Nia Long Rides On Beyonce?
Posted by Media Outrage on July 15, 2009
In an interview with Pride Magazine, Nia Long addressed the state of black Hollywood for actresses. She also touched on the topic of singers crossing over into the film industry without having properly honed their skills. Who’s name came up of course? Yup, your girl Beyonce. She was asked what she thought of Beyonce’s performance in Obsessed and this is what she said:
Via TheYBF:
“I didn’t see ‘Obsessed,’ so I can’t comment, but it’s just not about how talented you are anymore. It’s about, ‘How much box-office revenue will this person generate?’ When you see certain people – we won’t name names – they just don’t have the skill, and no one in their team has said, ‘You need acting classes,’”
She also goes on to say, “If you’re a singer not an actress, you should sing. If you’re a rapper, you should rap,” “If you take time to develop your craft, God bless you. Jamie Foxx is an example of both [actor and singer].”
She then adds “If you were able to take all the Black actresses and the choices we’ve made collectively, it’s a pure reflection of what you see on film. People need to work. But the content? The opportunities for Black actresses are more widespread today, but the quality has suffered.”
Mediaoutrage- We feel Nia on the whole taking the craft seriously. Movie producers want to release a great product and are always vying for the most bankable star that they can afford to sell the movie to the public and financial backers.
truly23 said
I feel what Nia said…Because some needs acting classes plus a tutor for their acting…
Dickwell Thrust said
But it’s so true. No one cares if you went to “Julliard” for acting or your some renound
“Thespian”….who cares?!?!
All the powers of Hollywood care about is selling tickets. Nia really isnt riding on Beyonce, she is telling it like it is.
What she needs to do is hop on some Jewish penis and ride some executive. Shit, Halle Berry got naked for Dorky Billy Bob so she needs to get crackin on that “Nipplegate”.
Black actresses are more endangered than an all white one armed elephants!!!
MissTX85 said
She’s right! Cause that damn Beyonce ain’t worth the money folks put into her! Be it her singing or he so-called acting!
Media Outrage said
Lmao! @ DT
MoneAlicia said
That is such a bad ass picture of Ms. Nia Long that I didn’t even care about what she had to say…
Ok, just read. So true. That’s why I respect Mos Def & Common for trying to do it properly. Specially Mos. He’s quite diverse as an actor.
sumarrain said
She is talking the truth; by giving Beyonce the lead role in obsessed was crazy. It was a decent movie but with a true actress in the lead role the movie could have done much better at the box office. Stick to singing Beyonce until you master the acting thing, but for now let the role go the actresses than can ACT; PLEASE.
Kanyade said
The draw for Obsessed WAS BEYONCE. Had Tamala Jones played that role, it would’ve gone straight to dvd BEFORE it went straight to dvd. That’s just how it is. Nia’s right; these producers want that “Transformers 2″ kind of money; phluck quality (yeah I’m talking about Michael Bay’s ASS here. That phucker LOL).
If some of these crossover folks truly cared about the craft they’d get in on that Independent wave. There you can make quality films that get noticed by the less-blockbuster-inclined producers and whatnot. There you get a shot at OSCAR. Of all these crossovers I love Mos Def the most. I believe I read somewhere that he’s been doing theater since wayyy back when. And don’t forget he did, Suzan Lori Parks Topdog/Underdog on Broadway. I read the play but never got the chance to see it. The brother is good and so is Jeffrey Motherfucking Wright. Awesome talent.
Dickwell Thrust Jr said
I Would Stab Nia Long Like Halloween H20.
She definitely could Get The Dick-Well-Thrusted!
Yeah I Said It said
I make it my business not to see any movies where a singer has crossed over into acting. Most of them are like sour gum,no good!
I did not see Obsessed, refuse to spend money watching Bey with the same mono-tone dialogue in every movie. Love you Bey but stick to singing please.
sumarrain said
I said the role should of went to an true actress, Tamala Jones is not a true actress.
Atlanta said
She only spoke the truth.
Kanyade said
I mentioned Tamala because she is of the ilk of Black actresses in Hollywood, alongside:
Gabrielle Union
Wendy Raquel Robinson
Essence Atkins
Rachel True
Malinda Williams
LisaRaye
Nia Long
Regina King
Regina Hall
Vivica Fox
etc.
*and all the ladies featured in this video:
http://www.angelscanthelpbutlaugh.com/Angels_Website/Angels.html
I kinda lump them altogether as being ‘working’ or ‘quasi-working’ actresses in the biz today.
Gay said
Beyonce is getting placed top billing in movies because she’s using her own paper as producer to get movies made. She and her father along with one other producer I believe both produced Cadillac Records and Obsessed. People have to get out her like Will and Jada and use your own money upfront to keep yourself out there and get your projects made. Nia needs to get her money LONG like Beyonce so she can compete in this game and produce her own stuff.
Kevin Mac said
its always been about how much money she can make. Shit Nia Long aint that great of an actress Big mamas House nigga please is that her claim to fame she need to get herself a real role before she start talking about acting skills. but she still fine ass hell!
Blakmaine said
Luv jones made nia long not big mama house, and she does need a movie like obsessed to see if she can pull off a dramatic acting role. And I think she can do it but nia long big movie days are in the history. The photo of her is fine as hell!
DELMAR said
NIA WAS ‘DRAMATIC’ IN ‘BOILER ROOM’. SHE HAS TALENT, PRESSENCE AND SKILLS. NIA LONG WAS ‘ACTING’ BEFORE ‘BOYZ IN THE HOOD’, LOCAL THEATER AND CLASSES. SHE’S ON HER CRAFT WHICH GIVES HER THE RIGHT TO SPEAK ON THIS. AND YES BEYONCE DOES FRONT HER OWN MONEY FOR HER FILMS WHICH IS WHAT YOU SHOULD DO; THAT’S THE ROAD TO ‘KEEPING MONEY LONG’ AS YOU SAY, BUT IT STILL DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THAT ACTING IS ‘NOT’ HER FORTE, THAT SHE PRETTY MUCH SUCKS AT IT AND NIA AND OTHER ACTRESSES ARE WAY MORE BELIEVEABLE ON SCREEN.
BYEONCE: ‘SHE WAS IN YO HOTAYUL ROOM’? LOLOL! SHE DIDN’T EVEN ‘TRY’ TO GET RID OF HER ACCENT, WHEREAS IDRIS ELBA IS ANGLISH! and YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH HIM. EVEN THAT CHICK FROM HEROES WAS MORE BELIEVABLE, BETTER. BUT THAT MOVIE WAS SHITTY. DON’T KNOW WHY FOLK SUPPORT MEDIOCRITY; OH WAIT, THERE WAS A FIGHT SCENE HA HA CATFIGHT! WHATEVER.
Udamnright said
lmao @ delmar
“BYEONCE: ‘SHE WAS IN YO HOTAYUL ROOM’? LOLOL! SHE DIDN’T EVEN ‘TRY’ TO GET RID OF HER ACCENT, WHEREAS IDRIS ELBA IS ANGLISH! and YOU CAN NEVER TELL WITH HIM. EVEN THAT CHICK FROM HEROES WAS MORE BELIEVABLE, BETTER. BUT THAT MOVIE WAS SHITTY. DON’T KNOW WHY FOLK SUPPORT MEDIOCRITY;”
yea she’s the bomb entertainer and singer but her acting skills are more dead than that town we dropped the Atomic bomb on.
ucanb2 said
I agree everyone is not able to cross-over… but as long as it’s about ticket sales.
And as much as I like Bey, she does need to take acting lessons if she want’s to continue acting.
MoneAlicia said
That’s because those ladies all do the same types of films. They’ve allowed themselves to get typecast into playing homegirls and sidekicks. Can’t blame them tho, gotta blame their agents. They get offered certain roles and choose to do films that don’t allow diversity. That’s why I praise Ms. Taraji P. Henson for doing “black, homegirl” movies and still breaking out of that. She has range. We will NEVER see Gabrielle Union in a serious role. Never.
Marathon_Man said
I almost fell in love with Nia in boyz in da hood. It was a wrap ever since.
Kanyade said
@ MoneAlicia,
Try Neo Ned.
This independent feature took forever to get distributed. It got good reviews on the indie-circuit. The premise was an interesting one and the role for Gabrielle was a really ‘dramatic’ one.
I waited two years for this film thinking it would be pure awesome and guess what? It was BAD BAD BAD.
Gabby had her moments, but ultimately I blame it on the writing and the direction…still, that ‘was’ a feature dramatic role for Ms. Union. As ’serious’ as I’ve ever seen her on film.
*shrugs*
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0364556/
I wouldn’t have given it a 7/10 rating…more like a 5.5.
Devon 100 said
Beyonce can not act she was way over her self she think she can do everything has anybody told her yet! If you see she has the same look and the same laces wigs she is so the same she never sport her real hair and she always lookin the same way every time I have to agree with Nia Long we need the good actor back not the wanna be actors.
Beyonce make way for some real Divas that want to she you how it go
no Nia Long is not hateing on her it`s just she may get jobs in rolls in movies
and she do a fuck up job last movie I saw with Beyonce in it was Obsessed and it was not good people wanted there money back. lol 4 real it`s true people where saying thay wont pay to see her agin.
Rafiq14 said
Nia is right people if you are gonna cross over from singer/rapper.Do what LL did,take a class to polish up .All artist have good memories thats a start.But it all depends on the artist if they are $50 million earners a year they may feel like they don’t need polished up.Wrongggggg LL would have gotton blown away by Samuel Jackson in Deep Blue Sea had he not taken that class.Nia would not have been placed on screen with Giovanni Ribisi,Vin Diesel and Nicky Katt if she was a sloutch.White produced movie no black dollars other than the box office and they casted Nia,not B,not Gab,not Halle,or V Foxx and that should tell you something oh and she is not married to a whiteman.Mos Def did tha fool in The Italian Job with Mark .Wahlberg,Charlize Theron,Donald Sutherland and other good actors.I’m not forgetting Cube who also hold his on the the screen.Remember he was side by side with George Clooney and that clearly shows LL,Mos Def,and Cube have taken the craft REAL SERIOUS.Other rappers and singer need to do the same.Oh yeah I didn’t forget Will Smith he is on another page.The Fresh Prince was his stepping stone,and Men in Black with TLJ speaks for itself.
Jazzy P said
Gotta be a go Getter! She cuda meant Christina Milian.She cant act either..lol..Lemme stop… If thats all the fuss then got dammit Nia go get some singing lessons and put out an album!!!!!!lol…and cross-over to other business ventures and get that paper!