There’s nothing common about Common, but you probably knew that already. The platinum performer’s earned multiple Grammys, Image Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and more. But we’re not here to talk about his outstanding career in the music industry, this time it’s all about Common, the actor.
He first transitioned to the big screen with Smokin’ Aces in 2007, followed by Street Kings and now Wanted (the festival’s opening night film). With high profile projects like Terminator 4 on the horizon, it is no wonder the Los Angeles Film Festival chose Common as their Artist in Residence for 2008. We sat down with Common for an exclusive chat about this prestigious honor, Wanted, Terminator 4 and more.
Hollywood.com: Congratulations! How did you find out you were being honored as the Artist In Residence at the LA Film Festival?
Common: My publicist told me that the film festival was considering having me do that and I said I thought it was an honor and that I definitely wanted to do it…I’m really enthused to be regarded and seen and known as an actor too.
HW: What are the duties of an Artist in Residence?
Common: Tonight I have a talk. I’ve let them know two of my favorite movies and tonight I get to talk about them and discuss why I love them and why I think they’re great and talk about different details about them. We’re also going to discuss my acting career which is new. It’s evolving.
HW: What are your two favorite films?
Common: Well, I have to say that these two are in my top five. Pulp Fiction and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I love both of those movies. Quentin Tarantino is one of my favorite directors. I love his work. Then Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, to tell a love story like that is just beautiful. It’s really asking if you would wipe out the memories of a loved one that you had before, and if you think about that, if you did that you wouldn’t be who you are.
Photo: Common (Daily Celeb)
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HW: Those two directors, Tarantino and Michel Gondry, operate on a whole other plane. Are you interested in doing movies like that?
Common: I would love to do something like that. Both of those movies were groundbreaking and innovative. Both of them got, though they weren’t probably the blockbuster movie of that year they still both got recognized by the Oscars. So these are movies that were done with progressive qualities and creative qualities, but still got recognized by the masses and by those that give out honors and awards for movies.
HW: You get to play an assassin called the Gunsmith in your new movie Wanted. Was he included in the graphic novel?
Common: The Gunsmith wasn’t in the comic book. In the script he was written as one of the fraternity members that was there to support and really help train Wesley (James McAvoy). From that I created a back story and created a story of who The Gunsmith was and where he came from and he ended up being this really like spiritual warrior in a way. He was very calm, but still a force. He was obviously a master of weaponry, taking guns apart and putting them back together and creating these new weapons using guns and artillery. So he was a master of that, but was also a Buddha like person, a Buddha type character that was calm and serene and when it was time for war then he’d be there to fight. He can handle his business. You know the people that are really focused and they’ll only kill you when they need to, Samurai’s.
Photo: James McAvoy, Common and Angelina Jolie (Universal)
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HW: I love these action movies with solid storylines. Is that why you were drawn to it?
Common: I’m like you. I like action movies with a story. I used to like Die Hard and I guess that Pulp Fiction is an action movie in it’s own way, a dark action/comedy or whatever, but Pulp Fiction had a pizzazz to it and a twist. It had new stuff. It was all brand new. So, action movies have to have something, a good story or something new about them for me to enjoy them.
HW: As a rapper making the transition to acting, did Morgan Freeman embrace you?
Common: Morgan. Yeah, man. He didn’t speak to me the whole film. I’m just kidding [laughs]. Morgan was so cool. He came over. First of all, his energy was right on the film. He was singing songs and dancing around and having fun and we’re all in admiration of him. It’s Morgan Freeman. But I got chills when he came around to me and gave me some advice, just whispered some things in my ear when I was doing the scene and it made me feel like he really cared.
Photo: Common (Universal)
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HW: How did Wanted compare with making Smokin’ Aces?
Common: I’ll put it this way, with Smokin’ Aces I got baby stepped into the film. In this one I got thrown in there and I had to just swim. “Yo, swim.” The first day I got there it was like, “I’m filming.” I was in Prague and I walk on the set and Angelina [Jolie] is there. Morgan is there. James McAvoy. I’m nervous. People are talking in all kinds of accents I don’t understand whether it was Timur [Bekmambetov] or James McAvoy or the assistant director who was speaking English in French accent. I really didn’t understand. I was like, “Ah, man. This is a new world for me.” So everything was new and I had to really get my ground. That first day I was definitely nervous. I was like, “Ah, shit. This is crazy.”
HW: Now that you’ve played an assassin, are you ready to take on the Green Lantern?
Common: First of all, I have to say that I don’t know if they are doing the JLA, the Justice League movie, but if they do I would love to do Green Lantern. What appeals to me about that character is that coming from a black life, to be sighted as a superhero is a beautiful thing. Black children, white children, Asian children, Latino children really didn’t see too many superheroes beyond white superheroes and I that’s something that I think in itself is a powerful statement, having a multi-cultural superhero. Being a black person playing a superhero is great and then beyond any of that, Green Lantern is a powerful cat. He creates things with his mind. He has a ring that allows him to create things with his mind. That’s a powerful statement to a lot of people. Just think of all the things that we can create with our minds. Some lady asked me earlier what my ring was that allows me to create things with my mind and I said that God is. So if we find our ring we can create whatever we need to out of our minds.
Photo: Common and Jeremy Piven star in Smokin’ Aces (Universal)
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HW: So you would be willing to don the costume?
Common: Yeah. It’d definitely be a costume in there, all of that, because they have to get these superheroes to look like they’re in the right form. Justice League would definitely be a film that would involved different superheroes and not just Green Lantern and so everyone would definitely have to be in costume because I can’t walk around like this and be the Green Lantern.
HW: You have another action movie coming up, Terminator 4. Who do you play?
Common: I play Barnes who’s part of the resistance. I’m a freedom fighter alongside John Connor. I’m just about to start filming soon. I’ve been out there for a second and then I came back and I’m about to film some more.
HW: Have you read the internet spoilers about the movie’s ending?
Common: I haven’t read the spoilers. I actually don’t know the ending of the movie, to be honest with you. It’s like they’ve been keeping everything really hushed up and closed.
Photo: Common (Daily Celeb) [PAGEBREAK]
HW: Your new album is coming out in August. What can you tell us about it?
Common: Invincible Summer is the name of it and it’s produced by The Neptunes and Mr. DJ. Mr. DJ worked with Outkast on Bombs over Baghdad and he also did Ms. Jackson. This album is like really new for Common. It’s really a fresh sound. I was overseas, internationally going out to clubs after shows and having to appear at after parties and I really got to see people enjoy themselves on a global perspective and I thought, “Man, I want my music to have people dancing and shaking their booties like this.” So I really created some music organically with me and The Neptunes and Mr. DJ that really is feel good music and fun music. Common is known for thoughtful lyrics and that’s who I am as a person too, but I can also make some fun, feel good stuff and I think that’s what this album is.
HW: Are you going to tour with that?
Common: Yeah. I think I’m going to tour with NERD. I love them. They’re new album is out now and they’re great…I think it’d be international. I think it’d be late September.
Wanted opens nationwide on June 27, 2008
Photo: Common (Daily Celeb)
