Hey everyone. Capone in Chicago here.
I make no secret of what a colossal fan I am of the hip-hop artist turned actor Common. I've been a fan of his music since I first heard his 1997 outing "One Day It'll All Make Sense." I immediately backtracked to his two previous albums, "Can I Borrow A Dollar?" and "Resurrection," and have been a faithful listener ever since. There's no getting around the fact that the South Side of Chicago-born Common has movie star good looks, so it was only a matter of time before he made the move to acting. But he took a very different path than many other rappers turned actor.
Rather than go right for above-the-title starring roles, Common eased into films with a succession of smaller parts and slowly ramped up his presence. He has a smoldering quality that makes it easy for him to slip into more menacing characters, but he's always managed to add a little something to his work. There's no getting around the fact that his SMOKIN' ACES romance subplot with Alicia Keys was one of the sexiest things I saw the year it came out, and it was one of the best element to that film.
From there, he had other critical supporting roles in AMERICAN GANGSTER, STREET KINGS, WANTED, and last year's TERMINATOR SALVATION. A few weeks back, Common took a high-profile villain role in DATE NIGHT; I'm not sure that part did him any favors as an actor, but it was fun to see him in a comedy, even if he wasn't the one being funny. But his latest work, JUST WRIGHT, opens up a whole new arena for Common. He is the leading man in a romance movie. And this isn't even a romantic-comedy (thank God); it's a no-hold-barred romance film, in which the actor plays a NBA player who is injured and is nursed back to health by a rehab specialist played by Queen Latifah. The story is pure, predictable formula, but the two leads absolutely propel the film into another, highly likable realm. There is undeniable chemistry at play here, and it's great to see Common expand his range to play someone with a personality that so closely matches the man I met a couple of weeks ago in Chicago.
I've been fortunate enough to have met some really nice people in my years at this job, but Common is without a doubt one of the nicest and most appreciative people I've ever met. He seemed genuinely surprised when I commented that JUST WRIGHT was not his first romantic endeavor, since the steam he and Alicia Keys generated in SMOKIN' ACES fogged up my glasses. "Wow, I'm glad you noticed that. Thanks," he responded, with a genuine look of amazement in his eyes. I know a lot of you guys aren't that interested in this film, but it's so rare to get a romantic film these days that feels even a little bit authentic, and this film succeeds on that level, thanks in large part to Common. Enjoy…
Common: How are you doing?
Capone: Good to meet you, sir.
Common: How are you doing, man?
Capone: Excellent. I’m a huge fan of your music and certainly of the movies you have done. I've seen them all, I think. And I just saw word came out today that you are recording a new record, so I do want to talk about that, but let’s talk a little bit about this film. This must be a huge vote of confidence for you as an actor to be a lead, a romantic lead. And while the film does have moments of humor in it, it’s not a romantic comedy, it’s like a straight-up romance.
Common: Yeah, it’s a romance. It’s a great feeling, because I always had a vision of myself being a leading man, being a leading actor and as much as people probably didn’t know that I could do that, I believe they knew that I could, and this movie was the perfect vessel for that. It had enough "Umph" in it and enough depth to the character for me to show my acting abilities, and you could watch the character go through transitions and development, and I love that when I read a script and I can see a person making a change. That’s why we go to movies, to see some fun stuff, to feel good, and you also want to feel growth and feel like it can inspire you. So me taking on this character and with him being a basketball player is like… I’ve still got to bring the action part of me into play and to actually do something that I love to do, and I grew up wanting to be, an NBA player. This is like a dream in two, you know?
Capone: Yeah and I had read that you wanted to play basketball when you were younger and I’m like “Wow, this movie could not be more perfect for you.” I actually wondered if the rewrote the script and made him a basketball player once you were brought on, just because it was something you wanted to do in a movie.
[Both Laugh]
Common: No, they actually wrote the film… I know Latifah produced it, and she said her and the writer had had ideas and they wrote the film years ago, and it was based on a basketball player. I just fit the bill. You know, I thought about this earlier today, I feel like I’ve prepared my whole life for this film in a way, because I played ball and the character is a sensitive person that loves his mother. You know, these are things that I’ve lived, so it’s a blessing to have this role.
Capone: Did you know Latifah before this movie at all? Had you guys talked about maybe trying to do something together?
Common: Yeah, I knew Latifah before this movie and I knew we would collaborate on something. I always wanted to act with her and do music, because she’s as talented in both of those ways. We did a couple spontaneous shows together and rocked on the mic, but it’s like a gem for her to be the first leading lady that I got to do a film with. I say that in many ways, because Queen Latifah is an international star and she appeals to all races and ages and I saw that while we were filming. The range of people that come up to her is incredible, but then again, not only her having those qualities and her being very talented and being a great actress, but she also was very supportive of me. She had my back when she needed to and then she would push me when she needed to, which was similar to the dynamics between Leslie Wright and Scott McKnight.
Capone: She’s a real trailblazer in terms of just hip-hop artists becoming actors. Certainly there were others who did it too, but I think she’s probably the one who has taken it to a completely different level. As you said, she has international appeal. Not all musicians who make that transition do, but she definitely does. So you’ve got to be taking a few notes and watching what she’s doing, yeah.
Common: I’m taking notes and observing. When you see somebody doing Cover Girl commercials--not that I’m going to do Cover Girl [Laughs]--but you see somebody doing brand marketing for themselves, producing films with her team, starring in movies, doing jazz albums, doing rap albums, it’s just like “This is a Renaissance Woman.”
Capone: Just about every film you have done, you have taken on a slightly different persona. You've done a couple of action films, but then you’ve got some dramas--like in AMERICAN GANGSTER. Are you positioning yourself to be an all-purpose actor and not just an action star?
Common: Oh yes. I definitely have goals to be a diverse actor, to be a well-rounded and wide-ranged actor, whether it’s an action film or a drama or a comedy or a romantic lead, I want to do all of those things, so if it’s a la Will Smith or a la Leonardo Dicaprio--I don’t know if he’s done comedies--but a la Leonardo, the movies that he does are movies I would love to get to.
Capone: Yeah. The message of the film is a real important and one that we don’t get in a lot of films, that idea of being with someone that isn’t necessarily who other people think you should be with.
Common: I love that message, because it shows you that love is something that you feel for another person and it’s not determined by what people think. You can’t put a box on love; people can’t put a stereotype or archetype on what love should be or what beauty is even. Latifah said one day that “Beauty is something that comes from the inside,” and beauty is that. A person is beautiful because of their heart and their spirit, and that makes them look even better. That makes them even more attractive, so I love that message and I love that this movie can encourage women of all colors and shapes to say “Hey, I’m beautiful.” And then it shows images of men in positive ways, like Leslie Wright’s father was a good dude, supporting her. Scott McKnight is a good guy. He was caught in the whirl of trying to find that prototype of an NBA wife that you would think he would be with, but he learned, and you saw his growth.
Capone: When you found out that Phylicia Rashad was going to be your mother, that had to just make you tremble.
Common: [laughs] I trembled when I met her. I was like “Oh my God, this is Phylicia Rashad.”
Capone: Who doesn’t look a day older than when I remember her on "The Cosby Show." Seriously, she looks exactly the same.
Common: She’s a beautiful lady. She’s a beautiful lady and man, just her spirit and her wisdom, her energy, and it fell right into place with her playing my mother, because growing up on "The Cosbys," you always felt like she was your mom. Do you know what I mean?
Capone: Hell yeah. I watched it.
Common: Right? So it’s like once I got over the awe or was able to put the awe behind my and say “Look, hey mom.” I really felt like this is my mother.
Capone: Did she ever accidentally call you Theo?
Common: [Laughs] No. She’s such a consummate professional, but she really was supportive and really reinforced what I was doing, saying, “You are doing a great job.” I was like “Thank you.” That was great coming from a woman of her caliber.
Capone: Do you have a career master plan at this point, or are you a little bit more spontaneous than that?
Common: If I’m thinking career-wise, I want to say first life-wise, I just want to have a family and be married and enjoy life in those ways and go out and do great things in life to help others. Career-wise, I would definitely say that I want to be one of the biggest movie stars in the world and be happy doing it, not an unhappy movie star and at the same token scoring and producing films, writing films, and still making music that I can put not only in my movies or the movies that I’m a part of, but also other people’s movies and making albums.
Capone: Well that song that you did for BROWN SUGAR with Erykah Badu is still an awesome song, such a beautiful song.
Common: Thank you. I heard that last night. Thanks.
Capone: You mentioned a few other things that you wanted to get into, do you ever worry about stretching yourself too thin and maybe not being able to focus on something, because you’ve got so many things going on. I know you’ve got your charity work too.
Common: The creative things I feel like I’m so passionate about the things that I do creatively, I’m not going to let it fall, like I’m not just going to throw out an album just because I’ve got a movie coming out and the timing is right. It’s like I’m going to work on this album and feel like “Hey, this album is a growth from the album that I had before, and this album is something that I feel like is palatable and an incredible piece of work.” I’ve got to feel that. That has to resonate in my soul and in my thoughts for me to put out the music, so I wont just put out music.
So when I approach a role, I’m not going to be jumping around doing a lot of parties and going out, like doing even a lot of hip-hop promotion, because I need to focus on that role, but I will say there are periods of times creatively where they both sharpen each other. Sometimes when you get to that point where you are like “Okay, my brain is tired from writing,” it’s great to go read a script and start working on a character and doing research for a character, because I’m still working my creative juices and getting some things out. But it’s like I didn’t exhaust my writing to the point where… Do you ever get to a point where you are like “Okay, I’ve got to stop now or I’m just going to be writing some stuff…”
Capone: Everyday. I look at my watch, and it’s like two in the morning, and I’ll say, “I need the rest.” I've had a few face-in-the-keyboard nights.
Common: [laughs] Exactly. One thing I can say is because I love what I do--I love making music, I love acting--I can focus on it easily.
Capone: Yeah. I do want to ask about the new album. I saw that you're working with Kanye again, as well as No ID as producers. How deep into that are you right now?
Common: It’s just the beginning really. It’s called “The Believer,” and its really going to be…a hip-hop classic. [laughs] No, but it is going to be classic hip-hop. We want it to be a hip hop where you felt that boom-bap and hip hop that has a raw feel to it, but it’s soulful and ends up just being just good music.
Capone: Are you talking about not a lot of frills and just sticking to great beats and rhymes?
Common: Good beats and rhymes and maybe some cuts, you know sometimes it be melody, because we like making songs that have melody. I like melody, but overall… Some times it could just be a nice hard drum beat and a good loop and just go for the rap.
Capone: One of my favorite albums of yours is “Electric Circus” and I love it, because I actually think it should have been called “Eclectic Circus,” because every song sounds so different than every other song, it’s like you wanted everyone to know what you were capable of, like the whole range. And you worked with Prince on that album, and as long as I've cared about music, I've been a Prince fan. Unless you’ve signed some sort of confidentiality agreement and you can’t talk about it, can you tell me what it was like working with him?
Common: I mean, Prince is such a really cool and good guy. From when I first met him, we went out there to perform at Paisley Park basically at his birthday celebration, and I couldn’t believe I was looking at the doves “When Doves Cry.”
Capone: Yeah, I’ve been there. I’ve seen them.
Common: I would see his basketball court. It was just amazing to me and we preformed with The Time and Erykah Badu. He was and is about the music. He is about putting out positive energy, so just working with him was cool. We actually recorded some of our music for “Electric Circus” at Paisley Park. So I was bragging about that, getting record at Prince's joint. [laughs]
Capone: Did you get to play basketball with him when you…?
Common: No.
Capone: Not like Charlie Murphy?
Common: [laughs] Like Charlie Murphy, right? That’s all I think about is Dave Chappelle and Charlie Murphy.
Capone: Or eat pancakes with him?
[Both Laugh]
Common: “Little pancakes.”
Capone: That’s right.
Common: “Here are your pancakes.”
Capone: That’s right. Okay, they are shutting me down here. It was great to meet you, Common. Thank you so much.
Common: Yeah, man, thanks. Great to talk to you.
Capone: Good luck with the film.
Common: Thanks, man.
-- Capone
capone@aintitcool.com
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