Monday, 31 August 2015

2014: Video: Gugu Mbatha-Raw Talks NFL Concussions - @Hollywood

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Talks NFL Concussions

Published on 30 Oct 2014

Gugu Mbatha-Raw Talks NFL at the Britannia Awards.

► http://bit.ly/atHollywoodSub

Video: First look at Gugu's new film with Will Smith as he takes on the NFL in dark first trailer for Concussion

'You're going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week': Will Smith takes on the NFL in dark first trailer for Concussion

By IONA KIRBY FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 21:36, 31 August 2015 | UPDATED: 22:11, 31 August 2015

The first trailer for Concussion was released on Monday, and it’s clear the movie is not about to hold anything back when it comes to showing the dark side of the NFL.

Will Smith stars in the upcoming film, which is based on the true story about the doctor who discovered CTE in football players – and the NFL’s subsequent denial of this.

The 46-year-old plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian born forensic neuropathologist who made the link between football players suffering injuries to the head and early-onset Alzheimer’s or dementia.

First look: The first trailer for Will Smith’s new movie Concussion was released on Monday

But as the new two-minute clip shows, he didn’t have an easy time getting people to take his work seriously – especially with the NFL against him.

‘You’re going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week,’ warns Dr. Cyril Wecht (Albert Brooks).

Alec Baldwin also stars in the movie as Dr. Julian Bailes, and he too is quick to warn Omalu about what he is getting himself into.

Sports drama: The movie, which is based on a true story, won’t hold back in showing the dark side of the NFL

Genius: Will plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian born forensic neuropathologist who discovered CTE in football players

‘The NFL does not want to talk to you. You turned on the lights and gave their biggest bogeyman a name,’ he says.

‘What you think they’re doing to you now, that’s nothing. You have no idea how bad this could get.’

But Omalu is unrelenting, and says: ‘I have to keep going.’

Co-stars: He stars opposite Alec Baldwin and Albert Brooks in the sports drama

Discovery: Omalu realises that he has 'found a disease that no one has ever seen'

Explaining how things have changed for him, he admits: ‘When I was a boy heaven was here, and America was here,’ moving his hand just a little lower.

He goes on: ‘You could be anything, you could do anything. I am the wrong person to have discovered this.

‘I’ve found a disease that no one has ever seen. Repetitive head trauma chokes the brain.’

'You turned on the lights and gave their biggest bogeyman a name': Alec's character Dr. Julian Bailes warns him against what he's doing

Unrelenting: A determined Omalu says that he 'has to keep going', despite the power of the NFL

The trailer is peppered with dramatic moments – we see the NFL give a press conference to deny the claims, before Will’s character grabs a gun and later comes across a car blown up on the highway.

Albert’s character continues to warn him, but knows he is not about to give up.

‘They want you to say you made it all up,’ he reveals. ‘Sometimes in life, you’re asked to leave it alone. But sometimes you can’t.’

Powerful enemy: The doctor is told that he is 'going to war with a corporation that owns a day of the week'

Changing everything: Omalu made the link between football players suffering injuries to the head and early-onset Alzheimer’s or dementia

Dramatic: In brief flashes, we see Will's character grab a gun and come across a car blown up on a highway

An emotional Omalu cries: ‘If they continue to deny my work, men continue to die.’

The trailer ends with him pointing a finger at someone, who is not shown, and urging them to ‘tell the truth’.

The movie, which is directed by Peter Landesman, is based on the 2009 GQ article Game Brain, written by Jeanne Marie Laskas.

'If they continue to deny my work, men continue to die': We see Omalu urging someone to 'tell the truth'

It's all changed: The forensic neuropathologist says he used to see America as just a little below heaven

'They want to say you made it all up': Albert's character Dr. Cyril Wecht knows Omalu will not give up

Omalu diagnosed CTE in former pro footballers including Dave Duerson (played by Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje) and Andre Waters (portrayed by Richard T. Jones).

He first made the link between football players’ head injuries and CTE after performing an autopsy on Pittsburgh Steelers player Mike Webster, who died aged 50 in 2002.

Concussion is due for release on December 25 in the US and January 29 in the UK.

True story: The Peter Landesman-directed film is based on the 2009 GQ article Game Brain, written by Jeanne Marie Laskas

Coming soon: Concussion is due for release on December 25 in the US and January 29 in the UK

Interview: Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Directed ‘Beyond the Lights’ - hollywoodchicago.com

Interview: Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw is Directed ‘Beyond the Lights’

Submitted by PatrickMcD on November 12, 2014 - 12:26pm

CHICAGO – The show business life is ripe for drama, and the new film “Beyond the Lights” explores the difficulties of the the superstar reaches of the music business, through a Beyoncé-type singer. Actress Gugu Mbatha-Raw plays Noni, and the film’s director is Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Love & Basketball”).

Minnie Driver and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in ‘Beyond the Lights’
Photo credit: Relativity Media

Gugu Mbatha-Raw is making a name for herself, with two major releases this year, “Belle” and “Beyond the Lights.” The English actress is probably best remembered as the quirky student friend of Tom Hanks in “Larry Crowne.” Director Gina Prince-Bythewood is back in the spotlight after the well-received “Love & Basketball” in 2000. Since that time, she has directed HBO’s “Disappearing Acts” (2000) and “The Secret Life of Bees” (2008).

HollywoodChicago.com sat down to speak with both women during the 50th Chicago International Film Festival, where “Beyond the Lights” was the highlighted film during the “Black Perspectives” Gala night.

HollywoodChicago.com: Gugu, you’ve been around super famous people, and I’m sure you observed reactions to them. How did you apply that to your interpretation of the Noni’s character, in the sense that she becomes lost in that fame?

Gugu Mbatha-Raw: That’s one of the things that drew me to the project, the idea of fame – and how it impacts you psychologically – when all eyes are on you. You can’t do anything unobserved, which means you have to be ‘on’ all the time. For me, it was piecing together the research, through what we see everyday in the media and the old Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe, whose life was warped by the public’s perception of her persona and star identity. The challenge on this film was to humanize that glamor, and find the real soul beneath it.

HollywoodChicago.com: Gina, what fascinates you about fame? What dark side of it did you want to place on the character of Noni that prevents her from being fully present in her fame?

Gina Prince-Bythewood: I don’t think what happens in the film happens to every artist, I just thought it was interesting for this character. I really wanted to explore what happened to this little girl, whose dream was just to be a singer. She finds her passion in that, and what happens next when that drive becomes about success, and the consequences of it. When she followed that path, and created a hyper-sexuality – which is the circumstance of many artists today – what does that do to your soul, when it’s not your authentic self? And what happens when you can’t turn it off?

HollywoodChicago.com: There is a certain tone and a certain flavor that permeate your films, that seeks to create an overall atmosphere. Does that intentionally become part of the planning when you’re writing a screenplay?

Prince-Bythewood: Absolutely. I think what makes a film work – especially a love story – is to make it just not about the love story, but also about the background story going on. For this film, it is the music world, and what the character of Noni is going through within this world. After that, it’s simply about the research and filling that world with the authenticity. I realized that the audience sees this type of world on a daily basis, and I wanted to bring that world to life in a honest way.

HollywoodChicago.com: Gugu, we see in the film the use of hairstyles and wigs to create the character of Noni. What is your opinion about the psychology of hair for persons of color – such as wigs, weaves or just going natural?

Mbatha-Raw: It was great to work with Kim Kimball in the film, the hair designer, she would talk about stage hair, power hair and the idea that hair was part of Noni’s persona. And ironically, it’s the most artificial thing about her. For me, it represented the artificiality of the world she is in.

That was a very powerful scene that Gina wrote, when Noni takes out her fake hair, because in that is a reclaiming of her natural self. With my hair, it’s just about the joy of playing characters, and exploring the different identities through this ‘dress-up.’ In my real life, I wash my hair, tie it in a bun and head off to yoga. [laughs] I don’t think about it much outside of my work environment.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival, ‘Black Perspectives’ Gala
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Gina, you’ve worked with the mostly middle class and upper middle class African Americans in ‘Love & Basketball’ and ‘Beyond the Lights.’ What challenges in society did you see or experience yourself at that socio-economic level, and overall with persons of color in our current environment?

Prince-Bythewood: I was adopted by white parents, and I grew up middle class. I have another brother who is black, and another sister who is blonde and blue eyed – so my upbringing was very interesting, and really fuels how I see the world. Just seeing the reaction of people around us looking at our family was an experience, but for me it was natural to look around and see people who were different.

The leads in my films are persons of color, but the films themselves are not about race. It’s about putting characters on the screen who are mostly invisible in the media, and telling universal stories about them. I want people of all races to come to my films, and identify with the characters.

HollywoodChicago.com:Gugu, you’ve moved so quickly up the show business ladder in the last ten years. At what point during that time did you have the most significant leap, as far as the attention it gave you and the opportunities that came afterward?

Mbatha-Raw: Since I left drama school, I’ve been working fairly consistently, it’s just been in different media, and they have different levels of profile. I worked initially in Britain for the theater, which doesn’t reach a big audience. I then did British television, and made an American stage debut as Ophelia in ‘Hamlet’ – that was a big leap from the West End to Broadway. And I didn’t have my career set for working in America, that’s just where the stage production ended up.

The more choices you get in this business, hopefully the more opportunity you get for being selective. In the last couple of years, what has been great about being in ‘Belle’ and ‘Beyond the Lights’ was working with female directors of color, telling female-centric stories. The ‘leap,’ to use your term, was about those two films.

HollywoodChicago.com: Gina, after the success of Love & Basketball in 2000, you worked sporadically in television until ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ in 2008. What was behind that eight year layoff from features, and what happened to you professionally after ‘Love & Basketball’ that prevented the next feature from happening right away?

Prince-Bythewood: I did HBO’s ‘Disappearing Acts’ right after ‘Love & Basketball,’ and then I had a child, so I took a year off. And the reality is, I developed a couple of projects, and both of them didn’t get picked up. It wasn’t about me slacking, [laughs] it was about the circumstances of raising kids and finding a passion project.

Gina Prince-Bythewood at the 50th Chicago International Film Festival, ‘Black Perspectives’ Gala
Photo credit: Joe Arce of Starstruck Foto for HollywoodChicago.com

HollywoodChicago.com: Gugu, you were so memorable in ‘Larry Crowne,’ up against some real star power. What do you think Tom Hanks learned from you, especially as you created your key scenes together?

Mbatha-Raw: I have no idea, that’s a question for him. [laughs] How about what I learned from him? He’s such a generous actor, and particularly with that film, it was light and romantic. His comic timing is so precise, and he had co-written the film, directed it and starred in it. With all those hats, he was a consummate professional, and really inspired the set, and it was a joyful place to be. And with his experience, he taught me how to lead a scene, and play a major role. It helped me subsequently to be a lead actress in a film. He also is a nice person on the set, and I want to be like that, otherwise nobody will want to work with you. [laughs]

HollywoodChicago.com:Finally for both of you, since this movie is about a singer, what song best defines you, either in your connection to it or what it says about your life?

Prince-Bythewood: As far as what was playing in the background when I wrote the film, and what becomes a central theme in it, is the song ‘Blackbird’ by Nina Simone. And honestly, you’d think it was written for the film, it’s so perfectly attuned to what we were trying to say. That, and ‘Pretty Hurts,’ by Beyoncé. It also spoke to what the film is about.

Mbatha-Raw: Gina actually introduced me to a song that has become by new mantra in life, and it’s in the film. Because when I was prepping this role, I had to listen to a lot of misogynistic music – and it was part of the research – but in my real life I’m very wary of what I plug into my subconscious mind – I want to be uplifted. So the song I became attached to was ‘I Am Light,’ by India.Arie. It was featured in the film very briefly, and was actually a significant moment for Noni, because she was at home and at ease.

“Beyond the Lights” opens everywhere on November 14th. Featuring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Minnie Driver, Nate Parker and Danny Glover. Written and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Rated “PG-13”

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Writer, Editorial Coordinator
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

Saturday, 29 August 2015

2010 Photos: Tom Hanks in between takes for "Larry Crowne" in LA with British co-star Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Tom Hanks in between takes for "Larry Crowne" in LA with British co-star Gugu Mbatha-Raw.

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

At last night's AAFCA awards, best-actress winner Gugu Mbatha-Raw looked gorgeous in the most kiss-me, romantic sort of way last night 5.2.15

The Exact Lipstick Shade You Should Wear on Valentine's Day (Plus a Flirty Lash Trick)

At last night's AAFCA awards, best-actress winner Gugu Mbatha-Raw looked gorgeous in the most kiss-me, romantic sort of way last night—how's this for Valentine's Day makeup inspiration?

valentines-day-lipstick-color-gugu-mbatha-raw

That sweet strawberry lipstick color is just the right pick for a special date night, I think; as fun and flattering as a good red but infinitely more conducive to kisses (and less intimidating for guys!). Makeup artist Nick Barose used MAC Lipstick in One to Watch, a spring 2015 shade that's not on sale just yet. But I got him to suggest a dupe we can use in the meantime—MAC Pro Lipstick in Fusion Pink. He also threw in this extra tip for y'all: "For some extra flirt that's perfect for Valentine's Day, add feathery lashes that are longer on outer corners." On Mbatha-Raw, he used Eylure Lengthening Lashes #118.

Monday, 24 August 2015

Video: Urbanworld 2014 - Malcolm D. Lee moderates Beyond The Lights panel discussion

Urbanworld 2014 - Malcolm D. Lee moderates Beyond The Lights panel discussion

Published on 19 Sep 2014

Urbanworld 2014 - Malcolm D. Lee moderates Beyond The Lights panel discussion with producers Amar'e Stoudemire, Stephanie Allain, Reggie Rock Bythewood, actors Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and director Gina Prince-Bythewood

Photos: Gugu Mbatha-Raw & Nate Parker Bring 'Beyond The Lights' to New York for Urbanworld Film Festival

Writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood, actors Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw attend BEYOND THE LIGHTS opening The Urbanworld Film Festival at SVA Theater on September 18, 2014 in New York City.

Nate Parker and Gugu Mbatha-Raw attend BEYOND THE LIGHTS opening The Urbanworld Film Festival at SVA Theater on September 18, 2014 in New York City.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw & Nate Parker Bring 'Beyond The Lights' to New York for Urbanworld Film Festival!

Gugu Mbatha-Raw looks stunning while arriving at the premiere of her latest film Beyond The Lights held during the opening of the 2014 Urbanworld Film Festival at SVA Theater on Thursday (September 18) in New York City.

The 30-year-old actress was joined at the event by her co-star Nate Parker, writer and director of the flick Gina Prince-Bythewood, and LaLa Anthony, who came out to show her support.

PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Gugu Mbatha-Raw

In the new film, out in theaters November 14, Gugu plays a talented young musician on the brink of super stardom who struggles with the pressure of her new-found success.

FYI: Gugu is wearing a Jenny Packham dress, Lee Savage clutch, and Jennifer Fisher jewelry.