The Los Angeles premiere of Will Smith’s latest movie, Seven Pounds, was held last night and just about all of Black Hollywood was in attendance. Brown Sista favorites Gabrielle Union and Sanaa Lathan were spotted on the red carpet. As were Laila Ali, Nia Long, Chaka Khan and an actress we rarely see make public appearances; Robinne Lee. I think I last wrote about Robinne here about 2 years ago and she was either pregnant or just had a baby. Well the sista is pregnant again and from the looks of things- is about to pop any minute now. For those who just can’t place Robinne’s face, she starred in such great movies as Deliver Us Eva and one of my alltime favorites, Hav Plenty. Robinne also has a brief cameo in Seven Pounds and has appeared in several episodes of this season’s Tyler Perry hit- House of Payne.
You can check out all the red carpet happenings below and visit our gallery for a few more- in HQ of course.
How many white and latina actresses came out to support Big Willy? They the only ones allowed to star as Will’s love interest in his films these days. None of those brown sistas you posted could star along side Will in his big Hollywood blockbusters.
And before any of the excuse makers come through talking trash, here is yet another article about how Black women or those who look visibly Black, including his won wife, cannot be cast opposite him in Hollywood unless the role actually calls for a visibly Black woman. :thumbsdown:
http://sevenpounds.sympatico.msn.ca/article/article.aspx?cp-documentid=743666&imageindex=2
Not going to make an excuse. However, the man is trying to make money and after clicking on and reading the link that you have posted, I completely understand why the women of other colors are cast opposite him.He’s trying to capture a broader audience and it is true that the broader audience isn’t interested in seeing a movie casting all Black people. That is just the way that it is. He is able to make as much and get as many roles as he has because he doesn’t star in an all Black film. Now I know some people are going to swear that he is selling out, but let me give me something to think about. If the situation was different and you were in his shoes and you knew that the only way you could make more money is to have other races than your own star opposite of you, would you? Or would you say, “naw, I’d rather make less and have a black person star along side me.” No one has to answer that because I know the answer. Many of you would decide right then to never have another black person in your movie ever again if it meant higher pay. I don’t know about other folks, but I look at what’s obvious and obviously he wants to get paid and this is the way to do it. Let him.
Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry are all well paid Hollywood slaves. None of them can write their own ticket and call the shots like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and George Clooney can. Each of them must be cast beside White men/women and other non Black people in order to be accepted nation wide, world wide and that equals a slave. Each of them is doing what they are told to do and must do in order to sell themselves to the race and races of people who will not support them and their people as a whole. How sick and pathetic is that? Jennifer Lopez was the same. She was even continously portrayed as Italian and Greek in many of her movies just to explain away her natural tan. Another well paid slave having to run away from her own ethnicity and people just to be accepted by the dominant race.
Thelma and Portia-you both make good points. Ultimately actors/actresses do want and need to make money but they should also consider the effects of their roles on the audience, especially when these actors are black/ethnic. Like Monsters Ball angela bassett turned it down because it didn’t portray black women in a positive light, but halle took the role and got an oscar. I have a lot more respect for angela because she knows where her boundaries are; whilst halle did what portia would do and didn’t give a damn about how her acting might affect millions of black women who saw the film.
My point is that actors/actresses should have a point where they say, no i wont always star in a film with a non-black person as my love interest because it promotes the idea that black relationships don’t exist. Plus in Will’s case there are millions of black women who could play his wife who are up and coming actresses and need the role! Like sannaa lathan is still only known in black hollywood, she hasn’t become mainstream even though she deserves to be; a role with Will could change her career.
Apologize if my spelling and grammar are all over the place
I dont get why its okay for white couples and latino couples and asian couples to exist on screen but not for black ones to! That makes no sense irrespective of money excuses, if other races can have couples in movies then why can’t we?
God bless Halle but she has turned into a Hollywood *****. When she sold her soul for Monster’s Ball she ruined what was once a decent career. Now she is whorish in all her movies and naked. There are pics just released yesterday that show her running the streets (filming) with no shirt one. Titties just waving in the wind. That is what happens when you show white hollywood that you have no soul. Now they just pimping her out in every film.
@ Better. :stop: First of all, you can’t say what I would do because you don’t know me.Also, I never agreed with what Halle did in Monster’s Ball. I don’t think you have to be naked to be successful, but that’s irrelevant Will isn’t doing that and the topic was about him and I was on topic. He just plays the part of being in a mixed relationship and as usual black women are ranting about it. I’m not an actor, it doesn’t even interest me, but I know that for some it is a high paying job and that if you want to make more you have to incorporate other races so they feel welcomed. It’s called good marketing. Now to the facts, I’m going to get real with you on the issues facing Black America. You say that a black actor playing along side someone that is not black is portraying that black relationships do not exist. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but in a couple of years there won’t be a trace of a black relationship.Seeing as that we are teaching our kids that kids out of wedlock is okay and to just hit him up for child support.Not to mention the majority of Black fathers that refuse to stick around for their kids because it doesn’t coincide with their “jump in, jump out” lifestyle.Then this is being taught to the future generation of men, who believe that it’s better to be on the corner than to work a 9-5. The number of Black families that have single parent homes are phenomenal and are growing. If this was the case in White America, they would stop the whole world to hold a conference on this mess because they don’t want to see the institution of relationships and family destroyed, but we don’t care.However, as usual, we as black people want to overlook these things and act like it doesn’t exist and then when brought to our attention we scream “Stop putting us down”, but nothing can be dealt with if you don’t admit truth. Furthermore, I don’t know if you are a listener of rap, which I’m not. I refuse to support it because it is more DAMAGING than anything that a black actor can do to our race and we allow our children to envy these fools that are blowing smoke and pouring cristal all over these beautiful black women in these music videos. So while you are passing judgement, I hope to the heavens that you aren’t tuning your radio in to that mess that calls people b*tches and hoes. If you are going to judge one judge them all even yourself. Now with that said..THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH WILL PLAYING ALONG SIDE A WOMAN OF ANOTHER RACE.HE IS CATERING TO A BROADER AUDIENCE NOT A BLACK AUDIENCE. THE BROADER AUDIENCE IS WHITE PEOPLE, LATINOS (WHO ARE ABOUT TO OUT NUMBER US), ETC. Don’t make a statement without the facts. I like to stick to the facts.
Will and Denzel are big enough names where they could take a stand. It’s not about appealing to different cultures it’s really about hollywood’s racist, derogatory view of black women. We live in a society that’s very shallow and beauty sells. White sells and hollywood doesn’t believe that a black women who actually looks black can sell a film. They don’t think a film starring a black couple has cross over appeal. I think the trend is, if you can’t beat them join them but if , perhaps ,more of these big names actors took a stand they could make a difference. It’s a shame that in this day and age we still encounter this blatant racism and inequality.
Gabrielle looks fabulous though!!
@dana “with no shirt one. Titties just waving in the wind.” :lol2: :lol2: sorry that made me laugh but i agree with you and others about this whole situation…at the same time im open to everything and i date outside my race does that make me a bad person? at the same time i do feel like its not right to just enver have a black female as his love interest…thats a shame and they are hella rich it wont hurt to do a film for a little less than what you would normally get for a non colored film…come on now…
I agree with most everyone here. look how beautiful Nia, Vanessa, Sanna, Gabby look–there is no reason why they should not get mores than they do–particularly all of them are amazing actresses (although Gabby can be just average at times for me), but especially Sanna and Vanessa (I was just watching New Jack City the other night, and she kilt her character! rock a bye baby! lol)–Yet, I’m forced to look at non acting Halle and Beyonce (that one really makes my skin crawl) and then of course the very below average looking and acting white actress like Jennifer Aniston, etc..Hollywood makes me sick!
The ladies looks fabulous! I’m especially loving the looks of Nia and Sanaa. Laila looks good post baby, and Robinne Lee is so pretty to me :thumbsup: :brownsista:
Will’s love interest looks Black to me.
:iagree: with Dana. Good point.
Oh, and halle berry is so OVERRATED :bag:
Sanaa was a leading lady with Denzel in ‘Out of Time’ or whatever it was called. Halle has always said she wants to work with Denzel and she also mentioned that even though she won an Oscar and other awards she still has to audition for some roles. She can’t control that type of mentality. While I don’t like that Halle had to do that scene in Monster’s Ball with that ugly man she seems to be one who is comfortable and secure with her body and doesn’t worry about all the stereotypes, she just does her and that is probably because she has already dealt with racial issues, growing up biracial. When she won her Oscar she was in touch with who came before her and their struggle. I don’t get that when Jennifer Anniston does partial nudity its great but if Halle does it, she is nasty.
:stop: Umm, correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t Gabby Will’s love interest in Bad Boys? Wasn’t Teresa Russell Martin’s wife in the both films, I and II? The majority of the cast was black except for Tia Leone’s character in the first one. And if memory serves me correctly, Tia’s friend who was BLACK (and beautiful I might add) was murdered and Tia’s character witnessed it.
Independence Day, co star was Vivica Fox. Rosario Dawson is Will’s love interest in Seven Pounds. The point is he has had black love interests as have Denzel in Malcolm (Angela Bassett) which grossed almost $50 million. That ain’t no chump change. There is also Mo Better Blues (Joie Lee, Spike’s sister), Mighty Quinn (Sheryll Lee Ralph), Preacher’s Wife (Whitney), He’s Got Game (Ray Allen played his son who was named Jesus). Some of you have short memories.
As for the whole you have to get along to get along, I don’t buy that crap. Will can more than call the shots. Hell, he demands $20 million per film for crying out loud as well as Denzel. That’s fine. You can choose not to view their films. It’s been a known for quiet sometime that blacks don’t support Will the way Whites do. Why are some of you surprised.
Will is not that good of an actor to me. He said in an interview he wasn’t that good, but he compensates for it by hard work. Let’s be real. Hitch was horrible as well as his depiction of Muhammad Ali, which also had his wife playing his wife in the film so there is another movie where his female “wife” was black.
Come on yall. We gotta get out of this victimization mind set.
I think it’s all about perception any way. Most of Will’s films, again IMO, are horrible. I think he’s best work is waaaay behind him. I loved him Men In Black I. The second one sucked eggs. I loved Independence Day and Bad Boys I and II.
Like Monsters Ball angela bassett turned it down because it didn’t portray black women in a positive light, but halle took the role and got an oscar. I have a lot more respect for angela because she knows where her boundaries are; whilst halle did what portia would do and didn’t give a damn about how her acting might affect millions of black women who saw the film.
Must we ‘always’ be portrayed in a positive light? I mean, the character “Lucretia”, she highly complex. There were both positives and negatives about her; many women could identify as well as abhor her various characteristics. Must Black Women always be portrayed as strong and positive and honorable in film? If we are, doesn’t it take away from the dimensionality that we DO possess? Not all of us are strong and positive and great…
I agree Angela does know where her boundaries are and as a result her roles will be limited; but if that’s cool with her, then it’s cool with me. She’s an extraordinary talent. I have to disagree with you on Halle’s talent and I might get flamed and sent to the chopping block here, but I felt Halle did an awesome job in her role as “Lucretia”; even up until the point of “that scene” that everyone hates so much. I view it as cathartic and transformative…and yeah, maybe it could’ve occured without us ’seeing it’, but that wasn’t the case.
Anyway, we’ll just all agree to disagree. Great conversation overall though. Suppose I should at least say something to the point of the post: all these women look lovely!
:brownsista:
Will Smith, Denzel Washington and Halle Berry are all well paid Hollywood slaves. None of them can write their own ticket and call the shots like Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and George Clooney can.
What about The Pursuit of Happyness a project Will Smith funded and helmed. Who was his co-star in that film? His son, right? Another Black person, right? Was there a white love interest? A great bright, white-light as his significant other and equal?
I’m sitting here trying to think of his past films, Denzel’s past films, Halle’s, etc. and trying to see the point you make of Hollywood slavery and if it really applies with all of their projects…with everything they’ve touched.
Where is my girl Rosario Dawson ??
Why not look at it another way?
why not say that casting any colour as Will Smith’s love interest in a movie should not matter?
Shouldn’t the quality of the actress (or actor, WS could play a gay man one day) be the important bit?
Just my tupence…
why don’t people think halle can act?
@gaston
Will actually already played homosexual in a movie call “6 degrees of seperation”, it had stockard channing it. came out in the early 90’s
Everyone looks great!
I just love Chaka Khan! :bowdown:
Gabby’s skin is always on point and I like Sanaa’s hairstyle…
Nia Long just never ages and Vanessa Williams is a natural beauty!
Beautiful!!!
I’m loving Nia’s shoes!
I really want to see this picture, it looks like it will be a tear jerker! Plus Will look so good in this movie. Congrats Jada!
@ Dana: I really have to disagree with you. Those actors that you mentioned especially Will, have their own production companies and they are calling the shots. Denzel has been the producer of a number of films. It’s kind of hard to be a slave, when they can choose which roles they want to take on and actually put the money up to do it. Plus look at the movies they have done, especially recently. Hopefully you are able to see it differently.
:iagree:
with Portia @ 10:46A, Kanyade, and Torya.. Maybe, now that the DNC has sold the world on Barak and his obviously & undeniably black wife Michelle, there could be a top-down affect on the attraction of a black couple. Just dreaming out loud like Dr King.
As far as the pics….by golly the camera is just lovin Ms. Union.
@ Tosha.. Yes Ms. Williams kilt it in in New Jack City and she is killing it in that little mini dress. I would not wear that but she could and she did it well.
All the ladies look refreshed except for Ms. Tat. She looks a little frumpy and out of place.
This is why I don’t have any respect for black actors or black producers, because they never take a stand, they never say a black woman for this project or I won’t do the film. Smith and Washington are big enough stars to demand who plays opposite them in a movie. They want us to support their mediocure movies, but can’t respect the fact that we want to be seen in a movie. What a joke! We waste our money , time, brain cells watching them play the same characters. We make them into sex symbols , yet they can’t fight for us to be in movies.
I know the story; The production company does not believe a black couple will sell to the international community. That belief is a complete joke, black love sells and is marketable, look at the Obamas. Many believed that a black woman couldn’t be first lady, well Michelle is proving them wrong. So, if she’s acceptable, and her story is real, why is it so hard to believe that a black woman couldn’t be in a movie with a black man and not do well?
Black people in Hollywood should take a stand on this issue. Will Smith and Denzel makes billions of dollars for the studios, they can request a love interest.
What’s funny is that black woman build these men up to sex symbol status , why they do a nonblack woman on film.
HOT…Except Chaka’s shoes. WTF?
There are some great comments on here and I really do see both sides of the argument. But I think at the end of the day its all about perspective….Did Halle degrade herself or open a door? Inspiration comes on all levels…what you think is degrading …is inspiring to someone else….
Good discussion.
GT
Thanks for the information Thelma.
Funny he didn’t have a problem with his characters having black lovers when he worked his way to the top. And if black actresses don’t bring in money he shouldn’t do any interviews with Essence magazine and promote his movies. I guess he shouldn’t be on Oprah either because she’s black and it’s not like she draws viewers or money.
I agree with Bowhee. So many black women find Will sexy and will pay to see a movie because he’s in it. But his character’s lover can’t be black? What kind of message is he sending to his daughter?
Since black women don’t bring in money I’ll keep mine and maybe watch a bootleg copy.
Look Guys, he’s married to a sister, he doesn’t have to play make believe alongside a sister to make me happy, he showes me in real life what it looks like. I have plenty all black movie that I like and go see! I love me some Will and Jada, that’s why I could careless that he’s movies are mainstreamed, good, more money for a man who chose to fall for a sista in real LIFE! Chill sista, the black actress will get that work. Kerry Wastington, just played a white mens wife, Sanaa played a sista doing a little that fell for a milky brotha, he was fine too. :lol2:
omg just got back from seeing the movie…seriously i walked out….no it wasnt bad it was just that dang good! like seriously i walked out….i was getting all messed up and to emotional…im a punk and i cry at sad movies but this one was beyond sad…..if any man see this movie and doesnt get emotional…ladies yall need to dump em because this movies is fantastic…i mean there was moments even in the beginning where i started to tear up but at the end OMG i died…i had to leave…everyone in there was sniffing…it was just to much for me
@ Thelma and Dana I thought Halle and Rosario were bi racial, both mixed with black blood so why are you commenting that Halle sold her self out because she is black? and Will smith was cast with rosario because she is white? I don’t understand they are both the same one of the ladies have darker skin thats it. If he was cast with Mariah would he be selling out again remember she is Bi racial also. Maybe barack shoudn’t be president because oh yeah he is biracial also, and most of us all voted for him does that make us a sell out? we should think about what we are saying seven pounds was a great movie and everyone played their part and their choice for picking Rosario was on point. i’m going to support good african american movies regardless. lord knows we don’t need more movies like “Notorious” being made.
y’all crazy, will can call shots in hollywood, he guaranteed money in hollywood, sometimes the have a type of male/ female in mind before the movie is even casted, and just know whenever you are watching the opening/ closing credits for movies and if you ever see overbrook production, just know will and jada is getting paid.
oh, almost forgot, just saw the movie and it was beautiful, definetly a tear jerker