Arts & Entertainment
Jasmine Guy: The ‘October Baby’ Interview
Born in Boston on
March 10, 1962, Jas-
C ELEBRITY
mine Guy is a
I NTERVIEW
Renaissance woman
with dancer, actress,
singer, director, and
by Kam
writer on her resume.
Williams
She performed in the
Broadway produc-
tions of “The Wiz,”
“Leader
of
the
Pack,” “Grease,” and
“Chicago,” and she has also served as a stage director and
choreographer on numerous occasions.
Still, the versatile entertainer remains best known for her
work in television, especially for creating the iconic char-
acter Whitley Gilbert on “A Different World.” Her other TV
credits include recurring roles on “The Vampire Diaries,”
“Fame,” “Touched by an Angel,” “Melrose Place” and
“Dead Like Me.”
On the big screen, Jasmine appeared in such movies as
“School Daze,” “Harlem Nights” and “Stomp the Yard 2.”
She is the author of “Evolution of a Revolutionary,” a book
about the life and journey of Afeni Shakur, and she released
an eponymous
record album on
Warner Brothers
Records in 1990.
She is current-
ly
producing
director
of
Kenny Leon’s
True
Colors
Theatre Compa-
ny in Atlanta, where she resides with her daughter. Here,
she talks about her new movie, “October Baby,” a faith-
based morality play inspired by the true story of a troubled
teenager who discovered she survived an attempted abor-
tion as a 24 week-old fetus.
KW: Hi, Jasmine. Thanks for the time.
JG: Thanks.
KW: Did you do anything different to
prepare for this role?
JG: I knew Nurse Mary. There was lit-
tle to prepare, just my own experience lent
myself to the character.
KW: Was there anything different about
working on “October Baby” from other
films you’ve done?
JG: The cast and crew were very posi-
tive, warm, and inviting. I felt comfortable
and embraced in set.
KW: Children’s book author Irene
Smalls says: This very dramatic role is
very different from the comedies you are
known for? What attracted
you to “October Baby?”
JG: I was attracted to Nurse Mary
because she was older and alone, full of
stories to share and secrets she had har-
bored for many years.
KW: What’s your secret to embodying
memorable characters?
JG: I always try to honor a character by being honest and
truthful to who they are, in spite of my
own personality and beliefs. I also like to
embody them physically and remove my
own thoughts, walk and
mannerisms from their portrayal.
KW: What message do you think people
will take away from “October Baby?”
JG: I think people will be reminded to
be safe and thoughtful in their intimate
relationships and not just use sex for recre-
ational purposes.
KW: Larry Greenberg asks: How did co-directors Jon and
Andrew Erwin protect the subtle emotional drama from the
politics that surround the movie’s incendiary topic?
JG: In my one scene in the movie I felt Jon and Andrew
I try to honor a character by
being honest and truthful to
who they are, in spite of my
own personality and beliefs
left me to interpret Nurse Mary as I saw her. They created a
freedom on the set that was uplifting and created a confi-
dence that was contagious.
KW: Editor/legist Patricia Turnier says: I loooove your
work. I am an Afro-Canadian who used to dream of attend-
ing an African-American college when I watched “A
Different World.” Studies mention that when the show was
on TV in the late 80s and 90s, it created a positive impact
on the African-American community in terms of college
enrollment. In addition, it was the first time in American TV
history that young African-Americans were showcased in a
college environment.
What is your assessment of today’s images representing
the African-Americans in the media? Do you think that
there is a need to have more TV shows and movies which
present black people in intellectual settings?
See JASMINE on page 9
March 28, 2012
The Portland Skanner Page 7