Last year, the world lost a great filmmaker when John Singleton passed away. Next Tuesday (April 28) will mark the one-year anniversary since Singleton left us, and it looks like the approaching date has Ice Cube taking a trip down memory lane. Aside from bringing us films such as Baby Boy, Poetic Justice, Higher Learning, 2 Fast 2 Furious, and Four Brothers, Singleton also made history with his directorial debut, Boyz n the Hood.
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The film starred Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Nia Long, Laurence Fishburne, Regina King, Angela Bassett, and Ice Cube. It's been hailed as a classic Black film that generations continue to enjoy, notably because there was a true-to-life essence that stemmed from being shot on location with effects that evoked natural reactions from the cast. Ice Cube recently tweeted a photo of himself and his co-stars on the Boyz n the Hood set with John Singleton and revisited one of those memories.
"Rehearsing the Crenshaw scene for Boyz N Tha Hood," he wrote in the caption. "John never told us that it would be real gun fire during the scene. All reactions were real. John was brilliant. I miss him." Check out the tweet and the scene he's referring to below.
Angela Bassett Details Chilling Experience Playing Tina Turner
Angela Bassett details the process of playing one of her iconic roles as Tina Turner in “What’s Love Got To Do With It.”
Earlier today (March 13), Power 105.1’s The Breakfast Club interviewed the legendary and non-aging, actress Angela Bassett and she revealed some chilling details as her role as Tina Turner in the iconic biopic What’s Love Got to Do with It (1993). While she was robbed for the 1994 Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the superstar singer/songwriter, Bassett has accumulated one of the most decorated film careers in history. The 61-year-old thespian has become a household name for her performances in films like Malcom X (1992), Waiting to Exhale (1995), How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998), and more. In more recent years, Ms. Bassett has found a resurgence becoming a member of the Marvel Universe starring movies like Black Panther (2018) and becoming a mainstay on the highly-popularized thriller television series, American Horror Story.
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While Angela Bassett continues to have one of the most historic runs in film and entertainment history, it was her story and the disturbing experience of filming some of the most gut-wrenching scenes ever revealed in a music-based biopic as she portrayed Tina Turner. Around the 14:00 minute mark of her latest interview with The Breakfast Club, Angela Yee reveals that Bassett has landed another role as Anna Mae in an upcoming film. The same name of Bassett’s character in What’s Love Got to Do With It.
When asked if she was bothered by the name selection, Vampire in Brooklyn actress stated that she wasn’t offended by it. Charlamagne Tha God then went on to ask Ms. Bassett about the cerebral process of playing Tina Turner who was a victim of physical, verbal, and sexual assault throughout the notorious film and how she was forced to embody that trauma in order to deliver a convincing product. Bassett responded in the most eloquently way she knew how, stating:
“It was… you know the scenes. The rape scene by the aquarium. Or him, fighting (me) and getting dragged down the hall. But, it was good to have a colleague (Laurence Fishbourne) to have that in someone you trust and I’m speaking on Laurence, to go through that (with). Because he’s got you. You know? He’s got you emotionally and just actor to actor.”
Bassett continued:
“The hours were long. It was extremely physical. You actually hurt for thirty straight days. If you’re not dancing, you’re lifting weights so, the lactic acid build-up for thirty days something, everything hurt, but you had to go on. Some of it was understood, the dynamics within a relationship, between a man and a woman, you know? Black love. Violence. Or whatever. And like you said it inhabits your spirit and yet ‘we’re making a movie.'”
As a victim of sexual assault as a child, Angela Bassett remained extremely candid and transparent about a filming process that could have mental consequences on even the greatest of actors/actresses.
Angela Bassett also spoke on the coronavirus, accolades, Broadway, and more. Check out her interview with The Breakfast Club in the video provided below and skip to the 14:00-minute mark to hear the living icon discuss her portrayal of Tina Turner in What’s Love Got to Do with It.
Whitney Houston’s Sister-In-Law Would Like Taraji P. Henson To Portray Singer
Pat Houston wouldn’t give details on the film, but she did name the actress as someone she loves.
Her time as Cookie Lyons is coming to a close, and many are wondering what’s next for Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson. We’re sure that Taraji isn’t hurting for roles as she’s one of Hollywood’s most celebrated actresses, but if it were up to Pat Houston, Taraji would be a shoo-in to portray the late Whitney Houston the forthcoming biopic.
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On Thursday, we reported that Clive Davis, the music mogul responsible for discovering Whitney, was planning a biopic about the singer’s life. Although Lifetime aired the Angela Bassett directed biopic back in 2015, Davis told the Los Angeles Times that he doesn’t feel like there has been a film—biopic or documentary—that has accurately told Whitney’s life story. So, in turn, he’s going to do it himself.
Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and the executor to her estate, spoke with TMZ about Clive’s film and named who she would want to see helm the lead role. The cameraman asked Pat if she’d heard about Clive’s plans. “You think he’s doing this alone?” Pat asked with a smile. “We’re apart of it also… Clive has been, professionally, a wonderful person, personally, a wonderful person. We have a relationship. If there’s anything that we can do for him or him for us, it’s done.”
Pat added that she couldn’t share who the persons they have in mind to play Whitney because “that’s a secret.” She wouldn’t say a word, so the cameraman threw out the name Jennifer Hudson. “To play who?” she said with a little shade. “Whitney,” the cameraman replied. Without hesitation, Pat kept the conversation moving and said, “I love Taraji Henson. I love Taraji… Taraji’s my girl.” Pat added, “I can’t really talk about the biopic… You asked me who would I like. I like Taraji.” Can you see Taraji taking on the role of Whitney?
Clive Davis Plans Whitney Houston Biopic Because Her Story "Has Not Been Told Yet"
Angela Bassett directed a biopic for Lifetime in 2015.
Lifetime’s biopic about Whitney Houston wasn’t as well-received by fans as the network had hoped. The film was directed by Angela Bassett, Whitney’s Waiting to Exhale co-star, and was centered around Whitney and ex-husband Bobby Brown’s tumultuous relationship. The 2015 film, which starred Yaya DaCosta and Arlen Escarpeta as the lead roles, earned several nominations, but when it came to public approval, some criticisms were downright vicious.
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“I consider it a gift that was given to me, the opportunity to tell this story and try to tell it with love and compassion and dignity,” Bassett shared with HuffPost Live following backlash over the film. “I, like, everyone adored her.” Some have called for Hollywood to embark on another biopic about the life and death of the music icon, and it looks as if Clive Davis is stepping up to the plate.
The 87-year-old music executive is responsible for discovering some of the greatest talents that the music industry has to offer, including Whitney Houston. He founded both Arista and J Records and served as president of Columbia Records before later taking on the title of CEO of RCA Music Group. Currently, he’s the CCO of Sony Music Entertainment.
Every year, Davis hosts his annual pre-Grammy party, and in 2012, it was scheduled to go on like clockwork. Whitney was supposed to perform at the February 11, star-studded get-together, but instead, she was found dead in her Beverly Hilton Hotel bathroom. Davis recently shared with the Los Angeles Times that he plans on producing a biopic about his late friend because “the story of Whitney Houston has not been told yet.”
He shared with the publication that he was “very disappointed” with two documentaries about Whitney that were released in 2017 and 2018 because he doesn’t feel as if her “genius” has been highlighted outside of scandal. He added that he doesn’t plan on “whitewashing” her addiction issues and even her alleged secret romance with best friend Robyn Crawford may get a mention.
We’ll have to wait and see if this ever comes to fruition, but if so, who do you think should tackle the role of Whitney Houston?