Beyoncé Talks Dreamgirls!
Date: January 29, 2006
By: Kellvin Chavez
Source: Latino Review
One of the biggest anticipated films this year is the upcoming diva story of The Supremes in DREAMGIRLS, which has an all-star cast with Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy, and Beyonce Knowles. Film is due out this December. Latino Review had a chance to catch up with the diva herself Beyonce Knowles while promoting her new upcoming film THE PINK PANTHER, in which she spoke a large amount about her character Deena for the film Dreamgirls.
Set in the turbulent late 1960s and early ‘70s, “Dreamgirls” follows the rise of a trio of women—Effie (Jennifer Hudson), Deena (Beyoncé Knowles) and Lorrell (Anika Noni Rose)—who have formed a promising girl group called The Dreamettes. At a talent competition, they are discovered by an ambitious manager named Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Jamie Foxx), who offers them the opportunity of a lifetime: to become the back-up singers for headliner James “Thunder” Early ( Eddie Murphy ). Curtis gradually takes control of the girls' look and sound, eventually giving them their own shot in the spotlight as The Dreams. That spotlight, however, begins to narrow in on Deena, finally pushing the less attractive Effie out altogether. Though the Dreams become a crossover phenomenon, they soon realize that the cost of fame and fortune may be higher than they ever imagined.
Below is what she had to say to us:
Will “Dreamgirls” be the biggest thing you would have done as an actress? Is it going to change a lot from what was on stage?
Beyonce Knowles: Definitely. I am so excited about it, I can't even talk. I'm shaking cause I'm so happy. I've been hearing about Dreamgirls since I was 15. I have never seen it because I was born the year it was Broadway, but I have seen the bootleg tape of it. I've been hearing about Deena and everything about her because my choreographer is obsessed with her and when they told me they were doing this movie, I was like, “Oh, my God. I have to have this movie.” At first they weren't sure if I can play the part because I haven't done anything like it on film. I knew I could do it. I just never had a chance to do it. I got the movie and I'm so excited because I'm proud of myself and I get to play a character with range and I'm 16 in the beginning and I grow up to be 36. And there's nothing glamorous about Deena, and she kinda butterflies into this diva. I have dramatic scenes and emotional scenes and very funny scenes, and there are all these colors. I'm so excited cause people will see me act for the very first time.
How's working with Director Bill Condon?
Beyonce: Bill Condon is so good. He knows so much and is so detailed oriented. Before we even started, we had 2 months to rehearse, which I've never experienced anything like that. This allowed me and the other ladies to really bond and we have such a great chemistry together and it's real, even off-screen. We do crazy things that friends do. We're all so excited to be there, we're just like, “Is this real? Are we in this film?” In storyboards, he had the movie already shot. I've never seen anything like that. He took all of our screen test and put all of voices to the storyboards, and we could already see the movie before it's shot. Everything is just perfect.
What made you think you could do this now? Why didn't you think you could do it before?
Beyonce: Every movie I do, I learn a little bit more and going on auditions and not getting some movies and getting some movies and having more life experiences and having a couple of acting classes, I realized that I am actor and I can really do this right.
Is Deena you?
Beyonce: No, but I have a lot of similarities. I started off in a group. I'm very ambitious. There was something about me since a little girl that was just different.
What was the name of that first group?
Beyonce: “Girls Time” with a Y.
Would you do this on Broadway?
Beyonce: Yeah, I would love to do Broadway.
In “Dreamgirls” the emphasis has often been on poor Effie, poor overweight Effie and she seems to get a lot of the attention. You're thrilled to be doing “Deena”. Do you see if there's any competition between you and Jennifer Hudson in this movie?
Beyonce: Not at all. First of all, she is so sweet and one of the nicest people. It's her first movie. Imagine someone, and this is their first movie, “Dreamgirls”. How blessed is she? She is so excited and I have chill bones now just talking about it. She is so grateful and I am so grateful and we give each other advice, and we help each other. We change the lines or whatever, because we all want this to be great. The funny thing about “Dreamgirls” is that song “And I am telling you I'm not going” is so wonderful. Everyone who wanted to play Deena before wanted to be Deena and sing that song, but it's impossible. I'm a little jealous cause I do love that song. But we help each other and happy to here.
Source:
http://www.darkhorizons.com/news06/060130d.php
