affection in the $100 million hit Norbit, and now as a pregnant woman left at the altar by Simon Pegg’s character in Run, Fatboy, Run.
As for her private life, Thandie has been married for ten years to writer/director Ol Parker. The couple lives in London where they are raising their two daughters, Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3. Here, she weighs in on everything from family life to her new movie to colorblind casting to the candidacy of Barack Obama.
KW: Hi Thandie, I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
TN: Really? That’s so lovely.
KW: Absolutely!
TN: Nice. Is Kam short for something?
KW: Funny you should ask. Yes, Kamau, it’s an African name.
TN: Cool!
KW: I was given the name when I was a jazz musician back in the Seventies. We were getting ready to record an album and the leader of the group didn’t want any slave names on the record cover.
TN: Wow!
KW: Over the years, people sort of Anglicized it by dropping the “au” off.
TN: How amazing! “Kam” is gorgeous. I love it. My name, Thandie, is an abbreviation, too, of Thandiwe.
KW: I knew that. And that it means “beloved.” Ironically, Beloved might have been your breakout role.
TN: Yes, I think it probably was.
KW: I also thought you were terrific in your next picture, Besieged.
TN: I loved that film.
KW: Why did you decide to make your second comedy in a row with Run, Fatboy, Run?
TN: Well, I made Norbit, but I still felt that I hadn’t really been involved in a comedy in terms of having the experience of just witnessing comedians at work. Norbit just felt a little claustrophobic. It didn’t have the kind of freedom or camaraderie that I thought a comedy should have. And I was keen to work in England, as I always have been, because my children go to school there. Plus, I’ve been a fan of Simon Pegg’s for a number of years. I love the work that he’s done with Nick Frost, like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. And I just got a sense of [director] David Schwimmer as a really well-rounded, decent guy from when he did a play with a friend of mine, Saffron Burrows. I like working with first-time directors because it’s often a risk well worth taking. And I loved the material. So, it was fun!
KW: One of the things I love about this film is that it’s hard to pigeonhole.
TN: I feel the same way. It’s not a romantic comedy. It’s not a straight drama. It feels much more true to life than a formulaic comedy. But I also think that Simon has great timing and a unique kind of humor, reminiscent of Peter Sellers or Jack Lemmon. He reminds me of those old school comedians whose brands of humor were much more authentically a part of their personality, not anything generic. Simon’s is a combination of physical, creative and intelligent. His other gift is that he can move from a strongly comedic moment to one of complete earnestness which draws you in much more. Ordinarily, comedy is a detachment from feeling where you turn something into a joke instead of express how you really feel. That kind of protects you from being the one with an opinion, if you know what I mean.
KW: Right.
TN: But Simon can get right into earnest emotion very easily, so the comedy almost allows for the sentiments to go deeper. I think he’s unique in that respect. In England, it’s been a while since we’ve found someone who could cross over and be an international success in movies. And I just think Simon’s it.
KW: I think you’re obviously “it” too. I felt that your performance in Crash was pivotal, and providing that Oscar-winning Best Picture with its most riveting and social significant moment by far. That’s why I said you deserved an Oscar for it.
TN: Well, there were a large number of very strong performances that year. I don’t know, ever since Beloved was snubbed by the industry, and not taken seriously in that respect, I don’t feel impassioned with either joy or sadness by getting or not getting accolades. It’s not part of the way that I value myself.
KW: I also think that many of the challenging, iconoclastic characters that you’ve played, in films like Beloved and Besieged and Crash, aren’t the types of roles ordinarily recognized by the Oscars.
TN: The thing about all of those roles, and The Pursuit of Happyness, as well, is that they make people uncomfortable, because it goes right to the marrow of the truth. That is not a popular place to be. With Beloved, it wasn’t popular to take the lid off denial. But I like to put myself in that area of discomfort, because that’s what truly reveals the essence of what we really are, those areas that you’d rather ignore and get away from. They’re the ones that I just want to stare at as long as I can. So, I don’t mind, even though the Oscar has become the absolute benchmark for filmmaking talent. I think we can sort of promote ourselves as individuals. If we feel privileged to witness a great performance, then that in itself is enough to feel validated.
KW: I agree. Plus, the job that you do as a mother is far more important than acting.
TN: It is and it isn’t though, Kam, because the truth is that if you want to be a movie star, you’ve got to work at it. But I’ve found that in order to ensure longevity, it’s better to avoid the highs and lows of success. It’s sort of like surfing where if you stay in the middle of a wave, you’re going to stick around longer. But if you get into the dizzying heights, you’ve got to maintain, and that’s a tough thing to do. I‘ve got two kids, so I’m quite happy to stay on in the middle, burning my light a bit brighter here and there. But I love what I do.
KW: The Tao teaches that both the very heights and the very bottom are to be avoided.
TN: I think that’s true, but I’ll get the old Oscar for all of us one day.
KW: I’m sure. Given that you have a parent from Africa, and one who’s white, I’d love to hear what you think of Barack Obama’s candidacy.
TN: I think that it’s wonderful for America to have these rich choices in whom they vote for. It feels like there’s evolution happening right in front of us. And I don’t think it’s just about America but an international vote for life to have these exciting choices available. Once a pick has been made, what’s important is to commit to the changes that these people actually want to put in place. I think that how Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or anyone else is going to benefit the country is far more complex than the color of their skin or their gender. So, in a way, it’s been a distraction from what’s truly necessary which is to get in there and make real changes.
KW: I’ve read that you were born in England, and also that you were born in Africa. Which is correct?
TN: I was born in London during a brief trip back from Africa which is where we all lived at the time.
KW: How do you think growing up in Africa and England, and having both a black and a white parent has shaped you?
TN: Oh, God, that would be an hour-long answer to your question. It provided challenges which have made me who I am…It provided great wealth in terms of having this great-colored skin, and looking exotic, and different. However, it also made for a very lonely disposition as a child, at times. Being an outsider has its good and its bad. There’s a ying and yang to all of it. Having to negotiate that kind of winding road has made me much more inquisitive about psychology, and interested in investigating myself and the parameters that people set up around themselves and others. It’s a privilege, in a way, to have had to question my identity. By virtue of being unconventional, I was exploring that from a very young age. And I feel glad about that. But by the same token, if I hadn’t had the strength of character and some real pluses, like getting involved in the arts, for example, where differences can be celebrated, I could have been a very depressed, a very closeted, and a very unhappy person. But I see these challenges and negative experiences as gifts, at least I do now, anyway. [Laughs] So, I’ve been showered with gifts, and I’m glad of that. Life is about being uncomfortable and about how we deal with those areas of discomfort. I’m sorry I’m not answering your question, but it’s such a gigantic question, and one that I can’t answer briefly.
KW: No, this was an excellent answer, given our time constraints. Another thing I really liked about Run, Fatboy, Run was its colorblind casting.
TN: I love that not one journalist has questioned my son in the movie looking so light. In real life, I have one blonde child, and one dark-haired child. One of my daughters is olive-skinned, like me, and my other is very pale-skinned. Their faces are similar, but they have different coloring. 30 or 40 years ago, it would have been noted, and someone would’ve complained, saying, “She couldn’t have a kid that color.” So, I do love that the casting hasn’t been questioned in England [where it opened last September] and I’m interested in seeing how it is accepted in the United States. I wonder whether black audiences will want to see the movie.
KW: I certainly hope so, not only because it’s very funny, but to support colorblind casting and the idea that you can have you and Simon Pegg paired in a romantic comedy without skin color having to be the theme. So, I’m asking all my readers to support it.
TN: You do it, Kam!
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson was wondering what’s the last book you read?
TN: Oh my Lord! What was the last book I read? Oh, it was a book by my friend, Justine Picardie, called Daphne. It’s about Daphne du Maurier and the Bronte family.
KW: Lastly. are you ever afraid?
TN: No.
KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, Thandie, and best of luck in the future.
TN: Thanks you so much. Take care, bye!
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Jessica Alba
The Eye Interview with Kam WilliamsHeadline: Alba's Core
Though born in, California on April 28, 1981, Jessica Maria Alba moved to Biloxi, Mississippi while still an infant when her father was transferred by the military. The peripatetic army brat came back to California with her family at the age of three, before relocating to Texas, and then finally settling in California at the age of nine.
Soon thereafter, Jessica exhibited a serious interest in acting, and landed her first screen role in a kiddie comedy called Camp Nowhere. She next made a string of support appearances on TV and in movies till landing the breakout role as the Dark Angel on the Fox-TV series of the same name. Since, she has starred in such films as Good Luck Chuck, Awake, Fantastic Four 1 & 2, Sin City, Honey, The Ten and Into the Blue. Alba, an attractive blend of Latino, French and Danish, was named 1 on Maxim's Hot 100 List of 2001, 1 on Ask Men's 99 Most Desirable Women List of 2006, 6 on FHM's Sexiest Girls of 2002, 3 on E TV's 101 Sexiest Celebrity Bodies, of 2006, 4 on Empire Magazine's 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of 2007, 12 on Stuff Magazine's 102 Sexiest Women in the World List, Victoria Secret's Sexiest Woman Celebrity in 2007, etcetera.
Jessica's about to trade in that pinup image for mother and wife, because she's expecting and engaged to actor Cash Warren, son of UCLA basketball great Mike Warren. Here, she talks about her life, her career, and her new movie, The Eye, a horror flick where she plays a blind violinist haunted by frightening visions after her sight is restored by a double corneal transplant operation.KW: Hi Jessica, congratulations on the baby.
JA: Thank you.
KW: Have you picked out a name yet?
JA: I'm thinking of names.
KW: What are some of the ones you're considering?
JA: I would never share that.
KW: How do you think life will change after the baby is born?
JA: I have to believe that when you have a child and you have someone that needs you and needs your time, you kind of can't be self-interested anymore and you have to consider that any time you spend away from your child is invaluable. And so I think I'll just probably be a bit more choosy and not work for two years straight like I just did.
KW: You get a lot of attention because of your looks. Has that influenced how You pick parts?
JA: I never base anything on my appearance, to be honest with you. I don't think that people would hire me just because of that. There's so many much, much cuter girls in L.A. that would do just about anything to get roles. And if it was just about looks they would be getting them. So I have to believe that I bring more to the table than that. And whether it's likeability or an appeal or something more, I don't know.
KW: Do you think you'll find yourself gravitating towards different types of roles now?
JA: I think, initially, I'm going to probably do more character-driven roles, more indies, ensemble casts, smaller budget. Not necessarily the big, box-office, tent-pole movies. And then, I've always had my eye out for an action movie since I finished Dark Angel. It's been this long since I finished that and I still haven't found that good, female-driven, action flick I've been looking for. So, if you have any suggestions, send them my way.
KW: Will do. What sort of research did you do for this role where you had to play a blind person?
JA: I went to a blind orientation center in LA and one in New Mexico. And I lived among people who were learning to deal with blindness, particularly in New Mexico. And I learned how to read braille, how to label everything in the house, and to walk with my cane. I just sort of learned how to exist as someone with blindness.
KW: Which did you find more challenging? Playing the violin or playing blind?
JA: Violin was definitely more difficult, because I played a soloist, the best of the best. There are people who've been playing that instrument since they were three years-old and who practice eight hours a day who still don't become soloists. They're just in the orchestra. So, that was tough for me because I wanted to come off as realistic and as believable as possible in order for the audience to really take the journey with me in this movie.
KW: How is this version of The Eye different from the original?
JA: The Hong Kong version was more bitter than sweet in the end. And ours was definitely bittersweet, without giving anything away. KW: Your previous picture was Awake, another thriller. How does that compare to The Eye?
JA: Wow, they don't compare at all. The Eye is way more scary. It's a horror movie, for sure. Awake is more a psychological thriller about someone who is dealing with a surgery and trust. And everyone in his life is sort of betraying him. The Eye's about a girl who has a corneal transplant. She gains the ability to see, she takes on psychic abilities of the girl, of the donor, and starts to see death before it happens, and she doesn't understand. She's literally seeing for the first time, taking in the world, and also seeing horrible things. So yeah, The Eye's definitely more scary.
KW: What's up next for you?
JA: I am coming out in a comedy with Mike Myers, The Love Guru, which is his first original character since Austin Powers. It's absolutely hilarious! To me, this was like a dream come true, because he is the Peter Sellers of our generation, I feel. He's a genius and he's primed in every phrase in pop culture. That was huge because I love comedy and, if you're going to work with anybody in comedy, Mike is definitely someone to learn from.
KW: What's the movie about?
JA: I play the owner of a hockey team and he is a guru who fixes peoples, an all around guru. But it's mostly about love and loving yourself and fixing your love life. My key hockey player's love life is totally screwed up and our team is losing, and everyone thinks the team is cursed because of me. So, I hire Mike Myers to fix my guy's love life and hopefully we can win the Stanley Cup. It's a very funny broad comedy.
KW: Do you have anything to say about the untimely death of Heath Ledger?
JA: Oh my God, it was… it's such a huge loss, and the most tragic, saddest thing ever… I can't imagine a more… it was just horrible. And I just feel for his family and his friends and everyone that's close to him. And I… I don't know… I guessI'm just sensitive to the fact that he is in the public eye and the fact that people can all have an opinion about him when I feel like he should just rest in peace and people should grieve without having this extra attention on how he passed.It's a huge loss for the acting community and really so, so shocking and so, so sad.
KW: Columbus Short gave me this question. Are you happy?
JA: [Sarcastically] You know what? I sound so bummed out right now. Of course,I'm happy.KW: Where in L.A. do you live?
JA: In L.A.KW: Will you tell me the general neighborhood? Nosy Jimmy Bayan, realtor to the stars, wants to know. JA: I live in L.A. in the hills. [Hollywood Hills]
KW: Is there a question you always want to be asked but no one ever asks you?
JA: Not really, reporters get pretty in there. They get right to just about everything.KW: Well, best of luck with the baby and thanks for the time.
JA: No worries. Bye.
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| Nicole Ari Parker |
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Nicole Ari Parker
The Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins Interview with Kam Williams
Headline: Welcoming Nicole
Nicole Ari Parker's really arrived in 2000 when she played Denzel Washington's wife in Remember the Titans. Since then, she's appeared in Brown Sugar and King's Ransom on the big screen, while enjoying recurring roles on a couple of TV series, Soul Food and Second Time Around.In 2001, the Baltimore-bred beauty eloped with actor Joseph Falasca, though their union would last just eight months. Four years later, Nicole married her Soul Food co-star, Boris Kodjoe, and they already have a couple of kids, Sophie and Nicolas. Here, she talks about her latest movie, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins, an ensemble comedy about a Hollywood talk-show host who finds himself cut down to size when he returns to his Georgia roots for his parents' 50th anniversary. Directed by Malcolm Lee, the film features Martin Lawrence in the title role.
KW: How are you and Boris balancing raising children with your acting careers?
NP: Before we had kids, we would dream about having two kids, and we would say that we weren't both going to work at the same time. And we had this whole ideal game plan which we've totally thrown out the window. We both got work, and we both just jumped right in. We took the kids with us. They're young enough right now that we can do that. To answer your question, we're winging it.
KW: What interested you in playing Lucinda?
NP: Honestly, for me, it was a lot of fun to play the sweetheart, because, as you know, for a long time, I wasn't a sweetheart on television. But I did marry a sweetheart. [Chuckles] Here, I got the opportunity to be the nice girl. And for me, that was a blessing.
KW: Tel me a little about your character.
NP: Well, I think the Lucinda aspect of the movie just adds another layer to the Clyde (Cedric the Entertainer) and R.J. (Martin Lawrence) battle, because I was another thing that they had competed over from childhood. Clyde always liked me, and kind of pushed that in R.J.'s face. R.J. never really spoke up about it, and this is one opportunity where I've come back into R.J.'s life. We haven't seen each other in a really long time, and we catch up about what we've been doing. He's gone off to become this huge star, and I've still had a simple life. We just meet up again, and I show up with Clyde, and that sets the stage for more competition. It just feeds the whole fuel.
KW: How was it working with Martin Lawrence?
NP: Really good. A lot of big stars, they don't want to stay for the coverage when the other actors are shooting. But he stands by the camera and feeds us his lines, every time, like he was still doing a performance on his close-up. It's been really amazing to have all that support . It's been a really wonderful experience.
KW: What was it like being on a set with so many comedians?
NP: It was interesting to watch because everybody has their own style. Everyone had their own magic. I have so much respect for what they do, and for how they kept their own thing going within the family theme of the movie. But for my character, for me being the straight man in the film, you start to get a little delirious between takes and think that you're funny and a comedian, too, because you're surrounded by Mike Epps, Ced, Mo'Nique and Martin. And so you're thinking, "Yeah, on my close-up, I'm going to say something funny, too." But it was amazing to watch them in action. I was blown away.
KW: We're they competitive with each other?
NP: Yeah, they were totally competitive. But it was the best kind, because they were inspiring each other, and helping each other improve their jokes. They still knew they were making a movie and stayed with the same theme.
KW: How about working with a legend like James Earl Jones?
NP: I think I stared at him most of the time. I was just in awe that I was in the same frame with him, given his body of work. I was also in awe of his stature and his strength, because in real-life, he's bigger than his persona, even at his age. His still enormous and has got that charisma.
KW: As a serious Shakespearean actor, did he seem uncomfortable around so many comedians?
NP: Not at all. He even had jokes when he was hanging with Mike Epps. At first, I kept hitting Mike under the table, because he was saying things like, "That [N-word]…" or "I told that mother-[expletive]…" I had to remind him, "Mike, James Earl Jones is here today. You don't talk like that in front of James Earl Jones. Have some respect!" But Mike would say, "Oh, James, you know you're a player." And James was a remarkably good sport about it.
KW: What is Malcolm Lee like as a director?
NP: Malcolm is very focused, no matter what is going on. No matter how crazy it's getting, he's calm and very secure in the shots he wants to get, even if we're all exhausted. Even if we're in the 14th hour of a 12-hour day, he finds a way to bring the energy back, and get us all rallied up to stand in the rain and keep going.
KW: This film is being released in February, Black History Month. What do you see as the significance of Black History Month?
NP: I think it's important to find a way to make Black History Month less of a history lesson and more of a way of life. We need to inspire not just the young people, but the older people, too, because after school, the young people are going home to their moms and their dads. So, everybody has to be inspired by who they are, who they can be, and what their purpose is in this world. We have to start with history, but I think we have to bring it right into the moment, and make the best of our lives right now. That's how things can change, and take it out of February, and into the whole year.
KW: Jimmy Bayan, realtor to the stars, wants to know where in L.A. you live.
NP: We live in Atlanta full-time now. Boris was shooting two films down there, and I'd just had my baby. We'd been staying in hotels for maybe seven months, when I decided to call a real estate agent and look around. And we found our dream house! And that's how we're rolling right now. It's been a bit of an adjustment, but with the kids, it's just so nice to chill and not be so Hollywood all the time.
KW: Well, thanks for the interview and best wishes to you and Boris and the kids.
NP: Thank you.
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| Kimberly Elise |
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Kimberly Elise
The Great Debaters Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: There’s No Debate, Kimberly’sGreat
Minneapolis’ Kimberly Elise might be the best African-American actress around yet to generate any Oscar buzz. This, despite receiving rave reviews for her work in everything from Beloved to The Manchurian Candidate to Woman, Thou Art Loosed. The problem could be that she’s just so accomplished at her craft that when she thoroughly disappears into each role she gives the impression that her performances are almost effortless.
Nonetheless, she has landed her fair share of accolades elsewhere on the awards circuit, most notably, the NAACP Image Awards, for which she’s been nominated seven times, winning twice, for Diary of a Mad Black Woman and for Close to Home, the CBS nighttime crime drama where she plays prosecutor Maureen Scofield.
Kimberly released just a couple of movies in 2007, Pride and The Great Debaters, both inspirational bio-pics. Here, she shares her thoughts about appearing in the latter opposite Forest Whitaker, as his character’s wife, Pearl.
As for her personal life, Ms. Elise divorced her husband of 16 years, Maurice Oldham, in 2005. Unfortunately, he passed away on May 17th of this year, leaving their two daughters, AjaBleu, 17, and Butterfly, 9, fatherless.
KW: I don’t know whether you remember this, but I live in Princeton, and have been friends for years with your former mother-in-law, Mamie, who lives here. My condolences to you and your daughters on the passing of Maurice. How are you all holding up?
KE: It’s still pretty raw, thanks.
KW: What interested you in The Great Debaters?
KE: Well, a couple of things. One, I thought it was a fantastic part of our history, of American history, and what an honor it would be to be a part of telling this story. It’s a small part, but it was important to Denzel [director/co-star Denzel Washington] that every part be filled by a strong actor. So, it was a no-brainer.
KW: Casting a mediocre in a minor role can often ruin a film.
KE: I agree, and I think Denzel totally realizes that.
KW: And how was it working with Forest Whitaker for the first time?
KE: It was fantastic. He’s such a great human being, just a wonderful man and, of course, an extraordinary actor. I can’t wait to work with him again in a larger capacity.
KW: How do anticipate audiences responding to the story?
KE: I think it will be really inspiring, because it’s not just about the abuse and suffering that our people endured, but it’s also about the offspring of those people and how they went on to do some great things in and of themselves, and who basically we are. And how we are the offspring, and how we now go on to achieve things in our own right. So, it’s really inspiring, empowering, and exciting.
KW: Did the experience of making the movie move you?
KE: Oh, definitely.
KW: What’s your next film?
KE: With this writer’s strike, there’s nothing going on.
KW: Didn’t you sign to do Red Soil with Tasha Smith? Is that already finished shooting?
KE: No, we actually haven’t started yet.
KW: The director of Red Soil is Charles Burnett, who has enjoyed a renaissance this year with the long-overdue theatrical release of Killer of Sheep, a movie he made 30 years ago, way back in 1977.
KE: I’m very excited to be working with Charles.
KW: I know that story is set in Ghana. Will you be filming on location?
KE: Yes.
KW: You made Pride earlier this year, which was another spiritually-uplifting, historical drama. Are you picking positive pictures like this by design?
KE: I just pick what moves me. It’s very guttural. And also directors call me.
KW: I know you’ve worked with Denzel as an actor before [in The Manchurian Candidate and John Q], but how was it having him as a director?
KE: It was very exciting to see him as a director. I was so happy for him. There was just this light that came out of his eyes every day. He was always running here and there, checking monitors… makeup… rehearsals… Few actors are lucky enough to have the experience of working even once in their lifetime with a director with such passion.
KW: What’d you think of some of the young talent in this movie?
KE: Oh my God, Nate Parker, who played my brother in Pride. I was so happy that he got the part of Henry. And Denzel Whitaker, who played my son, looked like Forest spit him out. And Jurnee [Smollett] is so emotional and powerful with everything she does.
KW: Snoopy Jimmy Bayan wants to know where in L.A. you live.
KE: The Hollywood Hills area.
KW: And this question was inspired by Columbus Short. Are you happy?
KE: Yes, I’m extraordinarily happy.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Kimberly.
KE: Okay, take care.
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