"The Pink Panther" finds the inept detective hot on the trail of the person responsible for murdering soccer coach Yves Gluant and stealing his priceless diamond ring (nicknamed The Pink Panther).
Beyonce Knowles on “The Pink Panther” and Playing the Straight Woman: “Originally I worked with the director years ago for a Disney sitcom and it was my first acting gig and I hope no one ever finds it,” said Knowles before adding, “ ’Jett Jackson.’ Oh, why did I say that? And he remembered working with me and I remember he said, ‘You’re going to be an actor one day. I’m going to remember you.’
He called and told me about Xania and said she was an international superstar/singer. And first I thought, you know, I don’t want to play another part like that because I don’t have time to do the research. Then he told me Kevin Kline and Steve Martin were going to be part of it and I got into it. I told myself I’ll always work with the best people who I can learn from. And it only took me three weeks to film this movie. I did two weeks in New York and one week in Paris and I had a great time. It didn’t feel like work. I laughed the whole time on the set and I’m happy I’m in it.”
Beyonce Knowles on What She Picked Up from Working on “The Pink Panther:” “The biggest thing is probably watching Steve Martin because he is so professional and so serious, and he’s been doing it for a long time. You can just see that in his mannerisms. In between takes, he goes from being this wacky, unbelievable character to becoming Steve Martin and working with the director and changing things and writing the script. I’m a songwriter and performer so I respect that. Hopefully one day I’ll do that.”
Beyonce Knowles on Her Character’s Style: “It was great doing the film because I just had to not laugh. All I had to do was not laugh and wear great clothes. And the clothes were… The sketches before we did the film, I was so excited and they came to life. Xania walked down the street and had a fierce hat and a Hermes bag, you know that was fabulous. The clothes were one of the best things about [the movie].”
Knowles loved the clothes but hasn't yet developed the habit of asking to keep her wardrobe. “Every time I’m still so excited to get a movie I don’t ask for my clothes. But I have to do that!”
Most of Beyonce’s Fans Probably Aren’t Familiar with the Old “Pink Panther” Movies: “I think it’s amazing. I know my generation, even the original ‘Pink Panther’ movies, I’ve never seen. There’s something so legendary about that song and that image of the Pink Panther and we don’t know where it came from. And so for me to be the person that represents that in 2006 is amazing. For me to be the person that represents Deena [in “Dreamgirls”] is amazing. For me to be the person that represents Foxy Brown or Cleopatra Jones…I just don’t even know what to say to that.”
Beyonce Knowles on Balancing Acting, Singing, and Other Projects: “It’s hard. I just have to be really passionate about whatever I do. And I’ve made it work… I’m slowing down a lot. Like this movie ‘Dreamgirls,’ I told everybody, which is really hard, that I’m not doing anything for six months. ‘Don’t ask me. I’m not performing. I’m not doing it. NO.’ But obviously there’s certain things I have to do.”
Even though she wants to take a break, Knowles remains ambitious. “Absolutely. I think it’s very ambitious even for me to start acting, because I didn’t have to. I don’t have any need to. I just want to challenge myself and learn. I admire people like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross who took that risk and are really good at it.”
Beyonce Knowles on Taking Chances: Knowles has accomplished so much and has done so by not always playing it safe. Knowles says her most adventurous act thus far has been to go solo. “Probably going solo because it’s hard to leave a group when you love each other and there’s nothing going wrong [she gets emotional saying this]. It’s easy when you hate each other and can’t stand to be in the same room. But when you still share a dressing room, still share a tour bus, still love each other and still take that risk…you don’t have to because you’re still selling records. It’s not like people didn’t want to buy records anymore so we had no choice. We’re still successful, and I took that risk and it was very scary.”
