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How’d you like
making the film?
Alfre Woodard: I had great
fun. It’s the kind of movie where you
feel kind of funny cause you start
smiling at the screen every time the
movie starts.
You’ve been in this industry for a
long time. How do you think things have
changed for African Americans in
Hollywood?
Alfre Woodard: I think it’s
no different. I started 30 years ago. I
think you see more people of color kind
of filling in the filler…black people,
Latino people. You just start to see
little dots of Asian people. The truth
is…hmm…whatever people imagine sells,
that’s what they’re going to put in the
pictures. And this industry doesn’t
believe that black woman sell at all. So
that’s why it’s an uphill battle. They
even don’t think…they think white women
of a certain look sell. So they even put
those in different categories. It’s so
far behind. What is the truth? If you
have a wreck in the middle of Iowa some
skin head might come driving up in the
EMS, busting open the door, he lifts you
up in the truck. A little Vietnamese
woman might give you oxygen and take you
through all this …a black guy in the
front just speeding away to get you to
the hospital. They’ll haul you out and a
65 year old white woman may say ok honey
just calm down. You go in black women
preps you and help the doctor get ready.
The doctors an Indian woman. And all
these people are doing this. And people
know that. It happens all over the
country. But that same scenario, if it
were on TV or a movie, they would have
to say Black Man with Dreadlocks checks
her into the hospital. Even when you do
that you would have to say something
that they think a black man with
dreadlocks would say to warrant being in
the scene. So I always feel like, the
people that you see all the time…if you
lock them at the bottom of the ocean,
they’re going to find a way to bring
their gifts. So it’s not even about
them. When people of color can be as
mediocre as Caucasian people and still
keep getting hired then that’s progress.
What attracted you to do this film?
Alfre Woodard: I always
follow the script and I think that they
did a great job. I love the fact that I
recognize the young people in it. She
writes that well. I believe those young
people. And I know about Pierre Dulaine’
success with the schools here. Cause my
mother-in-law volunteers with the
schools here in east Harlem. All of
that, plus they said Antonio was in it
so…and I met Liz. She’s young but she
has this sought of balance and maturity
about her. She’s very smart and calm. I
don’t like to be around frantic people.
I’m like a snob in that kind of way. I’m
like no frantic people. Only balanced
calm people. Only good scripts. But I
feel like, you know, I may not make a
lot of money but I have had a lovely
time and I haven’t had to work around
anybody who I wouldn’t have to have
dinner with my children. So it’s good.
How has your life changed since
getting on Desperate Housewives?
Alfre Woodard: It hasn’t
changed at all. I’ve been in the
business 30 years and I’m considered a
working actor. I’m known but I’m not a
celebrity.
You’re certainly a household name?
Alfre Woodard: Yeah, to
people who have been living under a
rock…lol. But if I wanted it to change
it could. But those actors are
going…oh…too much notoriety. We all
know, actors know how to shine in a room
and public space. And you know how to
disappear. I’m too busy to shine in a
public space. I’m living a real life,
raising kids. I do a lot of social
activism: www.ansaafrica.org. It’s
something that I co-founded several
years ago. We’re doing a whole lot of
work in HIV in Southern Africa and The
States. Voter education, voter
registration, voter fraud and all that
kind of stuff. The thing is you just go
to work and it’s like a television
show…you’re doing whatever it is on the
script. So Desperate Housewives kind of
hoopla actually only exists in the press
and events. Like if we go somewhere all
together, it’s like this heightened
thing. It’s a great gig. A lovely job
and I enjoy the women. But it’s just
that.
You’ve done so many great films. Do
you look back on one of them and say I
love that so much and that particular
role?
Alfre Woodard: I learned a
lot from my director Martin Ritt for
Cross creek years ago. They do make
movies like Marty and those guys used to
make. Movies are made in a different
way. There used to be a mogul where you
can go appeal to his sense of vanity.
And movies cost, maybe $30 Million
dollars was an expensive movie. You knew
you were going to have characters and a
story. If you spend more than $30
Million dollars on a movie it ain’t
gonna be about nothing unless you had to
rent the Washington Monument. All those
things now are just events. They are not
films. They are not movies. I won’t talk
about the people in them. I’ll just
leave that there. But I like what movies
used to be before the corporation took
over. The great thing about being an
actor is that you’re constantly growing.
And you’ve got to learn about everything
around what you’re doing. And the people
and your character your doing. I’ve
never done anything that I’ve regretted
doing. I’ve never done anything that I
wouldn’t let my children see. I had a
great time doing Crooklyn too. I follow
the material. And then I want to know
the director. And then I want to know
the atmosphere that I will be working
in.
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