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Recently Released In Theaters Reviews
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 Andre Benjamin
Interview By: Michael Dance Andre Benjamin – better known as Andre 3000, one half of the musical duo OutKast – has achieved unparalleled success in the world of hip-hop, and now he’s actually becoming a successful movie star. No, not “successful” as in he’s played more or less himself in a couple of parts – “successful” as in he’s slowly being recognized as a talented actor. After a humorous bit part in Be Cool, roles in dramas like John Singleton’s Four Brothers and Guy Ritchie’s Revolver followed. Now Benjamin is back in comedy with a lead role in the Will Ferrell vehicle Semi Pro. I can say, ‘cause I’m from a whole other genre, showing up every day, it’s funny as hell to watch them go at it,” he says of the cast of comedians which includes Ferrell, Woody Harrelson, Will Arnett, Rob Corddry, and Andy Richter. “You have a whole other respect for their comedic talent. But they’re really really really really really professional. They’re normal guys when the camera’s not rolling, but they know how to turn it on.” The film chronicles the Flint Tropics, a fictional team in the very real American Basketball Association of the 1970s, the underdog rival of the better-funded NBA. To prepare for the role, Benjamin was able to talk with ABA-turned-NBA player Julius Erving. “Yeah, I had a quick phone call with Dr. J,” Benjamin says. “He pretty much explained what it was like to be an African-American playing at the time. Explained what the fro was about; even though a lot of people thought it was a great style, which it turned out to be, it was about rebellion and freedom at the time. And he said there was still a lot of racism, so a lot of the moves and all that, the [black players] were really just going for it.” Benjamin agreed to the movie after he became a big fan of Will Ferrell. “Actually I didn’t read the script at all,” he says. “To be honest, I went to go see Talladega Nights, and I died laughing so hard. And I’d never really tried to do the comedy thing, so I said, why not just try to reach out? So I had my agent look around to see what movies Will was working on, and I saw Semi-Pro on the slate.” Still, it wasn’t quite that easy. “Everybody my height and weight gets the same scripts. It’s true. If it ain’t me, it’s Mos Def, it’s Common, Ludacris, you know, that’s just how it goes. So I actually had to go in and audition to get the role. So it’s a good thing we reached out and [director] Kent Alterman said, hey, come on in, and I went in and auditioned, and thank God I’m here.” When asked why he thinks so many hip-hop musicians have been able to make the jump to film roles, ... |
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