'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' Stars And Creators On Mid-Life Revelations And Saying Goodbye

Nearly 25 years after we were introduced to The Best Man, and almost a decade after The Best Man Holiday, Malcolm D. Lee is saying goodbye to his beloved franchise. The Best Man: The Final Chapters catches up with Harper (Taye Diggs), Robyn (Sanaa Lathan), Jordan (Nia Long), Lance (Morris Chestnut), Quentin (Terrence Howard), Shelby (Melissa De Sousa), Candace (Regina Hall), and Murch (Harold Perrineau). 

Picking up shortly after the events of The Best Man Holiday and closing in 2024, Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters will examine the close-knit friend group as they navigate relationships, past grievances, mid-life revelations, and crossroads. Ahead of The Final Chapters‘ eight-episode debut, Shadow and Act sat down to speak with Lee, co-showrunner Dayna Lynne North and the cast members about finishing the story, the evolution of the cast and saying goodbye. 

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On Set With 'Little': Regina Hall and Issa Rae On the Power Of Black Women

Black girlhood is often overlooked— not only in mainstream films but also in the archive of Black Cinema across the diaspora. Now, with the new movie Little — helmed by Tina Brown and starring Black-ish's Marsai Martin, Regina Hall, and Issa Rae, Black girls are being brought to the forefront of mainstream cinema.

Set in the present day, Little follows Jordan Sanders (Hall) a ballsy no-nonsense businesswoman in the tech space. On the eve of the most significant presentation of her career, Jordan wakes up in her penthouse apartment as her 13-year-old self (Martin) Forced to rely on April (Rae) her long-suffering assistant to keep her secret and her business up and running, Jordan must confront some tough truths about her present and her past.

Last July on a sticky hot day in Atlanta —Shadow and Act got the opportunity to visit the Little set. As the soundstage door opened, we found ourselves in Jordan’s office, a brightly lit space that had the CEO’s face and presence all over it. As filming continued on set, we chatted with Regina Hall and Issa Rae about working with Martin, Black women's stories and what it means to be the H.B.I.C.

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Regina Hall On Bringing Angie Thomas' World To Life In 'The Hate You Give,' And Why It’s Always A Wonderful Time To Be A Black Woman

Regina Hall didn’t expect to be a part of the film adaptation of Angie Thomas’ explosive novel, The Hate U Give. She was cast as Lisa Carter, the loving but no-nonsense mother of protagonist Starr Carter, quite by chance. The novel and film chronicle Starr's experiences with law enforcement, her school and her community, after she watches her childhood friend get gunned down by a police officer. During the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Shadow and Act sat down to chat with the Hall about bringing a black teen girl’s experience of police brutality and injustice to the big screen. "I did Barbershop—the third installment. And after we wrapped, George said, 'You know, there's a project that I really think you'd be great for,'" Hall revealed. "I didn't know that it had a green light, nor was I sure that the studio was going to approve me for the part. A year passed and George called, and they sent the book over. I was more than halfway through the book, and then the script came. I read the script and thought that they did a great job with the adaptation—because that's hard. Then I went and met with the executives at Fox, and everyone said, 'Yes.'"

Though the veteran actress trusted Tillman’s vision, watching the film come together as the rest of the cast came onboard was a thrilling experience. "I was excited! Russell was doing it, and Amandla. I thought of the cast that George was putting together, and I was like, 'Huh? That's an interesting cast.' I thought, 'Are people going to think Starr looks like me?' Hall told Shadow and Act.

"Then they brought on Common, and Issa as the activist lawyer. Even Anthony as the villain — there were all these pieces of the puzzle. George was so clear, and he was so smart in his vision of the movie. When we were shooting, I was like, 'Oh, of course!' I couldn't see anyone else. It's not necessarily what I would've thought, and I know that there were people who were like, 'I don't know about that,'" Hall said. "So that's just a testament to George and everyone at Fox in the casting. I was very excited to be a part of it, in the rehearsals watching it come together."

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Don't Expect 'The Hate U Give' To Deliver Sanitized Storytelling Around Race

The late rapper Tupac Shakur only saw 25 birthdays. However, during his short life, he came to understand the black experience in America, which he summed up as T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E, meaning, “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody.” This haunting perspective would influence Angie Thomas’ award-winning novel The Hate U Give, which is now a feature film. Helmed by veteran director George Tillman Jr., Amandla Stenberg brings Thomas’ Starr to life in a heartbreaking and impactful portrayal that will surely shut down the naysayers who questioned her casting. At 16, Starr has many interests—she's a sneakerhead, a starter on her school's basketball team and an active member of her community, where her father Maverick (an outstanding Russell Hornsby) owns a corner store. However, in addition to the burdens of being a teen, Starr has trained herself to exist in between two worlds. She's continuously code-switching and navigating her way through her white, upper-class prep school and the streets where she was raised.

Though she's mastered being both versions of herself, Starr’s world shatters when she witnesses her childhood best friend, Khalil (Algee Smith), be gunned down by the police during a traffic stop. Though his character is killed not even 30 minutes into the film, Smith’s endlessly charismatic Khalil allows Starr to be her true self. In his presence, she no longer has to walk a tightrope between two worlds. The banter between Smith and Stenberg—though brief—was the stuff of which teenage love affairs are made. In the aftermath of Khalil's murder, Starr must grapple with remaining silent. It's something her loving but fearlessly protective mother, Lisa (Regina Hall), begs Starr to make a choice about: bear with the quiet or use her voice to speak for her fallen friend.

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Regina Hall on the phenomenon that is 'Girls Trip,' 'Due North' and making Black women proud (EXCLUSIVE)

Regina Hall is just getting started. The veteran actress burst onto the scene nearly two decades ago in Malcolm D. Lee’ iconic film, The Best Man. Since then, she's been in everything from the Scary Movie franchise to Black-ish. However, the smash success of her the $100 million marvel Girls Trip – another Lee flick, has propelled the extremely busy actress back into the spotlight. “I've been really blessed, and I've always worked a lot,” Hall told me when I asked her if the success of Girls Trip has triggered new roles for her. “I'm not the most social media visible person, even though I do have a page. Maybe people don't know what I'm doing in between stuff. It was great and consistent before, and yeah, I think maybe my options continued to grow, but I think it's been good and it's staying good thanks to (Girls Trip)." The first time the Insecure actress had even heard of Girls Trip was two years ago. She and producer Will Packer were on an airplane headed to New York for another project. Packer asked her opinion about an idea he had for a film where four friends go to Essence Fest. “Honestly, I was like, ‘What?’," Hall told me reflecting back on that initial conversation. “I didn't know what that was going to be, but I thought about four women going to Essence Fest, and I knew it could be good.” It didn’t take long for Packer to set his plan in motion – bringing on Lee to direct and calling Kenya Barris and Tracy Oliver to write the script. “I think a year later there was a script and then we were on set," Hall remembers. “So, it all was a culmination of a perfect storm.”

Now that the critically acclaimed R-rating comedy has grossed a massive $130 million plus at the box office, Hall is still reeling a bit from the insanity that was this past summer. It’s all been an incredible ride for the Naked actress – but it’s also been shocking in some ways. “You never know what a movie is going to be, how it's going to go from paper to an actual film," she said thoughtfully. “I knew that we had a lot of fun. I mean, we laughed a lot. I knew that me and the girls had really created a deep connection and bond, and I knew that part was real. Then the rest you hope for. I don't know if my expectation was where it ended up being, but it was an amazing and wonderful surprise. I think we were just really happy that women who watched it enjoyed it. I think that was what I thought about the most. Even though it was an African American led movie — I wanted all women to receive it and love it, and I wanted Black women to be proud."

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Raunchy & Real ‘Girls Trip’ Might Be the Best Comedy of the Summer [REVIEW]

Malcolm D. Lee just gets Black women. The nuances and intricacies of Black womanhood aren’t often considered in cinema, especially not in studio films. Much more complex than its name, Girls Trip takes its comedic cues from the best aspects of The Hangover and Bridesmaids while underscoring the specificities of what makes Black women unique. The Best Man director isn’t afraid to get hyper-specific or raunchy, and his choices pay off immensely.

Directing from a script penned by Black-ish creator Kenya Barris and screenwriter Tracy Oliver, four college friends reunite at the annual ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans after being apart for five years. Dubbed the Flossy Posse — married bestselling author Ryan (Regina Hall), divorced single mom Lisa (Jada Pinkett Smith), celebrity gossip blogger Sasha (Queen Latifah) and the fiercely loyal but hot-headed Dina (Tiffany Haddish) converge on the vibrant NOLA streets for a long overdue girls weekend.

Girls Trip throws the middle finger to the myth of the Black Superwoman. Not one member of the Flossy Posse has it all together. Lisa is so consumed with motherhood that it takes her friends not so subtle nudging for her to rediscover her identity and sexuality. Formally renowned writer Sasha is barely making ends meet competing against The Shade Rooms and Perez Hilton’s of the world. Then there is Dina, who is determined to live her best life by being exactly who she is. Still, it’s Ryan’s life that might be the biggest façade of all. With her ex-NFL player hubby Stewart (Luke Cage’s Mike Colter) at her side and a new self-help book, You Can Have It All, we soon learn there’s a reason Ryan has avoided her girls for so long.

Read more at EBONY.com.