M. Night Shyamalan says “Education is the last civil rights movement” in an interview produced by Lawrence R. Greenberg with Zombie Etiquette at the Givology “Make Your Mark” art auction. A segment by Poni TV
Mel Brooks
Larry Greenberg asks: How does playing yourself on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” compare to some of the amazing characters you’ve played like Moses and President Skroob?
Mel Brooks: I have no judgment and no perspective. When I’m playing myself, I dissolve into the character as a person, so I can’t really criticize my performance. I don’t know whether I’m good or bad. But when I’m playing Tikon, the Russian servant in The Twelve Chairs, I would say, yes, that’s a fine performance. And when I was Goddard Bolt in Life Stinks, I think I was pretty good. It was close to me, but not me, in the performance. I also think I was wonderful singing “The Inquisition” in History of the World.
Michael Steele
Michael Steele the man and the Muppet
on Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at 2:19pm
Larry Greenberg asks: Is having your own Muppet on The Daily Show the true measure of one’s becoming a cultural icon?
Michael Steele: [Laughs heartily] Well, as I sit here looking at my Muppet friend, I would say: it helps. I know it’s a way for Jon Stewart to poke fun at me and the RNC, but I took it as a true compliment. I learned a long time ago that if you can’t laugh at yourself and some of the crazy things you have to put up with while doing a job, then you need to find another line of work. I was just very flattered and honored that they thought enough even to create such a thing.
the whole interview…
Michael Steele
The Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Real Steele
Michael Stephen Steele was born on Andrews Air Force Base in Prince Georges County, Maryland on October 19, 1958, but given up for adoption while still in infancy. He was then raised by William and Maebell Steele, although Maebell eventually remarried following her husband’s untimely death in 1962.
Michael attended Archbishop Carroll Roman Catholic High in Washington, DC, before matriculating at Johns Hopkins University where he earned a BA in international studies. He subsequently studied to become a monk for several years, until he decided to leave the seminary shortly before being ordained. Instead, he proceeded to earn a J.D. at Georgetown University en route to landing a position as a staff attorney at a leading, international law firm.
Steele first entered politics in 2000, which is when he was voted Chairman of Maryland’s Republican Party. A couple of years later he won the State’s race for Lieutenant Governor, and by 2008 he had become the first African-American ever elected to serve as Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC).
He is currently a commentator on MSNBC, where he’s generally the lone conservative in a sea of liberal pundits. Here, the former RNC Chairman reflects on his life and philosophy, on his hopes for the GOP, and on the Party’s prospects for attracting more African-American voters in 2012.
Kam Williams: Hi Michael, thanks for the interview. I’m happy to get you on the phone, after trying to track you down for an interview for a couple of years.
Michael Steele: I am very sorry to hear that, Kam.
KW: Have you seen the film “Fear of a Black Republican” directed by Kevin Williams? He’s the person who helped put me in touch with you, finally.
MS: Yes, I have seen it and, in November, I will be attending a showing of it in New Jersey, and participating in a discussion of the movie afterwards.
KW: I plan to attend, too, so I look forward to meeting you in person that day. Given your almost becoming a priest, and Catholicism’s concern with the plight of the poor, I wonder what led you to the Republican Party, which I see as more concerned with the welfare of the rich.
MS: On what do you base that? What is the genesis of the question? To ask me to answer that straight out of the box assumes and presumes a lot that I believe is not true about Republicans. Why would you have that impression? What either anecdotal or factual incident would you refer to as an example of Republicans not caring for the poor?
KW: I’m not thinking of anything in particular. It’s just my general impression.
MS: Even though far more of the very people who run the industrial complex of this country, whether you’re talking about Wall Street or the military, are in fact Democrats? [Chuckles] The CEOs of the leading Fortune 500 companies are largely Democrats. What that says to me is that we have lost the definitional battle, as Republicans, because we engage differently. That’s one of the criticisms I have about how Republicans position themselves, not on the philosophical or policy landscape, but on the political landscape. We always seem to position ourselves in a way which works to our detriment. So, what we have is a failure to communicate which has resulted in this perception that you have about Republicans caring more about the wealthy, when most of the Republicans that I know and deal with on a day-to-day basis tend to be blue-collar people, not country club types. Conversely, most of the wealthy people I’ve dealt with in my political career have been Democrats.
KW: Bob Christian asks: What could Republicans do to attract more African-Americans to the Party?
MS: A couple of things. One is to own up to our failures as a party, when it comes to making important investments in the black community when it counted, like during the Civil Rights Movement. While we had been the architects of great civil rights legislation like the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments and the 40 Acres and a Mule policy of the Reconstruction Era, the party hesitated when it really mattered in the 1950s and early 1960s, and thereby lost an opportunity to preserve the longstanding relationship between African-Americans and the GOP. And we probably wouldn’t be in the position today where we’re suffering from an erosion of support from African-Americans. Step Two would be for us to show up in the community prepared to have meaningful discussions about issues that actually matter to us, like job creation, in a way which makes sense. That’s why my very first official act as Chairman was to host a town hall meeting in Harlem. To me, that was a very important step to take.
KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks: How can people of color reconcile the social and economic platform of the Republican Party with the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King?
MS: We could start off with the debate about whether or not Dr. King was a Republican. We know that Daddy King was. We know that African-Americans of that era were largely Republican. Set that aside, since what Harriet’s asking here is more fundamental. I would argue that, historically, major pieces of civil rights legislation were sponsored by and fought for by Republicans. There would not have been a Civil Rights Act or a Voting Rights Act were it not for the Republicans in the Senate who beat back Southern Democrats who stood in the schoolhouse doorway and other doorways of progress. So, that link to me is very, very important in terms of building the bridge that is necessary for this generation going forward.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks: What is you position on Affirmative Action?
MS: I’m in favor of Affirmative Action. We created Affirmative Action. It was one of the economic tools that the Nixon Administration put in place to make sure that African-Americans enjoyed fairer treatment in landing federal and state contracts. Yet today, many think of it as something Democrats created. No, it was something we created, because it was consistent with our view of economic empowerment. It wasn’t a handout but a way of leveling the playing field. As I like to say, I’m an Affirmative Action baby. I’m a beneficiary, not just professionally in terms of my career, but academically, of those who stood with President Nixon. I like to think of 40 Acres and a Mule as the first Affirmative Action program, and I appreciate that historic link from the Reconstruction Era to the present- day. I believe the Republican Party ought to embrace that part of its history and I also think it’s an important asset for the African-American community and other minorities to have as they continue to compete for the American Dream by creating the networks necessary to rebuild the devastated neighborhoods that we currently live in.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Is having your own Muppet on The Daily Show the true measure of one’s becoming a cultural icon?
MS: [Laughs heartily] Well, as I sit here looking at my Muppet friend, I would say: it helps. I know it’s a way for Jon Stewart to poke fun at me and the RNC, but I took it as a true compliment. I learned a long time ago that if you can’t laugh at yourself and some of the crazy things you have to put up with while doing a job, then you need to find another line of work. I was just very flattered and honored that they thought enough even to create such a thing.
KW: Mirah Riben asks: What did you think of Governor Christie’s decision not to run, and which Republican do you think has the best chance of beating Obama in 2012?
MS: I think Governor Christie made the right choice because, as he says in his own words, he’s not ready. He’s a friend, I take him at his word and, when the time comes, I look forward to supporting his leadership nationally. In terms of who’s going to take on Barack Obama, that’s going to be measured out over then next four or five weeks, quite honestly. I don’t have a particular favorite in the race. In fact, I’m contractually bound not to under my analyst’s responsibilities at MSNBC. However, we have on the stage individuals who will be able to go toe-to-toe effectively with Barack Obama.
KW: Mirah also asks: Given the success of the Tea Party and now the demonstrations against Wall St. in NYC which is mushrooming into a national movement, do you think the time is ripe for a viable third party?
MS: Yes, I do. The real seedlings for what could become a third party or at least a third way probably began around 2005 with people who were disappointed with the party. The Tea Party grew out of a frustration with big government Republicanism. And this movement we now see on Wall Street is something that started in Wisconsin this past winter in response to what Governor Walker was doing with respect to state employees and collective bargaining. So, you’re seeing these elements in society beginning to voice their opinions. Personally, I think that’s exciting, and we should pay close attention to it. And if you’re really moved by it, get involved.
KW: Helen Silvis asks: Do you ever get embarrassed by fellow Republicans, like Governor Perry’s association with a place called N-word Head Ranch?
MS: Yes, I do, and it frustrates me to no end because, in politics, perception is reality. And it’s doubly painful when reality exacerbates the perception. I know the Governor, and this wasn’t a racist act on his behalf.
But it wasn’t enough just to paint the rock over. Remove it, because you know what’s still beneath the paint. And you know what that rock stands for and symbolizes. That is a measure of your appreciation and your sensitivity that we as a nation can’t and won’t tolerate that.
KW: Helen has a follow-up: Is it lonely being a black Republican? How did you even get mixed-up with the wrong crowd in the first place?
MS: [LOL] Well, I tend to be a contrarian, so that makes it pretty easy for me to get mixed-up with the wrong crowd. Look, you chart your own path in life. You assess the various options that lie before you, and you figure out where you can make a difference. When I first considered getting involved with the Republican Party, I decided to make the GOP confront not only its past and its present, but its future, including all the young African-Americans, the entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, teachers, moms and dads that we need to go out, talk to and attract.
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: Do you think that there is really any difference between the left-wing and the right-wing in terms of concern for the plight of black America, or is that an illusion?
MS: Ahhh, that’s a good question… That’s a good question, and an important one for how we as a community go forward. On paper, yes. In reality, no. It is true that Democrats, Liberals and the Left take the African-American vote for granted every single moment of every single day while Republicans, Conservatives and the Right ignore the African-American vote every single moment of every single day. As a result, there is no political effort addressing what have become systemic problems for the African-American community. For all of the talk and hand-clapping, Democrats have not produced a hell of a lot to fix what’s wrong. Meanwhile, we have not made the concrete effort to help the community figure out how to tackle those problems. That being said, we are just as responsible for our situation as the political parties for being in the mess we’re in because we take the one thing politicians want the most, the vote, and misuse it. We don’t leverage the vote effectively by pressuring politicians to pay attention to our agenda. Just look at other communities and ask: Do they have the same problems that we do?
KW: Patricia also says: You have been a political trailblazer. What advice do you have for minorities, the handicapped and females who want to break through the glass ceiling?
MS: Have the courage of your own convictions in terms of what you believe, and don’t back down from that for one moment, because every day, you have to be able to look in the mirror and say, “I like that person. I understand that person.” If you can’t do that, then your dreams won’t materialize. They just won’t. They’ll be co-opted by others, put on a shelf, or dismissed. But when you believe very firmly in who you are, everyone will pay attention and respond to that and appreciate the leadership and the qualities which make you unique, and they’ll embrace it and want to be a part of it, even if they disagree with some of your beliefs, because they’ll see the total person. That’s the key, getting people to see the total person.
KW: The Judyth Piazza questions: How do you define success? And, what key quality do you believe all successful people share?
MS: Knowing you’ve done your best. As a society, we tend to be outcome determinative and only care about winning, without concern for how we get there. But for me, how you get there factors into it. How you get there is everything. As for the quality successful people share, I’d say it’s perseverance.
KW: Judyth also asks: What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned from politics?
MS: [Chuckles] Man, that’s a good question. First, have someone watch your back, and then have someone watch them. Second, remember that you can’t please everybody, but you certainly can tick them all off at the same time. And third, keep smiling; it’ll confuse the hell out of them.
KW: Film critic Peter Keough asks: What was it like having Mike Tyson for a brother-in-law? That must have made for some very interesting family get-togethers.
MS: [Chuckles] Really cool. Michael is a very warm guy. He’s funny and very smart, and he’d be the first one to tell you that a lot of his boxing persona was just for the ring. He’s still a part of the family, and we get together with him for various occasions that are important to us and certainly to his kids.
KW: Reverend Thompson also asks: What is your most valued spiritual practice and how does it help you in the political arena?
MS: Prayer! Would not survive without it. Would not be where I am today without it. I probably say forty to fifty prayers a day in various ways. Sometimes, it’s just to say, “Thank you, Lord,” and He knows the rest. I turn to prayer in those moments when I need to stop and recognize that there’s something greater than me that‘s going to heal me or give me the wisdom I need right then. And that’s powerful. It’s a practice that became a part of me in the monastery. I’d probably be a very different person, if I hadn’t entered the monastery before I began my public life, and one you might not want to deal with. [LOL]
KW: Why did you leave the monastery?
MS: Because God leads you to your vocation and to follow your calling. I had needed to confront my demons and my shortcomings, along with my positive qualities and put them all in proper perspective to understand that it ain’t all about you. That’s the problem with most public officials today. They really believe it’s all about them. So, public service takes on this sort of star quality, despite the fact that as the Bible teaches they’re supposed to be served last, not first. If you don’t understand that in your leadership, you will end up failing. Look at people like Congressmen Weiner, Senator Vitter and others who have had their personal shortcomings exposed because they thought it was really all about them.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson also asks: What do you see as your greatest accomplishment?
MS: It’s still happening, and that’s helping my two boys become strong black men.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
MS: Is there such a thing? [LOL] Oh, man, these are some good questions.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
MS: Yeah, absolutely! I’m afraid every day.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
MS: Yes, and you can be both, afraid and happy. One feeds off the other. It just depends on which one hits first. [Laughs]
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
MS: It’s been a long time. There wasn’t a lot funny about the last two years. It’s been a long time.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
MS: I have expensive tastes. For example, I love collecting watches, and I’ll spend a little coin on that.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
MS: Touré’s new book, “Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness.” I’ve got it right here.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1439177554/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
MS: A mashup of Rihanna by by Cascada.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
MS: Anything Italian.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
MS: Kwab Asamoah. He’s from Ghana, and his company is called Kustom Looks.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
MS: Maebell’s son.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
MS: [Chuckles] I suddenly feel like a beauty pageant contestant. World peace! Seriously, that’s really a hard question to answer for me because I wouldn’t waste my wish on something like a bigger car. It would have to be for something inward or spiritual as opposed to something outward or material.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
MS: I can remember my father chasing me down the hall in my diaper. He died a couple of years later. I think it’s one of those memories that God gives you to hold onto. You don’t realize it when you’re young, but it hits you at some point later in life that that was God’s way of reminding you.
KW: Dante Lee, author of “Black Business Secrets, asks: “What was the best business decision you ever made, and what was the worst?”
MS: My best business decision was to start a business on my own, to follow my entrepreneurial spirit and to trust it. And my worst business decision was to start a business on my own, to follow my entrepreneurial spirit and to trust it. [Chuckles]
KW: The Bernadette Beekman question: What is your favorite charity?
MS: Catholic Charities.
KW: The Sanaa Lathan question: What excites you?
MS: People! I just love meeting and being with people. I’m usually the last person to leave an event because you just want to grab every ounce of energy you can from people. That excites me so much!
KW: The Toure question: Who is the person who led you to become the person you are today?
MS: My Mom, Maebell. A sharecropper’s daughter. A woman with a 5th grade education making minimum-wage working in a laundromat. Her son grows up to become the lieutenant governor of the state and the chairman of a national political party. That’s all Maebell!
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
MS: He tried.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Michael, and best of luck on MSNBC and with all your endeavors.
MS: No, thank you, Kam!
Mo’Nique
Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:
“Kam Williams: Larry Greenberg says, people might not know that you have been in quite a few action films, like Shadowboxer, Half Past Dead and his favorite, Domino. He wants to know whether there’s any chance of your going back to the action genre.
Mo’Nique: You tell Larry that I am a superhero, and I’m going to be flying in somebody’s film real soon, sugar. So, yes, I can’t wait to put a cape on! [Laughs]”
The Full Interview…
Mo’Nique
The “Spread the Love Tour” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Academy Award-Winner in the House!
Mo’Nique collected a basketful of Supporting Actress accolades over the course of the awards season for her gripping portrayal of Mary Jones, the relentlessly-monstrous mother in Precious. The versatile comedienne/actress/talk show host’s powerful performance not only earned her a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, NAACP Image, Sundance Film Festival, BAFTA and Independent Spirit Award, but was recognized as the best of 2010 by most critics’ guilds as well. Still, the icing on the cake arrived no March 7thwhen the talented sister won a well-deserved Academy Award.
Here, in the first interview I’ve ever conducted which actually brought me to tears, Mo’Nique reflects upon a variety of subjects, ranging from family to spirituality to surviving incest to what winning the Oscar means to her. And she also talks about “Spread the Love,” the standup comedy victory tour during which she’ll be making stops in 20 cities around the country between now and the end of May.
Kam Williams: Hey, Mo’Nique. The last thing I said to you, when we spoke back in October, was that the next time we spoke I’d be congratulating you on your Oscar. Well, Congratulations, sister!
Mo’Nique: Thank you, brother, I appreciate that.
KW: It was easy to predict. Listen, I watch over 500 movies a year, and let me say that was not only the best performance of 2010, but in my opinion it would even have won if they gave out an Oscar for the best performance of the decade.
M: Wow! Thank you, brother.
KW: Well, I want to thank you for still making yourself available to me now, because it often becomes impossible to land another interview with an actor or actress after they’ve just landed an Oscar nomination. They don’t even have to win the Oscar to suddenly be unavailable.
M: And that’s a damn shame, Kam. Me? I appreciate the brothers and sisters who were there before anybody was calling. So, how could I not talk to you?
KW: I certainly appreciate that, especially since I remember how over the years you’ve done a lot of little things for me like arrange to put a couple passes aside if you were doing a comedy show nearby. Speaking of standup, what inspired you to do this “Spread the Love Tour,” when you must already be very busy from hosting your late night TV talk show on BET?
M: Well, standup is my first love. When I told my husband [Sidney Hicks], “Baby, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to get back out there,” he said, “Okay, then let’s come up with a title. What are you trying to say?” and I said, “Let’s spread the love! Let’s spread the love with jokes, baby, through humor. Let’s laugh out loud, but while we doing it, we’re gonna be loving on each other at the same time.”
KW: I see that you’re taking DJ Ant on the road with you. What’s up with the music?
M: Oh, Lord, honey! As a comedienne, I always loved when the audience was entertained from the moment the doors opened up ‘till the time they closed. I never understood why people would have to sit patiently waiting in silence for the comedians to come on. I say, “Give ‘em a full show! Let ‘em feel good! Let ‘em party! Let that music move through ‘em, baby. So, by the time we come to the stage, the house is already on fire. The music helps amplify the experience.
KW: And why’d you decide to have two comedians accompanying you on the tour, Rodney Perry and Tone-X?
M: Now, Rodney Perry is my co-host on the talk show. What I love about him is that he’s so brilliantly funny, and he’s fearless. And his act is so full of love. You feel like he’s Uncle Rodney. And it’s the same thing with Tone-X. He’s just fearless, and our whole goal is to make you laugh, but to make you feel good at the same time.
KW: And what type of jokes will you be doing?
M: Adult! You know me, Kam. [Laughs] Adult jokes. But they’re very honest. Whenever people ask, “Who is Mo’Nique?” I always say, “Come to a comedy show, baby. You will find out who she is right there.”
KW: I guess you’ll have to touch on winning the Oscar, too.
M: Kam, you know I’m a have to touch it, hit it, slap it and rub it down, because it’s been quite a journey, especially after reading some of the articles, and hearing some people’s opinions. After all, I’m a comedienne. So, you know, I got to take that and bring it up on the stage.
KW: I’m not you, yet my eyes are tearing up, when I think of all the criticism leveled at you last fall for not kissing-up to the film industry, as if your performance couldn’t stand on its own. I admired how you stuck to your guns, even though I thought it might hurt you with the voters. That’s why the headline of my article back then was, “Just Give Mo’Nique the Oscar!”
M: It’s all about the performance, baby.
KW: What should anything else have to do with it? But they were like sharks circling you in the water, trying to figure out how to prevent you from getting it. It’s a further tribute to your performance that you won in the face of negative buzz trying to poison the minds of the Academy voters by suggesting that you were thumbing your nose at the Hollywood establishment.
M: I’m a big believer that when you do it right, and you don’t waiver, you win an Oscar. When I say do it right, I mean you stay humble, full of love, and focused on your goal, baby, and that other stuff don’t matter. It ends up rolling right off of your back. And you still got to love those people who done wrote that stuff about you.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
JK: Oh my God! It was about my baby Jonathan, just this morning in the kitchen. He said, “Mommy, do you know what David [his twin brother] did?” because he was getting ready to tell on him. I said, “What?” And he paused for a long time before saying, “Nothin’.” It was the cutest thing. I said, “I’m proud of you! You were getting ready to tell on your brother, then you thought about it.” My kids and my husband, Sidney, make me laugh all the time.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
M: What is my earliest childhood memory? Wow! Wow! I remember coming home on the first day of school, maybe in the second grade, and I told my dad, “My teacher said I’m gonna pass.” But the teacher hadn’t told me that, but I wanted some attention. [LOL] I’ve always been that kid.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
M: Hmm… That my husband and I would be able to meet the next generation of the Hicks family.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
M: The Shack. Kam, believe me when I tell you that this book is amazing. It’s about this guy whose daughter is molested and brutally-murdered. And he has to go back to where it happened. He meets god, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. God is a big, black woman who talks real slick in her mouth. Jesus looks like he’s Iraqi, and the Holy Spirit is an Asian woman. I tell you, Kam, you can just feel the love coming off of the pages. It is a book that I suggest to you, because I believe your spirit can withstand it. Get it! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0964729245?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0964729245
KW: I definitely will.
M: It’s so amazing, that as you read it, you’ll go “Oh my God!”
KW: The next time we speak, I’ll tell you what I thought of the book.
M: Yes… Yes, yes, yes!
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
M: This morning, I worked out to Barry White.
KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell says, “You go girl” and asks, what keeps you going as an actress: a thought, a personal wish, a subconscious force?
M: What keeps me going? These are some great questions, Kam! I think what keeps me going is just today. I’m so appreciative of this gift, because I can’t explain it. So, today keeps me going in the hope that I’ll get to tomorrow.
KW: Tommy also asks, what do you think the most important political initiative is for President Obama in his first administration?
M: I think it’s love, and I think he’s doing it. I think the moment that Americans get behind this man is the moment that the world will get behind America.
KW: Barbara Darko noticed that you gave your husband, Sidney, a lot of credit during your Oscar acceptance speech. She asks, how would you describe your relationship?
M: I thank God every day for allowing me to spend this journey with his son.
KW: Rev. Florine Thompson asks, what life experiences prepared you most for your role in Precious?
M: [Pauses, clears her throat] I was molested by my eldest brother, Gerald. So, I knew who Mary Jones was. And when Mr. Daniels [director Lee Daniels] asked me to portray a monster, I was very familiar with that monster. And please let me say this. You know how you might be unable to fully understand something you’re going through at the time that it’s happening? And you might even want to be mad at God?
KW: Yeah.
M: Well, the moment we wrapped that movie, I understood why I had gone through what I went through as a little girl, which allowed me to stop resenting my brother. It was life-changing for me.
KW: Reverend Thompson also asks, what would you say to those mothers who sit in silence while their significant other, or perhaps I should say insignificant other, sexually abuses their daughter?
M: The first thing I would say is, this is the “No Judgment Zone.” We ain’t judging. All we would ask you is that you get some help. And get some help for the family, even for the person who is doing it to your child. Remove the predator from the situation, of course, but get help for everybody involved. And love him when he’s unlovable.
KW: She was also wondering, whether this movie has empowered you to champion the cause of domestic abuse?
M: Yes… yes… And domestic abuse is such an umbrella. So much fits under that umbrella that what we’re championing and the mission for us is love. Because when you truly got that thing called L-O-V-E, you’re not judging. You simply want to say, “Listen, baby, what you did, you have to pay for under the law, but we’re gonna love you through it.” Maybe that way you can talk to the next person that’s thinking about becoming a molester, that’s telling you the thoughts they’re having. So, you can suggest they get some help before they act on those urges. That’s the whole mission, Kam, it really is.
KW: The good Rev asks, what do you most thank God for?
M: Today. I’m so thankful for today, that I could wake up to my children who are so full of joy and love, saying “Good morning, mommy!” Man, I’m so thankful for today, because tomorrow, I may not get.
KW: Larry Greenberg says, people might not know that you have been in quite a few action films, like Shadowboxer, Half Past Dead and his favorite, Domino. He wants to know whether there’s any chance of your going back to the action genre.
M: You tell Larry that I am a superhero, and I’m going to be flying in somebody’s film real soon, sugar. So, yes, I can’t wait to put a cape on! [Laughs]
KW: Barbara asks if you plan to bring your daily talk show to mainstream network TV?
M: I get that question often. Would you do me a favor, Kam, and ask Barbara exactly what does she mean by mainstream? Because the stream I’m in right now is my mainstream.
KW: That’s a brilliant analysis. I feel the same way. The New York Times would never consider hiring me or printing any of my articles, so why should I consider that mainstream when I have so many outlets who do appreciate what I do.
M: Kam is my mainstream. People invest so much into that word “mainstream.” What does it mean? And is that supposed to be some sort of validation because you think I should go to mainstream? The stream I’m in right now is my mainstream. If you want to come on over and play with me, come on!
KW: Here’s another one more from Reverend Thompson, how does your spirituality inform you and enable you to play the role of Precious’ mother?
M: Wow! You know, when we went into this, we knew we had to be honest, because if we weren’t, we would not be able to change lives, or to serve as the vessels we were supposed to be used as. So, we just wanted to make sure we were dead honest, so that people who watched the film could literally watch themselves.
KW: Well, thanks again, Mo’Nique. This is the first time I’ve ever ended an interview with tears in my eyes. I guess I’m crying because I’ve known you at different stages of your career, and I’m just so moved by what you’ve achieved and touched by the absence of bitterness about what you’ve had to overcome, and I’m honored by how openly you’ve shared your feelings about it all with me.
M: Kam, I love you, brother. And for the rest of my career, baby, as long as you’re doing what you’re doing, me and you will keep on talking.
KW: I really appreciate that, and I love you, too, Mo’Nique.
M: God bless you.
To see Mo’Nique’s Golden Globe acceptance speech, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQwsWuKo8gc
To see Mo’Nique’s Academy Awards acceptance speech, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pc3hA2ONbU
To order a copy of Precious on DVD, visit: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002VECM4A?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002VECM4A
Morgan Freeman
TV and Film Production in Princeton, NJ
Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:
“Larry Greenberg was wondering whether, despite your many accolades and accomplishments, there are any projects you still feel you must take on?
Morgan Freeman: Yes, I must get a few more historical dramas made about the black experience in America.”
The Full Interview…
Morgan Freeman
The “Invictus” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Morgan on Mandela, Mirrors, Mississippi and More
Morgan Porterfield Freeman, Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee on June 1, 1937 but raised from infancy in Charleston, Mississippi by his paternal grandmother. Every summer as a young child, he would visit his parents who had moved to Chicago, which is where he developed his love of the cinema.
He started acting at the age of 9, exhibiting promise as a lead character in a school play. Although he had won a statewide drama competition, upon graduating from high school, he opted to enlist in the Air Force rather than accept a college scholarship to pursue his true passion.
After being honorably discharged from the military in the late Fifties, Freeman decided it was time to take his shot at showbiz. But he struggled for years, first finding work as a dancer, then on the stage in a variety of modest company productions. Eventually, he made his way to Broadway where he debuted in Hello Dolly in 1968, which led to his landing a steady gig as Easy Reader on the children’s TV series “The Electric Company.”
He subsequently appeared on such soap operas as “Another World” and “Ryan’s Hope” before finally landing his breakout role opposite Robert Redford in Brubaker in 1980. Hollywood soon took note, enabling the capable thespian to blossom into the universally-admired, consummate actor we’ve all enjoyed over the years.
A cursory glance at Mr. Freeman’s resume’ reveals a plethora of memorable hit movies, including Lean on Me, Glory, Unforgiven, Amistad, Deep Impact, Bruce Almighty, Batman Begins, Gone Baby Gone, The Bucket List and The Dark Knight, to name a few. He delivered Oscar-nominated performances, in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy and The Shawshank Redemption before finally winning that elusive Academy Award in 2005 for Million Dollar Baby, which also earned Best Picture and Best Director honors for Clint Eastwood.
He reunited with Eastwood to make his latest picture, Invictus, an uplifting, historical saga based on actual events which unfolded in South Africa shortly after the fall of the apartheid regime. Freeman, who still makes his home in Mississippi, spoke with me recently about his life, career and the challenge of portraying Nelson Mandela.
Kam Williams: Mr. Freeman, thanks so much for the time. I’m honored to be speaking with you.
Morgan Freeman: Well, thank you.
KW: First, let me say congratulations on winning the National Board of Review’s Best Actor Award for Invictus.
MF: Thank you very much.
KW: Was making this movie a labor of love? I heard that it was something that you’d wanted to do for a long time.
MF: Well, it wasn’t necessarily this project, but I felt destined to do something about Mandela. I don’t know whether you know that in 1992, when he published his autobiography, he was asked who he would want to play him, if the book ever became a movie. And he named me. So, I was sort of the chosen one, as it were. Therefore, I expected that eventually I would play him, but we always thought it would be in a movie version of “Long Walk to Freedom.” It didn’t turn out that way, however.
KW: But you obviously also liked Invictus.
MF: My partner and I thought that this story was ideal. This one, we felt was perfect to go with.
KW: Are you referring to your partner in Madidi restaurants and Ground Zero blues club?
MF: No, to my producing partner, Lori McCreary.
KW: Jim Cryan, a reader with in-laws in Mississippi, says he’s enjoyed eating at Madidi down in Clarksdale. He says it’s very upscale, so he was wondering whether when you cook for yourself you make any down home Southern dishes like barbecued bologna sandwiches.
MF: I don’t cook. I’m a partner in the restaurant, but it isn’t because I like to cook.
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman wanted to know whether you ever met Mandela.
MF: Yes, I’ve met him on a number of occasions, and have even been able to spend some time with him.
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, how would you characterize your relationship with Clint Eastwood, as a friend, mentor or fellow artist?
MF: I think it’s as friend and fellow artist. Yeah, fellow artist, first.
KW: Reverend Florine Thompson asks, who or what has been your greatest source of encouragement and inspiration?
MF: Sidney Poitier, his whole life and career.
KW: She also wants to know, how important is spirituality in your life?
MF: Very important. Very important, indeed, although I’m not what you would call “officially” spiritual.
KW: Aspiring actor Tommy Russell asks, did you ever want to give up as an actor?
MF: Oh, yeah. Many times… many times…
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
MF: [Laughs] No, I’ve been asked everything that you can imagine.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
MF: Afraid? Yes, I get afraid, because I’m an adventurer. I like to live on the edge. Afraid means you have an adrenaline rush.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
MF: Happiness is relative. I’m content.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
MF: Well, I’ve been with Clint and [co-star] Matt Damon the last couple of days, and we’ve laughed a lot.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
MF: Oh, gosh… I’m sorry. I can’t remember what the last book was offhand.
KW: Maybe it’ll pop into your head before we finish.
MF: Yeah.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to?
MF: An eclectic mix of people. Right now, I have a mix on my disc player of Norah Jones, Ray Charles, Franks Sinatra and Al Green.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
MF: My earliest childhood memory… I think my earliest childhood memory is of getting up one morning and putting my own shoes on. I put ‘em on the wrong feet.
KW: That’s funny, because my earliest childhood memory is being taught by my mother to tie my shoes while we sat under a tree in a park.
MF: Do you remember how old you were?
KW: Either 3 or 4.
MF: That seems to be about the same age that I was.
KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
MF: I had a lot of best friends as a child. My first one’s name was Sonny Man. [Chuckles] Then there was Bobo and Walter, up until I was a teenager.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
MF: When I look in the mirror, what do I see? I see me. What does that mean? Do you have any idea?
KW: No, because I don’t know how to interpret the answers to that question.
MF: I meant, can you interpret the question? What did you have in mind there?
KW: It’s a question I use often, and I leave it to each person to interpret the meaning.
MF: Do you ever get any interesting answers to that?
KW: Yeah.
MF: Really?
KW: Sure, they can be very revealing! Ludacris said, “an entrepre-Negro,” Gladys Knight said, “A child of God,” Faizon Love responded, “The light! The reflection of the light,” Mo’Nique said, “I see somebody that’s full of life,” and LeBron James answered, “A great father, a great friend, a loyal person and someone who’s always trying to make a difference.” I like offbeat questions that people aren’t always asked which cause them to pause and become a little more introspective, like: Are you happy?
MF: I see happiness and sadness as two sides of the same coin. And if you’re somewhere in the middle of that, you’re going to float both ways from time to time, but you never know what your ambient temperature might be.
KW: The Flex Alexander question: How do you get through the tough times?
MF: I have this amazing belief in myself, and the idea proven to me time and time again that if you just keep going, stay on your feet, and keep moving, things will work out.
KW: Wesley Derbyshire asks, how is it that you always manage to evoke power, deep emotion, and true conviction onscreen, and in such a serene fashion?
MF: In my mind, acting is believing. That’s the way I learned it, and how I still think of it. So, in order to be true to any character, you have to believe that you are that character, and that you have his belief system working for you. That way, when you’re reciting your lines, you’ll be saying them from a place of conviction.
KW: Laz Lyles asks, did you have to sacrifice a modicum of reverence for Mandela as an actor to bring out the full palette of complexity and humanity of a person as universally esteemed as Mandela? She says she heard Clint Eastwood mention some of the ways in which Mandela was flawed. So she’d like to know what it was like for you as an actor to get into the psyche of a person who is viewed as so selfless and spiritual, and to discover that he’s also flawed.
MF: Well, I had already read so much about Mandela that I knew a long time ago that not only is he a human who is flawed, but that there are certain personal failings as a man for which he cannot forgive himself. For despite all of his political triumphs, he feels unfulfilled in terms of his family.
KW: Carmela Reimers asks, how hard was it to get Mandela’s accent down?
MF: Very hard. In fact, that was the most challenging part of the whole role. It wasn’t impossible, but if I were to say any part of the role was hard, it would have to be that.
KW: Uduak Oduok asks, how did you like shooting on location in South Africa, and how do you think Africa will be influence America, culturally, in the coming years?
MF: I really enjoyed being in South Africa. It is really an amazing place. We spent about 6 weeks in Cape Town and 2 weeks in Joburg [Johannesburg]. I still find it a very exciting country. As old as it really is, right now it seems on the verge of leaping into the 21st Century. Culturally, I don’t think Africa is going to have any more effect on America than it already has, which has been considerable. But I believe South Africa will have an enormous influence on the rest of that continent. I certainly hope so.
KW: Larry Greenberg was wondering whether, despite your many accolades and accomplishments, there are any projects you still feel you must take on?
MF: Yes, I must get a few more historical dramas made about the black experience in America.
KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
MF: Working as an actor… Yep.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
MF: For anyone who wants to follow in my footsteps? I’ve laid down a lot of footsteps and tracks in different directions, so it would depend on which way they want to go. In general, I would say, “Gird your loins, and go where you want to go! Do what you want to do.”
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
MF: By just remaining fans, and by letting me know if I mess up.
KW: Have you remembered the last book you read yet?
MF: No, I’ve been concentrating on what you’ve been asking. Let me think… One of the last ones was Whiskey Gulf by Clyde Ford, a friend of mine up in the Washington area.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1593155220?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1593155220
KW: Have you been doing a lot more voiceover work lately? It seems like I’m always hearing you on TV and radio ads.
MF: No, sometimes I think I hear my voice, too, but it’s not my voice. So, you have to be a little careful there.
KW: Yeah, Richie Havens said the same thing. That there’s a guy impersonating him who has done a bunch of commercials.
MF: Right. If a good model sounds alike, some people go for it.
KW: Thanks again, Mr. Freeman. I really appreciate the time, and I’ve admired your career and enjoyed all your work.
MF: Thanks so much, that’s very kind of you.
To see a trailer for Invictus, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54HlG54IY6E
Naomie Harris
SKYFALL – “Larry Greenberg asks: Growing up in London, did you ever think you would be a secret agent in a Bond film?
Naomie Harris: I never ever thought that I would be in a Bond film, ever, which is weird because I grew up loving these amazing movies. But I never thought of it as a possibility, because there aren’t very many black Bond women. So, it never occurred to me. But I’m absolutely loving being part of it, and that not only am I a Bond girl, but I get to be an agent as well.”
Nate Parker
Poni TV for Film and TV Production in Newtown, PA
Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:
“…I’m listening to a mixture of Maxwell, Robin Thicke and Alicia Keys.
KW: Speaking of Alicia Keys, Larry Greenberg says, “When I saw you with Alicia Keys in the Secret Life of Bees, I was convinced there was chemistry between you. Was I right, or are you two just great actors?” And he adds, “You can be honest. Don’t worry, Sarah [Nate’s wife] isn’t going to read this.”
Nate Parker: [LOL] Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious! I think chemistry and great acting go hand-in-hand. We are great actors, so of course there was chemistry. We allowed ourselves the vulnerability to have an authentic relationship in the sense of the characters. We called each other by our characters’ names the entire time we were shooting the film.”
The Full Interview…
Nate Parker
The “Blood Done Sign My Name” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Is Nate the Next Denzel?
Nate Parker was born in Norfolk, Virginia on November 18, 1979 to a 17 year-old single-mom who never married his biological father. He and his younger sisters were raised mostly in Bath, Maine which is where his stepfather was stationed by the U.S. Air Force.
Nate only started acting after graduating from the University of Oklahoma, when he was spotted by a talent scout while waiting for a friend at an audition. Signed by an agent, Parker immediately moved to Los Angeles where he soon landed work in commercials and bit parts on several TV shows before he found his breakout role as Hakim in the desegregation drama Pride.
He has since starred in other sagas with civil rights themes such as The Great Debaters and The Secret Life of Bees, and later this year he’ll be playing a Tuskegee Airman in the WWII epic Red Tails. Here, Nate talks about his current release, Blood Done Sign My Name, a bio-pic about the rise to prominence of a young Ben Chavis, who went on to become Chairman of the NAACP, in the wake of a lynching in North Carolina. He also discusses his preference to make socially-significant projects.
Kam Williams: Nate, thanks so much for the time.
Nate Parker: Of course, any time, brother.
KW: What interested you in doing Blood Done Sign My Name to play an important civil rights figure like Ben Chavis?
NP: To put it plainly, it was the fact that it fit my model. I prefer to make movies which not only have a message for “then” but a message for “now.” Here was this 22 year-old brother who had no idea what was about to happen, and yet, when it did, he stepped into it in a way which changed an entire community. There was leadership and a sense of accountability in this young man, and those are qualities I can talk about in 2010. So, when I read the script, I knew that it could serve as a tool in the present for some of what ails our community.
KW: How did you prepare for the role?
NP: I read everything I could about the period, including the book the film is based on. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1400083117?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1400083117
The book was incredible because it deals with racism, white supremacy and the black inferiority complex in a real way, and it illustrates how they can be a cancer on a community.
KW: And how does that relate to today?
NP: I look around today, and I see the Prison-Industrial Complex, and how 50% of our brothers and sisters are behind bars, and how half of us are dropping out of school. And I look at the escalating HIV rate in the black community. These are issues now, and we need leaders to address those crises in the way that Ben Chavis was effective at inspiring a whole generation of kids.
KW: Is it true that your showbiz career got started when you were spotted by a talent scout?
NP: Yeah, I was working in computers when this stranger approached me out of the blue, saying I should become an actor. I took it as a gift from God, because I had been praying for clarity about what He wanted me to do, since I wasn’t happy in computers. So, I gave my employer notice, and moved to L.A. in two weeks. It was definitely Divine intervention. And six year’s later, here I am, and Jon Simmons, the guy who signed me up, is still my manager.
KW: Praise the Lord! I guess you were surprised by your meteoric rise, huh?
NP: It’s been surprising in the sense that it happened so quickly. But I’d say it’s been more of a blessing than a surprise because I believe it was God’s plan to give me this platform. That’s where my passion comes from, to use it to benefit people, especially people from my community.
KW: Why are these message movies you make so important?
NP: Because the way in which we were disconnected from our continent has left us in this limbo when it comes to identity. Our community lacks a rite of passage that you see in so many other cultures, that celebration where you’re surrounded by other people who look like you explaining to you what it means to be a person of African descent coming of age. When I was young, to have a big nose, big lips or dark skin was the worst. You were the wretched. That was something I not only felt, but I participated in. Unfortunately, I was put down for my big lips and nose, and I would join in teasing others about their darker skin. That’s why I believe the first step we need to take to change our community is in identity, in learning who we are and why we are. In understanding the struggles we went through in Africa, the strength that it took to endure the Middle Passage, and the struggles we’re going through now.
KW: In seeing all the civil rights movies you make, it seems like you’re consciously picking socially-relevant projects.
NP: Absolutely! My community has to come first. How we feel about and what we’re willing to do for our people has to be imbedded in our very bones. When dealing with our people, we don’t have the luxury of treating it like a hobby.
KW: There comes a stage in every black actor’s career where Hollywood forces him to put on a dress and act the fool. How have you been able to avoid that?
NP: Through the grace of God who gave me this opportunity. I have to acknowledge Him as the one that has blessed me, and I put my faith in Him. Will I explore other genres? Definitely, but like I said, my community has to come first. I know this attitude is rare, especially in a capitalist society where we’re encouraged to stay away from the ghetto if you make it out. Sadly, black people disassociate ourselves from the things which make us who we are, identifying them as lesser, or inferior. It’s a form of self hate. So, with reckless abandon, we strive to be like the majority.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? If so, please answer it.
NP: Wow, that’s a great question! I want young people to ask me if I’m serious. Our young people have been lied to and misled for so long. When I stand on this soapbox, I want young people to ask me that because once they know I’m serious, they’ll be willing to ride with me.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NP: Yes, sometimes. My mother always tells me, “Fear isn’t from God,” and I believe that. But sometimes, I wonder whether I’ll be able step into the shoes that God has prepared for me.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NP: Very happy! I’m happy with who I am, but I’m not happy with where we are yet.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NP: [Laughs] Hanging out with [co-star] Lela Rochon about an hour ago. She’s such a character.
KW: “Realtor to the Stars” Jimmy Bayan’s question: Where in L.A. do you live?
nvict
NP: I’m actually in the process of moving to Torrance to be closer to my daughter.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
NP: “Faces at the Bottom of the Well” by Derrick Bell.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
NP: I’m listening to a mixture of Maxwell, Robin Thicke and Alicia Keys.
KW: Speaking of Alicia Keys, Larry Greenberg says, “When I saw you with Alicia Keys in the Secret Life of Bees, I was convinced there was chemistry between you. Was I right, or are you two just great actors?” And he adds, “You can be honest. Don’t worry, Sarah [Nate’s wife] isn’t going to read this.”
NP: [LOL] Oh my gosh, that’s hilarious! I think chemistry and great acting go hand-in-hand. We are great actors, so of course there was chemistry. We allowed ourselves the vulnerability to have an authentic relationship in the sense of the characters. We called each other by our characters’ names the entire time we were shooting the film.
KW: Eleanor Boswell-Raine, who is the daughter of the Reverend Hamilton Boswell, one of the real Great Debaters, wants to know whether you’re planning to do anything with Wiley College.
NP: Tell her I just awarded six Nate Parker Scholarships to Wiley students last week when I was there to deliver the keynote speech at the 100 Men of Excellence Leadership Conference.
KW: Laz Lyles asks, what other charity work do you do?
NP: I also deal with a program called Peace for Kids in Compton. And with my mentor, I started a group in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn called Leadership and Literacy through Debate.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
NP: I see possibilities.
KW: The Zane question: Do you have any regrets?
NP: None.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NP: Wow, that’s a deep question… It just hit me. My mother was a single parent. She didn’t have enough money to support us, so we lived in my grandmother’s house with my other aunts and uncles. My earliest memories are, when I was about 3 or 4, of waiting for her to come home from working at BJ’s. She worked double-shifts, so she didn’t get home until about 10 PM at night.
KW: The Mike Pittman question: Who was your best friend as a child?
NP: My best friend was Marcus Johnson. We grew up together. I brought him to college with me. He didn’t have all the opportunities that I had, but I tried to keep him close as a constant reminder of how blessed I’ve been.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
NP: Lasagna.
KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
NP: Being a father to my two daughters.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
NP: To take the steps, and to believe.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
NP: As a servant.
KW: Well, thanks again, I’m happy that I finally got a chance to chat with you, after interviewing so many of your co-stars: Alicia in The Secret Life of Bees; Jurnee and Denzel in The Great Debaters; and Terrence Howard in Pride.
NP: I’m happy you did, too.
KW: I’m looking forward to speaking with you about Red Tails when it gets released next Fall.
NP: Fantastic, thanks.
To see a trailer for Blood Done Sign My Name, visit:
Nia Long
Larry Greenberg asks: Does being such an accomplished actress give you a different perspective when you direct a music video?
Nia Long: Directing music videos is all about capturing images. I think my experiences in front of the camera have enhanced that because I know how to make other women look beautiful: from hair to makeup to wardrobe. So, I feel that I have a gift with imaging, and that’s kind of fundamental to the music video process.
The whole interview…
Nia Long
The “Mooz-Lum” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Quality Time with Nia
Nitara Carlynn Long was born in Brooklyn on October 30, 1970, but was raised mostly in South Central Los Angeles in the wake of her parents’ divorce. The accomplished thespian of Trinidadian extraction first found fame on TV on The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, and she’s since enjoyed recurring roles on such series as Judging Amy (2001-2002), Third Watch (2003-2005), Boston Legal (2007), Big Shots (2007-2008) and, most recently, The Cleveland Show (2009-present).
Her breakout performance on the silver screen was in 1997 when she starred opposite Larenz Tate in Love Jones. And her resume’ includes outings in such films as Are We There Yet, Are We Done Yet, The Best Man, Boiler Room, Boyz ‘n the Hood, Friday, Alfie, Soul Food, In Too Deep and Big Momma’s House 1 & 2.
In 2000, People Magazine named the gorgeous ingenue one of the World’s 50 Most Beautiful People, and she also landed the #3 spot on Black Men Magazine’s 10 Sexiest Women List. Later that same year, Nia had a son, Massai, Doresy, Jr. who she is currently raising in L.A.
Here, she talks about her new movie, Mooz-Lum, a dysfunctional family drama where she plays Safiyah, the long-suffering wife of an overbearing, religious zealot.
Kam Williams: Hi Nia, thanks so much for the time.
Nia Long: No worries. How are you?
KW: I’m fine. I have a lot of questions for you from my readers, so why don’t I launch right into them.
NL: Absolutely! Why not?
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls says: You’ve done an impressive body of work covering comedic and dramatic roles. What attracted you to the script about this mother conflicted between her son and her husband?
NL: Hmmm… That’s a good question. . I just thought the film had so many wonderful layers of the journey that women take with motherhood. There’s no book out there that tells you how to be a good parent. So much of parenting is following your instincts, and taking the time to actually know your child. I’m raising a 10 year-old boy, and my son in the film, Tariq [Evan Ross] goes through the traditional growing pains associated with transitioning from a boy to a young man. When I read the script, I immediately thought to myself, “Wow! This is a really special movie. It’s entertaining, it deals with a lot of social issues, and it addresses practical parenting concerns that everyone can relate to.”
KW: Irene adds: Did having a son yourself help in portraying the mother in the movie?
NL: Absolutely! The minute your child is born, your life is changed forever. I think I’ve become so aware of how important balance is in life. I have to constantly make sure that it stays that way for myself and for my son, because if I’m not emotionally available for him it will impede his development. Yet, if I don’t work, we’ll be living in a cardboard box. So, that calls for a tremendous amount of balancing constantly. Therefore, working on this film, I understood Safiyah’s search to balance being a devout Muslim woman with allowing her child his natural curiosity and desire to explore in life.
KW: Felicia Haney asks: What were your feelings about Islam before taking the role and after the film wrapped?
NL: When I was a young girl, my mother traveled to Abu Dhabi, which is a Muslim country. When she returned home, she taught me a lot about Islam. So, I was already familiar with the religion’s basic teachings. But in preparation for this role, I definitely got to experience Islam on a much more intimate level. The one thing that stands out in my mind is the commitment Muslim women make to each other. They are so supportive and so loving, and they do everything together. It’s really all about family, and I like that, because I’m a family-oriented person. I believe that whatever your religious preference, there has to be a commitment to family because everything really does start there. Hopefully, this film will help to eliminate stereotypes, because Muslim women are misunderstood. They’re strong, beautiful, classic, contemporary and so much more
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says: Here in France, especially in Marseilles where I was for dinner this evening, the issue of women wearing chadors in public institutions has been hotly debated and legislated over. As a child, you attended Catholic school where I suppose you had to wear a uniform. How did that experience influence your performance as a Muslim woman wearing a head-wrap? Were you more sensitized to a group of people who wish to acknowledge their religion in an overtly public way?
NL: Hmm… My son goes to a Catholic school where he has to wear a uniform. I attended a Catholic school where I had to, too. I think it’s a beautiful thing when you wear a uniform or a garb which represents a group of people, because what it immediately symbolizes is oneness, togetherness. I believe everyone should have the freedom to represent what they believe-in in their own way.
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What is your favorite scene in Mooz-Lum?
NL: I’d say the pivotal scene where I notice the scars on Tariq’s back.
KW: Patricia also wants to know whether there’s a novel that you would like to see turned into a movie and also star in? And which African-American icon would you love to portray in a film?
NL: There’s a novel I just read called Queen Pin that I’ve been talking to the author about optioning. I encourage everyone to read it. It’s a great story.http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446542881/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
As for an African-American icon, I was very interested in portraying Nina Simone until I heard that Mary J. Blige is doing it. I’m sure she’ll do the role more justice, because I am not a singer. I just think Nina was a very mysterious woman, and a trailblazer who came along at such an important time in our history. She did it her way, and she has one of the most unique voices in jazz history.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Does being such an accomplished actress give you a different perspective when you direct a music video?
NL: Directing music videos is all about capturing images. I think my experiences in front of the camera have enhanced that because I know how to make other women look beautiful: from hair to makeup to wardrobe. So, I feel that I have a gift with imaging, and that’s kind of fundamental to the music video process.
KW: Judyth Piazza says: I would love to hear about your time on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Were the scripts written with a predominately white audience or an African-American audience in mind? Or was this not a factor?
NL: I don’t think it was a factor at all. Funny is funny: black, white, yellow, purple. Funny is funny!
KW: Ola Jackson asks: How do you feel about the number of black actors who are often paired with white leading ladies in movies, such as Will Smith, Wesley Snipes and Denzel Washington?
NL: It is what it is. As long as the acting is good, I can appreciate it. It would certainly would be great to see more films featuring the black family and showing that we are capable of having that unit strong and present and beautiful, because that’s so much of who we really are. For me, that’s missing sometimes when I watch films. But since Denzel and Will are superstars, studio execs don’t necessarily see them as black. They see them as superstars. I suspect they pair them with a white or a Latina star because that takes the pressure off their having to market the movie as a black film, which in my opinion is completely ridiculous. But we still have a lot of growing and maturing to do in terms of how we view black people, the black family and black filmmaking, because we shouldn’t be narrowly pigeonholed. We are not just one thing. We have so many different voices and experiences. And on the flip side, there are black men who are madly in love with white women. God bless them, if that’s what works for them. I just hope that we can strike a balance that portrays black folks and the black family in a light that’s not extreme. Those are the types of characters that I find myself attracted to.
KW: Marcia Evans says: I’m such a fan and proud of yours. I can envision you doing a project addressing many of the concerns of black folks. Have you ever considered creating a project like “Single Ladies,” the upcoming movie that Queen Latifah plans to turn into a series?
NL: I am in constant search for that project that speaks to me personally. And when all the pieces come together properly, it’ll happen.
KW: Marcia has a follow-up question: Is there any truth to the rumor that there’s going to be a sequel to the classic film Love Jones, especially since there appears to be a demand for it from the fans?
NL: We’ve been trying to make that happen for a long time, and if it were my decision I would say “Yes.” But it’s out of my hands. Larenz [co-star Larenz Tate] and I have definitely discussed it, and we’re committed to doing it.
KW: How about The Best Man? I saw that you just had a cast reunion the other day. How was it seeing everybody together at the same time?
NL: Oh my goodness! That was the highlight of my new year so far. We were all so excited to get together. We had such an amazing time! And Malcolm Lee’s a genius for pulling it all together. He’s so kind, so humble, and such a great director. We’re really going to try to do it again, because there was still that chemistry that had worked so well. It was a great night.
KW: What was it like to make People’s 50 Most Beautiful People in the world list?
NL: [Chuckles] I was flattered. I was shocked. I was happy. I was like, “Really? Me? I’ll take that. That’s a blessing.” But it’s also pressure, because it means you gotta be beautiful on the inside, too. It’s something I can tell my grandbabies someday.
KW: Your folks are from Trinidad. Do you still eat any traditional Trinidadian dishes like callaloo, roti, bake and curried goat?
NL: I don’t eat goat, but I love roti. My friend Carol owns a fantastic restaurant in Englewood, called the Caribbean Treehouse which is one of the few places in L.A. that serves truly authentic Trini food.
KW: I have a friend who used to own a Trinidadian restaurant in Brooklyn, who cooks me a Trini meal at least once a week. He just prepared some roti for me today.
NL: It’s so delicious.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
NL: Mmm….No, not really. That’s kind of a weird question. I don’t know how to answer that. I guess the question would be: Are you happy? People never ask that.
KW: Funny that’s a question I ask everybody. I call it the Columbus Short question: So, are you happy?
NL: I am! I am very happy. At this moment, I’m the happiest I’ve been in a very long time. But it’s different from the surface happy, it’s the soul happy. That’s how I’m feeling right now. The last couple years have been difficult, not just financially, but for my 90 year-old grandmother suffering from Alzheimer’s and for my mom who’s a retired schoolteacher. So, it’s been difficult seeing the cycle of life changing. Things that used to work a few years ago don’t anymore. And that transition form the old to the new can be challenging. I’ve spent a lot of time recently sorting out what’s important and what’s not so important. And after doing that spring cleaning of the self you end up with a streamlined life that’s simple, balanced and very clear. After working 20 years in the business, it’s been satisfying to take the time to do that for Nia. It’s a testimony to my personal growth. So, yes I am happy! I have a little bit of everything and a lot of God in my life. For me, that’s the most important thing. I feel really safe. I have my family and a handful of close friends, and a great man in my life who is very supportive and my best friend.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NL: Oh, gosh, yes.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NL: I have a good laugh everyday. Yesterday, my son and I and my mom were cracking up watching Youtube bloopers in the kitchen.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
NL: Chocolate.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
NL: Queen Pin.
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
NL: Lupe Fiasco.
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
NL: I love making breakfast: turkey bacon, fried eggs over-medium, home fried potatoes, English muffins, oatmeal with berries and a great fruit smoothie. I love breakfast!
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
NL: Ooooooh! I’m going to have to say Badgley Mischka’s beautiful gowns for women. I love Dolce for that classic sexy look. And Stella McCartney’s fantastic, because she takes a classic design and makes it really functional, but funky and edgy at the same time. And I love shoes. I am a shoe fanatic. I have a special closet in my home just for my shoes. I hope I have a little girl one day, because she is going to win the lottery in the shoe department.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
NL: I see a pretty, brown girl who was born in Brooklyn, grew up in South Central L.A. and did alright for herself.
KW: Where in Brooklyn are you from?
NL: Crown Heights.
KW: I went to high school in Crown Heights, at the corner of Nostrand Avenue and President Street.
NL: Oh, wow! I grew on Park Place between Kingston and Albany, right down the street from the Albany Projects.
KW: Small world. If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
NL: A conversation with Michelle Obama.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NL: Waiting for a school bus in Iowa City when I was 5. We moved there so my mother could attend college at the University of Iowa. I was standing on the corner in a red parka in front of a bakery. I could smell the aroma and I couldn’t understand why mother wouldn’t let me go inside and buy a donut. She was a health food nut.
KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
NL: Enjoy life, study hard, play hard, be kind to other people, set high standards, and don’t be afraid to say “No.”
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
NL: As a great mother and a great friend, and as truthful and fair.
KW: The Dulé Hill question. Do you think that the success you’ve achieved in your career is because of you, because of a higher power, or because of a mixture of both?
NL: I attribute my talent and my success to God, but I believe that the only way you can manifest what He has ordained for you is by being close to Him and by making it happen. But we have to stay close to Him in order to be an image of Him.
KW: The Dr. Cornel West question: What price are you willing to pay for a cause that is bigger than your own self interest?
NL: I don’t look upon it as having to pay a price. I think that if something matters to you, and is important to you, then you give it the attention and energy it deserves. So, I don’t look upon it as a price, but as an opportunity to influence the community in a healthy way.
KW: Thanks again for the interview, Nia, and best of luck with the film.
NL: Thank you for asking such amazing questions. This was a treat! Call me any time.
To see a trailer for Mooz-Lum, visit:
Nicolas Cage
Larry Greenberg says: Drive Angry may very well be the breakout film for the live-action 3-D genre. What was it like working with this advanced technology?
Nicolas Cage: During the first week of photography, Larry, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was doing whatever I could to mess with the format, trying to see if there was anything I could that would be unique in the 3-D format. Then, in the second week, I settled down when I began to realize that it was in many ways not unlike working on a regular movie with two dimensional cameras. It’s a credit to Patrick because you can easily blow out the 3-D effect, if you’re not careful about where you put your cameras and how you line up your actors. But because he had already done a movie in 3-D, he was a real maestro of the format and was able to shoot it efficiently.
The whole interview…
Nicolas Cage
The “Drive Angry” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Nicolas Un-Caged!
Nicolas Kim Coppola was born in Long Beach, California on January 7, 1964 to August Coppola, an English professor, and Joy Vogelsang, a dancer and choreographer. He attended Beverly Hills High in L.A., which is where he developed an interest in acting prior to studying theater at UCLA.
Nic made his big screen debut in 1982 in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, before changing his surname name to Cage to avoid any accusations of nepotism as the nephew of director Francis Ford Coppola. He then embarked on a remarkable career which has included an Oscar win in 1996 for Leaving Las Vegas as well as memorable performances in everything from Raising Arizona to Moonstruck to Face/Off to Snake Eyes to Adaptation to National Treasure 1 & 2 to The Bad Lieutenant to Kick-Ass which was #2 on this critic’s Top 10 List for 2010.
Here, he talks about his latest film, Drive Angry 3-D, a supernatural thriller where he plays a fugitive from Hell intent on rescuing his granddaughter from the gang of goons who also murdered his daughter.
Kam Williams: Hi Nicolas, I’m honored to have this opportunity.
Nicolas Cage: Oh, thank you. Thanks for inviting me.
KW: I’d like to let you know that I loved Kick-Ass which was the #2 film on my Top 10 List for last year.
NC: Oh was it? Thank you! I’m happy to hear that.
KW: What interested you in Drive Angry 3-D?
NC: There were a lot of different elements, starting with working with [writer/director] Patrick Lussier. Within ten minutes of talking with him, I realized how imaginative a person he was, and how passionate he was about the genre. When he said that I was going to get my eyes shot out and handed to me on a silver platter during one of the film’s more unusual moments, I sparked to that immediately and said “I’m in!” for some reason which I can’t entirely explain. Plus, I wanted to work in the 3-D format to see what I could do with it.
KW: How would you describe your character?
NC: I envisioned Milton as a mysterious, physics-defying phantom from Hell. So, I tried to play him like a ghost, almost, where you couldn’t tell what he was thinking.
KW: Larry Greenberg says: Drive Angry may very well be the breakout film for the live-action 3-D genre. What was it like working with this advanced technology?
NC: During the first week of photography, Larry, I was like a kid in a candy store. I was doing whatever I could to mess with the format, trying to see if there was anything I could that would be unique in the 3-D format. Then, in the second week, I settled down when I began to realize that it was in many ways not unlike working on a regular movie with two dimensional cameras. It’s a credit to Patrick because you can easily blow out the 3-D effect, if you’re not careful about where you put your cameras and how you line up your actors. But because he had already done a movie in 3-D, he was a real maestro of the format and was able to shoot it efficiently.
KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks: Does being an action hero require taking a different approach to preparing for your role?
NC: I think that the main difference is in having to be more dense, more succinct, because you only have but so much time to develop and then convey the character. So, every moment has to count because there are other needs of the genre that have to be facilitated, like the car chase, the fight sequence, and so forth. Therefore, if you want to push a character through in this genre, you have to be precise and very efficient with any opportunities for development. But in answer to Irene’s question, I’d say that overall, in terms of preparation and commitment, I’m equally committed and working just as hard whether it be an action film, an art film, or any other type of film.
KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks: From a lover in Moonlight to a villain in Face/Off to an alcoholic in Leaving Las Vegas to a fugitive from Hell in Drive Angry, which of your roles have been the most challenging and which were the most fun?
NC: Well, it’s been kind of a challenge to play a living dead man. So, I would say that Drive Angry was perhaps more challenging than those other because there’s not a real frame of reference to rely upon. You have to build something totally from the imagination by asking yourself: What are the physics of being a living dead man? How does that unfold and what would create those odd moments which might make people scratch their heads and wonder who this guy really is? In terms of fun, Harriet, that’s really a matter of who I’m working with. Here, the experience was great working with people like Amber Heard and Billy Burke. But it might not be fun when you’re dealing with more moody subject-matter, but I don’t want to mention names.
KW: Kathy Ancar says: I’m your biggest fan in New Orleans. You have always sung the praises of New Orleans, and we sincerely appreciate it. However, financial challenges forced you to give up the two homes you owned here. How involved were you in the rebuilding efforts of the city, and do you plan to ever again call New Orleans home?
NC: Thanks, Kathy. Some part of me will always have a home in New Orleans, in terms of my memories, and the amount of movies I literally make there. So, I’m always returning to the city. I feel like I was almost reborn in New Orleans. I’ve had experiences there that bordered on the fantastical. So, I can’t ever really leave it. As far as the rebuilding, I don’t want to toot my own horn, so to speak. I’ve been more interested in immediate response as opposed to actual rebuilding.
KW: It makes me think of that famous quote from William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It isn’t even past.”
NC: That makes sense to me, because everything’s circular.
KW: Peter Keough asks: What place does the supernatural have in your life, given the haunted house you lived in New Orleans.
NC: What’s interesting about the supernatural to me is that it’s something that is very natural. It’s not more than natural. It may be super-physical in the sense of something out of the range of our physical awareness, so that invisible forces like spirits play into it. But in my opinion, all that stuff is very natural.
KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: I love your work especially Face/Off. You are an actor, director and producer. What advice can you give to young actors who want to expand their venues in the movie industry?
NC: The main thing, Patricia, is to stick to your guns and to remember to ignore the negativity from people who say that you can’t do it. That’s a start. And that’s something you have to remember even after you enjoy a measure of success in your career, myself included. Any kind of abuse can really discourage you from believing in yourself and from having the confidence to realize your dreams. I would especially offer to anyone just starting out that when someone tells you “You can’t,” that person has negative intentions towards you.
KW: Nick Antoine asks: Is it true that you discovered Johnny Depp?
NC: That was years ago. We were friends, but we really haven’t spoken to each other in decades. At the time we were both kinda just starting out, and we had a mutual friend and, yeah, I did see something in him and thought that he would be able to achieve what he has.
KW: David “Mr. B.” Barradale asks: How would you compare working with Cher in Moonstruck vs. Penelope Cruz in Captain Corelli’s Mandolin vs.Kathleen Turner in Peggy Sue Got Married?
NC: Well, they’re each extremely talented, but I would have a hard time comparing them because I wouldn’t want to praise one in a way which could possibly hurt another one’s feelings. But they’re all extraordinary actresses.
KW: Jimmy Bayan says: Nicolas, moving the searchlight over your life, are there five minutes that you would just love to live over again? And are there five minutes that you would just rather forget?
NC: [LOL] Yes, there are both, Jimmy.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?
NC: No.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NC: Yeah, I mean, that’s part of the human condition.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NC: Yeah, that’s also part of the human condition.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NC: Last night.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
NC: I do like sugar.
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
NC: A 19th Century novel called “Zanoni” by Sir Edward Bulwer-Lytton.http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1451597002/ref=nosim/thslfofire-20
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?
NC: Stowkowski’s “Bach Symphonies” and Axl Rose’s “Use Your Illusion 1.”
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
NC: Ultra-spicy eggs over easy with whole red peppers.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
NC: I don’t have one.
KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
NC: Me again.
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
NC: A peaceful world where children aren’t hurt.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NC: I must have been four years old. I was lying in a bed being shaken by women who were humming something in a foreign language. I was in a small, European village called Rodi. The women had cooked fox stew and they made me drink Anisette, a licorice-flavored alcoholic substance. They might have been trying to cast out demons.
KW: The Dr. Cornel West question: What price are you willing to pay for a cause that is bigger than your own self interest?
NC: I guess it would have to be the ultimate price, but I hope that doesn’t happen any time soon.
KW: The Tavis Smiley question: How do you want to be remembered?
NC: As somebody who cared about people and about the Arts.
KW: Thanks again for the time, Nicolas, and best of luck with the film.
EH: Thank you, Kam.
To see a trailer for Drive Angry, visit:
Norah Jones
Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:
Larry Greenberg, says “I am a huge fan, I love everything with your voice in it. What is your favorite flavor of Chex Mix?
Nora Jones: [LOL] That’s funny. [Laughs some more] I guess original. Don’t give me no lo-fat. Do you know why he asked that?
Kam Williams: No.
Nora Jones: It’s from a song “I Got Chex Mix” that I sang on an album with those Lonely Island guys from Saturday Night Live.
The Full Interview…
Norah Jones
The “Wah Do Dem” Interview
with Kam Williams
Headline: Norah Knows Why
Norah Jones was born Geethali Shankar in Brooklyn on March 30, 1979 to Sue Jones and Ravi Shankar, the legendary Indian sitar player. At the age of 4, she and her mom moved to groovy Grapevine, Texas where she started singing in the church choir at an early age, while learning to play the piano, guitar and alto saxophone.
At 16, she changed her name to Norah Jones while attending Booker T. Washington High School. After graduation, she majored in piano at the University of North Texas until she decided to return to New York City to form a band. In 2002, she made a mellow debut with “Come Away with Me,” a universally-acclaimed CD which won 8 Grammy Awards and is the best-selling jazz album of all time at over 20 million copies and counting.
Norah’s next couple of recrds, “Feels Like Home” and “Not Too Late,” also went platinum, and she’s currently on tour for her fourth, “The Fall.” Besides singing, songwriting and playing multiple instruments, this gifted Renaissance woman is also an actress who has enjoyed a starring role in My Blueberry Nights and appeared as herself in Two Weeks Notice and Life Support Music. Here, the sultry siren talks about life, music and her latest screen outing in Wah Do Dem, a road comedy where she cameos as the ex-girlfriend of a just-dumped slacker who gets mugged while vacationing in Jamaica.
Kam Williams: Hi Norah, thanks for the time.
Norah Jones: Hi Kam, everything cool with you?
KW: Yes, thanks. What interested you in Wah Do Dem?
NJ: Well, I had taken some time off, and wasn’t really doing much at the time, just sort of hanging out in New York. I get lots of random requests, which might be cool, but just don’t make sense at the time for a lot of different reasons. With Wah Do Dem, I was free, and it was a really interesting concept. They didn’t have a script, just an outline of where they wanted the story to go and a plan too improvise, but with an underlying storyline. It sounded easy enough to do, so I spoke to them on the phone, and they seemed like good people and really cool.
KW: I really enjoyed the film although I was a little disappointed by the ending which I don’t want to give away except to say I was hoping for a more clear-cut resolution of your character Willow and Max’s [played by Sean Bones] relationship.
NJ: I know what you mean, but I think the film isn’t about the relationship, but about Max’s figuring his stuff out, and kind of growing up a little bit. I think for him to do that there shouldn’t be a girl around in the end, even though audiences might find it more satisfying. This way, it’s more like real life.
KW: I guess I wanted you to have a bigger role.
NJ: No, that’s the other reason I liked it. First of all, I wasn’t prepared to commit to a large project at the time, because I was tired. So when they said they only needed me for a small part, I thought that would really be a lot of fun for me, because I don’t make or break the film, and I liked the way the directors [Ben Chace and Sam Fleischner] approached shooting it.
KW: Guerilla style.
NJ: Yeah, they didn’t have any permits, and they used a lot of real people in Jamaica. It was crazy. They were very ambitious, and I was a little worried about whether they’d be able to pull it all off, but they did.
KW: Do you have another acting gig planned?
NJ: Not right now, although I really enjoy it when I actually have the time to do it.
KW: What about your music? Where can people see you play?
NJ: I just finished a U.S. tour, and we’re leaving tomorrow for Europe for a month or so.
KW: Who’s in the band? The same people playing on your latest album?
NJ: A great group. Sasha Dobson on guitar, banjo, percussion and backup vocals, Smokey Hormel on guitar, Joey Waronker on drums, Gus Seyyfert on bass, and John Kirby on keyboards. Except for Sasha, they all played on the record.
KW: How would you describe your new sound?
NJ: I have a hard time describing it. I’d rather just play it. But I’d say it’s definitely taken a little bit of a shift, and I like where it’s going. I’m excited about trying out a lot of different sounds. It’s nice to change and explore.
KW: You strike me as an irrepressible artist who’s always inclined to be faithful to her true nature.
NJ: That’s cool with me. I like that. [Chuckles]
KW: You play more guitar on this album. What’s your favorite instrument?
NJ: I love the piano. I’m more familiar with the piano. But I think for that reason, I enjoy playing the guitar, because I’m a little bit more limited on it. The main reason I play the guitar is that I like it, it has a different sound, and it’s also portable. It’s way easier, since I can’t carry a piano around with me. So, it’s become a good outlet for me to write on.
KW: You could try a melodica.
NJ: I could play a melodica, but I can’t imagine traveling with a melodica somehow. [Laughs]
KW: I have some questions for you from fans. Larry Greenberg, says “I am a huge fan, I love everything with your voice in it. What is your favorite flavor of Chex Mix?
NJ: [LOL] That’s funny. [Laughs some more] I guess original. Don’t give me no lo-fat. Do you know why he asked that?
KW: No.
NJ: It’s from a song “I Got Chex Mix” that I sang on an album with those Lonely Island guys from Saturday Night Live.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HV51bOrJMY
KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks, which culture do you identify with most closely?
NJ: Probably American, since I grew up here. I’m living in New York, and I grew up in Texas. I have a real love of Texas culture, and I always love visiting, but I don’t know if I’d move back. It’s a different thing down there. And it’s so hot. [Chuckles]
KW: Plus, the Gulf of Mexico is going to be turned into a giant tar pit if they can’t figure out a way to plug the hole. Wesley Derbyshire asks, how do performances in small versus larger theaters effect your connection between you and the audience?
NJ: They’re different. I like both. I play in a lot of bars in New York with smaller bands, and I really enjoy it. But I’ve also enjoyed playing larger arenas on this tour recently, because the audiences have been so loving. So, they’re different, but both are very rewarding.
KW: What was it like becoming an overnight sensation after the release of your first album?
NJ: It was crazy for a few years, but it’s settled in now. I have a lot of good people who’ve stuck with me, and I feel like I know who my friends are now. I just try to take the good, and let go of all the stressful bad stuff.
KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? If so, please answer it.
NJ: I guess not. I can never think of that one.
KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
NJ: Afraid? Sure! I’m human.
KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
NJ: Yeah, usually.
KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?
NJ: [Giggles] This morning. My mom is here and we had a big fight, and then a big laugh. [LOL]
KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?
NJ: I’m reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, but I’m not finished yet. It’s really long.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061120073?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061120073
KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What was the last thing you listened to on your iPod?
NJ: Mule Variations by Tom Waits.
KW: My favorite song by him is New Coat of Paint.
NJ: I don’t think I know that one.
KW: It’s off that Heart of Saturday night album. When you look in the mirror, what do you see?
NJ: I see me.
KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?
NJ: By just being themselves. [Chuckles]
KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?
NJ: Oh, that’s a hard one. There’re too many things. [Giggles]
KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?
NJ: Spaghetti.
KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?
NJ: I feel like I’ve just stayed true to myself which I think is a big accomplishment in this business. Whether you like me or not, I’ve stayed pretty true to my art. I also feel good about having worked really hard to establish myself as an artist.
KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?
NJ: It’s of a dream I had where I was playing in a playground and I bit my lower lip off. I was in daycare and 2 or 3 at the time. I woke up so shocked by the dream that I’ve remembered that moment ever since.
KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?
NJ: I don’t know. I don’t think I have one.
KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?
NJ: Bacon and eggs, although I don’t feel that guilty about it. I’m not old enough to have to worry about it yet.
KW: What’s been the happiest moment of your life?
NJ: I don’t know. I’ve had a lot of them. I can’t pick just one.
KW: Do you ever wish you could have your anonymity back?
NJ: I’m pretty lucky. I can kinda be anonymous easier than a lot of other people who are very successful. And I’m not sure why that is.
KW: My guess is that you don’t travel with a big entourage or try to cultivate that celebrity energy.
NJ: Yeah, I don’t disguise myself when I go to the grocery story, and I don’t dress up, either. So, I just look like a little kid, usually, because I’m pretty short.
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
NJ: With a smile.
KW: Thanks for a great interview Norah, and have fun in Europe.
NJ: Cool, thanks a lot, bye.
To see a trailer for Wah Do Dem, visit: http://vimeo.com/4368680
To see a video of Norah Jones singing Don’t Know Why, visit:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ccu9YUgP680
To find out when Norah will be playing in a venue near you, visit:http://www.norahjones.com
To purchase a copy of her latest CD, “The Fall,” visit:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002NWRMVS?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002NWR