Common's 'American Gangster' Rap
By Scott Huver, Hollywood.com Staff
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Friday, November 02, 2007
Common |
Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr., just might have chosen the wrong performing name: after critically acclaimed career as a bestselling hip-hop artist that’s now blossomed into an increasingly impressive sideline as a screen actor, "Extraordinary" might have been a more appropriate tag than "Common."
With a supporting role in the much buzzed-about American Gangster and an anticipated turn in the comic book film Wanted, the artist chatted exclusively with Hollywood.com to show that, despite his success, he’s still all about Common sense.
Hollywood.com: This must've been an amazing experience for you, getting to watch Denzel Washington work and working with Ridley Scott. Can you talk about what kind of a learning experience this was for you?
Common: It was definitely a master class because you're seeing Denzel at work in one of those roles that he can dig into and you're watching Ridley Scott and also Ruby Dee. Ruby Dee is incredible. I was around people who've made history in what they do. They're legends in what they do. I was just observing and listening and watching and taking it all in. It was definitely one of those things that you'll look back on and go "Man, I'm just grateful that I was there."
HW: Was that part of the reason for wanting to take the role? Did you feel the smaller part was totally worth it, just to be able to show up on set every day?
Common: Yeah, that's exactly what it was. It was like, "I know I ain't got a lot of dialogue. My character doesn't have any big turning points in this film." But this is my second movie and to be getting this experience was in itself just a great thing for me. It was worth it because I knew I was going to be able to learn and just have the experience and just to be able to say, for me, that I'm in a movie with Denzel and a movie with Ruby Dee, Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott directing. I knew it was well worth my time even if I didn't have any lines!
HW: You mentioned it being a master class watching Denzel Washington work. As an actor, what did you learn from watching him do his scenes? Common: Focus. He's a very focused individual and very centered and very much a leader and he creates the dynamics of the characters, whatever the dynamics between him and whomever he's relating to. He creates that on the set, too. I just understood his focus and kind of picked up on it.
HW: You had a pretty well received acting debut in Smokin' Aces. Have you figured out how you're going to balance the two sides of your career now that you're all of a sudden this in-demand actor?
Common: I definitely want to pursue it and become a big movie artist. I want you to be able to talk to me about the leading roles that I'm doing and the great films that I'm in and what a great acting job I'm doing. So I'm definitely striving for that and I'm learning and I'm taking the steps that I should and really acknowledging and honoring the skill of acting and the art of acting. I'm finding balance in it all by going out and having fun and pursuing my acting career, but at the same time loving music and getting to perform and using music as a platform also to create economics--until I'm getting paid for real as an actor.
American Gangster Movie Still |
HW: On the flipside, are you now pulling your Smokin' Aces co-star Jeremy Piven into the music business now? Is that going to be his side career?
Common: Yeah, he's definitely in it. When I met him, he was a drummer and so he was already ready for it. I just seen him yesterday and he said, "Look, don't forget I can do hypeman stuff." He was just joking, but he has been my hypeman before. We performed at this club in Vegas one time and he just got on the mike and was adlibbing. So he's ready for it, I must say.
HW: How did you guys bond so tightly? You’ve become really close from working on the film and then spending time together afterward.
Common: I think it was just two mutual artists that really respect each other. I don't know. He's just a good dude, man, a funny dude. He's a fun dude to kick it with. He's still got the spirituality to him and I like that about him. He was very helpful with me as an artist. As an actor he was definitely open and willing to give. Actually, he was talking to Joe [Carnahan] when Joe was considering me. He really felt that I could do a job. He helped in letting Joe know that.
HW: As a member of the audience watching American Gangster, what did you enjoy about this film?
Common: I loved how it showed the dynamics of who we are as people. Like, you had this guy who was a drug dealer, but he's going to church and taking care of his family and giving to the community in certain ways. He's also destroying the community. I mean, that's life. Everybody has good and bad in them. You have this detective who was trying to bring down drug dealers and having his own personal issues at the same time, not being able to be a good husband or father. Those situations exist in real life and I like how the film depicted real life in such an honest way--and captured the '70's in such a fresh way. I mean, it seemed so authentic to me. I can look at that movie and feel like it was filmed in the '70's.
HW: In the film, we see Denzel's character rubbing shoulders with a lot of big named people at that time. Have you encountered people in your life and career that were on the shady side of the law?
Common: Have I encountered those kinds of people? Yeah. I mean, I grew up on the South side of Chicago, so I've been around people that have hustled and done illegal things. I just made choices not to do those things and not judge them either. I still have friends who have been in situations like that and I've definitely come across big time cats that live in that world, the street world who like being around entertainers.
HW: Did you get to spend any time with Russell Crowe? He's a musician, too.
Common: I only met him recently. I didn't know that he did music like that. When I met him though I got to say what's up to him and he was real cool. I was glad to hook up with him.
HW: If you can get Russell onstage, Piven on drums and you on vocals, you've got an all star band right there!
Common: An all-star band. I'm going to have to put that together. I'll put that together and you can manage us.
HW: Another really hot project you have coming up is Wanted, the adaptation of the comic book with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman. How do you fit into that project?
Common: I play a little character named The Gunsmith. The Gunsmith is an assassin that's part of this fraternity. It consists of all these assassins and we kill only if fate decides we should kill. So we're not really like ... the worst people out there. Since it's based on the comic book, I don't know how true to the comic it was, though I did get to see some of the comic book. My character is more of a peaceful dude, but he's training Wesley, who's played by James McAvoy, on how to shoot, how to be focused and having strength. Our fraternity exists: Morgan Freeman's character, Angelina's character, this cat named Marc [Warren] from London, this other Russian character. It's just a cool collection of people that come together and my character is definitely the peaceful Buddha, but the enforcer also.
Angelina Jolie |
HW: It’s interesting how you consider yourself a student as you go into acting. What did you learn from Morgan and Angelina, working with them on Wanted?
Common: Oh, man! From Angelina I learned you can create right there, come up with your own ideas and develop them. If you know your character you can definitely be able to guide that and inform the director on what you think the perspective of it is. Angelina and I would improvise in certain scenes, which was also a lot of fun. With Morgan, I learned more about just being focused and having fun too, man. He was having a lot of fun and just being really light about it all and being creative and trying things in different ways.
HW: Had you always wanted to be in a comic book type movie? Is that your kind of film?
Common: I just want to be a part of great films. So whether it's a comic book or whether it's a drama or comedy, I just want to be a part of great projects.
HW: What about a musical? Would that be something that interests you?
Common: Yeah, that'd be something that I'd do. I would love to do something like that. I'd have to get my singing together, though, because I wouldn't want to be in a rap musical.
Photo(s) by Dave Edwards- © 2007- DailyCeleb.com- All Rights Reserved
Photo(s) by Hollywood.com Staff- © 2007- Universal Studios- All Rights Reserved