Regina Hall - Movie

Regina Hall

Sensuously Building A Legacy Of Style Her Way!

By Rych McCain, International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

     She may have the sexiest set of eyes in show business that are set in an angelic face that is hard not to sneak a second look at, if not just plain gawk! Actress Regina Hall is the gorgeous girl-next-door type that leaves a memorable impression whether it is in person or on the big or small screens. The Washington, D.C. native plays the role of Candace, a single mom with a son who becomes involved with Momma’s boy Michael (played by Terrence J) in the new Screen Gems movie “Think Like A Man.” The film is based on the New York Times best selling book “Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man,” written by comedian, actor, nationally syndicated radio host Steve Harvey.

Regina Hall (Photo Courtesy of Screen Gems Pictures)

     In the movie, Candace has to deal the a serious momma’s boy who she wants a relationship with but his momma dominates and controls his life to the point that things get to the breaking point. How did Hall approach playing this particular role? She explains, “I have a lot of friends who have kids and are single moms so you want to be respectful of that portrayal. Especially since I happen to be a Black woman, I already know what stereotypes exist out there. So I kind of wanted to show her loving side but also the side of her that’s still a woman and entering a relationship and trying to figure out how that works in her life with a man who loves his momma too.”

     Jennifer Lewis plays Loretta the dominating mom from hell. It had to be a gas working with her. Hall lights up saying, “Jennifer is great. I knew her outside of the movie so to work with her is great. She’s a very rich, lively, animated, warm human being. She’s real!” Does Hall think a real life momma’s boy can snap out of it given the right situation or woman? She smiles, “I think he (Michael & mom in the movie), had a real realization and so did his mom that you know what, in order for him to have a successful relationship and ideally there is someone that you meet in life that causes you to re-examine thoughts and behaviors that you had. I’m sure it won’t be easy. He’ll probably slip back into his tendencies but I think people can always evolve.” What was Hall’s reaction to be paired with Terrence J as her love instruct? “She laughs, “He was naturally great from the table read on. I was so pleasantly surprised. There isn’t anybody who I think could have done better because I loved the way he played it. I saw it first at the table read. He was so charming you see why she falls in love with him. Part of probably what made him so great was that he was a momma’s boy. He (Terrence J) was so natural in that character. So when they put the suit on him in the first scene which we shot on the last day I said aw, that’s all me right there.”

     This project is loaded with a lot of Hall’s personal friends in real life. How do they separate the real from the pretend on set? She exclaims, “We’re friends and I think sometimes what’s great about that is when you are friends in real life, that actually translates to a scene or to a character. In this film, Tarji and I were friends but so different. But what was great is that those women thought differently, they were different financially, one had a kid and one didn’t but you could actually believe they were friends in real life. I think part of that synergy was because Taraji and I really do like each other. It helps motivate us to have fun working together and get to look forward to it, make a couple mistakes, you laugh about it. It makes it nice and organic.”

©2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm 

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Kiara Muhammad - TV

Kiara Muhammad

Trial Blazing As Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins

By Rych McCain, International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

     In 2009, the Walt Disney Studio made history with a ground breaking animated film that featured the first mainstream African American Princess. “The Princess And The Frog,” starring gorgeous Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Tiana, became not only a major hit movie but established an image on the big silver screen that was long over due. Especially in light of the “Not-Taught-In-School” historical fact that the Black Africans, who were the original people of the ancient Afrikan Nile Valley AKA Kemet ( whom the invading Greeks later name Egypt) were the earth’s original Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses. The invading Europeans observed the Black Afrikan Kemetic system of royalty (including the Great Pharaohs), then adopted the concept and took it back to Europe and imitated it by setting up their own system of royalty. 

Kiara Muhammad (Photo Courtesy of Disney Junior)

     After having made history on the big screen, The Walt Disney Studios has made history again, this time on the small screen! The network debuted “Doc McStuffins,” their new animated series airing mornings 10: AM EST/9: AM CDT on the Disney Junior block of the Disney Channel and also airs on the 24hr Disney Channel. Doc McStuffins is a six-year-old girl who has magical powers to talk to stuffed animals and toys. They in turn talk back to her. She heals the toys by patching up their rips and tears and fixing their mechanical breakdowns while teaching them about staying healthy via their diet, getting the proper rest, exercise etc., and eases their fears about child related concerns such as going to the doctor for a check-up. The historical part is that Doc McStuffins is played via voice over by 13yr-old Kiara Muhammad and African American. Muhammad (called FuFu  by family and close friends) is a native of Boston. The family relocated to Brooklyn, NY. where she took an interest in acting. After extensive training and securing an agent Muhammad started to book commercials and print modeling jobs which led to the family relocating again to Los Angeles.

     How did Muhammad secure this coveted historical role? She explains, “I auditioned two times. The first time I just went in because my agent always sends me in to voice auditions and he said good job. That’s what he says all the time. Then my dad called and said you got a call back so I went back. This time there were a lot more people and they gave me way more direction and I sang a song. I sing the theme song for the show. My dad came home from work one day and said hey Doc McStuffins. I said I got it and he said yes! Then I said yes! That’s pretty much what happened.” 

     What was Muhammad’s impression of the character and what did she think she would have to do to portray her? She laughs, “Honestly, I had to heighten my voice to make it really high because she’s six years old. And sometimes there’s these situations she gets into where she has to become the leader. She has to tell them what to do and guide them so I have to do a leader voice. And sometimes she’s just like really silly so I have to do a silly thing to my voice (she breaks out into a silly giggle as a sample). So she’s just a really fun character.” Muhammad really drinks in the accomplishment of securing a lead role on a major project so soon in her career. She exclaims, “This is one of my first voices over jobs. I was really happy when I got it because it is a series lead. So when the show got picked up I said to myself, wow I got a lead role in a series already and it’s only my second voice over job. So I was really happy about that so I can feel proud.”

©2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm

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Mario Van Peebles - Movie

 

Mario Van Peebles

Makes The Party Message Plain!

By Rych McCain, International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment columnist

      The subject of today’s teenager and the world they are coming up in is a topic that encompasses a plethora of areas where the pros and cons can get pretty deep. Every generation has their likes and dislikes mainly based on their upbringing and the social atmosphere of the time period that they experienced their coming of age teen years. Every generation of teens reject the music, values, rules and social mores of their parent’s generation yet they expect their children to adhere to what they grew up with, then the new teen rebellion is on! The cycle keeps repeating itself with every new generation. Veteran film maker Mario Van Peebles has just released a new coming of age teen comedy titled “We The Party.” Not only did he conceive the idea for the film’s premise from observing his own teen children, he cast them in the movie as actors.

  

Mario Van Peebles ( Photo Courtesy of XL Rator Media)

The film centers on five high school friends who deal with situations involving romance, crime, money, prom, college prep, sex, bullies, Facebook, fitting in, standing out and just finding themselves. Everything is realistic according to what is happening in 2012 including the language terms they use to their dress and music. The film was shot in LA and guest stars Snoop Dogg and Tommy “Tiny” Lister as well as featuring other name actors. As with all of Van Peebles’ film projects, they come with a positive message to absorb and take home without being preachy! So what gave Van Peebles the push to make this type of film? He laughs, “It’s called my kids are getting old and leaving the house! And I said now, how can I keep them in my life just a little longer. I never counted on how much I loved being a dad. That was something that tripped me out. So how it goes, I was trying to write a script and my kids were playing music and dancing. They asked me could they go to these all age clubs. I said “club,” back in my day it was parties! I said no but my son “2-slap” as I call him because he likes to negotiate, talked me into letting them go as long as I went along in cog-nee-gro with a hoodie on to look like I’m a bouncer to fit in.”

     Van Peebles than asked, “Have you ever been inside one of these clubs? He than goes on to describe what he saw and exclaims, “It looks like safe sex on the dance floor. It’s not even that safe! You have to have a body condemn to go into these spots. So I told them you guys do you and go as you are. Talk like you really talk. As long as know you’re safe, we’re OK and that was honest.” After observing the crowd in the club and mixing that up with his children’s experience of leaving private school to attend a magnet school in the hood of South Central.LA, Van Peebles was ready to pin his script.

     His question to himself was, “Could I make the movie the same way I had to deal with my kids when they went out? Could I make a film that was real, that sounded like them but still had the nutritional value and pull that off and that was the trick. When I went to Hollywood I couldn’t get the funding.” Van Peebles and a friend funded the project themselves. Van Peebles’ son Mandela plays the lead role of Hendrix Sutton and Van Peebles plays his on screen dad and school teacher Mr. Sutton. What was it like working with his dad? Mandela laughs, “It was my first major role. I’ve done some commercials and I’ve been on set with my dad since I was pretty much born. I saw a lot but as far as actually being on the other side of the camera, this was my first role.” “We The Party” is destine to become a teen cult classic.

Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm

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Cynthia Addai-Robinson - TV

 
 
Cynthia Addai-Robinson

Brings Beauty, Excitement and Daring, To Spartacus!

By Rych McCain, International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

 

Cynthia Addai-Robinson  (Photo by Keith Munyan)

          This television season has certainly produced an array of talented and beautiful ladies who are not only visually pleasing to the male viewing audience eyes but are delivering the goods in the arena of authentic, dramatic acting and presentation. Cynthia Addai-Robinson definitely ranks at the top of this season’s list as one of the leading ladies who fires up the small screen every week as “Naevia” on the Starz Network ancient war drama “Spartacus.”   

      The London born and Washington, D.C. reared Robinson is a graduate of the Tisch School of Arts, NYU with a BA degree in Theater. Soon afterward she started booking TV roles on “CSI: NY,” “CSI: Miami,” “Numbers,” “Flash Forward” and others. Her last film role was in “Columbiana.” On “Spartacus,” Robinson joined the cast for its second season which premiered in January. She took over the role of Naevia, the Roman slave girl who was captured at the end of last season and was played by another actress. In the beginning of this second season, Naevia escapes and is rescued by a fellow rebel slave named Krixus. They become lovers as well as opponents of the Roman Army.     

     For those who are not familiar with the legend; Spartacus was born in 109 BC. He and his wife were sold into Roman Slavery and soon after he led a slave revolt against the Roman Army. What happened to his wife is unknown but Spartacus was reportedly set up by pirates to be killed. Kirk Douglas and Laurence Oliver starred in the original 1960 movie version. By most historical accounts Spartacus did actually exist. What is Robinson’s rundown on that? She responds, “I’m more focused on the story that we portray on the show as apposed to the actual history of it. We sort of bend the truth a little bit just for the sake of television. But as far as the violence and the fights between gladiators and the slave rebellion; I mean all of that, I think we like to stay true to the actual violent history of it all. So sometimes its gory but that probably what it was back then.”     

      What kind of a demand does a role like Naevia put on Robinson? She reflects, “It’s a pretty intense shoot. I mean we are achieving a real cinematic end result on a television time line and budget.  So we have a shooting schedule that’s pretty demanding. Each episode takes twelve shooting days which is a lot for television and we normally have two crews running at any given time. The days are definitely long and as far as the conditions; we’re dirty, we’re running around covered in stage blood, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart but we are all passionate about being there so that helps get us through the job.”       

      Where is this show shot?  Robinson explains, “We film in Auckland, New Zealand so we are on the other side of the world which also adds to the challenge of being far from home and working. But in a way, while I’m away, I can fully put all of my efforts into filming the show. Sometimes that’s great because you need that focus but other times it’s challenging because you want to be with your friends and family.” In terms of zeroing in on her Naevia character, Robinson stresses, “I’m someone stepping into the role from the second season. So in the first season, the prequel , the role was established by another actress. I had the first season to look at and see where they had the character and where they left her.” Robinson put all of the pieces together from there. On a lighter note, Robinson is fairly new to twitter but advices her fans to follow her @cynthiaaddairob . She will keep you up to date.

©2012 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm

   (You Did Hear It From Me!)

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