Most definitely. I like that confidence. It’s fun. I mean, he’s a fun guy. As long as you can jab at him and cut him down a little bit. But they’re very attractive. Maybe not for the long haul, but you’d certainly walk a couple of blocks with him (laughing).
This movie features a predominantly Afro-American cast, but its appeal really isn’t limited to one specific audience as some other movies have done. The director’s previous movie, “Drumline,” was very similar in that aspect. How conscious are you of that while picking projects?
You look at the story. When it was written, the script…The writers did a spec script right out of college. The main character was not black. Reading it you could assume that it was probably a white character not set in black places or anything like that.
For 10 years, [in the time it took] to get the movie made, baseball movies were in and out of fashion. [It’s] set in the world of baseball, but you don’t have to be a baseball aficionado to watch it or to be in it (laughing). It’s about so many other things. It’s about second chances and a second chance is a very human experience. It’s neither black, white, Persian, Puerto Rican or anything. It’s human and that’s what I’m attracted to. Because although I respect the differences of everyone, I really hate the dividing line. I go to see so many different movies myself, whether it’s Japanese actors and I can’t understand a word, but I’m not one to say, “That’s not for me, I can’t get nothing out of that.” I don’t do that.
There’s a saying ‘if it’s on the page’. And then you cast it with, I think, talented individuals who maybe understand and appreciate the work. Then the worlds becoming smaller, especially with hip hop. So many people are into these artists and what they’re doing, and their music and images are going across the globe. They’re not contained in their neighborhood, their block, in their urban city.
What recent movies have you seen that you’ve enjoyed?
I saw “Open Water” recently, but how were you going to sustain this for 90 minutes? Well, it was 2 people in the water with a shark, you know? I was really curious. I wasn’t like, “There aren’t any black people in this movie so I’m not going to see that.” My husband didn’t want to see it because he was like, “‘Jaws’” did it for me.” That really did it for him. What else have I seen? I saw “The Notebook.” I loved that. I was bawling; I couldn’t breathe because I was crying so hard. I loved that.
Do any of your own movies make you cry?
No. It’s like the wizard. You’re behind the curtain and see how it was made. You appreciate it.
You still have the buffest arms. Are you at a point of maintenance or are you still building?
I don’t concentrate as much on it, just a little. I have to hit the rest of it – a lot of cardio and leg exercises, lower body, but the arms are – everybody has something.
How much do you bench press?
I don’t do bench press – just free weights. A little chest with a little incline and maybe 15 pounds each.
