In The Latest Entertainment News Of All Things Nia Long
Nia Long is continuing to make headlines since her split from the former embattled Celtics coach, Ime Udoka. However, she’s since been “outside” from promoting her Netflix film, “You People,” with actor Eddie Murphy to Dubai for Beyonce’s performance at Atlantis the Royal hotel.
Long was recently interviewed by Yahoo! Entertainment. She denied a rumor about passing up the role of Alex Munday in the 2000 action film, “Charlie’s Angels” to play alongside Martin Lawrence in “Big Momma’s House.” The role eventually went to actress Lucy Liu who shared the screen with Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz.
The 52-year-old actress cleared out the speculation by saying,
“Charlie’s Angels did not want me because they said I looked too sophisticated and too old next to Drew Barrymore.”
Barrymore, who’s only 47, is five years younger than Long. Moreover, she seemed pleased with the outcome of the film and its casting,
“But listen, I thought Lucy Liu was great in that role. I went back and looked at it, I was like, ‘Whoa, she’s really doing some stunts.’ I don’t know if I was quite ready for that.”
She added,
“I don’t, you can’t do everything, and every opportunity isn’t for you. And as much as it would’ve been fun to play that character, I think Big Momma’s House was probably more fun for me.”
Not only was Long a considerable choice for the role but another actress, Thandiwe Newton, declined her invitation to join the cast due to feeling that she’d be “objectified,” during an interview with Vulture, per Variety.
When Newton met with the film’s director, Amy Pascal, there was a different vision of how Alex Monday should be portrayed on screen,
“[Pascal] said, ‘Look, I don’t mean to be politically incorrect, but the character as written and you playing the role, I just feel like we’ve got to make sure that it’s believable.”
The “Beloved” alum asked Pascal to explain further what she meant, and the director responded,
“The character, as written, she’s been to university and is educated.’ I’m like, ‘I’ve been to university. I went to Cambridge.’ She went, ‘Yeah, but you’re different.’”
Newton added that Pascal made inferences that the character of Alex would eventually go to a bar, get up on a table and start “shaking her booty,”
“She’s basically reeling off these stereotypes of how to be more convincing as a Black character. Everything she said, I was like, ‘Nah, I wouldn’t do that.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, but you’re different. You’re different.’ That was Amy Pascal. That’s not really a surprise, is it? Let’s face it: I didn’t do the movie as a result.”
Pascal provided her own response in a statement saying,
“While I take her words seriously, I have no recollection of the events she describes, nor do any of her representatives who were present at that casting session. I’ve long considered Thandie a friend; I’m thankful that I’ve had the chance to make movies with her; and I hope to work with her again in the future.”
“The Best Man: The Final Chapters” actress did speak on moving on hence the cheating scandal involving her ex-partner saying,
“I think we all have our moments in life where we have to reconcile things that maybe we suppress. And I think it’s hard growing up in this business and being front and center every day, all day.”
