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Thandie Newton – For Colored Girls Interview

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 11:37 am on Nov 11th, 10

Thandie Newton

Born in London on November 6, 1972, Thandie Newton is a consummate actress associated with riveting performances in everything from Beloved to Besieged to Crash.

She will soon be seen in the independent film Vanishing on 7th Street where she stars opposite Hayden Christensen and John Leguizamo, and she is currently shooting the psychological thriller The Retreat with Cillian Murphy and Jamie Bell.

Thandie won both a BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Awards for her work in Crash, the Academy Award-winning Best Picture of 2006. She most recently appeared in 2012, a sci-fi flick which grossed in excess of $750 million at the box office worldwide.

Newton impersonated Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in W. which was directed by Oliver Stone. Other films on her impressive resume’ include The Pursuit of Happyness, Run Fat Boy Run, The Truth about Charlie and Mission Impossible 2.

Here, she talks about playing Tangie in Tyler Perry’s screen adaptation of Ntozake Shange’s For Colored Girls, an ensemble drama co-starring Kerry Washington, Janet Jackson, Kimberly Elise, Loretta Devine and Phylicia Rashad.

Kam Williams: Hi, Thandie, thanks for the time. The last time we spoke was when you were doing Run Fatboy Run.

Thandie Newton: [Sarcastically] Well, For Colored Girls is exactly like that one, isn’t it Kam?

KW: [Playing along] Sure, the same storyline, and you’re even playing the same character. I want to get right to questions submitted by fans of yours. Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks what were your initial feelings about taking the role of Tangie?

TN: Terror. I was really terrified, because the film was so unlike anything I’d ever done before, because Tangie’s so unlike me, and because of the quiet, sensitive and grateful place I was in my life on a personal level. I knew I’d now have to go out and be this audacious, promiscuous character.

KW: But you killed in the role! You did it!

TN: You know what, my darling? I got into it. I pulled myself away from my place of peace and compassion. [LOL]

KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: Which character in For Colored Girls do you most identify with?

TN: Oh, goodness! Gilda, possibly. But, honestly, I identify with a bit of everybody.

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turner says: I think you’re a great actress! Is Tangie one of the more complex and challenging characters you’ve played?

TN: Absolutely! And I am so grateful for the opportunity to play her, because there are times when a character is uncomplicated and just about moving the story from A to B which makes me want to quit. As opposed to pieces like this where I get to play a real character. For Colored Girls has recharged my batteries for the next decade. It reminded me of what acting can be, how powerful a tool it can be, and how entertaining and provocative it can be for an audience. These types of roles don’t come along often, but I seem to get them at the right time, and then I decide not to throw in the towel.

KW: FSU grad Laz Lyles asks: With a text this powerful, what was the self-discovery factor like? Were there any dormant traits that unexpectedly came to the surface?

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The Quintessence of Essence

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 6:13 am on Oct 22nd, 10

The Quintessence of Essence

Essence Atkins was born in New York City on February 7, 1972. Between her innate sense of comedy and girl-next-door charm, it makes sense that she has become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. Last year, she played a lead role in Dance Flick, a spoof of the dance genre produced by the Wayans Brothers.

On the UPN comedy series Half & Half, she starred as Dee Dee Thorne, a privileged, honor-roll law school graduate searching for her identity. Still, Essence is probably best known for her role as Yvette Henderson in the syndicated Disney series The Smart Guy and for her recurring role as Marnie on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch.

Essence Atkins "Are We Ther Yet"

She was also a series regular on several other television shows, including Aaron Spelling's Malibu Shores and the critically acclaimed CBS drama Under One Roof. Her many guest-starring credits include House, The Class, Love Inc., Moesha, For Your Love, The John Larroquette Show, The Wayans Brothers, The Parent 'Hood, Family Matters and The Cosby Show.
Atkins’ film career includes the title role in the independent film Nikita's Blues. And she delivered memorable performances in Love Song, How High and Deliver Us From Eva. Furthermore, she’s enjoyed co-starring roles in Looking through Lillian, Love & Other Four Letter Words, Preacher's Kid and N-Secure which is currently in theaters.

As a familiar face on four TV series and with numerous screen roles under her belt, Essence is a versatile talent whose star continues to rise. Here, she talks about co-starring opposite Terry Crews in Are We There Yet, the hit sitcom airing on the TBS Network.

Kam Williams: Hi Essence, thanks for the time.
Essence Atkins: No problem, whatsoever.

KW: What interested you in playing Suzanne on Are We There Yet?
EA: Just the desire to play a mom, wanting to play someone actually closer to who I am and where I am in my life. People are used to seeing me play the single, hot girl, which has been fun, but at the same time, this role is more akin to my natural proclivities. [Laughs]

KW: I know you got married a year ago. Congratulations! You sound like you

Essence and her new hubby

might be planning to have children soon.
EA: We’re in the practicing phase. I keep asking the coach to put me in the game. So, we’ll see. [LOL]

KW: Did your friends think you were crazy for marrying a man you met on the internet?
EA: Yeah, they did think I was nuts. Everyone was like, “Why do you need to meet someone on Match.com?” My response was, “I certainly don’t need to meet more of the same broke, acting class guys that I’d been dating my whole life.” I needed to change that whole paradigm. So, I decided to meet some corporate guys and see how that worked. So, I went on Match, but I didn’t put a picture up, because I’m on television, and I didn’t want anybody contacting me for the wrong reasons. So, I had to do the hunting, as it were. I didn’t anticipate meeting my husband online, but there he was. And it all worked out!

KW: Were you at all intimidated by the fact that Are We There Yet had first been a hit on the big screen and that your character had been played by Nia Long?

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The “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue” Interview

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 7:45 am on Sep 24th, 10

She’s So Raven!

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 10, 1985, Raven-Symone' Christina Pearman got an early start in showbiz when she was signed by

Raven-Symone'

the Ford Modeling Agency while she was still in diapers. After appearing in TV ads for everything from Cool Whip to Jello, she was invited to join the cast of “The Cosby Show.” She’s best known for the Emmy-nominated comedy series “That's So Raven” on the Disney Channel where she played the title character Raven Baxter, a teenager who periodically has psychic visions of the future.

On the big screen, she was last seen starring in College Road Trip opposite Martin Lawrence where she played an overachieving high school student who decides to travel around the country to choose the perfect university to attend. Raven’s other film credits include The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, Dr. Dolittle and Dr. Dolittle 2.

As for her musical career, she has released four solo albums so far, most recently "Raven-Symoné" on Hollywood Records. An innovative entrepreneur, she created a "how to" online destination for teens and ‘tweens, RavenSymonePresents.com. The site features an easy to use video player and playlist where users can discover new content. The video clips feature Raven-Symoné personally demonstrating an array of useful tips and project ideas for her fans and supporters.

Furthermore, Raven devotes much of her free time to her humanitarian concerns, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfills the dreams of children with life-threatening medical conditions. She’s involved with Girls Incorporated, too, a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring young females to be strong, smart, and bold by providing vital educational programs, particularly in high-risk, under served areas. Additionally, she is involved with the Aviva Family and Children's Services, an organization that provides life-saving and life-affirming support to thousands of children and families located in Los Angeles.

Here, Raven talks about her new DVD, Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, where she reprises her recurring role as the voice of the fairy Iridessa.

Kam Williams: Hi, Raven. Thanks for the time. The last time we spoke, you were making a movie with Martin Lawrence.
Raven-Symone’: College Road Trip!

KW: Right! How’d you enjoy playing Iridessa again in Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue?
RS: I love playing Iridessa. I’ve been playing her since I was 18 years-old, and it just gets better each time.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks, how much of Iridessa is so Raven?
RS: [Laughs] How much of Iridessa is so Raven? Well, Iridessa is the kind of girl who makes sure that all the t’s are crossed and all the i’s are dotted but, at the same time, she would help a friend in need. She has a couple of traits like mine, but while I’m very adventurous, I’m mostly the type of girl who doesn’t want to get into trouble. So, what normally happens is I’m the instigator. I’ll tell a friend, “Go see what’s around that corner,” while I stay behind and watch out. I’m more like that, but I think there’s a little bit of me in every character I portray. I think of myself as very nice and very loyal when it comes to my friends, so those are qualities Iridessa and I have in common.

KW: How challenging is it doing an animated character? I assume you were all alone in a sound studio with no one to act opposite.
RS: That’s the interesting thing about voiceovers. Usually, there’s no one in the room with you but the writer, the director and an engineer. And then, it’s up to the animators and the editors later to make it all seem very natural, as if the cast members were friends forever and had all been recorded simultaneously.

KW: How hard is not having other actors to play against?

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Corinne Bailey Rae — Corinne Puts Her Record On and Lets Her Hair Down

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 11:23 am on Sep 10th, 10

Corinne Puts Her Record On and Lets Her Hair Down

Corinne Jacqueline Bailey was born in Leeds, England on February 26, 1979, the eldest of three girls to bless the union of her British mother and Caribbean father from St. Kitts. As a child, she studied classical violin at school, and only sang in the church choir, until she formed an all-female rock band at the age of 15.

Corrine went on to major in English at the University of Leeds, and after graduating in 2000, took a job as a hat check girl at a local jazz club. It was there, while sitting in with various bands that she developed the sultry, soulful vocal style which would become her trademark. It was also at the pub that she met saxophonist Jason Rae, the love whose last name she would take when they married the very next year.

In 2006, she released her self-titled debut CD containing such hits as “Like a Star” and “Put Your Records On” to rave reviews, earning Grammy nominations for Record of the Year, Song of the Year (“Put Your Records On”) and Best New Artist. Sadly, tragedy struck a couple years later, when her husband passed away unexpectedly.

A period of withdrawal from the public eye to grieve ended when Corinne reemerged in 2010 upon the release of her second album, “The Sea,” a relatively-sober CD in comparison to the light and breezy collection of melodies on her initial offering. Recently, she reflected with me about her life and her career, in celebration of her PBS special, “Live from the Artists Den,” a concert recorded at the Hiro Ballroom in New York City. (See http://www.theartistsden.com/episodes/baileyrae.shtml)

Kam Williams: Thanks so much for the time, Corinne. I’m honored to be speaking with you.
Corinne Bailey Rae: Thank you.

KW: Did you have fun shooting the “Live from the Artists Den” concert in New York?

CBR: I really enjoyed recording it, yeah. I had great time in front of a really appreciative audience. The way that it was recorded was really unobtrusive, so we really kind of got lost in the moment. So, yeah, I loved it.

KW: Do you have a special affinity for New York?

CBR: Yes, New York was definitely one of the first gigs we did in America. And that was also my first chance to get to New York. So, the first time I ever saw it I was playing there. It’s all tied up for me, playing in America for the first time, being in New York, experiencing this different culture, and finding this cool place to hang out. So, I always love coming back to New York.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, “Who were your musical influences?” Let me guess, Billie Holiday and Al Green. You remind me of a combination of them.

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Ava Has Arrived! – The “My Mic Sounds Nice” Interview

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 10:20 am on Aug 25th, 10

Ava DuVernay has worked in the world of film as a marketer and publicist for more than 14 years, forming DVA Media + Marketing in 1999. Her award-winning firm has provided strategy and execution for more than 80 film and television campaigns for acclaimed directors such as Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Michael Mann, Robert Rodriguez, Bill Condon, Raoul Peck, Gurinder Chadha and Reggie & Gina Bythewood.

Yet, in 2008, Ava stepped behind the camera to make her feature film directorial debut with the critically-acclaimed hip-hop documentary, “This is The Life.” DuVernay, a graduate of UCLA and a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, is based in L.A.

Ava DuVernay

Here, she talks about her skyrocketing second career.

Kam Williams: Hi, Ava, thanks for another interview. How have you been?

Ava DuVernay: Thanks, Kam. I always love talking to you. I’ve been good and busy!

KW: Congrats on having three new productions going at the same time. Looks like you’ve really arrived!

AD: Appreciate that. It feels wonderful. I’ve wanted to direct for a long time, so working full-time as a filmmaker this year has been a dream come true.

KW: Tell me a little about each of them.

AD: Well, the first is a network project called “My Mic Sounds Nice.” It was commissioned by BET as their first original music documentary and explores the art and issues around women rappers. I interviewed 35 people, half of whom were female emcees like MC Lyte, Salt n Pepa, Roxanne Shante, Trina, Eve, YoYo, the list goes on. Commercially available music created by female hip-hop artists is a bit of a lost art form at the moment, and there are many theories as to why that’s the case. We attempt to explore the history and current state of this issue in “My Mic Sounds Nice,” which premieres on BET on August 30 at 10PM. The second project is a concert film I directed for Essence and Time, Inc Studios chronicling the 2010 Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Did you know Essence Music Fest is the largest annual African-American gathering in the country? This year’s three day fest was absolutely amazing, with everyone from Janet Jackson to Alicia Keys to Mary J. Blige to Jill Scott, to Earth Wind & Fire to Trey Songz! It was so much fun to direct. “TV One Night Only: Live from Essence Music Festival 2010” airs on August 28 on TV One.

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On the Q.T. with T.I. – Takers Interview

Written by Kam Williams in interviews at 10:13 am on Aug 25th, 10

T.I.

Tip “T.I.” Harris is one of his generation’s most captivating speakers and one of the biggest hip-hop artists of all time. Whether they see him conversing with a room full of young people about staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, audiences are always engrossed by the words of the “King of the South.” In 2008, T.I. delivered his most potent and important LP to date, “Paper Trail,” and his highly-anticipated, seventh studio album, “King Uncaged,” is set to be released this Fall.

T.I.’s second professional love is acting in films, and in this arena he has taken major steps forward in recent years. He made his motion picture debut in 2006 in the Warner Bros. film A.T.L. He also appeared in the hit Universal film American Gangster opposite Denzel Washington, and guest-starred on HBO’s hit series “Entourage” in 2008. T.I. recently signed a three-picture deal with Screen Gems that will have him both acting in and producing movies.

Music and movies are just the leading edge of T.I.’s entertainment conglomerate. He’s also expanding into comedy tours, the nightclub and restaurant scene, talent management, and record producing. Plus, he has launched his own fashion line, Akoo.

Here, he talks about his new movie, Takers, a crime caper abut a gang of bank robbers who decide to pull off one last heist before retiring. The film co-stars Zoe Saldana, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Michael Ealy and Hayden Christensen.

Kam Williams: Hey, T.I., thanks for the time.

TI: No problem, how you doing?

KW: I’m great. The last time we spoke was for the premiere of ATL. So, a lot has happened for you since then.

TI: Yeah, right.

KW: First of all, congratulations on your wedding last month. You finally made an honest woman of Tameka. Children’s book author Irene Smalls says congrats and wants to know how being married has changed you.

TI: [Chuckles] Man, please, we’re here to talk about the movie. It would be wonderful to just talk about the movie.

KW: Well then, what interested you in Takers? It seems like you had a hand in every aspect of this project, from acting to the soundtrack to executive producing

TI: I was just producing, not executive producing. It was an outstanding experience. I had a phenomenal time, and I’m very, very proud of the outcome.

KW: How did you manage to assemble such an accomplished cast? There’s not only Oscar-nominees Matt Dillon and Marianne-Jean Baptiste, but Zoe Saldana, Hayden Christensen, Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Paul Walker and Jay Hernandez as well.

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