INTERVIEW WITH QUEEN LATIFAH ('Gina'):
How does the conversation in “Beauty Shop” differ from the conversations in “Barbershop?”
Oh, it's a chick thing, first of all. We're talking about things women would talk about. Men, for instance. And I don't think men are talking about mostly men in a barber shop. They talk sports, they talk about women. We talk about men, we talk about issues, we talk about everything. And everything has got a feminine touch to it. It can get raw, but it's from a woman's point of view so the whole conversation tends to differ. We tend to talk more about men and families and our kids and what so and so did and where so and so's been. We kind of get into some of those issues. We get into political issues, of course.
I think a lot of our conversations are the same when it comes to things that we all care about, politics or who said what on “Jay Leno” last night. That kind of thing. Well, maybe not “Jay Leno,” maybe on “106 and Park,” but we kind of get up into the same conversations, but then some things that are basically women's things.
Are beauty shops still the cultural centerpieces of the community?
Absolutely. I mean, beauty shops, 96% of them are individually owned for that matter, too, so not only are they a cultural home base, but they're also an economic base in the black community for sure. So yeah, I think that is the spot. We all catch up at the beauty shop and the barber shop.
What are your beauty shop memories?
Oh yeah, I go back to the press and curls. I remember my first perm. I was 11 years old and I hated the hair style because it was a bouffant. I went home and I combed all the curls out. I couldn't believe how long my hair was. I was like, “Oh my God.” My mother was really pissed off that week, combing out the whole style, wasting the money…
Could there be “Barbershop” cast cameos in “Beauty Shop”?
Yeah, actually there is a possibility. We're trying to work something out but I'm not sure if it's going to happen right now.
Why was the decision made to move away from Chicago?
We didn't [want to] be in cold weather. No, I mean, Chicago's a great town but we just wanted to kind of take it in a different direction, give it its own life, so to speak, so Atlanta seemed like a good place to start.
Are you the same character from “Barbershop 2?”
Yes.
What's your character’s backstory?
Well, Gina's sister actually owned that beauty shop next door to the barber shop, and Gina's daughter is accepted to a performing arts school in Atlanta, so that's why she moves down there - for her daughter.
The girl that was in “Barbershop 2?“
No, that's my niece. That's my sister's badass daughter. My sister who owned that shop with her boyfriend.
Are you getting good at doing hair?
Well, my skill's up.
What do you think of the copycat “Beauty Shop” movies?
I don't think it's a bad thing in the sense that we can all relate to what goes on in a beauty shop, and there are some great actors in the other movies so I can't knock the movies. I don't know, I haven't seen any of them so I don't know what they're really about, but sometimes great minds think alike, so everybody wanted to go there. But this is the official “Beauty Shop.” The one and only official “Beauty Shop.”
How has the shoot been so far?
It's been cool.
A lot of laughing going on?
Yeah, for sure. And the more comedians walk through here, just everybody's really good at bringing it with their characters, so they give us something to laugh at every day. And it's been a work in progress so you kind of let it live on its feet and people come up with ideas, you let them make it happen. So it's getting better and better and better.
When did you know you were funny?
I don't know. I'm not always funny. There are people who are funnier than me, way funnier. I think I'm aight. I think I have a great sense of humor, so I can be silly and I'm not afraid to make fun of myself or be ugly in a movie. I'm willing to put myself out there where some people aren't.
Does being funny run in your family?
For sure. My brother, my older brother, is extremely funny. My mom, my father, they're all [funny]. I mean, comedy was a big part of my growing up years and my parents have great senses of humor. They love to crack jokes, so yeah, it runs in the family.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interview with Andie MacDowell
"Beauty Shop" Photos, Credits and Movie News
