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Page 8 The Skanner January 25, 2017 News Regina Hall: The ‘Girls Trip’ Interview By Kam Williams For The Skanner News R egina Hall launched her career in the late 1990s while still earning a mas- ter’s degree from New York University. The ac- complished actress will soon appear in “Naked,” a remake of the 2000 Swed- ish fi lm “Naken.” The ro- mantic comedy co-star- ring Marlon Wayans is set to be released on Aug. 11. In 2016, Regina ap- peared opposite Mor- ris Chestnut in the sus- pense thriller “When the Bough Breaks.” Earlier that year, she was seen on the big screen in “Bar- bershop: The Next Cut” an ensemble comedy also featuring Ice Cube, Cedric the Entertainer, Common, Eve and Nicki Minaj. Regina’s other outings include “The Best Man,” “The Best Man Holi- day,” “Think Like a Man” and “Think Like a Man Too.” She also starred in “About Last Night,” a re- make of the 1986 fi lm of the same name. Among her additional fi lm cred- its are “Scary Movie” and its three sequels, “Paid in Full,” “Malibu’s Most Wanted” and “First Sun- day.” And she was seen in “Law Abiding Citizen,” “Death at a Funeral,” “Love & Basketball” and “Disappearing Acts,” too. On television, Regina recently made guest ap- pearances on “Grandfa- thered” and “Black-ish.” In January 2015, she starred in the Lifetime fi lm “With This Ring.” Her other TV credits range from “Married” to “Law & Order: LA” to “Ally McBeal.” Here, Regina talks about her new movie, “Girls Trip,” an over-the- top comedy co-starring Queen Latifah, Jada Pin- kett Smith and Tiff any Haddish. Kam Williams: What interested you in playing Ryan Pierce? Regina Hall: I think “ orative process. It’s fun being directed by Mal- colm because he knows me, and I know how he likes to work. There’s a lot of trust. I feel comfort- able asking questions, and We can sit down and talk through things KW: And how was it working with Jada, Tiff a- ny and Queen Latifah? RH: It was great. It’s so special to get to work with women you’ve re- spected for so long, and to get to know them as I was drawn to her journey as a woman who seems to have it all, who has this public persona as a celebrity, yet can get together with her girl- friends and be wild it was just the way her character develops. I was drawn to her journey as a woman who seems to have it all, who has this public persona as a celeb- rity, yet can get together with her girlfriends and be wild. KW: Was there anyone you based her on? RH: Not on any one person, but on a mix-up of people. KW: What was it like being directed by Mal- colm [Lee] for the fourth time? RH: It’s always great working with him and Will [producer Will Packer]. It’s such a collab- people. It was like we were on a real girls trip. KW: Had you done any- thing with Larenz Tate before? RH: No, but he’s great. I loved working with him. I hadn’t worked with Mike [Colter] or Kofi [Siriboe] before either. They were all fabulous. KW: Editor/Legist Pa- tricia Turnier asks: How do you feel about the Es- sence Music Festival? RH: It’s a great resource and a great place to have fun. It’s the epicenter for black women that time of year. You can meet peo- ple from all over. It has great concerts and New Orleans has amazing food. Yeah, I love the Es- sence Festival! KW: Patricia was won- dering whether there is an African American icon you would like to portray? RH: Hmm... that’s a great question, Patricia. Yes, there are one or two I don’t want to reveal. I don’t think anybody has heard of them. KW: Patricia also asks: What message do you want people to take away from “Girls Trip”? RH: I think it’s about sisterhood, and being true to yourself and to who you are. The movie’s also about friendship. You come to care about these characters because we have a real bond and a real love for each other. Hopefully, people take away that message. KW: She like to know how did you like New Or- leans? RH: I love the city. I’ve shot there several times before. The people are so warm. The food is a little bit too tasty. I try to ar- rive about 5 pounds un- derweight, so I can gain a few while I’m there. That way, I won’t look too heavy on camera. I always gain weight when I’m there. But I love New Orleans because it has a lot of heart and a lot of soul, and very beautiful people who are always so kind. KW: Patricia concludes A career you can be proud of. Being a carpenter isn’t just a job. It’s a way of life. We’re devoted to strengthening the lives of our members with steady work, wealth and personal growth. We take a stand for our members and all workers. We work together to lead the building industry in safety, training and compensation. We create rich lives for our members and partners. To learn more about becoming a union carpenter, go to NWCarpenters.org. PORTLAND: 1636 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214 | 503.261.1862 HEADQUARTERS: 25120 Pacifi c Hwy S, #200, Kent, WA 98032 | 253.954.8800 More than 20,000 members in the Pacifi c Northwest. Regina Hall by saying: You went to college before your act- ing career. You obtained a master’s degree in jour- nalism. Many kids think they do not need an ed- ucation to make it in the entertainment industry. How has your education benefi ted you profes- sionally? RH: It served several purposes. It helped me to break down and un- derstand scripts. And the discipline of getting my master’s gave me a certain amount of confi - dence. I don’t think col- lege is the only path, but I enjoyed it and it worked out very well for me. I had some good friends with whom I could get a little crazy, but still be responsible. It was the perfect bridge from liv- ing at home to indepen- dence. I also love learn- ing. I might have been a professional student and earned a couple of doc- torates, if I didn’t have to pay bills. KW: It’s unfortunate how expensive college has become, putting higher education out of the reach of most chil- dren. RH: That is sad. Educa- tion ought to be aff ord- able for everybody. That only advances a society. KW: What was your very fi rst job? RH: I can’t remember if I worked in a movie the- ater or at Constitution Hall in DC fi rst? KW: The Uduak Oduok question: Who is your fa- vorite clothes designer? RH: I honestly don’t know if I could pick just one. There are so many. That list is long. KW: Larry Greenberg asks: Do you have a fa- vorite movie monster? See INTERVIEW on page 11 Artist cont’d from pg 7 in “Walls of Heritage” will be included in an upcoming exhibit on the Black Power movement at London’s Tate Muse- um. The downside to histor- ic muraling, however, it that many artists did not create the work with the long term in mind, said Dunitz. Less than 10 years aft er the visual landmarks of the Albina neighborhood were completed, the very artists who put them up were asked to take them down. Painted on parti- cle board, the murals had suff ered severe damage from Portland’s rainy cli- mate. While Frison’s show at greenHAUS will hon- or legendary Black lives through his personal- ized portraits, it’s also a chance to celebrate the artist’s contribution to a city that has suff ered ma- jor cultural blows due to gentrifi cation. “It was so important for us to have him, because he’s an iconic fi gure. And unfortunately iconic fi gures aren’t oft en rec- ognized as being iconic,” said Reed. “He gave me the privilege of having it in my space. Henry is the kindling to our society that we need.” Some of Frison’s orig- inals and prints will be for sale at greenHAUS Gallery and Boutique, as well as mugs and T-shirts that feature his artwork.
