Gabrielle Dennis On The Explosive 'Bobby Brown Story,' Becoming Whitney And Getting Villainous For 'Luke Cage'

Gabrielle Dennis has an aura of fearlessness about her. The Howard University alum first rose to fame in 2008 when she stepped onto the television scene as Janay, the woman who came between Derwin (Pooch Hall) and Melanie (Tia Mowry-Hardrict) on the long-running dramedy The Game. Since then, Dennis has claimed her spot in the Marvel Universe in Netflix's Luke Cage, starred opposite Morris Chestnut on the medical drama Rosewood and has even appeared on the beloved Issa Rae comedy Insecure. Now, Dennis is taking on the role of a lifetime as the late Whitney Houston in BET’s The Bobby Brown Story. Houston left behind a voice and legacy that was so impactful that it still rings out across the globe, so it wasn't a role that Dennis took lightly. "I wouldn't say there was necessarily a fear," she explained to me ahead of  The Bobby Bown Story premiere. "Going into it, understanding how important this role is, how important the need for me to approach it with a certain level of respect and being very delicate because of who she is, it was definitely a challenge. The hardest thing, I think, was that it was such a rushed project. We shot two films in six weeks. It's just such a whirlwind. Things go so quickly. It was a lot of hard work in the preparation and the studying of her. I knew I wouldn't have a lot of time on set to just be playing around. It was just kind of like, 'Girl, during your time off, it's just ... it's watching videos; it's studying your lines.'"

Though Houston had such an energetic spirit, many aspects of her life, especially her marriage to Brown, were often filled with darkness. It was a weight that Dennis had to shake off when filming wrapped. "When I finally wrapped, it was definitely a relief," the Luke Cage actress said. "It took a while to get Whitney off of me because I care so much about her, and I feel like there's this relationship that I have with her now, even though I've never met her — it's a relationship that I have with her now that's different from the one I had with her before. I went on a journey of trying to understand her, her mental space and the things that she went through, especially during her relationship and her marriage. So there's a lot of that darkness and that heavy weight that I had to sit with during that process, and it was hard and very emotional. At the end of the day, you get so upset. She's not here, and she should be here. It's very heartbreaking."

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Sixteen-Year-Old Myles Truitt Electrifies ‘Kin,' A Riveting Film Executive Produced By Michael B. Jordan

The world can feel massive and cruel. For many of us, especially young people of color living in the inner cities of this country, happiness and a sense of connection can feel out of reach, even at the earliest stages of our lives. In Kin, directors Jonathan and Josh Baker shine their light on Elijah – called Eli (newcomer Myles Truitt), a 12-year-old Black boy living with his world-weary adoptive father Hal (Dennis Quaid) in working-class Detroit. For Eli, escaping the horrors of middle school often means breaking into building sites an stealing metal for cash. It's on one of these scavenger adventures that he stumbles upon a weapon -- a supernatural gun that has been inadvertently abandoned. Intrigued with the discovery, Eli hides it away, pulling it out only when he's by himself. Discovering the weapon isn’t the only major change in Eli’s life. His big brother, Jimmy (Jack Reynor) returns home after a six-year- stint in prison. In debt to a menacing and heavily tatted gangster (James Franco) that kept him safe behind bars – Jimmy makes a run for it, scooping up his unsuspecting little brother and the mysterious weapon in the midst of it.

Truitt stepped into Eli's rundown sneakers by chance. Coming off the whirlwind of BET’s The New Edition Story, where he starred as young Ronnie DeVoe, the young actor was seeking a new challenge. " sent me the script, and I just read over it, and I thought it would be a pretty good film," the 15-year-old explained to me a few weeks ahead of Kin’s debut. “I also watched the short film, Bag Man. It showed me the gist of what was going to go on in Kin and how I was going to play out my character. is actually very similar to me. He keeps to himself and doesn't really talk to anybody — very independent. I met up with the directors in Boston; I did a chemistry read with them. Then I met Jack, and we did a couple of improv scenes with each other, and they worked out well. The Bakers were like, 'We want you', and my mom was jumping up and down and crying. It was my first major film, and originally it's supposed to be an indie film."

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Regina Hall Is Magnetic, Warm and Devastating In 'Support The Girls'

Women, black women especially, have often been left to sweep up the things that everyone else in society leaves behind. The same can be said for Lisa, (portrayed by an astounding Regina Hall) in Andrew Bujalski's brutally honest but warm dramedy Support the Girls. Lisa is the general manager of a Hooters-like sports bar, crudely named Double Whammies, in the suburbs of Austin, Texas. She spends her days keeping the local joint running smoothly and mothering the slew of scantily clad 20-something waitresses who report to her. Going well above and beyond her job description, Lisa manages all of the drama and angst that come with being a young woman trying to scrape together a life for yourself while wearing a cleavage-bearing belly shirt and cut-off booty shorts. Support the Girls opens with Lisa weeping tearfully from the driver’s seat of her car in the parking lot of Double Whammies. At the last minute, she pulls herself together when Maci (Haley Lu Richardson)—an infectiously bubbly young woman who is one of Lisa’s veteran waitresses—knocks on her car window to embrace her for their morning hug. Determined to press forward with her day, Lisa fixes her face and pushes through, checking off a slew of things on her excessively long and ever-growing to-do list. Over the course of the next several hours, she trains some new waitresses, terminates one of her cooks–though it pains her to do so– deals with a police incident and kicks out a rude patron who refused to respect her “zero-tolerance” policy when it comes to harassing her girls. This is only the stuff Lisa is dealing with at work; she’s also trying to come up with a plan for one of her girls who was involved in a violent altercation with her abusive boyfriend. There are also major hints about cracks and issues in Lisa's marriage.

The women of Double Whammies--Danyelle (Shayna McHayle aka Junglepussy) in particular, a no-nonsense single mother--are fantastic and add depth and brilliance to a story that is shepherded by Hall. None of them act as filler characters; they all have interesting backstories and distinct personalities. Though he’s a man telling a women’s story, Bujalski gets it. He often frames Hall in close up, capturing all of the warring emotions of a big-hearted but exhausted woman. Hall’s range complements this framing, as her performance is remarkable. She sits squarely at the center of this narrative with the ensemble cast working around her instead of directly in her lane. As a result, the Girls Trip actress sparkles.

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Amanda Warren Is Ready To Fight Colorism, Criminals And More In USA Network's 'The Purge'

In sweltering New Orleans in the middle of summer, I sit in the corner of a soundstage which has been dressed for the forthcoming television series The Purge. The show is based on the iconic film franchise, and my surroundings are decorated with terrifying masks, including cut-outs of famous serial killers and a nun's face with the eyes gouged out. I can still see them all so vividly when I close my eyes. Amanda Warren isn’t bothered, though. In fact, she’s used to The Purge sets and all of the gore and violence that go with them. The dimple-faced actress embraces me and sits across from me, her presence warm in all aspects in an otherwise eerie atmosphere—she’s even draped in a shawl to ward off the crisp air conditioning which flows through the room. Warren plays Jane on the upcoming series, a black woman who has clawed her way to the top in the finance world. The character’s spirit and determination drew The Leftovers alum to the role. "Jane is a young 32-year-old woman out of the Wharton School of Business—so Ivy League educated," Warren said. "She’s driven, passionate, good in the soul and self-made, which is not the easiest thing for a young woman in this day and age who is unapologetically black. We see the challenges that are presented because of who she is. We see the challenges and the conflicts with her mother, with her boss, David Ryker (William Baldwin) and with her subordinates. So there's a huge canvas to play with that."

Jane's frustrations with the glass ceiling in the finance world lead her down a dark path; one that gets her involved in the purge in a way that she never has before. After ten years of hiding during the purge (the series is set a decade after The First Purge), Jane is ready to up the stakes in a significant way. "We see what happens when a woman who has always stayed away from Purge Night, gets involved in a lawless state for 12 hours," Warren revealed. "We see the challenges and the choices that are being made by her merely being outside in the world, having to deal with an overnight overseas deal. You are a participant whether you are preying or being preyed upon; if you're out there, it is open season and ten years into having this law that is not lost on her at all."

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Spike Lee and The 'BlacKkKlansman' Cast Want You To Know The Past Is Our Present

With almost forty years in the film industry, something has compelled Spike Lee to tell every single story upon which he’s cast his lens. BlacKkKlansman, the astounding tale of now-retired black police officer Ron Stallworth's infiltration of the Ku Klux Klan is no exception. “For the last thirty years, from She's Gotta Have It (1986) to BlacKkKlansman (2018), and all the films in between, the documentaries, Michael Jackson videos, Prince videos, short films, all are important to me," Lee revealed on a Sunday afternoon in late July as we sat in the corner of a swanky New York hotel overlooking Central Park. Stallworth's story, of being the first black police officer to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department, came to Lee through another visionary filmmaker -- Academy Award winner Jordan Peele. "I had never heard of Mr. Stallworth or his book. So that was the first time," Lee said, as he placed a vibrantly colored backpack with an image of his character Mars Blackmon on the window ledge next to us. "Even before I read the book, Jordan pitched it to me. I thought they were doing the David Chappelle skit again," he said, referring to Chappelle's fictional character Clayton Bigsby the black, white supremacist. "David Chappelle is brilliant, but that was a skit; this is someone's life. We found things in the past that ring true today, and hopefully, people will make the connection and see that this film is not a period piece, but a contemporary piece. It's about the word we live in --this crazy, crazy bananas world we live in today."

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'BlacKkKlansman' Proves John David Washington Has Always Been Working Towards This Moment

As I enter the room, John David Washington is near the window seated comfortably on a lounger, and he’s quiet. The breakout star is staring introspectively out of the window onto the sunny street overlooking Central Park. As I step through the threshold of the room, Washington smiles and stands. Ever the gentleman, he greets me and gestures toward another chair waiting for me to be seated before he takes his seat once more. For someone who grew up on the sidelines of the entertainment industry, there’s no air of Hollywood entitlement about him. At 34, Washington is ready to step into the spotlight; this is what he’s been working toward his entire life. In his role in the latest Spike Lee joint, BlacKkKlansman, the Morehouse College alum stars as Ron Stallworth, the first black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department who infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan and thwarts a deadly attack on the city’s black community. The moment Lee called Washington for the role, the actor knew he would be in good hands. "Working with Spike definitely exceeded my expectations," he said. "How inclusive he was as a director; how sharing he was; how much he trusted me -- this is Spike Lee. He wants what he wants, but he also wants what you got. If he wants what you got, then he allows you to give it to him, and that kind of trust from a legend like that, I've never had before on set. That was super encouraging for me and made me feel so much more comfortable and confident to deliver for him. I was calling him Mr. Lee for a couple of weeks; he's like, 'Stop calling me that. I'm Spike.' I was like, 'Alright Mr. Lee. I'll call you Spike, Mr. Lee. Sorry, Mr. Lee.'"

The pressure that came with working with Lee along with continually comparing Washington to his very famous father, another muse of the Do the Right Thing director, were just two aspects of this job with which the Ballers actor had to contend. Washington was also stepping into someone’s life. Ron Stallworth is real and very much alive. "The table read was when we really got to talk, and passed around his KKK membership card," Washington remembered. "We talked a lot there, but then every week we were on the phone. I was hounding him. He began telling me about what it's like being a cop—what to look for, where to stand, how to know where the exits are, just all that tactical stuff. Then we started talking about the motivations and what he experienced in his life. We discussed where his beliefs came from, the foundation of who he was, and his family. I also shared some stuff about me with him, too. It became this counseling relationship between the two of us."

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'BlacKkKlansman' Is Spike Lee’s Most Blunt, Bold And Boisterous Film

Legendary director Spike Lee brings retired detective Ron Stallworth's memoir to life in his piercing new film BlacKkKlansman. An engrossing adaption of Stallworth’s induction as the first black police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department, the film follows his first year on the force where Stallworth would find himself entangled in a case that would help humiliate the Ku Klux Klan. Set in the late '70s at the height of the Black Power movement, BlacKkKlansman centers on the young and ambitious Ron Stallworth (portrayed by John David Washington), who refuses to be shoved in the evidence room, a black token in an endless sea of white faces. When Kwame Ture, formerly known as Stokely Carmichael (portrayed by Corey Hawkins) visits Colorado Springs, Ron jumps at the chance to infiltrate the crowd and report back to his supervisor about black activism in the city. What he doesn’t expect is to befriend Patrice Dumas (portrayed by Laura Harrier), the leader of the local college's Black Student Union. Though Ron is intent on working within the system to make a change, Patrice uses more “radical” approaches to combat racism, white supremacy and injustices even when it means literally putting her body and life at risk.

Given a position in the police department's intelligence section for his efforts at the Kwame Ture rally, Ron finds himself fascinated with an ad that calls for white people to join the local chapter of the KKK. On a whim, Ron comes up with a scheme to infiltrate the organization and report on its members' heinous activities and behaviors. However, no matter how "white" Ron's voice might sound on the phone, his swagger, deep skin tone and gleaming afro prevent him from meeting the local klansmen face-to-face. Instead, he's forced to partner with Flip Zimmerman (portrayed seamlessly by Adam Driver), a seasoned Jewish detective who wants nothing to do with Ron’s investigation.

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Blindspotting with Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal: Electrifying Oakland, Their Decade-Long Process and Storytelling

A raw and eye-opening commentary on race, gentrification and manhood, Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal’s astounding Blindspotting electrifies Oakland on the big screen. The writing partners and childhood friends' moving narrative is helmed by first-time feature filmmaker Carlos López Estrada. The story follows two men – best friends Collin (Diggs) and Miles (Casal) – a misfit pair trying to navigate the ever-changing landscape of their hometown. With only three days left to complete his probation, Collin is determined to keep his nose clean, but the boisterous Miles seems to attract trouble at every turn. While Collin works carefully to mask his rage, witnessing the police murder an unarmed black man on the street one night brings it all bubbling to the surface. Miles, on the other hand, basks in his anger and not even his loving girlfriend, Ashley (Hamilton alum Jasmine Cephas Jones), or his pre-school age son can reel him in. Just before the film’s theatrical premiere, I talked with Diggs and Casal about Blindspotting, its origin and how they married raps and rhymes to construct such a powerful piece of art.

It turns out the film has been a long-time coming. "Almost ten years ago, the genesis of the idea formed," Diggs said. "One of our producers found Rafael through a YouTube wormhole. They found a bunch of his poetry. I'd approached about writing a script using some of the same techniques that he used in his poems. A couple of years later, I was introduced to producers Jess and Keith because of a gig they had asked Rafael to do. He couldn't make it, so I went and filled in. The four of us started speaking, and we decided we would start writing a film. The prompt was it would be about Oakland, it would be about the Bay, and it would star the two of us. Right after that, Oscar Grant was killed. We knew a film about Oakland had to encompass that."

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Situationships, Sex And Shenanigans: Our Predictions For Season 3 Of 'Insecure'

After an emotionally tumultuous and eye-opening season 2 of Insecure, the critically acclaimed series is set to drop its third season on August 12. This time it looks like Issa (Issa Rae) and Molly (Yvonne Orji) are entering their dirty thirties with the same ol’ shenanigans. Season 2 was the final nail in the coffin in Issa and Lawrence’s (Jay Ellis) relationship, and from what Ellis has told Angie Martinez, it doesn’t look like the former Best Buy employee will be penetrating Issa’s world anytime soon. In fact, after some much-needed closure, it looks like the man who forgot Issa's birthday is officially Black History. Even though we love Ellis as an actor, we aren’t mad that Lawrence and Issa are no longer circling one another. After all, we want to see Issa grow and prosper, and that’s just not going to be possible if she and her ex are still holding on to one another (symbolically or otherwise). But let's get back to the ladies on the show because that's what's so enchanting about the series. Rae and showrunner Prentice Penny are putting black women at the center and giving them the opportunity to tell their stories. Still, that’s not to say that even without the drama of Lawrence that Issa’s life is flawless.

The last time we saw the Stanford grad, she was moving out of the apartment she and Lawrence once shared and in with Daniel (Y'lan Noel), her college bae and the man with whom she cheated on Lawrence. Originally, Issa was supposed to move in with her brother, Ahmal (Jean Elie), but that quickly changed. Now, Issa is supposed to be sleeping on Daniel's s couch. But we’ve all seen Daniel, and we’ve indeed all witnessed the chemistry between the pair, so we'll give the new "roommates" until episode three before they fall back into bed together.

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'Sorry To Bother You' Is Sharp, Surreal And Brilliantly Biting

At present, the future isn’t looking all that bright, and if we examine the alternative universe in Boots Riley’s Sorry to Bother You, the near future looks even less promising. Set in Oakland, Riley’s whimsically boisterous satire focuses on Cassius Green (excellently portrayed by Lakeith Stanfield). Broke and desperate, Cassius is living in his uncle Sergio’s (Terry Crews) garage, aimlessly trying to find his purpose in life. His activist/artist fiancée, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), seems content in her present circumstances -- making artwork, protesting the blistering effects of capitalism and taking various odd jobs for cash. However, with his uncle facing foreclosure on his home, Cassius is desperate to live a more robust and financially stable life. Lacking any discernable skills or passions, Cassius snags a job at RegalView Telemarking. Plopped down in a dark, suffocating basement, Cassius struggles to bring in his commission-based pay. Luckily, after getting some advice from a more seasoned co-worker named Langston (Danny Glover), Cassius’ luck at work begins to change. He quickly rises the ranks – eventually becoming a coveted Power Caller in the building's penthouse under Mr. Blank (Omari Hardwick). Sorry to Bother You might seem straightforward, but its magic lies in Riley's writing and the writer/director's confidence and ambition.

Sharp and surreal, Cassius is jolted into the homes of the people that he’s calling, and that’s just the beginning of Riley's asymmetric take on storytelling. Langston’s advice is the real kicker. He instructs Cassius to use his “white voice” to bring in sales. A “white voice" isn’t simply a high pitched tone infused with proper grammar; Arrested Development’s David Cross speaks for Cassius when he opens his mouth – it’s pretty insane.

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You Can't Call Yourself A Black Cinephile If You Haven't Seen These 21 Films

With long summer days upon us and fewer television shows to choose from, now is the time to dive into the archives of Black cinema. From Oscar Micheaux's 20th-century silent work to Marlon Riggs' excellent documentary that cracked open the Black queer narrative in cinema to our more recent cherished films like Black Panther and Get Out, there is so much to explore in Black directed and Black cast films. At a time when various voices are contributing different narratives to Black film, it's important to see how complex Black stories have been throughout history. Micheaux's race films, for example, were in direct response to white propaganda that was validating the Ku Klux Klan. Riggs' Tongues Untied paved the way for Barry Jenkins' Moonlight, and Kathleen Collins opened the door for other Black female filmmakers like Julie Dash, Ava DuVernay, and Kasi Lemmons among others. Have you seen these movies?

Nothing But A Man

For its time, Nothing But A Man was revolutionary. Ivan Dixon starred as Duff Anderson a charismatic Pullman porter who sets his sights on Josie Dawson (Abbey Lincoln), a school teacher and preacher's daughter during one of his trips down South. Though her father doesn't approve, Josie and Duff fall in love and eventually marry. However, they must learn to weather the storms of their marriage and the deep racism of the Jim Crow South.

Nothing But A Man is a beautiful and nuanced work of art. The narrative also refuses to let Duff off the hook easily. Though racism and segregation contribute to his problems, his womanizing and anger also lead to issues of his own creation.

Juice

Set in Harlem in the '90s, Ernest Dickerson's iconic thriller Juice follows four young Black men, Bishop (Tupac Shakur), Q (Omar Epps), Steel (Jermaine Hopkins) and Raheem (Khalil Kain) whose lives change dramatically as a result of one tragic decision. With themes surrounding friendship, broken dreams, and the unpredictability of youth, the film is tragic and timeless.

Juice also proved to the world that the late Shakur was much more than just a West Coast rapper.

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'Whitney' Is Sobering But Lacks A Fresh Perspective

Whitney Houston’s voice was almost otherworldly; there's no denying it. Her legacy, though fraught with pain and tragedy, will never be erased. There has been much speculation about Houston, her career and the addictions that eventually led to her death, and now in the documentary film Whitney, Houston's family and director Kevin Macdonald are presenting their account of the late idol's life. Much of the film comes from the perspective of those closest to Houston, including her brothers, Michael and Gary, as well as her mother, Cissy Houston; ex-husband Bobby Brown; and even her co-star Kevin Costner. Using these confessionals, Macdonald outlines The Preacher’s Wife actress’s childhood in New Jersey through her death on that fateful February day in 2012. What stands out immediately is that the details of Houston’s childhood are up for debate. While some in her inner circle insist that her childhood was idyllic in spite of her parent's divorce, others tell a different story altogether. These never discussed aspects of Houston's adolescence paint a heartbreaking tale of molestation and immense pressure to get her voice just right.

While the narrative is intriguing, some of the stylistic choices in Whitney are odd. Macdonald intercuts footage like MTV commercials and news specials throughout the film with then-contemporary footage of Houston in an attempt to orient the audience. However, it often felt distracting. Additionally, though the film was executive produced by The Bodyguard star's sister-in-law, Pat Houston, and involved several close members of the Houston family, Macdonald did not spend a great deal of time with those nearest and dearest to Whitney, including her mother. The on-camera interviews in the film are heavily edited. Choppy cuts and transitions raise questions about authenticity, Macdonald's access and the impartiality of Whitney.

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Omari Hardwick Talks 'Real to Reel,' Legacy And 'Power': "I Would Love People To Say I Made Myself At Home In This Industry"

At his core, Omari Hardwick is a storyteller. While many folks met him in Ava DuVernay’s stellar 2011 film I Will Follow and then, of course, as the stoic drug kingpin Ghost in Starz’s Power, Hardwick's journey in the entertainment industry spans nearly two decades. Throughout his career, his work has covered almost every genre across multiple mediums and platforms. Presently, he’s busier than ever. Power returns for a fifth season on July 1; his indie film, A Boy. A Girl. A Dream, is making the rounds at film festivals across the nation; and he will be seen next in Boots Riley’s trippy and mesmerizing Sorry to Bother You. And yet, Hardwick’s hectic schedule is something that he’s wholeheartedly embraced. In fact, his success and love for visionary storytelling sparked his partnership with Gentleman Jack’s Real to Reel program.

In its second year, the program has given a platform to rising black filmmakers and provided them with an opportunity to share their stories and talent while receiving mentorship from Hardwick. In Harlem on a late spring evening after a full day of press for Power, Hardwick introduced four short films from New York City filmmakers of color. As the audience sat engrossed in the unique projects, Hardwick and I chatted about Real to Reel, his legacy, Power and how he hopes to influence artists coming after him.

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Oprah Winfrey, Mara Brock Akil And Michele Weaver On 'Love Is__,' Heartache And Lessons Learned

Black women aren’t often given the opportunity to tell our love stories publicly. Instead, our courtships, regrets, and lustful encounters are whispered about amongst our girlfriends. Epic love stories -- the ones that we see in movie theaters or on TV screens are typically reserved for white women, while advice from male “relationship experts,” and unfounded statistics are strewn across social media platforms and news sites telling Black women all the reasons we can't find love. With her new romance series, Love Is__ writer/showrunner Mara Brock Akil is reclaiming the romance genre for Black women by sharing her own very intimate story – a tale of how she and her husband, writer/director Salim Akil fell deeply in love. Love Is__ follows Nuri (portrayed by Michele Weaver) a rising writer in '90s Black Hollywood whose settling into her career in LA, making a name or herself, and furnishing her newly purchased home. Her life collides with Yasir (portrayed by Will Catlett), an aspiring writer-director without two nickels to rub together. Told from the perspective of the couple 20 years in the future, with music from everyone from Brownstone to Lauryn Hill contributing to the soundtrack, Akil invites you into this exhilarating time in her life, one that was full of romance, heartache, and so much magic. At the Love Is__ premiere in Los Angeles, I chatted with Akil, OWN CEO Oprah Winfrey and Weaver about the series, the power of Black love, and what can grasp from heartache.

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Mara Brock Akil And Salim Akil Talk Their Seductive New Show 'Love Is ___' With Series Leads Will Catlett & Michele Weaver

Love stories were made for the screen. There is a magic that comes with falling, diving in head first, and allowing yourself to become connected and enraptured with another soul. In romance films, the audience is pulled under quickly, caught up in the first mesmerizing moments of desire and lust. However, television allows artists and audiences to unpack the nuances of love. We are able to suss out the grit and imperfections that come with entangling two lives together. The enchantment is still there obviously, but there is also space for the reality of it all, the past relationships, finances, and the grind of daily life. Set in Los Angeles in the 1990’s, married Hollywood dream team Mara Brock Akil and Salim Akil -- who've brought us series like, Girlfriends, The Game, and Black Lightning, present Love Is__. A love story based loosely off of their relationship, the gorgeously shot drama follows Nuri (portrayed by Michele Weaver) and Yasir (portrayed by Will Catlett). Told from the perspective of the couple twenty years into the future, wiser Nuri (Wendy Davis) and Yasir (Clarke Peters) reflect on their initial spark. At different points in the lives and careers when they first meet, the pair sees something special in one another. When they first connect Nuri is a new homeowner with a coveted position in the writer’s room on a new black sitcom, Marvin. Yasir, on the other hand, is struggling in LA. A recent transplant from the Bay – he's an aspiring writer/director who is trying to make his last two unemployment checks stretch as far as possible. A week before the Love Is__ series premiere, I sat in the OWN offices in Los Angeles to chat with the Akils, Catlett, and Weaver about bringing the sexy and rich love story to the big screen, what it was like to reflect back on the ‘90s, and why seeing Black love on screen is so healing.

https://youtu.be/ZgRXkypO5_Y

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On 'Queen Sugar's Ralph Angel And The Nuances Of Black Fatherhood

n the canon of Black American television, Black fathers have been a staple – particularly on some of our most beloved sitcoms. From James Evans on Good Times to Phillip Banks on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, these men have been the ultimate father figures for those of us who are deeply connected to our own fathers and for others who felt a paternal void. Despite varying economic statuses and levels of education, these men were pillars when it came to representing idyllic versions of Black nuclear families. They were was respectable, whole, and constant. After all, according to the CDC, Black dads who live with their children are actually the most involved fathers of any race. And yet, as much as we admire these characters, reciting classic lines, words of wisdom and reminiscing on our favorite scenes, these TV dads don’t look like the young Black fathers that we see on a daily basis. These are the young men pushing strollers down 116th street in Harlem or even styling their daughter’s hair on Instagram. Since networks and creators were so concerned about putting out a specific kind of Black image, they failed to pave the way for certain types of Black fathers to be seen on screen. These men look like our brothers, friends, or even the towering figures that have raised us. Though we’ve observed single Black fathers on TV before like Flex Washington on One on One, and even very involved fathers like on Kenny Chadway on Showtime’s Soul Food, Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar is the first time we've seen a single millennial Black father in a TV drama. Kofi Siriboe’s Ralph Angel is an anomaly on television. Stoic but loving, Ralph Angel is struggling to parent while trying to unravel his own identity as a Black man, father, ex-con, and landowner. His presence is very refreshing.

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Ntare Mwine Talks 'The Chi,' Embracing Ronnie And Connecting With The South Side

Some television shows make your heart race -- they make you gasp for breath as you anticipate the next twist and turn. Then, there are shows that speak to your soul; they seep into your consciousness dredging up long forgotten memories. In her outstanding drama series, The Chi, Golden Globe winner Lena Waithe give the South of Chicago back to its people. Told in a cinéma vérité style, The Chi shows everyday folks scratching, surviving and most importantly, living. Layering an extensive character study with a coming-of-age tale, Waithe seamlessly connects the lives of Emmett (Jacob Lattimore), Brandon (Jason Mitchell), Kevin (Alex R. Hibbert), and Ronnie (Ntare Mwine). We watch as they confront themselves, their Black manhood, and one another after a violent event interlocks their lives forever. Over the course of the ten-episode first season, it’s Ronnie that makes the biggest transformation – leading him down a path that even Ntare Mwine didn’t see coming.

As I stepped into the infamous Blue Moon Café in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene, I spotted Mwine seated near a window with a cup of tea in his hand; the actor stood as I approached. Unlike his character, Mwine’s face was bare, Ronnie’s infamous goatee and haunted eyes were gone for the moment. Instead, a bright and warm gaze greeted me. Mwine was eager to chat about the role that has changed his life most unexpectedly. The New York University alum wasn’t apart of the original cast of The Chi, nor was Ronnie a role he thought he could tackle. "I came on board the second round in the regular audition process," he remembered. "It was a role that I'd never done before, so I didn't think I was right for the part. But the casting director, Carmen Cuba, cast me in the show, The Knick, so I went. The audition scene was Ronnie high -- smoking on the couch. I had no idea how to even play this. I couldn't see myself doing it. I literally went to the audition just to thank Carmen for casting me in The Knick, because it had opened up so many other doors. I didn't do a great audition. I walked out and went back to the car. I got a call from my agent, saying, "She thinks you're right for the role, but she doesn't want to submit the tape she made, she thinks you can do a better tape." (Carmen) asked me to do a self-tape, but I was going to Uganda for the holidays. (I) came back, and never did the self-tape because I thought, “I'd love to do it, but I'm not right. They're gonna find someone from Chicago to do it.”

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Lance Gross Talks 'STAR,' Playing the Man Everyone Loves to Hate And Explosive Season 2 Finale

From the moment season 2 premiered, Fox’s STAR has put its foot on the gas, and the drama, music and sensational storylines haven’t slowed down since. This season has brought brand new goals, heartbreaks and even more obstacles for Carlotta (Queen Latifah), Star (Jude Demorest), Simone (Brittany O’Grady) and Alex (Ryan Destiny). As the second season barrels toward what will surely be a tumultuous conclusion, one character stands at the center -- orchestrating much of the chaos. Lance Gross made his STAR debut in season 2 as the mercurial Maurice Jetter, the head of A&R at Midtown Records. Though Maurice seemed to be a stand-up guy in the beginning, his true nature began to show as his past and his temperament started to unravel. It’s a role that Gross has thoroughly enjoyed diving headfirst into. "Maurice is so ambitious —he wants to win," the Oakland native explained to me ahead of STAR’s season two finale. "When I first started with this character I didn't know that he was gonna take the turn that he took. We all were kind of trying to figure out the character. In my talks with Lee Daniels, we knew he was going to become dark, but we didn't exactly know how. As the season progressed it just started to get real interesting. It’s fun because its something that I haven't really played too much in the past, and that's been interesting as an actor. I wouldn't say (Maurice) is a bad guy, I would just say he's about winning. He wants what's best for his artists and he sees something that shines in Star, so he's going full speed ahead with breaking her out.“

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Zazie Beetz Dishes On 'Deadpool 2,' Black Women Superheroes And Understanding The Spirit Of Mutant Mercenary, Domino

In Deadpool 2, Zazie Beetz makes her superhero debut as Domino in a flourish of luscious afro and nonchalance. A reluctant member of Wade Wilson’s newly formed X-Force, Domino has a dark and twisted past, but from her unbothered attitude, you’d never know it. Beetz was determined to make the character, originally created by Rob Liefeld, her own. The second she learned she was in the running for the role, the Atlanta actress set off on an adventure to figure out who Domino was in the Marvel comics and who she would become on the big screen. “As soon as the conversation began that I would potentially be engaging in and working with Ryan Reynolds and Dave Leitch on this movie, I began researching a bunch online," she revealed. "I went to a comic book store here in New York, where I live, and I told one of the employees, ‘I need to do some research on Domino.' Obviously, I had to ask without revealing what it was for. I was hoping to find comics that would encapsulate her spirit — not necessarily following a specific storyline trajectory or even sticking with one artist. So this man collected a bunch of different books that he thought would be good for me to look through, and I got the original comic where Deadpool, Domino and Gideon were introduced." After getting some context from the comics, Beetz moved on to the cartoon versions of Domino to get a sense of the character’s movements, cadence and tone. “I bounced around, and I watched one of the X-Men," the German native said. “There used to be this cartoon and Domino had a role in it. I watched that. For the audition, I felt it was important for me to understand her spirit and her character, and I did the best that I could. As we kept going, I continued. After booking the role, I deepened my research and deepened my involvement with the character and the universe."

Understanding Domino at her core was one thing, but getting physically prepared to play the mutant mercenary was another challenge. “The training ends up becoming this mental and emotional experience as well," Beetz reflected. “I was doing about four hours a day for many months. I was doing two hours in the morning of fight training, and boxing and choreography. It's kind of like learning a dance, martial arts, mixed martial arts, and then in the afternoon I did a bunch of weight training. I found the fight training to be actually a lot more fun for me because you're using your mind when you're sparring, and it's a whole body experience, and it's sort of this cardio mixed with knowledge and you're learning how to kick and you're learning how to punch and you have to adjust your body. With weight training, it felt very monotonous, and it felt like a challenge just all the way through and it didn't feel as mentally engaging."

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'Superfly': Director X, Trevor Jackson and Jason Mitchell On Bringing Gordon Parks Jr.'s Blueprint To The Present-Day

“There is a difference between getting out, and getting pushed out.” Michael K. Williams’ character Scatter offers those haunting words of advice to Youngblood Priest (portrayed by Trevor Jackson) in the new trailer for Superfly. Though this 21st-century film is a world away from Gordon Parks Jr.’s 1972 Harlem-set Super Fly, the core of the story remains untouched. Set in Atlanta, Jackson’s Preist has become increasingly wary of the drug game. The constant paranoia has become all-consuming. Determined to start over, he bands together with his girl Georgia (Lex Scott Davis) and his business partner Eddie (Jason Mitchell) for one last job before he vanishes. Seated at the helm is Director X, known for his astonishing music videos for everyone from Drake to Rihanna, and the filmmaker was determined to elevate Atlanta life in all of its glitz and glory without removing the layer of grime that comes with street life, violence, death and drugs. Seated in the center of a nightclub in ATL surrounded by equipment, props and the incessant chatter of extras in the background, X is clearly in his element. He'd been called upon to deliver a 2018 version of Super Fly, and he's determined to deliver. “We all know the reality of movies nowadays,“ he explained. “People want properties. If you're going to spend 20 million bucks, would you spend it on something you know people will be interested in right away, or would you spend it on an idea? We all miss the old days when people spent a lot of money on ideas they had, but this is the energy in the air right now. I think Cleopatra Jones is being remade. They're doing another Shaft. Even Taraji's Proud Mary; it's not a remake, but it's definitely in the energy of those old movies.”

Despite Hollywood's remake and reboot climate, X revealed that when he first received the script, though it was named Superfly, the tone of the original was nowhere to be found. For him, that was unacceptable. “I read the script, and it wasn't about a drug dealer trying to get out," he remembered. “I said, We gotta make Super Fly, so that’s the movie we’re making. You've got Scatter, Eddie, Georgia, Cynthia, all those main characters that were in the original are here. The major story points happen. We took the major beats of Super Fly and said, 'Alright, these are the major things that happen, these are the things that have to happen in our version, and all the other stuff we do from there is an expansion.'”

Though the original film was considered an action drama during its time, X wanted to elevate the narrative by amplifying the most explosive notes in the plot and fleshing out a glossy and elite Atlanta world for Priest. “There's a little bit of art to everything," the "Work" music video director expressed. “Everything's just a little hyper-real. I didn’t want to do this super realistic drug story. I'm not interested in that. We're making a fun summer movie. Strip club culture is such a big part of the scene out here, but even that, this is the Superfly version of Magic City. Atlanta is the Harlem of today. If you were poppin' in Harlem in the '70s, you was poppin' around the world. If you're poppin' in Atlanta, you're poppin' around the world. This is that black epicenter now."

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