Morris Chestnut - Movie

 

(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.

Morris Chestnut - Movie

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

By Rych McCain, www.twitter.com/rychmccain and 

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Morris Chestnut

Returns Big In The Best Man Holiday!

Photos Courtesy of Universal Pictures

    

        In 1999 Malcolm D. Lee wrote and directed “The Best Man.” It was #1 at the box office its opening weekend and went on to gross over 96 million. Fast forward some 15 years later, Lee decided to reunite the original cast and shoot a sequel. After assembling the cast members together over dinner, Lee asked if they would support his idea and come on board before he would began the process of writing a script and pitching the studios. The cast unanimously said yes we got your back, go for it. Universal Studios execs attended a live table read with the cast, loved it and the green light was on. This time around, everyone is older and wiser as Mia (played by Monica Calhoun) has invited them all to visit her home with her football star hubby Lance (played by Morris Chestnut) for the Christmas holidays.

     
     

Lance (Morris Chestnut)

 

 Morris Chestnut’s character Lance is the central focus of the film. How good was it for him to reunite with the original cast? Chestnut relates, “I was excited to get back together. All of us coming together; it was like riding a bike, the history and the camaraderie, it was great. I really want people to come out and enjoy this film so they can support it and hopefully we can make more films of this nature in the future.” What are the major differences in this film from the original? 

 L-R: Chestnut, Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau & Terrence Howard

      
     Chestnut explains, “The story is more sophisticated than the first because we had these great relationships in the original film and now 14 years has passed. And so you really have to understand what has transpired in those 14 years. Have you had certain conversations, have you discussed certain things, have you swept things under the rug? Where are we now with our feelings, our emotions and thoughts about things that have happened in the past? All of that while dealing with the huge, huge issue in this movie. So everything is a lot more layered than the first one.”
 

      

Chestnut in a scene with the real life Pam Oliver

This movie was very emotionally charge. How was it getting through those scenes? Chestnut reflects, “For me its really tough because you have to go to that place that you some times really don’t want to go and don’t want to revisit. After the first movie when I was crying at the alter; I don’t really cry that much as a person. I would get chills for months after the first “Best Man” because I would have to go to that place. And then here we are with this one and we’re going to that place I don’t know how many times we went there and its just extremely emotional just to have to keep revisiting. But it also can be therapeutic.”

L-R: Sanaa Lathan, Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Terrence Howard, Melissa De Sousa and Monica Calhoun. Regina Hall and Harold Perrineau are not included in this shot.

     As far as going for a second round with a director and cast members that you enjoy working with, what were the key elements that fell into place for Chestnut to do another “Best Man?” This was a no-brainer for him, he laughs, “We all (cast) said yeah it will be interesting and it will be great to get together and do this again but once we read the script I think that just really solidified everything. The script spoke to me.”

© 2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

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Dawn Robinson - Charity

(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.

Dawn Robinson - Charity

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

Dawn Robinson Spends Pre-Halloween With Lane School Children
 

      

R&B Diva Dawn Robinson

R&B Diva Dawn Robinson spent Halloween morning with students at Candy Lane Preschool passing out candy.  The morning was filled with laughter, fun and yes sweets for the kids.

     Dawn, who was a member of one of the most successful female singing groups in history En Vogue, has just completed a season on the popular TV One reality series, R&B Divas LA and wanted to do something special for a group of young kids.  The preschool was chosen because it is in the heart of Los Angeles, and most of the students are from families in difficult financial situations.  Many of the parents are struggling to keep their children in the safe and positive environment provided by Candy Lane Preschool, and do so with the help of government programs such as GAIN.  When Dawn was told about the school she wanted to do something nice for the kids and decided nothing makes a child smile like a sweet treat.

Dawn and The Candy Lane Pre-School Students

     It is no secret Dawn truly desires to have children of her own and she shared her struggles to conceive with viewers while a cast member on R&B Divas LA.  Spending time with children is something she loves and keeps her positive about her own situation.  She has no doubt her time to be a mother will come, but until then she will enjoy opportunities such as this one and delight in the smiles on the faces of the children around her.

© 2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM
(You DID Hear It From Me!) 
Twitter@rychmccain and Facebook

 

Angela Meryl - Stunt Lady

(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.

 
Angela Meryl - Stunt Lady

By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist

By Rych McCain, www.twitter.com/rychmccain and Facebook

Angela Meryl

Hollywood Stunt Woman Extraordinaire!

Photos RMMS

    

     The world of professional Hollywood stunt people is an area of the TV, Commercials and Film business that is so far in the background that it rarely receives any attention from the press or public. When was the last time you saw an incredible stunt preformed in a movie and was able to call the stunt person’s name who did it? Performing stunts is a fascinating but dangerous line of work that requires natural athletic talent, specific training, awareness of your body and surroundings while being on top of every detail of the stunt. One of the best of the best in the Hollywood stunt business is Angela Meryl who has recently written and released a book titled “Stunts: The How To Handbook.”  Meryl is one of the few working Black stunt women in Hollywood and has won “The Diamond In The Raw Award” which celebrates stunt women. 

    

Stunt Double for Vivica A. Fox (L) "Kill Bill"

She has doubled for Samantha Mumba for “Time Machine;” crashed through a glass table in the famous “Kill Bill” opening fight scene doubling for Vivica A. Fox. Meryl and Uma Thurman’s stunt double Zoe Bell were both nominated for “Best Fight” scene at the 2004 “World Taurus Stunt Awards” .where  Meryl also was nominated for “Best Overall Stunt By A Woman.”  Meryl says in her book, “Although neither of us won, being nominated in a fight category dominated by men was a huge honor.” 

     Lighting struck again in 2010 with “The World Taurus Stunt Awards” when Heather Vandrell and Meryl won “Best Overall Stunt By A Woman” where she doubled for Beyonce Knowles  for another thriller fight scene in “Obsessed.” 

Meryl (L) Beyonce (R) "Obsessed"

(L) Meryl (R) Rihanna "Battleship"

     Her list of doubling famous Black actresses is long and note worthy. After having done a laundry list of every stunt in the book from fighting (she is a real life black belt kung-fu artist), to falling off buildings, driving and crashing cars, being set on fire to everything else in between does Meryl look at everyday situations with the awareness of how she would handle things as a stunt. For example, if she is driving on a bridge or in a high-rise building would she wonder how a fall or whatever would go? She ponders and says, “I do actually. Going over bridges I do wonder what if? What would I do if God forbid, if my car veered off the bridge and I ended up in the water?”  And about the falls off of a high rise? She laughs, “First of all, if I did not have a cable and if I were not secure in my harness, I would not be jumping. Bur once I ‘m secured in my harness and I have that cable and I trust my rigger that has locked off the cable, I just go for it and jump.” 

Meryl at her Samuel French Bookstore Signing in Hollywood

     Would Meryl get nervous if a stunt coordinator told her we have a stunt and we have a back-up? Her reply is, “They wouldn’t say that. They wouldn’t say I have a back up for you. They hire you in knowing that you can do it, that you are capable of doing the stunt.” How long does Meryl plan to stay in the game? She says, “As long as I can. As long as I’m able to drive and see, I’m going to keep doing this because it’s not work for me. I go to work and I play. I take it serious though but I stay safe and I go to work and I come home.”

     If she had to do it all over again, what would she do differently? Meryl smiles, “I would have trained in gymnastics because with gymnastics, it makes you aware of your body. So for doing high falls, for doing fights, it makes you aware of where your body is at all times. And doing high falls you can make it more dramatic because you know where your body is when you are in the air as a gymnasts. So that’s one thing I would do differently which I didn’t train as a gymnasts.” Meryl’s book will walk you step by step on how to get into the Hollywood Stunt game for those who have it in them.

© 2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication TM 

(You DID Hear It From Me!) 

Twitter@rychmccain and Facebook