Author: Warin

Terry Crews on Giving It Your All

Posted on by in Quotes.

“You’ve gotta go. And when it’s time to go, go. And I took that whole thing into entertainment, where you don’t know when your next opportunity is going to come. You can’t say I’m gonna be here forever. Because there are guys who’ve said that. And they’re not here anymore. You just gotta go. When you get your shot, you give it everything you have.”

                                                                   – Terry Crews

From FastCompany

Where Does Lupita Go From Here?

Posted on by in 12 Years A Slave, 2014, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Liam Neeson, Lupita Nyong'o, Monique, Steve McQueen, The Oscars.

“No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.”

On Sunday night my Twitter timeline was flooded with positive emotions and well wishing on behalf of Lupita Nyong’o who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role of Patsey in “12 Years A Slave.” It wasn’t the only award “12 Years” would win on the night however, as the film also won for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Lupita has come a long way in just a few short months. If you had asked anyone just last summer about who Lupita Nyong’o was, most people would probably give you a quizzical response. But then “12 Years A Slave” began premiering — and winning — at various film festivals picking up momentum into its eventual theatrical release in October. The film’s director, Steve McQueen, and star, Chiwetel Ejiofor, weren’t exactly household names prior to “12 Years A Slave,” but they had worked on other projects in the past. “12 Years A Slave” introduced Lupita Nyong’o to world and the Oscars were just the crescendo to her months long coming out party.

Despite all the attention, media profiles, and magazine covers, I truly do wonder what becomes of Lupita from here on out. In what was sort of a subtle reminder of just how fleeting celebrity can be (particularly for black actors in Hollywood) Gabourey Sidibe made a brief appearance at the Oscars when she presented the award for Best Original Song. It was just four years ago that she along with Monique were the talk of the town for their roles in Lee Daniels’ 2009 film “Precious.” It’s safe to say neither of their careers has had the expected trajectory of Oscar nominated actresses.

Perhaps Lupita’s career arc will be different. Unlike Monique and Gabourey, Lupita has a certain “it” factor about her right now that is simply hard to dismiss. Also, Lupita does have a small part in the current Liam Neeson thriller “Non Stop.” Hopefully “12 Years A Slave” is only the beginning to an illustrious career for Lupita Nyong’o and not just a mere footnote in Oscar history.

When Shirley Temple Met Bojangles

Posted on by in 1930s, Bill Robinson, Bojangles, Film, Great Depression, Hollywood, NPR, Race, Stepin' Fetchit.
from the columnists.com

America lost perhaps its most famous child star in cinematic history when Shirley Temple Black passed away last week. Shirley Temple rose to fame in the 1930s at the height of the Great Depression and entertained audiences with her charm and smile. But it was her relationship with Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson that was unique to not only Hollywood, but America at that time as well.

Bill Robinson, better known by his stage name of ‘Bojangles,’ was a well known tap dancer in the early 20th Century. He played before white and black audiences alike, while making a living literally on his feet. When he first began working with Shirley Temple, ‘Bojangles’ was already in his 50s and had been a legendary tap dancer at that point. The pairing between ‘Bojangles’ and Shirley Temple would not be without its critics however.

Though ‘Bojangles’ and Shirley Temple shined well together on the big screen, their roles were anything but equal. ‘Bojangles’ — true to the form of how Hollywood viewed blacks at the time — often got stuck playing Shirley Temple’s butler. His singing and dancing may invoke some unkind parallels to the stereotypical roles another famous black actor at the time, Stepin’ Fetchit, had to play, but it’s worth remembering that these guys were at least getting work. In 2001, Gregory Hines would go on to portray ‘Bojangles’ in a movie by the same name. Below is the famous stairwell dance scene between Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson and Shirley Temple.  R.I.P. to both.