: MediaTakeOut.com just learned that actress Nia Long is going in on Beyonce. Apparently Nia - and a bunch of other Black Hollywood actresses - are upset that the few roles available for Black women are being taken away from them by singers like Beyonce, Alicia Keys, and Jennifer Hudson.
And Nia is now speaking out about it. Here's what she had to say in a recent interview:
I didn’t see [Beyonce's latest movie] ‘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?’Is Bey really THAT bad an actress ... we actually kinda like her ...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’…“If you take time to develop your craft, God bless you.
Jamie Foxx is an example of both [actor and singer].”
Yeah. I have to agree with Nia. All these singers are trying to act and it's really taking away from those actors/actresses that can really act. Now, I have to say that some singers that really can act would be: Mos Def (love him in any role - he really gets into character, Jill Scott, Jamie Foxx and Andre 3000. Oh, Janet Jackson semi redeemed herself from that Poetic Justice fiasco w/ her role in Why Did I Get Married...but, she's got some work to do.
Nia is telling the truth.
But Jhud and A.Keys can act tho!
Beyonce is soo dry and boring! Just like her personality lol
Her "acting sucks!"
no wonder etta james wanted to beat her a$$ after cadillac records came out.
i still think paula jai parker should have played etta
and bey doesnt even generate that much dough in the box office
ANYONE THAT IS KNOCKING NIA LONG FOR HER COMMENT IS STRAIGHT STUPID. YOU ALL KNOW SHE IS RIGHT. BEYONCE CAN'T ACT AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SHE KEEPS GETTING THESE ROLES. IT'S NOT HER FAULT, BECAUSE IT'S FOR MONEY AT THE END OF THE DAY, BUT SHE SHOULD HAVE MORE SELF RESPECT FOR HERSELF TO KNOW THAT SHE IS NOT A NATURAL WHEN IT COMES TO ACTING.
I can understand where Nia is coming from.....You know some of yall are ignorant as hell yes we all know that Bey looks good and her songs are hot but can she really act? Do you see her getting ANY Oscar nods for acting? Think about it IF some of yall had jobs and had been working for years then here comes this new chick that CANT do the job better but more pleasing to the eye and she takes your job you would be pissed too so Nia has a valid point. Some of yall jokingly said go make a Tyler Perry movie but I bet Bey wants 2 b in one...I 4got he only hires those that can really act.
SHE'S RIGHT, A LOT OF THESE SINGERS NEED TO STICK TO WHAT THEY DO.SOME OF THEM CAN'T ACT BEYONCE AND ALICIA KEYS BEING 2 OF THEM.OBSSESSED WAS HARD TO WATCH.AFTER SEEING A KEYS IN SHOT MOVIE SHE SUCKED ASS SO BAD,HER ACTING WAS TERRIBLE,I COULD'NT WATCH THE BEE ALL THE WAY THROUGH BECAUSE OF HER BAD ACTING.
child, nia ain't lying and it has nothing to do with hatred. ain't it funny how ignorant people call the truth "hatred." Queen Bey needs to stick to singing ONLY. as an entertainer she is EXCELLENT but as an actress..ooh honey..somebody need to slap matthew, tina and HOVA for letting Bey embarrass herself like she did in Obsessed and Pink Panther.
***MTO IS SPEAKING THRU NIA LONG**** Note: She NEVER said Beyonce, plus the movie 'Obsessed' was FINANCED &PRODUCED partly by the Knowles family, check her clothing line for ads. I agree w/Nia point, but MTO is distorting her comments directly toward Beyonce. . .God forbid, but if something happens to Bey MTO will be shutout by the MASSIVE Beyonce fanbase.
WOW!!! Nia is "so right"!!! Ya'll know that Bey (isn't that pronounced bay???) CANNOT ACT!!! (who didn't know that)? It definitely is about the numbers at the box office these days, and there are only a few singers that can make the transition. However... I don't agree that Jennifer can't act. I think she's a whole lot better than Beyonce, although she's not as seasoned as Nia! What I find unbelieveable is that MTO actually "thinks she (B) can act"!? DUH?
Bey is ok and nia is jealous of bey cause she can generate box office sales and nia can't. That explains the logic of making movies that make money. They would rather make money with bey cause she hot now and nia is not hot and really is not that great of an actress anyway, she only got picked cause she looked cute and all when she was younger but now her medeocre talent is all she has and she is bitter about that, it seems.
Nia is just saying what Samuel Jackson said years ago about rappers. Samuel was mad as hell about them letting all the rappers get roles. I can kind of understand where she is coming from, but it should depends on the roles. If the role requires a singer then you may have to go with a singer. Like with the Selena movie they used her voice but J Lo played the role. Thank God they didn't use J Lo's singing voice.
I agree with Nia. To me, Bey is not that good of an actress. But she got energy to burn when it comes to performing on the stage (I give her her props on that). I don't know if I seen anyone who puts more energy into their performance than Bey. Acting should be left to the people who have a career in it. Personally, I think Nia would have been way better in Obsessed. I mean they don't have an abundance of jobs - so those jobs should be given to the professionals. In the world of acting - Nia's name is just a big a Beyonce's.
Nia Long is correct. It all about the Box Office. Benyonce and Alicia Keys can't act worth a damn. Jennifer on the other hand can do a little something. J-Hud needs to REALLY work on her stage presence though. It is painful to watch, BUT SHE CAN BLOW. With that being said, Nia perhaps you should take up singing since the acting jobs are being taken by singers....you think?
I love Nia, I love Bey, both beautiful Black sistahs doing their thing. But come on yall, Nia was right. Everyone should stick to their craft. Bey does need acting classes. Nia is only saying what Samuel L. Jackson's been saying about rappers.
PS. This is still a business and marketability is key, which is why Bey and rappers are dabbling in the movie industry. Another thing, Nia, you don't need Ice Cube to work, sweetie.
Anyway, she did'nt say anything bout B, but she may have a point. There was a time when rappers were getting roles. But in the bigger scheme of things. With the economy is right now. Hollywood is trying to fill the seats. It kinda sad too, cause one of the best movies I saw came out the same day as "Obsessed" came out. It's called "American Violet" and stars Alfie Woodard,Charles Dutton and Xzibit. But it's the debut of Nicole Beharie, a young black actress that steals, no I mean straight-up jacked the movie from the seasoned actors. Next to Bey, Nicole looks like Kobe vs. jr high school kids!
I'm sorry but I actually liked beyonce in obsessed. She has improved, but I feel nia as well. Here's what I think, "get a new manager, write ur own movies and act in them" that's what ice cube did and he sells tickets out the azz. There's a remedy for everything except hatin. And nia is kinda hatin here. She got stuck in those romantic flicks, but isn't she on some show? Taraji p. Henson don't have a problem finding credible roles. Get ur game up nia.
I agree with Nia...I think there are many talented black actors (M&F) who deserve a chance, but damn nobody gets roles anymore execept a handfull of the same actors. We constantly see the same people being cast. I am sure that are some up-and-comers who are just as good but need proper exposure.
Of course the big-wigs in Hollyweerd are going to choose the ones who can generate the most revenue, so that is where we have to pick up the slack. Where are the black filmmakers who can actually make legitimate black dramas? "Obsessed" was a breath of fresh air we need more movies like that.
I DON'T GIVE A FUK WHAT NOBODY SAYS, (ALICIA KEYS & JENNIFER HUDSON) CAN ACT A MILLION TIMES BETTER THAN (BEYONCE)...I UNDERSTAND THEY WANT TO BE ALL-AROUND IN THEIR CAREERS BUT A LOT OF THESE SINGERS/ RAPPERS NEED TO STICK TO THEIR DAY-JOBS AND IF I MAKE A LIST OF THE ONES THAT I THINK SHOULD STOP ACTING....(BEYONCE) WOULD BE IN MY TOP 5.
Actually she didnt say Beyonce and if she is referring to Bey then okay thats her opinion but also too, Beyonce has taken acting classes. She's not a natural born actress like myself but as Nia stated its about revenue unfortunately. Money talks!!!!! Sorry sistas!! Id much rather see Nia act and Bey perform but its about the dollars!
And as for Jennifer Hudson, I dont think shes a natural actress either, I think she got a part that a black woman would be good at meaning if she had to portray say Dorothy Dandrigde or Josephine Baker or even Carrie Bradshaw, I dont think she could. If you can play any part, then I think you are an all around actress. I like Jennifer and all but I dont think she would have gotten an Oscar for her role in Sex in the City!!
I don't think Nia is "hating" I think she is doing the same thing most of us do, "waiting" is more like it. We are always sitting around waiting on other people to make the moves we wish they'd make. Like MJ said "If you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make a change."
When are we as a people (not just blacks) but all people, when are we going to stop complaining and start fighting for real change?
i dont see anything wrong wit singers trying 2 act so because beyonce is a gud singer dats all she should stick 2?they r entertainers and dats wat she doing entertaining weither it be thru singn actn or playn sports plus she gettn money the way she no how by tryin new thing maybe if nia long try new things instead of just stickn 2 actn shed b gettn more bread
1st
Nia = Beautiful black sista with some dignity.. okay
2.Beyonce can not act worth a lick. she killed the movie Obsessed.
3. White folks and Beyonce treat us like N166ers. We do not deserve quality just a movie that will give them our money.....
4. Black folk standards really need to upgrade out the n!66er box and stop thinking the only thing we can be seen as are hoochies and hoes. When I see beyonce that is what I think of. A rich whore. What type of role model is Bey just becuase she has money? No talent....
NIA!
I don't hate Beyonce but Obsessed sucked. She wasn't believable playing an angry, feed up wife, sorry. I can't understand why people liked that movie so much she was H O R R I B L E! I watched the movie on boot leg and gave it away the next day. "You where in my home on my bed" that party aggravated the hell out of me she couldn't even play an angry black woman um Okay!
well as much as i like nia ,when was the last time she was a box office hit, what friday, big mama's house, are we there yet? come on the same role's step up ur game, dont be mad at bey. are these the only roles she can get, oh she was out waaay before bey and let me tell you it wasn't like she was top paid actress,or ocar winner. we need to stop hatin on one another and start to help one another peace
beyonce is a one face just like ice cube.. give you the mean growl face. "ugn"
obsessed was a overcharged movie and edris and the white girl played their parts. Beyonce playing a real black woman scorned.. yeah right!!
Beyonce can not act at all and never has been able to and probably never will because everyone is fake around her and are scared to tell her or ugly camel the truth........
Nia represents the days of real actors and actrsses and real music/rap.
Beyonce generation is of the "If you can fake it you can make it"
Come on ya'll know darn well Beyonce is OVERRATED in both music and acting. She's nothing but eye-candy and EXPIRED eye-candy at that. I will give her some credit. Destiny Child days up to circa 2003 she was hot. After that she went straight down hill from there. Her music NEVER evolved. She's pushing 30, been married for 3 years, and still talking about her husband's dick (BIG EGO) while shaking her rump. Who takes that seriousLY??? Maybe the kids do but I'm 29 and have grown tired of the bubble-gum. She needs to give us more heart and soul in her music and acting. She probably can't though
cont- because the po' thang have never experienced REAL life. She has never struggled for anything. She's been rich since 16. It's not in her to act dramatically because she simply cannot identify this human emotion. Quite sad. The day Beyonce matures into a REAL, BLACK soulful R and B singer is the day I will go back on what I've said about her. Until then though, she's not getting any of my money or love lol. I enjoy class and taste and many of us can't be brought cheap.
Nia never actually said Beyonce can't act even if that is how she really might feel. And it's also not fare that these roles are being given to music artists just because of their popularity in music. Countless numbers of men and women who dedicate their lives to studying their acting craft in college and beyond really deserve a shot on the big screen first...... 4u2.com
I agree with Nia Long so much,just because she is speaking her mind about Beyonce doesnt mean that she is jealous of her.Yes,Bey can generate lots of money from her shows and albums,yes, she is attractive,but it wouldnt Hardly hurt if she would hire an acting coach to help her.People shouldnt down Nia and others for stating their honest opinions about Bey's acting skills,truth always hurt.
@FILTHYMACK1
R u S T U P I D "or" R E T A R D E D?!@#??
BEYONCE is NOWHERE near a "BETTER" actress than NIA LONG. She is NOT EVEN in her league!!!!
As 4 being JEALOUS? If I can remember....it was BEYONCE WHO WAS JEALOUS OF JENNIFER HUDSON for outdoing her and WINNING AN O S C A R!!!! How soon we 4get ..........ALSO......NIA LONG IS MUCH" PRETTIER" THAN BEYONCE. She's just a little upset cuz people w/ no talent at all r being cast 4 these big roles AND SHE RIGHT, SAMUEL JACKSON said the same bout 50.
Idk why people are mad at Beyonce. If you gon't like her, turn off your radio, television, and/or anything else she may be on. The girl obviously has some talent or her movies would make no money neither would her music. Nia Long isn't that great of am actress herself, I prefer someone more skilled like Angela or Taraji. There is room out there for everyone. Put some money on the table and make your own movie. Don't wait for Hollywood to call you. Call your own shots and stop the pity party.
It is called Show Business for a reason. It is all about box office numbers. If Nia could bring in the same or better box office numbers than the people she is complaining about, then she would get more roles.
Jennifer Hudson, Alicia Keys and Beyonce are all creative people on all levels. I doubt Nia Long would have won an Oscar in Dream Girls... Nia Long needs to face reality, show them the money and they will show Nia the roles.
Say what you want, but with Beyonce that Obsessed movie opened at #1 and made a profit for the studio. If Nia Long were in that role instead, that same movie goes direct to video or is gone from the theaters in a week. Sorry folks, I know you don't like her, but she puts butts in seats and studios have to be conscious of the bottom line. She may not be a great actress but she's marketable, and if you aren't marketable you aren't getting over.
Well she dont got the acting skill like nia but nia is hating just a tad bite. the reason why their going towards these singers to act is because their younger and are making the money so nia needs to step it up and not hate on her black sisters. nia and all them other 90's actress's are not the only people that should be in movies the is 2009 get over it already
ONLY TALENTS BEYONCE HAS......
1.Screaming profusively.. Guess this is good if I need 911
2.Dancing (luv her dancing)
3. Portraying the AIR HEAD ROLE...no personality whatsoever...NIA MIGHT B JEALOUS OF THAT THO'(lol)
4. Improper speech...talks/sounds ignorant needs Phonics ASAP (ther's a word 4 ths but I cant think of it now)
Why do people always play victim? Poor me! I get so sick and tired of us always trying to bring down our brothers and sisters. Beyonce, J-Hud, A Keys are only trying different things like the other 95% of the industry. I mean come on people. Try knew things. Here are some ideas. Try singing like actor Terrence Howard or Raven Symone. Own a clothing line like athletes Venus and Serena. Rap like LeBron or Shaq. Radio like Steve Harvey, Stage play like Michelle Williams and Fantasia. Must I go on? Reality TV?
And why should a studio pick you if they will make more money with someone else? Isn't it a gentle sign that you should step up your own game?
When they wouldn't hire Tyra for her colour and her large breasts she stepped it up Missy.
lovelifegodsexmoney.com Help, tips, advice, life, coaching, celebrity, coolness.
@ my lady antidumb -
I hear ya. Ain't saying Nia is wrong but it's time to step up and stop begging for their minimal, sidekick, no lead having, playing the ho' roles. Make 'em yourself! Make good quality product for Black people. Tyler Perry did (although not sure about the quality from what I hear).
lovelifegodsexmoney.com Help, tips, advice, life, coaching, celebrity, coolness.
@guessjeans,antidumb, trixie you are all on point. But as long as the stans go see her movies, they will continue to place her in roles. I will not be giving her any of my money either...not even buying the bootleg copy. It's a shame that Taraji is an Academy nominated actress and when was her last role. They want Bey to play Angela Davis..what a shame. It takes more than a wig and a balled fist to play this woman. Beyonce doesn't even do research on the character. That shows you that she doesn't care. It's just a gig for her.
I understand what she is saying but it's not the singers and rapppers fault. I wish Common and Mos Def would stick to rapping because their acting skills are awful. When are we as African-Americans come together and start our owning our own studios? With all our wealth it makes no sense that we have to depend on white hollywood to make our stories.
I REMEMBER GOING TO SEE "OBSESSED" AND PEOPLE ASKED THE TICKET BOOTH TO SEE "BEYONCE" THEY DIDN'T EVEN SAY "OBSESSED"...LOLZ AND THESE WERE NOT EVEN FANS LIKE MYSELF...ITS ALL ABOUT BYONCE AND HER WORLD DOMINATION..LOLZ BEHOLD THE QUEEN!
P.S.
HEY NIA LONG I HEARD THAT THERE WILL BE A REMAKE OF THE MOVIE "SOUL FOOD" REMEMBER THAT MOVIE?..LOLZ WELL BEYONCE WILL BE IN THE REMAKE AND I AM READY TO SEE IT..LOLZ AND IT WILL BRING IN MORE PEOPLE THAN WHAT YOUR VERSION DID ;p
Well is she lying? Obsessed was a disaster. Beyonce couldn't even properly perform simple basic lines. The worst was on the preview when she was calling Jerry O'connel to inquire about the whereabouts of Her husband and instead of looking concerned and scared she looks calm almost as if she wanted to smile lol. FAIL! I'm sure most axtresses give J Hud props because she's the exception. Bey did not get one cent from me for that rubbish nor my time because I couldn't even bear to watch it online for free. It was boring as hell.
@ A YVETTE
UM IT WAS PROMOTED THAT WAY SO PEOPLE CAN GO SEE IT, AND SHE DID HAVE A GOOD PART..AT LEAST SHE WAS MORE SEEN IN "OBSESSED" THAN "CADILLAC rECORDS" AND THEY PROMOTED CADILLAC RECORDS AS IF BEYONCE WAS DOMINATING THE MOVIE WHEN SHE ONLY CAME IN THE LAST 15 TO 20 MINUTES OF THE MOVIE...BUT HEY PEOPLE WANTED BEYONCE SO THATS WHY THEY WENT TO SEE THE MOVIES :p
SORRY, BEY FLOPS MORE AT THE BOX OFFICE THAN ANYONE, BUT THE INDUSTRY IS COUNTING ON THE DUMMY FANS OF BEYONCE TO HELP HER. HECK SHE GOT LUCKY WITH OBSESSES, BUT IF U REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, THAT FLOPPED TOO, CONSIDERING THE MOVIES AFTER THAT REALLY MADE MONEY, LETS B REAL. SHE NEEDS TO STAY BEHIND THE MIKE AND THAT TOO WILL B HANGING UP SOON, CAUSE SHE IS LIKE DAMN WATER, ALWAYS GOT TO B IN EVERYTHING, IT'S TIME TO SUBSTITUTE TO MILK.
SHE SAID NOTHIN ABOUT BEY THO BUT SHES RIGHT IF U WANNA ACT I THINK U SHOULD TAKE ACTING CLASSES SO U CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE CRAFT THEN U WOULD BEEN MORE BELIEVABLE AS AN ACTOR OR ACTRESS AND SOME OF THESE SINGERS AND RAPPERS NEED ACTING CLASSES IF NOT THEIR DAYS IN MOVIES WILL NOT LAST AS FOR NIA SHE IS LIKE 40 NOW AND SHE DONT FIT THOSE YOUNG SEXY WOMAN ROLES ANYMORE SHE JUST FIT THE MOTHER FIGURE ROLES NOW LIKE BIG MAMA HOUSE AND ARE WE THERE YET...
I'LL TAKE NIA OVER BEYONCE ANY DAY IN A MOVIE. AND WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU EVEN SEEN A MOVIE LIKE. THE BROTHERS, TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME, THE WOOD, THE BEST MAN... ALL OF THOSE WERE GREAT MOVIES WITH GREAT BLACK ACTORS... THEY DONT HAVE THAT ANYMORE............. BIG UPS TO TYLER PERRY WHO IS THE ONLY PERSON GIVING BLACK PEOPLE MOVIE ROLES... HOLLYWOOD IS [EXPLETIVE]
Then all those B@tch actress who are upset and jealous need to step there game up...Learn how to sing... The Black models complained about actresses taking their modeling jobs. With all of the young talent out here now just knowing how to sing is not good enough, being pretty is not enough, being a good actress is not good enough.Everybody want to hate on Beyonce because she take her craft seriously... This girl is working on her craft 24-7 she ain't out having a bunch of babies by random guys.. she put her work first. That's why she can sell out a concert for 200.00 a ticket...
I watched a documentary yesterday Michael's last few days, they spoke to all the folks he came into contact with, all came to the conclusion Michale was murdered. They interviewed a doctor form L.A who claims EVERYONE in Hollyweird is either on prescription drugs or heroin, he didn't name anyone ,the doctor also went on to say there is no such thing as a millionaire in hollyweird these days, some celebs are worth more money dead than alive so they dont get to enjoy their wealth there is a documentary on Farrah Fawcett on friday the followed this women right up until her deathbed looks gruesom
shes prolly angry b/c she knows bey buys roles that would otherwise go 2 working actresses, u dont really blieve they cast bey based on her acting skills? She sux as an actress and shes so vain she wont take lessons...yes, the sad part is that she thinks shes uh-mazin(4 the luv of God why doesnt she take diction?)...and none of her yespeople will tell her better...but alas nia ur beef is not with her or them, get ur weight up and work harder...
Once again MTO is lying and you people follow like sheep. NIA NEVER said Beyonce's name for those comments but most of y'all are saying she's right and the next sentence is about Beyonce. Even if she is right, there are plenty of roles out there. What they mean are LEAD roles. Shut up and take lesser roles. They get angry at singers for no reason. They should get angry at casting agents and producers. They are the ONLY ones who make those decisions. Musicians don't get angry when actors try to sing so why the hate from actors? Get a better agent and stfu!!!
nia need to step her game up & stop complainin!!!! I dnt hear tarahji or jada & I could go on wit african american actresses that's not complainin they jus step there game up!! bey aint concerned wit wat ppl say bout ha actin that bad b!tch is PAID!!! & I didn't think that bey did that bad of a job.
How dare you guys talk of Nia Long as if she's some mediocre talent. This woman has been an Actor for at least 20 years. I swear some of you sheeple are pitiful. You fools are only taking up for beyonce because of a damn WIG. Sad. Then we wonder why white folks call us the N word all the damn time. We seem to be the only race of people who SOAK up GARBAGE and distastefulness. Have some DAMn class. Beyonce is a mediocre singer with BAD acting skills. Sorry but it takes more than LIGHT skin and a BLONDE WIG to impress me.
Bey did better in C.Records than in obsessed, though she did rather good in both, Obsessed grossed $80,000,000 dollars worldwide so it really depends on how a movie is marketed more than whos in it.
But Beyonce is really a good actress- you have to give her credit for redeeming herself after not doing that great in movies pre-Dreamgirls.
Maybe Nia needs to step her game up so she can achieve what Bey has in the box office.
All haters do is Shyte, Suck Dick, Masturbate, Moan & Complain!!
And its sad that you all are clowning Nia LONG simply because she can't get any movie offers. HELLO?! WHo do ya'll think RUN HOLLYWOOD? It's those JEWS and I tell you JEWS are some BRILLANT people. They KNOW us soooo WELL it's scary. They KNOW we SOAK up GARBAGE and Gutter crap. They know this about our people SO WELL that they are WILLING to cast a dumb none acting singer (BEYONCE) to play the lengendary Angela Davis. JEWS know that MOST BLACK people don't READ up on history. By them casting BEYONCE, they KNOW alot of sheeple are going to FLOCK out to see it Simply because BEYONCE is in it.
@trixie I don't know why they think we want to see her because Beyonce has more people who don't like her than anything. Her star is fading. She is killing herself and her pockets too, trying to stay relevant and prove us wrong. I bet she never thought that this many people would start disliking her. Especially since she was the one considered the favorite in D.C.
Speak the truth and shame the devil, Nia. Beyonce is far from a "triple threat" She should just stick to poppin her coochie and being a stage prop! Not to worry though, I predict that the same ones who help "make her" will have a hand in her downfall as well. The sand is about to run out on that a$$ real soon. I predict the next best thing is being groomed as we speak!
LOL....these post are hilarious...Beyonce be having people ready to commit suicide. That's right Bey do you! It ain't your fault you helped all these movies bring in way more than there budget. Did Nia do that. Nope! But people she didn't say any names, so why are you all bashing Beyonce. We know she is not the best at everything, but they are going to go with whom ever bring in the dollars and...Nia ain't it.
Nia looks striking.
Can’t say I much blame Nia … this is the same complaint voiced by Tommy Davidson about new-jack rappers taking meaty roles from his scrawny frame.
While I can’t say I much blame BeyK (all entertainment being $$$-driven), she strikes me as one who refuses to remove herself from the equation, just for the taunting heck of it. Not a good look.
I totally agree with the very beautiful & talented Nia Long! Beyonce is definitely lacking in that area. For that matter so is JHud, she played herself in Dreamgirls, and that is why she go the Oscar (premature in my view), but her follow-up efforts show that she is also lacking any significant acting talent. I can't speak on A. Keys because I have never been inclined to see her movie(s).
You categorize janet, jamie etc. as singers turned actors, they were acting way before they started singing, they've just been so successful at it that people have forgotten.
@Safari she is not killing herself the entertainment world is killing her, she has NO longevity she wont be remebered for anything, as soon as she puts something out the next day its forgotten I cant even remember her last song, oh yeah! wasnt it sweet dreams a romantic song an this girl is doing new jackswing dancing in her video, Beyonce will only be remebered if a tragedy happens she would be worth more dead than alive, I don't wish this on her but thats how evil the entertainment world has become Sony has all that already on tape unseen footage
And I also think that having Bey in movies actually brings in big bucks, a huge majority of people did not go to see the movie SPECIFICALLY because they know that Bey can't act, and it is usually painful to watch - there must have been favors called in for her to get that role.
Hollywood is using black actors/actresses that they know will fail so that they have an excuse not to hire the few talented actors that have been working at it for a while. FYI, Nia has been working, doing lots of TV, she had been in a lot of shows, most recently the Practice, amazing legal comedy/drama.
Nia Long & Sam Jackson are 100% right! Let the rappers and singers have the little "belly, bout it's" & what have you... Have u people seen "Love Jones". Beyonce cannot act! Yet she is in movies! Angela Davis???? You've got to be kidding me! If she had any respect for the craft she would stop.... Or train, but acting us one if those things some can't learn. He u seen her earlier roles? She's 100 times better & still sucks! Just stop!
First of all MTO this is not a suggestion this is a FACT...no matter how fabolous Bey may be in other areas the girl simply CAN'T ACT, and she hasn't gotten better since her first role...as a matter of fact I think she did her best in Carmen: A Hip Opera...Nia is right it's NOT about the talent, it's about what's the biggest name that will bring the most money. I think Jennifer Hudson is even a better actress than Bey.
I totally agree with Nia. The problem is these young entertainers try so hard to be a TRIPLE THREAT (singing, acting, clothes designer) that they never get to MASTER A CRAFT because they're all over the damn place. How can you venture into acting, when you haven't even perfected your singing voice? It's all about money now.
cupcakesforyou Flag post SheebaBaby, that wig [EXPLETIVE] was funny as hell, LOL. I can't stop laughing at that fo real **************** @cupcakesforyou and SheebaBaby- Ya'll laughing because there is some truth to what I've stated and sometimes people get uncomfortable with truth; so they chose to laugh it off. Furthermore ya'll only defending her because of her blonde, shaggy mane. I know damn well that if Beyonce were to rock a buzz Amber like hairstyle TOMORROW, ALL of the Beybots will get out of dodge.
@ATL05 u must really love Beyonce cause U r missing the point! I film is drivin by the writting & acting! Watch "Love Jones".... Then watch "Obsessed" ( which is just a weak pull from "Hand that rocks the cradle" . After u watch both movies...send Nia a little sorry note! I'm sure she's on myspace, faceboook....shell get it.
What Nia has to understand is that Bey is BUYING her roless - it has NOTHING to do with acting skill.
She bought the rights to both Cadillac Records and Obsession, she titled herself lead actress and executive producer and it IS all about who the picture companies think can fill the seats - they are in it for the money for I'm sure they know Bey can't act!
Some of you are really dumb, real actresses like Nia Long cant get roles because they want Beyonce, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and chicks like that because of their name. Dont disrespect Nia Long because she is a good actress that has been in plenty of movies. I just think some of you need to remove your head from Beyonce's ass because she is not paying you to be street team.
I haven't seen any of Beyonce's movies because I get turned off by the previews especially obsessed. Her deep manly voice and caked up horse hair flying...NOT INTERESTED!
Etta was right about her. Does anybody in the industry have anything nice to say about her or her droopy lip boyfriend? She must carry a lot of negative energy with her. Genuinely good people make genuine relationships but fake people get exposed EVERYTIME!
cont- My point is Beyonce is only a manufactured, quick gimmick who relies on her superficial apperance to make money. There are many untalented stars like her. Anyone remembers Felicity? Once Keri Wilson cut her long wavy hair, the ratings for her show plummeted and shortly thereafter was cancelled. When someone has REAL TALENT don't NOBODY care what the person looks like. Madonna, Micheal Jackson, Janet Jackson, J Hud, Alicia Keys could rock a mohawk anytime and people will still BUY their records. That's the testament of REAL talent.
I agree with Nia. There are so many real black actresses being overlooked because of Beyonce and Alicia Keys. What about Sanaa Lathan and Angela Bassett, just to name a few. That's the world we live in. The big entertainment execs don't care about talent anymore. It's all about what is cute for now. Look at the rap game too. There will never be any other Pacs, Jayz's and Biggie's. Its all about these talentless people now. And not that MJ is gone, there is nothing left. Just a bunch of bullsh&t!!!
Girlsluvgems...you are right.
Etta made clear she was cool with Bee or who ever doing the role but she said Bee never took the time out to get to know Etta for the part like real actors do with a bio. But on the red carpet both smiled with fake hugs. Etta was teed when Bee choose her song without saying a word for the prez and Michelle lol.
I agree with Nia ,but on the other hand the budget for "Obsessed" was 20 million and it made 70 million according to boxmojo. Those profits weren't because of the plot, or directing....that movie plain sucked! It was because of B, she is a bankable commodity. Had Nia starred in that movie it wouldn't have made as much $. R&B and Hip Hop artists make films money and as long as they do young, talented black actresses will be left out in the cold. Just don't complain about the lack of good roles for black women. We know where those roles go.
I like obsessed and the whole concept.would have been better with a more experienced actress but hey it is about the money and thats life!
******* www.WealthyCougarDating.com This dating site is for cougars and the men that love to date them. We have quality clients and you will not be disappointed. Unlike other dating sites it’s FREE to create a profile! So come by today to have some fun, get your groove back and flirt! www.WealthyCougarDating.com
@guessjeans I remember Felicity and that is a distant memory. Her career did sink. It's amazing how these days that talent is judge by how many pounds you lose, how much makeup you have on, how much you shake your crotch, and ow less clothes you wear. That was never the idea of talent when Aretha, Chaka, Tina, Patty, and Gladys were on top. And they are all Legends in their own right. Well they may fool some people, but I see right through those illusions.
TheBrokenSilence Flag post She didn't say Beyonce because hell Alicia Keys can't act either. And really Nia Long? Like the were going to cast you anyway? Go do a Tyler Perry movie. Or Big Mommas House 3 because that really shows your acting chops. *** so true. She's an H list actress at best. Maybe if she'd stop smoking weed and focus she'd be doing better in her career but as it is she sits around talking about the go-getters who are not worrying about her one iota.
THERE YOU GO AGAIN, MTO,CUTTING OUT THE CONVERSATION OF WHAT REALLY HAPPEN, IN THE INITIAL INTERVIEW, IF YOU DISPLAYED IT ALL , THE INTERVIEWER ASK NIA LONG DID YOU SEE BEYONCE IN OBSESSION, NIA LONG DIDN'T BRING HER NAME UP FIRST....QUIT, NUMBER i WORK IN BROADCASTING AND FILM, ROLES AREN'T JUST GIVEN TOO YOU, YOU HAVE WAHT THEY CALL ROLE OFFERS, THEY SEND A POSSIBLE ACTOR OR ACTRESS A SCRIPT, ITS UP TO HE OR SHE TO ACCEPT,AND IN SOME CASES THEY HAVE TO AUDITION FOR THE ROLE, NIA NOBODY IS TAKEN YOUR ROLES, YOU JUST NOT BEING OFFER ANY ROLES, STOP THE BLAME GAME....PLEASE
imsickoftvnradio
Etta had a right to be upset. Bey has no clue about being an actress and should study acting and movie role protocol before she disrespects any more people.
Her stans are going to down Nia's talent just like they did Etta, Keri and the Game. Her and Jay are on a FALSE NON EXISTENT pedestal. They destroyed Latoya and Latavia's career. They are trying to destroy Chris Brown. Kelly left. Now she's trying to CLING on to Solange AND HER FRIENDS....funny she NEVER had time for Solange UNTIL NOW! FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE FAKE!
NIA AIN'T SAYING ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT EVERYBODY FEELS WHO DON'T HAVE THEIR TONGUE IN BEY'S AZZ. SHE IS A HORRIBLE ACTRESS AND HORRIBLE AT TALKING PERIOD. SHE HAS ALL THAT GOT DAM MONEY. TAKE SOME DAM SPEECH CLASSES. SHE SOUNDS LIKE WHEN SHE TALKS SHE CHEWING ON HER DAM TONGUE AND I USED TO HATE TO HEAR THE "OBSESSED" COMMERCIAL COME ON...LIKE WATCHING A TRAIN WRECK.."YOU COME IN MY HOUSE, TOUCH MY CHILD" LOL! AND THE FALLIBLE COMMERCIAL. EVERYBODY CANT BE A JACK OF ALL TRADES.
Whites just dont give roles to Britney Spears or Madonna because they take their entertainment seriously. Blacks are not offered alot of roles because the movie will be labeled "Urban" and most directors shy away from that because that means no money to box office. We are given Beyonce because she is what whites consider beautiful for blacks (light skinned, blonde hair, so on) , we are given superficial things. Scripts are being sent to actresses but they go no where if Beyonce wants the role because she buys executive producer rights just to star in the film, or pay to play.
NOT A HATER SO BEY BYTCHES AND STALKERS AND MESSIAH WORSHIPPERS DON'T GET YA PANTIES IN A BUNCH. BUT I THINK BEY IS SLOWLY FIZZLING OUT. PEOPLE ARE JUST SICK OF HER! FOR YALL NUCCAS WHO DON'T KNOW HOW ECONOMICS WORKS YOU CAN ONLY BE ON TOP FOR SO LONG WHEN YOU SATURATE THE MARKET LIKE SHE HAS THE CONSUMERS MOVE ON TO SOMETHING NEW. IN OTHER WORDS EVERYBODY HAS THEIR MINUTE OF SHINE SHE HAS HAD AN HOUR.
NEWS FLASH! Nia long can't act either! She only plays some simple character in some simple relationship movie, I'm not taking up for beyonce because she really sucks acting too, but why hate on someone or other people when you can't act either. Those simple azz roles she plays is not acting, EVERY female that has posted a comment could have played every role she ever had!
@jerseysfinest- you always sayin "i will beat" NOOKA! STFU- yo lil ping ping prolly the length and size of a vienna saussage...its always n!ggas with wittle dick want to talk abt sex- i just wish some crazy brawd call yo bluff one day and when u come up short that crazy bitch just pust u upside the head with a hot curling iron...quit while u ahead nukka ... and keep payin crack paula that $20 for some BOOTAY
@JRoc The difference is Nia Long has studied her craft for over 10 years, and is believable with understandable english. Beyonce is Beyonce in every role she plays, its always blonde hair with the country accent and being over the top. Nia is no Angela Bassett but she will out perform Beyonce anyday in a natural authentic way. Real actors do not recognize Beyonce as an actor, just ask Brad Pitt who personally didnt want Beyonce in Benjamin Button, and Sex in The City declined Beyonce because she only wanted to wear House of Dereon.....only blacks consider her a good actress.
No hate but i've said many times that Beyonce sucks as an actress,Obsessed would have been a good movie if they had gave the part to someone like Gabrielle Union, I wouldn't say blame it all on Beyonce though, I would say blame these casting directors who choose the actors, these greedy movie companies who want to profit more off a name then the talent of the people in the movie.
why r yall hatin on Nia for sayin beyonce cant act. i admit beyonce is real goregous and has a wonderful voice, but she is not a good actor. she needs to stick to singin and being pretty. Real actors have been learning to act most of they lives and beyonce takes the roles that actor have been workin so hard to get. I would have done the same as Nia if i been workin so hard for years then someone who cant act just come in and take all the roles. beyonce needs to stick to singin we know you from the songs u wrote stop stealin everyone elses spotlight.
i doubt very seriously that beyounce & j-hud are taking roles away from any actress since btwn the both of them, theyve done what---4 movies total? theres room for everyone so if nia isnt being picked for movies its probably becuz she dosent fit the role. & as far as hollywood being about box office "now" - ummm news flash Hollywood has ALWAYS been about $$$$$ & nothing but so do yo history Nia and wake up & quit blaming a bitch over your own shortcomings.
Nia isnt the best actress either, but I do see her point. She was saying what alot of actresses, real actresses, are thinking. As far ss the roles Nia has played, she has done well and Im pretty sure she could master more difficult roles, but those come rarely for black actresses. When they do come around, you know Halle got first dibs. Luv ya Bey, but keep the acting to the pros.
OK, I'll agree with the Can't act, but can't sing?? she is pushing and Grasping for Grapes, and She sound Like she is jealous that Jay z passed up her hood a**! and when is the last time you seen her in a movie? big moma's house 1 and 2, Love jones, Boyz in the hood, and Soul food? what else? Beyonce, can dance and sing at the same time. WHAT CAN U DO? other than have ghetto a*ss thugs fighting in public places? NIA!!
@sweetluxury you don't know this industry do you? Name one african american actress that makes over a million a movie. And name an actress of color who is as big as will smith or denzel? There aren't any. So if you get the big roles and you have no talen then you are taking jobs from people who have trained for these types of roles
I'm not a Bey Fan one way or the other,but i felt she did ok in Obsessed.....(to be honest there were ONLY like 6 people in the whole dang theatre..*shruggz* but i thought it was becoz it was like 5pm on a Sunday!...I was like heeey only a few folx up in huur...we can eat our Sub-way sankwiches in peace!..That's right i smuggle sandwiches in!...You'll call me ghetto but cha damn sho won't call me hungry!I REFUSE to pay those prices!..LOL..anyways...Nia IS good but why down a colleague,geez.
booo--i live in cali so i know all about hollywood & how the industry works. do you? Name 1 black actress who makes over a million dollars per movie? ill name 4: Tarij P. Henson, Halle Berry, Queen Latifah & Thandie Newton. News Flash: a million dollars per movie is chump change today boo. i doubt Halle or Queen gets out of bed for less than 5. Im sure Nia gets at least 1mill herself, so whats ur point? Name a black actress thats as big as Will Smith or Denzel? ill name 2: Halle Berry & Queen Latifah. And your point?
OMG NIA WHO....WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME SHE WAS IN A MOVIE AND WHEN HAS SHE EVER HAD THE LEADING ROLE IN A MOVIE .MS. LONG YOU ARE A LIST ACTRESS AND YOU NEED TO STAY IN YOUR LANE.I COULD SEE THESE COMING FROM HALLE BERRY BUT NOT HER,STEP YOUR GAME UP GET SOME WORK DONE THEY SAY BLACK DONT CRACK BUT YOU CRACKIN BABY.FOR ALL YOU HATER THAT SAY BEYONCE CANT ACT GIVE CREDIT WHERE ITS DO SHE NOT THE BEST ACTRESS BUT SHE DOES HER THING.THE ONLY THING ABOUT ACTIN MOST OF YALL HATERS KNOW IS LYING TELLIN A DUDE YOU PREGNANT TO KEEP HOME...HATERS DIE SLOW DEATHS
@ GUESSJEANS
It's obvious that u r the only 1 out here w/ COMMON SENSE. These fools r trippin'!
Although Beyonce is gettin' yall' money she is by far the LESS TALENTED AND LESS BEAUTIFUL COMPARED TO NIA LONG! NIA is a NATURALLL BEAUTY. We got a lot of Beyonce's in the street.. U know light skin, lots of make up and plenty of weave.What reason is there 2 b jealous of??? WOULD IT B THE SAME IF SHE WAS DARK SKIN????? ...........N O T..............!!!!!!!!
What Movie has Nia actually STARRED in?...Dramatically Speaking...I can't think of any...Love Jones was ok but it had stories within stories....and what about the one with Omar...(the guy with the bedroom eyes?)....Deep Cover! with LL!.She was ok in that.Wasn't she in..Butter?...She seems to only get "parts"...for dramatic pieces....She's riding the coattails of yesterday...she does needs more work.
WELL HELL SHE SPEAKING THE TRUTH...NIA LONG HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLACK ACTRESSES...PEOPLE LIKE HER AND LYNN WHITFIELD ARE SEASONED SERIOUS ACTORS WHO ACTUALLY HAVE A LOVE FOR THE ART...THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DOING THIS ALL THEIR LIVES..BEYONCE PICKS UP A SCRIPT AND REMEMBERS A FEW LINES AND OOPS..SHE THINKS SHE'S AN ACTRESS..NOT!! ALL THESE FAKES AND PHONIES ARE TAKING THE ROLES FROM REAL THESPIANS..IT'S A DAMN SHAME!
I CAN THINK OF A COUPLE OF BLACK ACTRESSES WHO CAN ACT WAY BETTER THAN BEYONCE. THE GIRL CAN'T ACT WORTH A DAMN..HELL I HAD ACTING PARTNERS IN COLLEGE THAT COULD ACT BETTER THAN THIS CHICK...THAT ROLE BEYONCE DID IN THAT HIP HOP OPERA MESS WAS JUST HORRIBLE!!!! SERIOUSLY, MY DRAMA TEACHER WOULD HAVE GIVEN THAT GIRL A MINUS TRIPPLE F FOR THAT WHACK PERFORMANCE!! LOL
-"I don't think Beyonce can act either, but don't be mad at her cause YOU can't get those same roles. That's a little bit of hatred. And I love NIA with all my heart, but this is a business and people will pay to see Beyonce fail before they pay to see her succeed. Just real life."
Man, is there not a difference between expressing views/speaking your mind about facts (i.e. Nia saying movie casting seem to be more about sells than talent) and "hating" anymore? Did the word "OPINION" never exist and I've imagined it this whole time???
Forgot, I’m on MTO, rather than actually thinking about something, it’s apparently more arousing to call people jealous HATERS! What was I thinking? **sarcasm**
MAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNN!!! If ur that upset ms. WHOTHAFUGGISNIALONG, then instead of giving little hints, why dnt u pull Beyonce ova to the side nd explain to her how u really feel.
If ur not gettin the roles u want ur obviously not doin sumthin right.
I saw u way back in the fuggin 90's nd thats exactly why u dnt exist now. HA! Srry boops try again :)
i agree, BEy can not act and its a shame that ppl are on her jock strap soo hard that they would buy her vomit if she sold it! Obsessed sucked and the best part she ever played was on Fighting temptations! she can dance her ass off too but acting needs to fall back. i was wondering y this chic did what she did on the awards? we all know we wanted to see her popping that ass and stop trying to front likethats not how she got noticed
@BETTERMAN...I HAVE NOT TIME TO BE ARGUING WITH YOU..YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY SEVERLY MENTALLY ILL..AND FAR AS HILLBILLIES, WHAT THE PHUCK DO YOU THINK BEYONCE'S AZZ IS...A FAT AZZ COUNTRY HILLBILLY THAT HAS TO HALF KILL HERSELF TO STAY "HOLLYWEIRD THIN." DUDE GET A CLUE...NOW IT'S TIME FOR SOME NIRVANA...ROCK AND ROLL BABY...LOL!!!!!
I miss those days when real black actors were working. Like when Spike Lee was in his heyday and alot of the black movie's of the 90s. Imagine if Menace to Society was made in the 2000s - there would be some wack asss rapper playing ODog and effing the movie all up because he has street cred. Larenz Tate wasn't even close to being a gangster.
Nia is a class act as usual. Her comments were very tasteful and reflect her OPPINION...as well as some fact based information based on her experience and insight, Nia has been a relevant actress since the Fresh Prince of Belaire and Friday..and has a large body of work to be proud of. Unfortunately she is correct. The game changed. Directors and producers are looking for box office draws..at the cost of quality acting. With that said, she did point out that Jamie has however mastered both. But let's face it, Beyonce has NOT mastered both, though she desperately seeks to. Her acting is not convincing. It does not draw you into the movie. Beyoncee's fame and over the top appeal actually somewhat distracts you from the movie's meaning and sense of realness.Let's face it..If a famous singer is not able to draw you in and make you forget WHO they are as a singer, they have failed as an actor
Beyonce's acting is so embarrasing that's why i haven't attempted to watch Obsessed. Her scenes were chopped and screwed to death in Dreamgirls. She was actually supposed to be the lead in that movie but had less lines than the supporting actress. Jennifer didn't win that Oscar for singing, her acting was very believable in that movie. I do need to see more range from her to say she is a great actress. Never seen an Alicia Keys movie. Ashanti is better than Bey for sure. Nia is a great actress no doubt.
i might add..
this is exactly why Jennifer beat her out on the Oscar bid. Jennifer made you actually FEEL who she was portraying. You forgot that she was Jhud the songtress,... and you were drawn into EFFIE, her character..and you cried with her. Beyonce looked fake and sounded rehearsed as if though she were in a high school play. All you see is Beyonce..meaning..you never FEEL the depth of the character that she is attempting to portray. Acting lessons may not help..she seems to have a speech impediment that she is insecure about. Also , she is not an emotional enough person to me
Like I said...get a new agent and stop crying. taraji isn't having a problem finding credible roles! Vivica got on her grind in other ways. Nia I like u and all but come on, step ur game up. Singers shouldn't just be confined to singing. Ur not a model but u damn sure model for dark and lovely. Should queen Latifah not do cover girl. Singers have trifold job descriptions. Sing, model, and act! One almost always leads to the next.
BLACK BUTTAFLY....I miss those days when real black actors were working. Like when Spike Lee was in his heyday and alot of the black movie's of the 90s. Imagine if Menace to Society was made in the 2000s - there would be some wack asss rapper playing ODog and effing the movie all up because he has street cred. Larenz Tate wasn't even close to being a gangster.
You so right BUT Tupac was the original Old dog, he was fired for fighting on the set with the director.tor.
And another thing there are alotta high yellow females who don't have a career or who faded away cuz they had no talent. Cassie has no career in singing, the chic from my wife and kids has no career in acting. Tboz fell off after left eye passed. Foxy is the greatest femcee ever!!! Stop blaming everything on skin color, it only divides us more plus its such a double standard, even drake can't save the light skin men's careers. Dark skin men run the entertainment industry, but no one's crying about that!!!!
The New King of Pop is a Queen
Why Beyoncé is the only plausible heir to Michael Jackson’s sparkly glove. By: Dayo Olopade | Posted: July 14, 2009 at 7:30 AM
The two weeks since Michael Jackson’s death have been awash in tributes and testimonies to the man and his music. Yet the tide of nostalgia and revisionism that has gripped the entire planet obscures a nagging truth: The very idea of superstardom may have died with Michael. After all, so many of the eulogies have focused less on Jackson’s iconic music than on his extraordinary fame, his status as ruler of a kingdom called Pop. He won this crown with a fusion of precocious talent and gleefully bizarre antics—the thrilling 1983 moonwalk at the Apollo Theater and the shocking 2005 baby-dangle in Berlin contribute equally to the idea of Michael as spectacle.
Jackson’s omnipresence during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s—from prison yards to bar mitzvah scenes—extended his cultural wingspan, eventually reaching fashion, film and kids like myself who weren't even born when “Thriller” dropped. For our generation, the death of the “Man in the Mirror” only exposes the sorry state of contemporary music, and begs the question: Who's next?
I've got one word: Beyoncé. It used to be two words, but such are the heights the 27-year-old from Houston has scaled in a career that has already spanned two decades. Say what you will about her scantily clad BET tribute to Michael—she is the only living performer to even approximate Jackson's blend of talent and cultural clout. Yes, she's a woman; but her work ethic, daring musical choices and chameleonic artistic presence makes her more of an heir to the Gloved One than any man out there. The fact that she is already one of the most famous people on the planet only adds to the case for passing her the torch.
The synergy between Michael Jackson and Beyoncé Knowles is not just a matter of their biographies—but it's a good starting point. Thrust into showbiz while still in rompers, Knowles entered the entertainment industry in earnest as the 9-year-old lead of girl group Destiny's Child. We know the story: As early as Jackson was charming Motown executives and mid-century television bandleaders, she was singing lead and navigating both a “Momager” and “Dadager” in the forms of pushy Mathew and Tina Knowles. While her rearing was considerably less scarring than the abusive, exploitative relationship that Jackson maintained with his father Joe, Knowles entered her teens steeled with the same tireless work ethic many saw in a young Jackson. In an interview from the early days of Destiny’s Child, bandmates describe her as “the serious one” and “the overseer of it all.”
But like Jackson’s controversial 1977 decision to break up the band of brothers then performing as “The Jacksons,” Knowles gave the people what they wanted and strode into her 20s as a solo artist. Her freshman effort, Dangerously in Love, was a bit of a gamble: The summer before the LP was released, even her handlers weren’t sure that she could hack it on her own. The album had been slated for the fall of 2003, to give audiences a chance to absorb the odd sound of the first single, “Crazy in Love,” released in February. It wasn't necessary. The infectious hook and horns, from a 1970 Chi-Lites song, “Are You My Woman? (Tell Me So),” produced a sound completely unexpected in mainstream pop or R&B. Audiences went wild for the blend of Jackson-era funk and contemporary dance pop. The verse from then-boyfriend Jay-Z was the icing on the wax. Her studio promptly moved up the album release date.
At times, her aesthetic choices are inexplicable—nobody asked Ms. Knowles to frolic in a human-sized champagne glass, play with a ball of yarn or spin through a beachy marsh wearing what can only be described as a grass skirt tutu. And no one insisted that she wear motorcycle handlebars as a bustier. But Jackson’s style was equally outrageous—and like Michael, she doesn't really seem to care about convention. The singer has been seen flashing a custom-made metal glove around town, and in the series of videos accompanying her third solo album, I am...Sasha Fierce, Beyoncé has done for pantsless outerwear what Michael did for epaulets. “Diva” is all angles and attitude, and in her avant garde new video for “Sweet Dreams," she wears a gold-plated bodysuit, with Annie Lenox-style cropped hair. There is no Bubbles the chimp—only Jay-Z and the occasional alligator—but the costumery hasn't fallen far from the Michael Jackson glam-rock tree.
But what makes Beyoncé the most plausible living heir to the pop monarchy is the magnitude of her fame. Michael Jackson’s legacy is special precisely because he was famous for young and old, rich and poor, black and white—on six inhabited continents. Beyoncé’s musical reach is not nearly as large (frat boys look, but don't buy). However, like Jackson, her cultural impact extends beyond music, to the realms of fashion, film and beauty. Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker wrote that she “is creating a new kind of supersized music, a triumphalist pop that makes its point through magnitude as much as style.” And that was before she spent more weeks at No. 1 than any female this decade, sold out a national tour this summer, or carried the schlocky stalker flick Obsessed to a $28.5 million, No. 1 opening weekend.
Like MJ in The Wiz and Francis Ford Coppolla's pricey epic Captain EO, Knowles’ acting has been widely panned. But the point is that she’s out there. Countless talented female singers—from ‘60s talents such as Wendy Rene and Ann Peebles to ‘70s giants such as Diana Ross and Tina Turner—have laid the track for how to revel in the spotlight. And Knowles, whose vocal talents are not the best of her generation, has been training for this fame triathlon ever since her parents strapped on that first pair of sparkly disco pants. Between makeup endorsements and PSAs for hunger, Beyoncé has become a business, man.
Want proof? She has fans in high places. Jackson paid four visits to the White House over the years. But the first daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama, begged to attend a Beyoncé show in Washington. And at the nationally televised concert preceding Barack Obama’s inauguration as president, Knowles was the de facto headliner—beating out other boldface names such as Garth Brooks, Mary J. Blige and Bon Jovi. Even the president was spotted waving his palm back and forth, in echoes of “Single Ladies.” And of course, Knowles sang “At Last” for the new president and his wife at the Neighborhood Inaugural Ball that evening.
In 2009, it's Knowles' willingness to use the first person pronoun that distinguishes her from Jackson—who, even at the peak of fame was retiring, self-effacing, and, as Brooke Shields pointed out at his memorial, eager to be teased. The Destiny’s Child catalogue, however, much of which Knowles wrote—“Survivor,” “Independent Women” and “Lose My Breath” (can you keep up?)—suggests a level of confidence that Jackson never had. Her recent video, for the single “Ego,” follows that trend as well. “I like to think that I was created for a special purpose,” she declares, clad in the fishnets and Diana Ross get-up. “I don’t need a beat; I can sing it with piano."
Her vocal range and clarity may not be quite as large as her desire to entertain, but having the guts to perform anyway is what Knowles and Jackson have in common. Even at his most frail and supposedly drug-ridden, Jackson’s instinct was to get back onstage this summer, to win back the love that had been lost or forgotten in the years he retreated into the demons created by fame. He couldn’t make it. But as one of the hardest working folks in show business, Beyoncé can and should step into that spotlight
Long live the queen.
Dayo Olopade is Washington reporter for The Root.
[link to external website removed]
We Here @ MTO Admire Beyonce...
In Beyonce's Voice: QUESTION! How can one "Suggest that someone cannot act?" Makes no sense once so ever. WOW MTO!...Yall need a couple of English classes.
In substitute of the word "suggests" you could have used "implied" "believes" etc...
Anyhow if Ms.Irrelevant Long feels that way then maybe she should when an Oscar or get nominated for some type of award so Directors can be interested in her...and thats all folks!
Blacks have had a hard time getting good roles in Hollywood a long time before B hit the scene and made her little dent...so dont hate B Nia hate the industry..B just trying to diversify her porfolio!
Why settle?...Wait for your soulmate. or Let us Pick your soulmate for you
www.ChocolateSoulmates.com www.ChocolateSoulmates.com www.ChocolateSoulmates.com www.ChocolateSoulmates.com www.ChocolateSoulmates.com www.ChocolateSoulmates.com
Set up your DATING profile with video footage to show THE OPPOSITE SEX....YOUR SWAGGA!
LET OUR LOVE WIZARD COMPUTER GENERATE 4 Differerent Lists of your preferred LOVE MATCHES BASED ON PSYCHOLOGICAL DATA That you imput Join The Fun!
It's not a suggestion, it is fact. Bey can entertain her face off on a stage at a concert but her acting skills SUCK. Prime example... Dreamgirls and Caddilac Records, she couldnt even portray what she is in real life...a singer. Sorry to all the Bey fans but the girl cant act a lick, but she can sell the heck out some tickets. Sorry Nia, but its not what you know its who knows YOU
OH SNAP!! Another comment from PEREZ's site about Beyonce LMAO!
phineinphilly says – reply to this
13SHE LOOKS A F_#*($ MESS! BITCH NEEDS TO TAKE THAT RAT'S NEST OFF HER DAM HEAD, COVER UP THOSE DINOSAUR CLAWS SHE CALLS FEET…AND MAMA.LAWD MAMA LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THOSE CREATURES FROM THE MOVIE "GREMLIN"
@CherylinMiami...Beyonce as the next MJ? You can't possibly be serious!! When she can amass a single album sales of at LEAST 10 million in the USA alone, become a global humanitarian and be recognized by 3 presidencies for those efforts, have enough star power to gather top artists in the game (twice) to record a charity song, and breakdown at least ONE barrier then maybe she can begin to be at least mentioned as a "potential" contender. Until then, she will continue to be an ass shaker like the rest of them.
What Nia has 2 understand is the game.... If u check the credits of the latest movies Beyoncè has starred in she is the Executive Producer. which means she paid the cost 2 be the Boss! Which means she doesn't need anybody's permission or approval 2 be in her own $hit! Don't hate on her... Get like her! Eventually Bey will get tired of seeing herself all the Got dayuuum time!
dont get me wrong i love bey she a bad bitch period but her actin isnt. the truth must b told...nia should start gettin out there n shut bey down real quick i mean shes talkin but talk is cheap i need sum action im tired of ppl complainin n gettin mad, if its dat bad n it bothers u get out there then n show wat u got
Just like Nia developed her craft, B can do the same things. I mean B can't help that she is so talented. Do you see any of the other White actresses hating on each other like this? No, I'm kind of surprised at Nia Long. If she spent more developing and perfecting her craft then she wouldn't need to worry about B taking money out of her pocket.
yes!!bey is that bad and im glad someone is finally hinting it atleast.shes trying so hard to get that oscar by the time shes 30..some sort of goal for herself which i can respect, but if u dont have the skills you just dont have the skills.she needs to just thank the most high for what she has accomplished and be as humble as she pretends to be!
Whether you think she can act or not she's getting work. So people are getting frustrated over nothing. You can wish she'd just go away, but what good does that do you? She's probably working on something right now.
Nia should be blowing Beyonce's phone up right about now trying to squeeze in on the action. The world isn't going to stop for her opinion, and money will still flow in Beyonce's direction for her acting.
So who sounds bitter in this situation? Who sounds hurt? Who sounds like she wish she was in Beyonce's place? I love you Nia, but the world is moving right along withou
Why are y'all acting like Bey is some great Hollywood actress? Hell nah! I love Beyonce as a singer because that's what she started to do and she's really good at it. Acting is definitely NOT her thing so she just needs to stick to what she knows best. I kind of understand why Bowwow is trying to acting though, I mean, he doesn't even rap anymore..incase y'all didn't know, well Bowwow has been dropped from his record label. The thing I hate to see is when actors like Keke P. & Miranda C. try to do singing when they know damn well they can't sing! Same thing goes w/ Beyonce.STICK 2 WHAT U KNOW!
@cherlinnmiami, Please, Beyonce ain't no dam queen of pop. First of all to even compare her to the King of Pop, is a complete insult. Michael Jackson was an artist with talent that can dance, sing, and is the personafication of funk. He wrote and produced his own music. And he had a style, of his own. Beyonce stole from just about everybody, whether it be song, dance, image. She is not creative. I hate when people try to put somebody as being great when all they did was copy the greats, or steal from them. Nia only spoke the truth, the girl cannot act, I don't care who she trains under.
I'm not mad @ Nia @ all, she's tellin it like it is...but there is one thing that can't be ignored. Nia Long is definitely very beautiful and talented, one of the best actresses out there, hands down. However, she's no spring chicken! Beyonce, Alicia Keys and etc are all a lot younger than she is. Hollywood is so non-forgiving when it comes to females and aging. Then again, Taraji Henson is doin the dang thang. Maybe Nia just needs a diff agent, manager, etc.
@ every chick thats always saying, "Beyonce's the hottest chick in the game" Get off her Clit. You just make me think yall are either 9 yrs old or pitiful as hell. You say this because of the money she's got, not because of talent. As I stated before, she's a copycat. She's stolen from so many. Nia only said the truth, and yall know it. instead of passing a glove, since she claim she the queen, why copy, why not get her own style. She Can't!
@ styles-p, VERY WELL SAID! I wish I understood y so many people insist on putting Beyonce on a pedestal. She's very talented no doubt. Queen of Pop? Ha! Whatever. MJ is unparalleled, imitated but not duplicated, extremely irreplaceable. Incomparable. Beyonce could never be anything near that....but thats only my opinion.
i agree sowhat with Nia however if a person have the talent sing and act then let them expand their god giving talent. is it fair to tell a rapper or singer don't audition for a role because the only black who should is one who went to acting school.
black entertainers have been doing double duty in acting and singing long before Nia was born
nat king cole eartha katt lena horn dinah carroll sammy davis jr.
there are two hand full of singers and rappers who shouldn't act and we know who they be
Say it ain't so!!!
Nia is a great actress and there is truth to what she is saying......but nonetheless she should be supporting her fellow black actresses, singers or whatever!
As good as an actress as Nia is, she can't pull in big box office revenues with her name alone.
I feel her pain, but don't start the hate!!!
Beyonce is not da best actress but she is not dat bad da way yah ppl r makiin it sound she did gud in obsessed and as far as singiin beyonce can sing her ass of she is better and has more talent den most of these ppl we have singing nw a day ppl need 2 learn 2 STOP HATING and just b happy for sum1 and if u r not goin 2 say nothiin nice den just dnt say it at all I'm just upset da way ppl are attackiin beyonce anywayz beyonce dnt give a shyt anywayz cuz look where she is at and look where u r at.....
Nia is ok, but I don't recall her being nominated for no Oscar. She needs to get her azz back to work and she would'nt have time to be making a comment about anyones acting skills. Beyonce can't act....ok, we all know that...but if thats the case neither can u(Nia). Being a love interest in the hood is not exactly acting. I'm just saying.....
OK FIRST OF ALL WHO THE HELL IS INTERVIEWING D LIST CELEBS LIKE NIA LONG SWEET'S YOUR CARRER DIED WITH BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE SO NO GIVES A DAMN ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.FOR THE PEOPLE SAYIN NIA LOOKS BETTER THEN BEYONCE THATS AN OPINION AND I THINK NIA DOES LOOK GOOD TO BE 60 LOL...BUT COME ON PEOPLE SHE AINT NO DIVA.IM SO TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYIN THEY'RE TIRED OF BEYONCE WHY THE HELL DO YOU READ ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH HER.IM PRETTY SURE SO DOESNT GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHAT SOMEBODY'S BABY MOMMA HAS TO SAY WHEN YOU AINT DOIN ISH WIT YOU LIFE.AS FOR NIA DONT KNOCK THE HUSTLE GET LIKE HER FN HATER
Nia Long has always been outspoken about black hollywood. And whether or not you agree with Ms. Long you should always encourage people who share their opinions...
White hollywood and the "casting couch" wants sheep in hollywood and anytime you speak up against hypocrisy they shut you out...that is what happened with Ms. Long's career...so encourage more and more people in black Hollywood not only to speak up but come up with their own production companies...Nia long is not "going in" on Beyonce she is pointing out the bigger issue..
Nia Long's career is slow because HOLLYWOOD LIMITS ROLES TO BLACK PEOPLE EXCEPT IGNORANT, CAN'T ACT BLACK FOLK LIKE BEYONCE KNOWLES.
Nia probably would have set that role on FIYAAAAAH. She is a great actress.
A MANNEQUIN COULD HAVE DONE A BETTER JOBE THAN BEYONCE. She was simply hired for looks.
Maybe Beyonce's corns have traveled to her brain. B/C that crooked toe girl knows she can't act.
I DO AGREE WITH NIA..THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE STUDIED THE CRAFT 4 YRS & SOME1 LIKE SASHA "SASH SHA" HER AZZ IN...IMJUST SAYING PERFECT UR CRAFT IF UR GONNA GO AFTER ROLE'S...AND 4 U SOLANGE HIDE'N BEHIND SCREEN NAMES STOP TRY'NA RESCUE UR SISTER...PEOPLE SAY WHAT EVA THEY WANT ABOUT HER...U NEED2 GET A LIFE& FOCUS ON UR NXT VENTURE"PIPE DOWN" CUZ UR CORNEY 2
I feel nia sum wht about the whole perfecting ur carft. But at the same tyme, dnt wine to ppl bout how unfair it is. If u r as good as u say u r ( which i aslo believe) than do sumthing about!!!! I mean when nia was the hot new thing on the block she wasnt perfect either but in tyme she better her carft.
I would respect this statement more if it was comin from Halle Berry but Nia long...idk And she didnt say beyonce's name she sed she can't comment on it becuz she doesnt know
but ive seen worse acting than bey's but acting is not her first craft singing is. She did say she does have an acting coach so maiibe shes working on it lol but cadillac records was good
As for nia, I havent seen her n anything recent...plus i never seen her do something outside of her norm like Taraji did with Benjamin Button
i can understand why artist maii do movies becuz movies are guarnteed revenue and music is more of a gamble...u suck the record label drops ya ass. u spend money touring promoting, hopin that peeple find u hot enuff in order for u to make the money back. Plus when it comes to movie production, theyre gonna put peeple in movies if they kno theyre gonna sell its a recession nobody has money for a 12 dollar movie lol its a business
Nia was acting long before Beyonce got sooo famous. Nia has a right to say what she did. We have unemployed female black actors fighting over scripts that are out there. And they are given to those who are hot not the ones who've been in the trenches. Nia is a beautiful woman and has been in the acting game longer than Bey. Why shouldn't she be upset? you would even if you loved Bey's, Alicia's,Jen's music. If that is your job and soul source of income you'd be pissed as well.
Nia musta read my post some time back when I addressed this very subject and I agree with her now We have talented Black actors and actresses Let the actors act and the singers sing Now if Nia went out there and started singing then what? We have so much real talent out there we dont have to recycle it. There ought to be enough work to go around in all areas... OK Now lets play nice children
Jennifer Hudson - Can act (got the Oscar to prove it).
Alicia Keys - Getting there but needs more work.
Beyonce? - Sorry, but Hell no, she cannot act! But if the Generation Bey-Bey Kids want to spend money on her moives, they'll keep putting her in roles best suited form more season talented actresses.
No this is all a moot point if Nia is trying to release and album of her own.
I agree, Bey cant act at all - hollywood is just jockin her cause she's Beyonce. But the sad thing, is Nia is always the same in all of her roles. We have never seen her play anything different, she's always the same character. So she dont need to talk.. But jennifer hudson, she is an actress so dont put her in the same category with bey and alicia keys. Nia long plays the same type of roles she has never shown any diversity which what a good actress does.
Nia is right Beyonce can not act at all she is only good at one thing and that`s sing that`s all and she not all that pretty on the big screen yes I agree with Nia Long.
Now Janet Jackson is a grate actor/R&B singer and actor Nia Long, Jennifer Hudson they are very good but Beyonce hell NO! she just got a pretty face that`s all.