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Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:

“KW: Larry Greenberg says that you have an amazing acting range, and he wants to know how you go back and forth from shooting a non-stop action film like this to the TV show and then to making For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide without getting whiplash.

OH: I appreciate the compliment. It’s very humbling to hear someone recognize the range that I have, but the whiplash definitely happens. Travel in between work helps, and maybe getting away after a project’s done.”

The Full Interview…

Omari Hardwick

The “Kick-Ass” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Hardwick Has Arrived!

Born in Savannah, Georgia on January 9, 1974, Omari Hardwick was the second of four children blessing the union of Clifford and Joyce Hardwick. The family moved to Decatur where Omari excelled in athletics and established himself as a standout, eventually earning himself a college football scholarship.

Although he had demonstrated a certain flair for the dramatic early in life, it wasn’t until his junior year at the University of Georgia that Omari that he began his formal training in acting. While there, he joined the Athens Theater Company and eventually starred in a number of plays including August Wilson’s “Fences.”

Soon after graduation, a knee injury cut short his plans for a pro football career. Omari then decided to focus on acting full-time and headed to New York City to hone his skills on the stage before making the move to Los Angeles. After years of perseverance, Omari finally landed a breakout role when Spike Lee cast him as Dante’ in Sucker Free City.

Omari’s showbiz career has benefitted from a steady rise ever since, with the versatile thespian exhibiting an enviable acting range in such films as Miracle at St. Anna, Next Day Air, The Gridiron Gang, The Guardian and Beauty Shop. And among his upcoming offerings are The A-Team, For Colored Girls, Bolden and I Will Follow. Meanwhile, he’s also appeared on TV shows like CSI: Miami, Crossing Jordan and Saved, and he currently co-stars opposite Dylan McDermott on TNT’s gritty, cop series Dark Blue.

Here, Omari talks about his controversial new movie, Kick-Ass, the adaptation of the Marvel Comics series which opened up in the #1 spot at the box office.

Kam Williams: Hey, Omari, nice to meet you, and thanks for the time.

Omari Hardwick: Same here.

KW: What interested you in doing Kick-Ass, such a controversial film?

OH: It was the controversy itself which interested me. I already was a fan of [director] Matthew Vaughn from his collaborations with Guy Ritchie on Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. I met with him early on in the process and appreciated his creative vision. My interest definitely revolved around how an 11 year-old girl would be a superhero and potentially train my character in the sequel. So, of course, I salivated at the opportunity. It was definitely a bold pick, but I had a lot of fun working with a young genius in [co-star] Chloe Moretz. Plus, she’s from Georgia, I’m from Georgia, so everything lined up.

KW: What was your main challenge in doing this film, the action sequences?

OH:  I wouldn’t say it was the physicality, having come to acting from the world of sports. The main challenge was just the scheduling, really, because my TV show, Dark Blue was taking off at the same time, and this was being shot in London for the most part, and then also in Toronto. There was a lot of travel involved and scheduling conflicts, but I had to do it, so I figured a way to get it done.

KW: Were you surprised when the picture was #1 at the box office? I loved it, and said in my review that it’s the best comic book adaptation since The Dark Knight. It’s also the best blockbuster I’ve seen this year so far.

OH: Man, that’s very humbling for me to hear you say that, Kam. I knew that it would do well, but I didn’t expect this kind of initial reaction. It’s definitely the Pulp Fiction of its day, only with kids.

KW: Laz Lyles was wondering whether you had any pre-conceived notions about what Kick-Ass would be like, and if going into a project with ideas about it tends to prepare you or hinder you?

OH: That’s a great question. I’d have to say it’s a little bit of both. For this kind of film, there was enough vagueness in the script that it left me a little baffled about where I’d fit in and what I’d mean to the film. There were some challenges for me in trying to figure out how to play this guy because, honestly, my character was the only one that was quote-unquote “real.” The rest were sort of fantastical. The major challenge was in figuring out, how do I maintain Marcus’ subtlety and realness while supporting the superhero theme of the movie? But of course I jumped in full steam ahead.

KW: Larry Greenberg says that you have an amazing acting range, and he wants to know how you go back and forth from shooting a non-stop action film like this to the TV show and then to making For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide without getting whiplash.

OH: I appreciate the compliment. It’s very humbling to hear someone recognize the range that I have, but the whiplash definitely happens. Travel in between work helps, and maybe getting away after a project’s done.

KW: Laz says, since you’re going to be in A-Team, she’d like to know what you think of this resurgence of Eighties action films and if there any you’d like to see the dust blown off of and remade today?

OH: Like anybody who grew up in the Eighties, I cringe at the thought of these movies being remade, because of the corniness and cheesiness of the originals. I hope that in the 21^st Century, they’ll be able to eliminate the cheese factor when they redo them. If I could remake any Eighties project, it would be less an action flick than a character-driven drama with a rich story to tell.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls asks, what are your goals as an actor, and where do you want your career to go?

OH: Just to tell the truth in whatever role I do, and not got lost or swallowed up by the scope when I’m in a blockbuster. And I want to avoid being typecast and any obvious comparisons to other actors.

KW: You don’t want to get pigeonholed.

OH: Right. If I can just be thought of as Omari Hardwick who had a really, really solid career, and whose work is appreciated in its own right, I think that would be a great legacy to leave behind.

KW: Irene has a follow-up. What were the factors and who were the people who made you who are?                                                                                                         OH: My mom and pop, and my four grandparents who I’m blessed to still have. As an African-American male born with a couple of strikes against you because of your skin color, I think it’s very, very important to have some positive role models around, especially male influences. Fortunately, for me, one was never that far away. I could always just turn to the lefty or to the right, and I had positive grandparents, uncles and coaches. So, I was lucky that I didn’t have to search far for my heroes.

KW: Yeah, when I interviewed LeBron James, who was raised by a single mom, he credited his coach for serving as an important male influence in his life. Did you see his movie?

OH: LeBron actually invited me to the premiere to play in a celebrity game. We talked and found out that we have a lot in common. That dude was going on 45 at 14 years of age. He’s a great guy and ridiculously mature.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? OH: I thought of one the other day, but I can’t remember it now. It had to do with exposing yourself as an actor, and then having to go back into the world as myself.

KW: I recently asked Don Cheadle whether there were any parts of his psyche he had not yet explored on camera. And he responded, “If there’s anything I haven’t revealed yet, it’s probably best kept under wraps.”

OH: Wow! I’m not anywhere near Don’s stature, and haven’t put in that much time yet, so I’d say I have a lot more to share and to reveal. But I think Don Cheadle’s definitely onto something. I would guess that there’s a risk of ending up feeling pained and lonely while walking in a world full of people.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

OH: Yeah, I would say my biggest fear, since experiencing a major tragedy in the family, is that I count my days left on this Earth. I now look at life as fleeting, not a marathon.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

OH: Yeah, although I feel weighty and some inner turmoil at times. But overall, I’d say I’m optimistic, if not happy on a daily basis.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

OH: Watching Kick-Ass!

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

OH: The one I’m working on right now is the biography of James Dean.http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156980298X?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=156980298X

Prior to that, I read The Alchemist for about the sixth time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061122416?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061122416

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

OH: I’ve been listening to Usher’s new album, and also some Stevie Wonder. But I like everyone from Bjork to Tupac.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

OH: Salmon with carmelized crushed pecans on top. I like fish a lot, but I’m addicted to apples.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

OH: Someone who’s trying to grow. It’s rare for artists to really stare deeply at themselves in the mirror, literally, because there’s constantly a mirror on you. But figuratively speaking, I’m really into growth, so when I look in the mirror, I see somebody who’s just trying to get better everyday.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

OH: [LOL] Being laughed at by my big brother and his friends. I was wearing Oshkosh B’gosh overalls while riding a duck tricycle very fast down a hill in Nashville. At the time, my father was in law school at Vanderbilt.

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who’s your favorite clothes designer?

OH: That’s a good question, Kam. That’s a good question… I think classic Ralph Lauren is my favorite. It’s timeless.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

OH: Krispy Kreme donuts.

KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?

OH: Mother Teresa.

KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?

OH: By staying interested. Their interest alone humbles and flatters me.

KW: What do you want to be remembered for?

OH: For my consistency.

KW: Thanks again, Omari, and I look forward to speaking to you again soon about some of your upcoming projects.

OH: That sounds good, man. Take care of yourself and your family.

To see a trailer for Kick-Ass, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAnyfRmrvLE

Larry Greenberg says: Owen, I love you in a purely non-gay way. When I see that you’re in a film, I know that it will be fun to watch. How do you move so seemingly effortlessly from a zany comedy like “Night at the Museum” to a more complex film like “The Darjeeling Limited”? 

Owen Wilson: Thanks, Larry. Well, I guess it’s always about reading the script and knowing who you’re going to work with so you can make sure that even in the zany comedies you have it grounded in some sort of a reality in the world that you’ve created. So, I don’t find it that hard a transition. It might actually be harder for someone who just does dramatic stuff to do a comedy than for someone who does mostly funny stuff to do something more serious. I think it’s actually easier to do it that way.  

The whole interwiew…

Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis

The “Hall Pass” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Co-Stars Expound on Their Comedy Philosophy and Their New Flick

Born in Dallas, Texas on November 18, 1968, Owen Wilson has garnered widespread acclaim for his memorable turns in both mainstream and independent films. He most recently starred in James L. Brooks’ romantic comedy “How Do You Know,” with Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon, and in “Little Fockers,” opposite Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. Among his upcoming projects are “The Big Year” with Steve Martin, and Woody Allen’s romantic comedy “Midnight in Paris.”

Owen’s string of box-office hits includes “Marley & Me,” “Rushmore,” “Night at the Museum” (1 & 2) and “Wedding Crashers,” co-starring Vince Vaughn. He also was in this critic’s #1 film of 2007, “The Darjeeling Limited,” a movie which marked his fifth collaboration with director Wes Anderson.

In 2002, Owen was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for “The Royal Tenenbaums.” And his additional acting credits include “Starsky & Hutch,” “Zoolander,”  “Drillbit Taylor,” “The Wendell Baker Story,” “Shanghai Noon,” “Behind Enemy Lines,” “I Spy,” “Shanghai Knights,”  “Armageddon,” “The Minus Man” and “The Cable Guy.”

            Born in Fairfax, Virginia on September 18, 1975, Jason Sudeikis is currently enjoying his sixth season as a principal ensemble cast member on NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” following two years of his first serving as a writer for the show. Jason has also received rave reviews for his dozen appearances on NBC’s “30 Rock” as Tina Fey’s love interest, Floyd.

His film credits include “The Bounty Hunter,” “Going the Distance,” “What Happens in Vegas,” “The Ten,” “Watching the Detectives,” “Bill,” Semi-Pro,” “The Rocker” and “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy.” Here Owen and Jason discuss their careers as well as their co-starring roles in Hall Pass, a buddy comedy about a couple of married guys given a week of freedom by their wives (Jenna Fischer and Christina Applegate) to do whatever they want, no questions asked.

Kam Williams: Hi Owen and Jason, thanks for the time.

Owen Wilson: Hi, Kam.

Jason Sudeikis: Hey. 

KW: I have a lot of questions sent in by my readers, so I’d like to get right to them, if you don’t mind.

JS: Let’s do it. 

KW: Danny Costa, says: Chump ask this question of Owen. Do you have any plans to do another small indie movie? Your early work is the best, bar none. 

OW: Thanks, Danny. Uhhhhhhh, yeah, I mean I just worked on a Woody Allen movie that was kinda small. I guess that would kind of be considered an indie. I think that’ll be out in late summer or the fall. 

KW: Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier says: Jason, what is your favorite impersonation to do? 

JS: I like doing Joe Biden because he has such a very outgoing personality and because I get to wear fake teeth.

KW: Patricia also wants to know what’s your favorite SNL sketch to do? 

JS: I really enjoy how the whole cast gets involved in the “What Up With That?” sketches. It’s a very fun energy when you have the majority, if not all, of the cast in one sketch, and the audience really responds to it.

KW: Patricia has a question for both of you. Who’s your favorite comedian of all time? 

JS: I would probably go Eddie Murphy or Bill Murray. 

OW: Yeah, those are good choices, although it’s easier for me to go with classic scenes with different people in them. 

KW: Like the late comedians Sam Kinison and Rodney Dangerfield in “Back to School.”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xfi4s8cjLFI

JS: Yeah, they were great in that.

OW: How about Zero Mostel in the opening of “The Producers.” That whole sequence was one of the funniest things ever.

JS: I don’t think there’s anything funnier than when Bill Murray’s sarcastic with anybody who’s being a pain in the ass. Nobody makes me laugh more.

KW: I thought the Bill O’Reilly impersonation you opened the show with a couple of weeks ago was great.

JS: I appreciate that. That’s very nice of you to say that. 

KW: Larry Greenberg says: Owen, I love you in a purely non-gay way. When I see that you’re in a film, I know that it will be fun to watch. How do you move so seemingly effortlessly from a zany comedy like “Night at the Museum” to a more complex film like “The Darjeeling Limited”? 

OW: Thanks, Larry. Well, I guess it’s always about reading the script and knowing who you’re going to work with so you can make sure that even in the zany comedies you have it grounded in some sort of a reality in the world that you’ve created. So, I don’t find it that hard a transition. It might actually be harder for someone who just does dramatic stuff to do a comedy than for someone who does mostly funny stuff to do something more serious. I think it’s actually easier to do it that way.

KW: Nick Antoine, a big fan of yours who has memorized every line from “Wedding Crashers,” says: I’ve heard that much of your acting is improvised. Do you just naturally have that droll sense of humor all the time? 

OW: Well, yes… Somebody else was just asking us about that, and Jason was saying, which I agree with, that it isn’t where you’re letting the film roll and you’re just trying to come up with stuff on the set during the shoot. The improvising takes place maybe the day before or even when you first get the script, making notes in the margins like, “This could be something to try.” So, it isn’t so much improvising right in the moment, although that does happen sometimes, too. But it’s a lot more common that it’s the consequence of something you’ve been thinking about because you’ve been living with the character, the story and the script. For instance, do you remember my character’s unctuous pickup line in “Wedding Crashers” that went “People say you only use 10% of your brain. I think we only use 10% of our hearts.”

JS: [Applauds and laughs]

KW: Yeah, that was hilarious. 

OW: Well, we’d already finished shooting that scene when I suggested adding the line to the director [David Dobkin]. He was like, “Okay, we can go back and work it in.” And you know what? I think that’s the way almost everyone I’ve come in contact with works. There may be some people who just always stick to the script, but most of us tend to come up with other ideas.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles points out that both of you guys are accomplished scriptwriters. She was wondering how hard was it for you to work on a film where neither of you contributed to the original screenplay?

JS: I was fine with it. I’m used to working with really great writers at SNL where I sort of learned how to tweak scripts so they make more sense to me emotionally or comedically, as long as the author isn’t super-militant. I actually look forward to that opportunity, so long as the original scriptwriter isn’t so, for lack of a better term, enamored with their words or idea. If I know they’re married to the script going in, I don’t mind respecting the dialogue. But I think a free and open approach is a better way to go.

KW: Owen, attorney Bernadette Beekman says: Congratulations on becoming a father last month. 

OW: Thanks, Bernadette.

KW: Jason, Bernadette wants to know if you’re a Kansas Jayhawks fan and if you’re really into basketball, given the way you’ve mentioned the team in sketches and how you’re shown shooting hoops in the opening credits on SNL

JS: Yes, that’s accurate. 

KW: Marcia Evans says: Owen, I am a fan of your wonderful movie “Marley & Me.” That film touched me on a few fronts: the love of animals, its showing the evolution and the growing pains of a relationship that led to marriage, and how adding children to the equation presents new challenges. I did not expect that film to tug at my heart strings as much as it did. The film made it clear that marriage is work. Marriage is about keeping love first whether it involves loving a person or an animal. She asks: Are you a dog lover? What breed of dog do you own? 

OW: Thanks, Marcia. Yeah, I would say I’m a dog lover. I grew up with dogs, and I have a terrific pet that I’ve had for nine years, an Australian cattle dog, named Garcia. In fact, he had a cameo in “Marley and Me.”

KW: Howard Harris says: Owen, what film did you turn down and realize it would have been perfect for you?

OW: I’ve never had that happen to me. I think they approached my friend Woody Harrelson about Jerry Maguire, and he was like, “I don’t know about playing an agent.” But I don’t have any of those stories where somebody offered me a role which turned out to be something big.

KW: Owen, Will Cooper asks: How does it feel to have created a new genre of movie with those buddies you worked with on a number of your early films?

OW: I don’t know if they’re a new genre. They just seem like comedies to me. And I’ve just been fortunate to be able to work with a lot of people who are really good.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

JS: Yeah, how are you doing? No one takes the time to just ask me how I’m doing today.

KW: Okay, how are you doing?

JS: None of your goddamn business! [Laughs]

KW: How about you, Owen? How are you doing?

OW: None of your business! [Laughs]

KW: Okay, on that note, let me say thanks again for the interview, guys, and best of luck with Hall Pass.

OW: Thanks, Kam.

JS: Thank you very much.

To see a trailer for Hall Pass, visit: <span>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvqbOPX3wBs

Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:

“KW: Larry Greenberg says, “I love that you are a Star Trek fan like me. Which character is your favorite?”

P: I’d say Spock, but now everybody’s on him, so, like, cool.”

The Full Interview…

Pharrell

The “Despicable Me” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Pharrell’s Philosophy

Pharrell was born on April 5, 1973 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the eldest of three sons to bless the union of Carolyn and Pharoah Williams, a schoolteacher and handyman, respectively. At the age of just 12, the aspiring musician started playing with Chad Hugo, a kid he met over summer vacation at band camp.

They formed a group called The Neptunes which was discovered while still in high school by the legendary Teddy Riley who signed the pair soon after graduation.

Since then, Pharrell has embarked on an enviable career, both as a member of The Neptunes, Child Rebel Soldier and NERD and as a solo artist. Furthermore, the triple Grammy-winner’s singing, performing and/or producing services have been sought for recordings by everyone Beyonce’ to Jay-Z to Ludacris to Madonna to Mystikal to Lupe Fiasco to Snoop Dogg to Shakira to The Game to J-Lo to Britney Spears to Babyface to Usher to Busta Rhymes Gwen Stefani to Nelly to P. Diddy to NSYNC to Fabolous.

As busy as he’s been kept by the entertainment industry, Pharrell still found time to launch the Billionaire Boys Club, a luxury fashion line of clothes and accessories. Here, the versatile talent talks about his latest venture, branching into cinema by scoring the soundtrack of Despicable Me, a 3-D animated adventure revolving around a diabolical villain determined to steal the moon.

Kam Williams: Hey, thanks for the time, Pharrell.

Pharrell: Thank you.

KW: Let me start off with a question from FSU grad Laz Lyles who would like to know what it was like creating the score for this animated feature?

P: I can’t remember the last time that I was doing something creatively that I hadn’t mastered yet, in the sense of familiarity. Mastering, meaning understanding the concept of how it worked. This was something that was brand new, that I’d never done before. This was so new to me, it was like “Whoa!” It was like the next level.

KW: Laz wants to know what’s been the most unusual sonic inspiration or everyday sound that you’ve incorporated into your music?

P: That’s the thing, I like to use a lot of everyday sounds in my music.

KW: Nick Antoine asks, what struggles have you had to deal with in your career?

P: I don’t know that there were any struggles. I’m too thankful for the opportunities I’ve had to complain about anything.

KW: Nick also asks, what are some of the tools that you would attribute to your success?

P: Education, first and foremost.

KW: You’re a person that a lot of people turn to for help producing their projects. Who is it you rely on when you need support?
P: I look to my family for support.

KW: Are you interested in pursuing further film work?

P: Sure! I’ve learned a lot from it, and it’s made me happier as a person.

KW: Which fellow hip-hop producers are you really into right now?

P: Oh man, there are so many of them. I really love what Hi-Tek has been doing recently. There’s a lot of them. I really love Diplo. I think he’s super talented.

KW: Larry Greenberg says, “I love that you are a Star Trek fan like me. Which character is your favorite?”

P: I’d say Spock, but now everybody’s on him, so, like, cool.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says she saw you perform several years ago at the Costume Institute Ball and that you seemed almost at one with the audience. She’s curious about what’s going on with you in terms of art and sculpture.

P: Obviously, I put out “The Simple Things” project with Takashi Murakami. That was a great success, and we’ve done two “Chair” series which have really been fun. And I have a couple of upcoming art projects that I’m working on at the moment.

KW: Yale grad Tommy Russell asks, “What do you think the chances are that BP will stop the oil leak?”

P: I think the BP oil leak is probably a consequence of Murphy’s Law and I see it a warning from the universe telling us to pay attention because the Earth is our home. We’ve got to figure it out. If we don’t, we’re going to be in very big trouble.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

P: No, I’m content.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

P: The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345410025?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0345410025

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

P: The last thing I listened to was Janelle Monae’s album.

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=thslfofire-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&m=amazon&f=ifr&md=10FE9736YVPPT7A0FBG2&asins=B002ZFQD0E

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

P: I see appreciation.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

P: Oh man… I think the greatest gift one could have is more time.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

P: Spending time with my great-grandfather when I was about three years-old.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

P: Warming up Cherry Kellogg’s Pop Tarts.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

P: I have one every day.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

JK: No.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

JK: Very.

KW: Here’s a new question I just got from Tavis Smiley. Are you introspective?

P: I couldn’t imagine not being introspective.

KW: Also from Tavis: What do you want your legacy to be, and where are you in relation to that legacy?

P: I’m afraid I’m only a half a paragraph deep into a thousand-page book.

KW: Which of your many talents is your favorite?

P: All of them, as they all are vessels of expression.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

P: Feed your curiosity, and remain a kidult forever.

KW: The Boris Kodjoe question: What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?

P: Having a connection with the kids who are the future deciders of life as we know it.

KW: The Laz Alonso question: How can your fans help you?

P: By building the NERD Army

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

P: I don’t know. I’m not psychic.

KW: Thanks again for the interview, Pharrell, I really appreciate.

P: Thank you, sir.

To see a trailer for Despicable Me, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffxEobkkGeM

 – Quentin Tarantino 2009–

 – Quentin Tarantino 2012–

PoniTV

Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:

Larry Greenberg says you started out at 15 and have been immersed in the industry, in one way or another, your whole life. He asks, do you think a person coming to the industry later in life still has a chance for success at acting or directing?

Quentin Tarantino: It can be difficult to get into directing at a later age. However, look at Courtney Hunt, the woman who won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year for Frozen River [at the age of 43]. So, if you can raise the money on your own, you can direct a movie at any age. As far as acting is concerned, it’s advisable to get started when you’re younger, but there are plenty of actors who started their careers in their late thirties or early forties.

The Full Interview…

The “Inglourious Basterds” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: On the QT with Quentin Tarantino 

                Born in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 27, 1963 to an Italian father and a mother of Irish and Cherokee extraction, Quentin JeromeTarantino took a most unorthodox approach to showbiz. He dropped out of high school at 15 to pursue moviemaking but it would take some time to realize that dream. The closest he got to Hollywood for years was a minimum-wage gig as a clerk at a video rental store in L.A. where he became known for making recommendations to appreciative customers.

                He finally began his meteoric rise in 1992 with the release of Reservoir Dogs, following-up that impressive directorial debut a couple of years later with Pulp Fiction, the seven-time Academy Award-nominee for which he won an Oscar in the Best Original Screenplay category. Since then, his storybook career has included such critically-acclaimed films as Jackie Brown, Kill Bill 1 & 2, and a couple of collaborations with Robert Rodriguez, Sin City and Grindhouse.

                Here, Quentin talks about his new film, Inglourious Basterds, which is based upon a screenplay he started writing over a decade ago. The World War II action flick stars Brad Pitt as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army who leads a squad of Jewish soldiers on a mission behind enemy lines in France to go hunting for Nazis.  

Kam Williams: Hi Quentin, thanks for the time. I really appreciate it.

Quentin Tarantino: Oh, it’s my pleasure, I was psyched to do this especially after I read some of the comments you made after reading the script. It was a real phantasmagorical collection of references. 

KW: That was an interesting experience. This is my first time reading a script instead of seeing the movie before conducting an interview.

QT: Oh, that’s cool.

KW: How does it feel to have finished Inglourious Basterds, finally, given that you’ve been working on it for over a decade?

QT: It’s a little surreal, to tell you the truth, after having the project in my mind for such a long time. I had scenes written for it but for years it was always just kind of out there. And at one point I even considered putting it aside, thinking maybe I’d grown out of it or moved past it. But then I realized that I’d invested too much into it, and that even if I never made the movie, I at least had to finish writing it just so I could get this mountain out of the way. One thing that’s different though is that opposed to thinking about it as this long-gestating piece that was written over years and years, the truth is I only came up with a lot of the characters and the first two chapters of the final script way back when. Otherwise, it has a whole different storyline. What kept preventing me from making the movie earlier was that it was just too big and too involved, almost like a mini-series. And just before I turned it into a mini-series, I decided to take one more crack at trying to make it as a movie. That’s when I came up with a new storyline about the premiere of a German propaganda film which I completed about a year ago in just seven months. As a matter of fact, on the cover page of your copy of the original script you can see that I literally put the pen down on July 2^nd, 2008. So, the final draft was a weird combination of this long-gestating project and something I had never worked at with more intense momentum.        

KW: Since Brad Pitt’s character, Aldo, is from Tennessee and part-Cherokee, like yourself, I was wondering whether he was modeled on you?

QT: He’s definitely modeled after me. I probably would’ve wanted to play the character, if I had finished writing the script way back when, in the Nineties. But now, I don’t want to act at all.

KW: While reading the script, some of the films it reminded me of in different spots included The Train, Von Ryan’s Express, The Guns of Navarone, The Bridge on the River Kwai, Black Book, Zabriskie Point, The Wizard of Oz, The Big Lebowski and Defiance. 

QT: That’s a neat collection, although I never saw Defiance. I’d be interested in hearing how you connect the dots.

KW: Defiance is included because of the theme of Jews fighting back. Why did you decide to have this all-Jewish unit led by a gentile from the South?

QT: That’s an interesting question. Basically, Aldo’s this character I’ve had in my mind for a very, very long time. So, in a way he came before the Basterds. Furthermore, it’s kind of a two-way proposition, because Aldo had been fighting racism in the South before the war. And if he survives the war, he’s going to continue fighting the Klan in the Fifties, with his own version of the Basterds in the Tennessee Hills. Also, the fact that he’s part Native American is significant, because what he’s doing against the Nazi’s is similar to the Apache resistance, the ambushing of soldiers, desecrating their bodies and leaving them there for other Germans to find. Aldo’s idea is to find Jewish soldiers because he should be able to motivate them more easily because they are essentially warriors in a holy war against an enemy that’s trying to wipe their race off the face of the Earth.      

KW: You have a black character named Marcel [played by Jacky Ido] who works as the projectionist in a movie theater. I’d have guessed that all the blacks in occupied France had been carted off to Concentration camps by the Nazis.

QT: No they weren’t. The relationship between black people and Nazi Germany was very interesting. Part of the reason is that there were so few blacks in Europe that there wasn’t a “Black Problem” per se, the way there was a “Jewish Problem.” So, black people weren’t rounded up in Nazi occupied France. You’d have to keep a low profile, to be sure, but having said that, you’d still enjoy more freedoms there than on the streets of Chicago at the same time period. And far more freedoms than in a state like Alabama. For instance, you could walk into a restaurant in Paris and sit down and order something. The odd irony in all this is that while there’s no mistaking where Hitler was coming from as far as blacks were concerned, after all, he made that very clear in Mein Kampf, the average German soldier did not feel the same way about black people. In fact, they were absolutely appalled whenever they witnessed the racism exhibited by white American soldiers towards their fellow black soldiers. They couldn’t fathom it, because they believed the hype about America being the land of the free and the home of the brave. It’s equally unfathomable that we went to Europe to fight racial oppression with a segregated army. A wonderful paper could be written about all this, and maybe I’ll do that one of these days.     

KW: Do you make a cameo appearance in this film, like you have in a lot of your movies?

QT: Not really. I think you can hear my voice a little bit in one of the propaganda movies. [Chuckles]

KW: Why did you spell “Basterds” with an “E” in the title?

QT: I wasn’t trying to be coy or anything, but it was just an artistic stroke.

KW: How did you feel when the picture was so well received at Cannes, where you got an 11-minute ovation?

QT: Yeah, we got the standing ovation of the Festival. That was really exciting and a lot of fun kind of dropping it on the world there. And I felt a sense of satisfaction because we had worked hard to get the picture finished in time for Cannes.

KW: Laz Lyles is curious about why you chose a lot of relatively unknown actors for this picture?

QT: Since I was casting country-appropriate, every actor had to be from the place they were representing, and they had to be able to speak the appropriate language as well. In other words, it wasn’t enough that you could speak German, you had to be German. Oddly enough, in Germany, this is considered an all-star cast.

KW: Laz also asks, how did director Eli Roth get involved with the project as an actor?

QT: Eli’s a really good friend of mine, and I’ve always known that he’s a really fun performer on screen. Plus, he looks like his character, the Bear Jew, and he does an impeccable Boston accent.

KW: Nick Antoine says you’re already one of the greatest directors of all time, so where do you go from here? What’s the next mountain for you to climb?

QT: Oh, that’s a really good question. I don’t really know. Usually, when I finish making a movie, I have to pause to contemplate life a little, and then I see where to go. It’s not like I’m shopping for scripts. I generally have to start from scratch every time. However, I could go with Kill BiIl 3. Or I could do a prequel to this movie, because I have half of it written. It’s actually a story about the Basterds with a bunch of black troops. The truth is that I don’t really know what’s next, but I really like being in that square one position.

KW: How about making another homage to either martial arts or blaxploitation flicks?

QT: Well, I gotta say that I do hear a bit off a calling to do another crime picture. Maybe one set in the Seventies. All these other people are doing it, and to me, they never get it right. Like American Gangster. Were there any black people at all involved making that movie?

KW: Nick also asks, what is your opinion of the direction the film industry seems to be headed?

QT: I don’t want to sound like one of those guys who’s always bemoaning the business today and thinking about how much better it was before. But as my movie gets ready to go out into the marketplace, I feel very lucky that I’m still a commercial director and that my movies still play mainstream and open in 3,000 theaters, because my movies always seem so different from everything else playing in the multiplexes. As long as there’s a place for people like me and Michael Mann to exhibit our work, then I’m all for it.  

KW: Finally, Nick asks, how would you say the internet has influence film?

QT: What the internet has done is destroy film criticism. I would never have guessed ten years ago that the profession of film criticism would be going the way of the dodo bird.

KW: Who’s your favorite film critic? Let me guess: the late Pauline Kael.

QT: For sure. She’s just about my favorite writer.

KW: And who’s your favorite director, Howard Hawks?

QT: I love Howard Hawks, but I would probably go with Sergio Leone.

KW: Keith Kremer asks, if you met someone unfamiliar with your work who wanted to watch just one of your movies, which one would you suggest?

QT: That’s an interesting question… Umm… I would probably cater to that person’s personality. So, if they seemed like more of a Kill Bill person, I’d show them, Kill Bill. If I wanted someone to get to know me though, I would have to start with Reservoir Dogs. 

KW: Bi-continental attorney Bernadette Beekman told me that she was in Cannes for the release of Reservoir Dogs, and she was wondering, what was the best time you ever had at the festival?

QT: Well, I’ve had a lot of good times in Cannes, but when I won the Palme d’Or for Pulp Fiction would have to be the best.

KW: Director Hisani Dubose wanted to know what you shoot on now. She points out that you shot part of Pulp Fiction on High 8. She’s curious about whether you’re still using film or if you’ve gone to High Definition video

QT: I’ve never used High Definition video, never, ever, ever, ever, ever. And I never will. I can’t stand that crap.

KW: Larry Greenberg says you started out at 15 and have been immersed in the industry, in one way or another, your whole life. He asks, do you think a person coming to the industry later in life still has a chance for success at acting or directing?

QT: It can be difficult to get into directing at a later age. However, look at Courtney Hunt, the woman who won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance last year for Frozen River [at the age of 43]. So, if you can raise the money on your own, you can direct a movie at any age. As far as acting is concerned, it’s advisable to get started when you’re younger, but there are plenty of actors who started their careers in their late thirties or early forties.

KW: Jackie Schatz asks, how do you think of Hitler?

QT: In a word, despicable!

KW: Marcia Evans asks, will you ever settle down and have a family? 

QT: I’ve thought about that. Look, I went through baby fever, for sure, about five or six years ago, but I kind of got over it. Up until now, I’ve wanted my movies to be the most important thing in my life. I haven’t wanted to let anything distract me from that. And I think I still feel the same way right now.

KW: Marcia may be a bit presumptuous here, but she says she knows you have a foot fetish. And she asks if there’s another part of the anatomy that you have a fetish about?

QT: I appreciate the female foot, but I’ve never said that I have a foot fetish. But I am a lower track guy. I like legs… I like booties… [Laughs] Let’s just say, I have a black male sexuality. 

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

QT: No, there isn’t one that’s just been hanging out there, that I say to myself, why don’t they ask this?  

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

QT: [Hesitates] Very rarely would I use the word “afraid.” I feel trepidation. I get nervous, particularly when I’m about to shoot a big cinematic sequence that absolutely has got to work or else why bother. Going into those scenes, I have trepidation, because it’s mine to mess up.   

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

QT: Oh, I’m very happy.

KW: Teri Emerson would like to know, when was the last time you had a good laugh?

QT: Oh, I laugh all the time. I’m an easy laugher. You can find me on any set, because I’m always laughing.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

QT: I’m a cinemaphile, so I read a lot of cinema books. The last one I read was a biography abut the director Dorothy Arzner.

[http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0253208963?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0253208963] 

KW: What was the biggest obstacle you had to overcome?

QT: Poverty, to a great degree. I was very poor at the age of 16 and 17.

KW: Working in the video store.

QT: No, those were the good days. But even then, while working at the video store for five years, I was a high school dropout making minimum wage. And that’s what I existed on for what seemed like forever. We would dream about one day getting a raise to the wonderful world of $8 an hour. So, to overcome that minimum-wage kid white underclass to actually be responsible for millions of dollars when it comes to making a movie was a very big deal.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

QT: If you want to be a filmmaker, you have to love it. If you love cinema as much as I do, and not many people do, and if you are focused and actually have something to offer, you will get somewhere with it. And when it comes to being a writer, just write. Writing is actually the easiest thing to get started at. But don’t write what you think people want to read. Find your voice and write about what’s in your heart.  

KW: What’s your favorite dish to cook?

QT: That’s a good question, actually. I’d have to say barbecuing a steak. It’s one dish I do it really well, and it’s very satisfying. I can make other things, but I don’t like to cook just for myself. Barbecuing a steak is always good.

KW: Well, thanks again for the interview Quentin. Best of luck with Inglourious Basterds and I look forward to speaking with you again down the line.

QT: Hey, I look forward to it Kam. This was a really great conversation.

To see a trailer for Inglourious Basterds, visit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vCiyy7Cibc

Let me start with a question from Larry Greenberg, a reader who also sent in a question for that interview: He says: When I got to ask Mr. Tarantino a question about Inglorious Basterds his answer changed my life and inspired me to go into filmmaking. It gave me permission to pursue my dream. If that had not happened, I doubt that I would be sitting here today with a script and an insane deadline. It was a key turning point in my life. This time, I’d like to know how you came up with the characters Django and Dr. Schultz [played by Christoph Waltz] and how did you dream up their relationship?

Read more

Back to Poni TV

Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:

“KW: Larry Greenberg says that his Korean friends show him great warmth and hospitality. But he has never met any who are like the ninjas he sees in the movies. He asks if ninja assassins are common in Korea?

R: [Laughs] No, that’s just in the movies.”

The Full Interview…

Rain

The Ninja Assassin Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: Rain in the Forecast

Jeong “Rain” Jihoon was born in Seoul, South Korea on June 25, 1982 where he and his younger sister were raised in poverty by their single mother after their father abandoned the family for Brazil. Rain was a very shy child who developed an interest in dancing while in junior high. He continued to pursue that passion at Anyang School for the Arts, where also added acting and singing to his repertoire.

He began neglecting his studies to go out on auditions during his junior year when his mom could no longer support the family as a street vendor due to a debilitating diabetes condition. Unfortunately, he found himself being repeatedly rejected for supposedly being unattractive, because he didn’t have double eyelids.

When his mother died while he was still a teenager, failure was no longer an option. Dedicating his career to her, Rain persevered, and eventually blossomed into a handsome hunk popular enough to go by just one name. In fact, the striking, 6’ tall actor/dancer/model/singing sensation subsequently landed on both Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World” list and on People Magazine’s “100 Most Beautiful People” list.

He made his musical debut with the 2002 album “Rain,” and subsequently starred on the TV series “Sang Doo! Let’s Go To School.” His second CD, “How to Avoid the Sun,” was followed by “It’s Raining,” which sold over one million copies in Asia. And his “Rainy Day” concert tour featured sold-out dates in Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan and the United States, including a couple of shows at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. His fourth album, “Rain’s World,” was released in 2006 and kick-started another highly-acclaimed world tour.

So, it’s no surprise that Rain became the first Asian artist invited to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards. His other music industry honors include the MTV Asia Grand Slam, being named Favorite Korean Artist by MTV, and winning the Most Popular Asian Artist Award in Thailand, as well as the Best Buzz Asia Award at MTV Japan’s Video Music Awards and the Best Korean Singer Award at the Mandarin Music Honors in Beijing.

Here, Rain talks about playing the title role in Ninja Assassin, a martial arts action flick likely to turn the versatile pop icon into a bona fide Hollywood box office attraction.

Kam Williams: Hi Rain, thanks so much for the time.

Rain: Hi, how are ya?

KW: Great, and you?

R: I’m fine. Have you seen my movie?

KW: Yes, I loved it, and I thought your performance was great.

R: Oh, thank you.

KW: What interested you in Ninja Assassin?

R: Actually, Andy and Larry Wachowski offered me the role when we were working on Speed Racer, and I said, “Yes!” I just couldn’t say, “No.”

KW: I heard you had a very serious training regimen for this part.

R: Yes, I trained 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 8 months to try to make body look like Bruce Lee’s. It was hard, and studied a lot of martial arts: I learned tae-kwon-do, aikido, kung-fu, kickboxing, sword, double-sword, chain and shuriken.

KW: Did you have a special diet?

R: No sugar, no salt, and I ate only chicken breast and vegetables.

KW: The character you play in Ninja Assassin had a difficult childhood. Did you identify at all with Raizo because you had a rough childhood, too?

R: No, it was very different from mine, but I loved playing him.

KW: I saw an interview with the actress Megan Fox where she said she saw you without your shirt on, and that she’d like you to sing to her. She also said that she wants to have a date and that she could see herself falling in love with you? Did you hear about her having a crush on you?

R: Yes, I heard about it from my agent.

KW: So, are you willing to go on a date with her?

R: Of course! [LOL]

KW: Have you ever seen the Japanese, reality-TV series Ninja Warrior? I was wondering whether you’d ever like to compete on the show and see if you could master the obstacle course.

R: Ninja Warrior? I’m not familiar with it.

KW: Maybe the show has a different name in Korea. How did it feel to make People Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People in the World List?

R: It was amazing! I couldn’t believe it. That was good news.

KW: Maybe more importantly, you were also named one of the 100 Most Influential People Who Shape Our World by Time Magazine. What did you think about that?

R: I was really surprised because I didn’t think I was that influential.

KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who’s at the top of your hero list?

R: My mother passed away when I was young, because we were so poor. It is because of her that I’m here. She’s my hero. I love her. I miss her.

KW: Is it true, that you visit her gravesite every time before you leave the country?

R: Yes, always.

KW: You sing, dance, act, model and design clothes. Which is your favorite thing to do?

R: You know what? That’s like asking someone if they prefer their mother or their father. I love all of them, singing, dancing, acting…

KW: Ling-Ju Yen says that you are famous for your dance moves. She was wondering whether you were inspired by Michael Jackson and how you felt about his death.

R: Yes, when I was young, I loved Michael Jackson. He was my idol. I loved him, and I’m still so sad about his passing.

KW: Ling-Ju also asks, do you think that Ninja Assassin will create more opportunities in Hollywood for actors from Asia?
R: Hopefully.

KW: Yale Grad Tommy Russell would like to know: What do you think the likelihood is of a reunification of South and North Korea?

R: I’d very much like to see a reunification.

KW: Tommy has another question: who is your favorite Asian actress?

R: I think Gong Li is the most incredible actress.

KW: Larry Greenberg says that his Korean friends show him great warmth and hospitality. But he has never met any who are like the ninjas he sees in the movies. He asks if ninja assassins are common in Korea?

R: [Laughs] No, that’s just in the movies.

KW: Marcia Evans asks if you are familiar with a Korean jazz singer named Insooni?

R: Insooni? Yes, I know her. She’s a very beautiful and talented diva.

KW: Why did you launch your own clothing line last year?

R: It was always my dream to design a clothing line. So, I did it.

KW: How would you describe it?

R: My clothing line, Six to Five, is very casual.

KW: I know you are pals with a lot of hip-hop icons who also go by one name. Guys like Diddy, Omarion and Tyrese have appeared onstage with you in the U.S. Do you have plans for another concert in America soon?

R: Yes, I have a concert in Las Vegas on Christmas Day. It’ll be huge.

KW: I have to admit that I had been unfamiliar with your music, but preparing for this interview I checked out a lot of your videos, like “The Way to Avoid the Sun,” “I’m Coming,” “I Do” and “Any Dream,” and I was quite impressed. They’re tremendous! Now, I’m a big fan, too!

R: Thank you so much. That is my honor.

KW: No, it is my honor. Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

R: Yes, do you have a girlfriend?

KW: Okay, do you have a girlfriend?

R: I don’t have a girlfriend, but I need a girlfriend. So, I hope to find one very soon. I’m very lonely.

KW: Well, I might be able to help by spreading the word. I have a lot of female readers. What type of woman are you looking for?

R: I love all kinds of sexy girls.

KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?

R: Un-huh.

KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy?

R: Yes, I’m so happy to be here, traveling all around the U.S.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

R: 5 minutes ago.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

R: A Korean book about sports.

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

R: I love rap music. Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac and Eminem.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

R: The future… Just the future… a better future ahead.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

R: I never cook. I’m always too busy too cook.

KW: Thanks again, Rain, and best of luck with Ninja Assassin and all your many other endeavors.

R: Thank you, sir.

Lawrence R. Greenberg’s Question:

Larry Greenberg says, “I’m a fan. I’m 40 and I love watching “That’s So Raven”. He wants to know whether you think fairies will invade the entertainment world the way that vampires and werewolves have?

Raven-Symone’: You know what, Larry. You’re 40. I don’t need you to tell anybody that you’re watching “That’s So Raven.” [LOL] No, I really appreciate you’re support, sir. The cool thing about fairies is that it’s not really a fad, because Tinkerbell was one of the first characters created by Disney. The fairy and princess worlds have never gone out of style. They’ll always be there, given that there will always be kids in kindergarten, and little girls who want to be princesses. So, I don’t see fairies as a fad, but as a staple of our entertainment world.

The Entire Interview…

Raven-Symone’

The “Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue” Interview

with Kam Williams

Headline: She’s So Raven!

Born in Atlanta, Georgia on December 10, 1985, Raven-Symone’ Christina Pearman got an early start in showbiz when she was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency while she was still in diapers. After appearing in TV ads for everything from Cool Whip to Jello, she was invited to join the cast of “The Cosby Show.”  She’s best known for the Emmy-nominated comedy series “That’s So Raven” on the Disney Channel where she played the title character Raven Baxter, a teenager who periodically has psychic visions of the future.

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

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

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

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

Kam Williams: Hi, Raven. Thanks for the time. The last time we spoke, you were making a movie with Martin Lawrence.

Raven-Symone’: College Road Trip!

KW: Right! How’d you enjoy playing Iridessa again in Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue?

RS: I love playing Iridessa. I’ve been playing her since I was 18 years-old, and it just gets better each time.

KW: Harriet Pakula Teweles asks, how much of Iridessa is so Raven?

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

KW: How challenging is it doing an animated character? I assume you were all alone in a sound studio with no one to act opposite.

RS: That’s the interesting thing about voiceovers. Usually, there’s no one in the room with you but the writer, the director and an engineer. And then, it’s up to the animators and the editors later to make it all seem very natural, as if the cast members were friends forever and had all been recorded simultaneously.

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

RS: The director will usually read the other actors’ lines to you. But the cool thing is that you can make any kind of wild gestures and exaggerated facial expressions you want, which is good, because the more you contort your body, the more emotion you generally get out of your voice. I’m also able to repeat each line of dialogue up to a half-dozen times, trying different inflections, if necessary.

KW: I see that the next installment of Tinkerbell is already slated to be released in September of 2011. How long do you think the franchise can continue?

RS: For a really, really long time, I hope, because I think it’s a wonderful DVD series to collect. I’ve always wanted to be a part of the Disney vault, and the longer it’s extended, the more I may be able to be a part of that history.

KW: What would you say is the message of this installment of Tinkerbell?

RS: It’s loyalty, friendship, caring and understanding on both sides, the fairies and friends’ side, and the family’s side. In the story, Tinkerbell meets a human for the first time, and the little girl’s father doesn’t believe his daughter when she tells him that fairies exist. In real life, we tend to doubt a child who says something like that, and part of the message here is that imagination is something we shouldn’t kill in kids at such a young age.

KW: Larry Greenberg says, “I’m a fan. I’m 40 and I love watching “That’s So Raven”. He wants to know whether you think fairies will invade the
entertainment world the way that vampires and werewolves have?

RS: You know what, Larry. You’re 40. I don’t need you to tell anybody that you’re watching “That’s So Raven.” [LOL] No, I really appreciate you’re support, sir. The cool thing about fairies is that it’s not really a fad, because Tinkerbell was one of the first characters created by Disney. The fairy and princess worlds have never gone out of style. They’ll always be there, given that there will always be kids in kindergarten, and little girls who want to be princesses. So, I don’t see fairies as a fad, but as a staple of our entertainment world.

KW: Children’s book author Irene Smalls says, with so many career options, singing, acting, producing, etcetera, which part of the business do you enjoy most?

RS: I enjoy the outcome of each project. After each one is done, I love learning from kids, teenagers and adults, how it might have connected with their lives. Whether it’s helping them deal with a relationship with their father (College Road Trip), getting through those difficult years in high school (That’s So Raven), or overcoming weight or beauty issues, I love when my work resonates with someone in a meaningful way, because that’s what I do it for.

KW: Irene says she’s observes that you have never been typecast as the “black girl” in any of the roles you’ve played She wants to know, how you avoided being narrowly typecast?

RS: Well, I try not to pick roles that separate my color from the story itself. Does that make sense?

KW: Yep.

RS: So, when I do pick a role, I’m just a human being. I don’t think it’s necessary to over-exaggerate the fact that I’m an African-American. I’m a human first. Just thank God that in the roles for which I’ve been picked, it’s not about the color. It’s about the story. And hopefully, that story is so universal that it will connect with everyone, including an alien. I don’t really want it to be that serious of a situation. Underlining it, I know I’m African-American, and I’m proud of that. And I think it’s very important that more of us be cast to tell normal stories. But I try to not stress over it.

KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman says that she loves you and love watching Raven re-runs. She goes on to say “I love that she shows good home training.”

RS: [Giggles] Bernadette must be from the South.

KW: No, she’s from New York. Her question is, how many times a week do people still recognize you as the little kid from The Cosby Show?
RS: Every day. And if it ever stopped, I’d be really scared.
KW: Bernadette also wants to know, if you were to mentor a 13-year old girl trying to follow in your footsteps, what would be your most important piece of advice for her?
RS: To understand that this is the entertainment business. It’s a business, not real life. Performers are trying to make money. When they go home, they probably behave totally differently from how they do on TV and from what you read about them in magazines. I would mentor her to be smart and business-minded, if she wanted to be in the industry. But I probably would be happier if she didn’t want to enter show business at all, because there are so many other fields where smart females are urgently needed where they can make a critical, socially-significant impact than by doing anything entertainment has to offer.
KW: She goes on to say, “You played a clairvoyant in your Raven role. Have you ever sensed that ability in yourself in real life?”
RS: Yes, I have. I don’t really like to talk about it too much, because it’s a little personal for me. But I’m a very spiritual person, and I believe that there are amazing special gifts that people are blessed with. It just depends on whether you want to listen or not.
KW: Bernadette observes that you’ve done everything but produce a film. Is that in the cards?
RS: I have produced a film, College Road Trip with Martin Lawrence, and there are many more to come.

KW: Finally, she notes that you’ve had such incredible professional success at such a young age, and so she wonders whether potential romantic partners are intimidated by that.

RS: [LOL] I don’t know… I don’t know.

KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier asks, what is your advice for aspiring actresses who want to enjoy longevity like you in show business?

RS: Make it about the business, and not about your personal life. Understand that it can end at any moment, take it one day at a time, and have fun.

KW: Patricia also says “A lot of child stars find it difficult to live and grow up in a fish bowl. How did you avoid all the craziness and stay so grounded?

RS: I grew up in Atlanta, Georgia. I went to public school. I failed algebra and had to go to summer school. My parents, for a reason I won’t divulge, put me on punishment for a year. So, I had a normal life my entire childhood. I only moved to Los Angeles at 15. My Mom evaluated me psychologically at 21, declared me semi-sane, and let me start handling my own business.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

RS: I’m sure there is, but I can’t think of one off the top of my head.

KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good laugh?

RS: Last night.

KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?

RS: Dr. Wayne Dyer’s “The Power of Intention.”http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401902162?ie=UTF8&tag=thslfofire-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401902162

KW: The music maven Heather Covington question: What are you listening to on your iPod?

RS: I listen to a lot of Robyn, Nina Simone and underground music. I feel like my music IQ is growing.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

RS: I see a female that’s in a dream world.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

RS: That people would tell the truth, and stop lying to ourselves.

KW: The Ling-Ju Yen question: What is your earliest childhood memory?

RS: Last week. [LOL] I have a horrible memory. Actually, my earliestchildhood memory would have to be my first day of kindergarten. I remember what my hair looked like, and I think that’s why I was so happy. We didn’t have that much money, so my mother braided it with newspapers and curled it up the night before. I wore this black outfit, and both my parents and my tutor from The Cosby Show came with me to school that morning.

KW: Have you ever wished you could have your anonymity back?

RS: I have my anonymity. That’s the cool thing. There’s a part of me that people will never know. And I love that. I even named that person. Raven-Symone’ is pretty much my alter ego. It feels good to have the real me that’s not scrutinized and questioned.

KW: What is the recipe for your favorite dish?

RS: Gumbo, with lobster, scallops, snow crab, shrimp, chicken, turkey sausage, bacon fat, butter, water and special seasonings my late grandmother gave me which I can’t tell you because I want to keep her secret. You boil all the ingredients with some rue for about two hours. It’s so good!

KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your favorite clothes designer?

RS: Anything that fits me. [Laughs] I like Willow, she’s an Australian designer. And Wayne Cooper.

KW: The Nancy Lovell Question: Why do you love doing what you do?

RS: Because I can make people smile, and I get to act crazy on TV. That’s fun!

KW: The Tavis Smiley questions. First, what do you want your legacy to be, and where are you in relation to that at this point in your career?

RS: That she always told the truth, that she did a wonderful catalogue of family entertainment as well as truthful stories as I get older, and that she tried her best to be respectful. As far as my progress towards this legacy, well, I’ve spent 23 years of my life in this industry, and I’ve tried to do things that way only about 20% of the time.

KW: The second Tavis Smiley question. How introspective are you?

RS: I’m introspective every day, every moment of the day. I’m a very spiritual person. Every day I look within myself, because that’s where I get my strength from. If you don’t look within, I don’t see how you can survive in this world, because it wasn’t made for the weak-minded.

KW: Got a message for your fans?

RS: If you want things to change, speak out.

KW: Well thanks for another excellent interview, Raven, and best of luck with all your many endeavors.

RS: Thank you very much, Kam, I appreciate that. Have a wonderful day!

In this clip, I interview Robbie Bryan on my TV show, Zombie Etiquette, about “iMurders”, “The Stand In”, and “Choose”