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Djimon Hounsou
in New Movie
Push
Interview
by Kam Williams
During an
interview with
me last year,
Djimon Hounsou
prematurely
broke the news
that he planned
to pop the
question to his
girlfriend,
Kimora Lee
Simmons. The
casual comment
might have
landed the
Benin-born actor
in a little hot
water because
the
model-turned-fashion
magnate wasn’t
yet divorced
from hip-hop
mogul Russell
Simmons. That
might explain
why Djimon
remained
button-lipped
about the rumor
currently
circulating in
the tabloids
that Kimora is
now expecting
their first
child.
Despite my
polite prodding
about the
pregnancy, the
two-time
Oscar-nominated
actor (for
Blood Diamond
and
In
America)
with the help of
his publicists
directed the
focus of this
tete-a-tete back
to his new
movie, Push.
The riveting
flick is
a harrowing
mindbender which
successfully
blends elements
of
X-Men, The
Matrix and
Memento while
adding some of
its own unique
sci-fi flava.
Set in Hong
Kong, it
revolves around
a group of
psychic American
expatriates on
the run from a
U.S. government
agency seeking
to harness their
superpowers for
its own
nefarious
purposes. The
film co-stars
Dakota Fanning,
Camilla Belle
and Chris
Evans.
FYI, besides
making movies,
Djimon is famous
for parading his
hot chocolate
bod in
tightie-whities
as the pitchman
for Calvin Klein
underwear.
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KW:
Hey Djimon,
thanks again for
the time.
DH:
My pleasure,
man. How is your
son doing?
KW:
Very well.
Thanks for
asking. He’s a
sophomore at
Princeton.
DH:
That’s cool. I
remember the
first time we
talked he was
still in junior
high school and
he knew so much
about my
country. And not
too many people
know about
Benin.
KW:
Yeah he had done
a project about
it in grammar
school.
DH:
Tell him I said,
“Hi!” and I wish
him well and a
very successful
year, and that I
hope all his
wishes will come
true.
KW:
Well, what about
you? I
understand
congratulations
are in order for
you and Kimora.
DH:
[Hesitates]
Well, er . . .
KW:
Are you free to
talk about it?
DH:
Not really.
KW:
The rumor’s
flying all over
the place. You
gotta give me
something for my
readers.
DH:
[Sings] There’s
a lot of love in
the air!
[Laughs]
KW:
The headline for
my last
interview with
you was: “Djimon
Announces Plans
to Pop the
Question.” I had
no idea that she
wasn’t divorced
yet.
DH:
[Laughs]
KW:
Let me ask you
this. If Kimora
were pregnant,
do the two of
you have any
names picked out
for the baby?
DH:
Shhhhh! Sorry, I
have a group of
nervous
publicists
behind me
shaking their
heads saying
that question’s
a no-no. But
we’ll tackle it
another time.
KW:
Can you tell me
when you’re
going to pop the
question?
DH:
[Hesitates]
Hmmm… sometime
soon. I mean,
it’s been done
already, in a
different
fashion.
KW:
Congrats! Okay,
let’s talk about
Push.
What interested
you in making
this movie? It
reminded me of a
mix of
X-Men,, The
Matrix,
Memento and
a movie you were
in,
The
Island.
DH:
Yes! And also
Constantine. The
premise is
obviously the
one thing that’s
bringing all
those references
you mentioned
together. And it
was probably
that same thing
that attracted
me to the
project, the
signs of an
occult world
that we don’t
seem to grasp or
comprehend at
all.
KW:
How would you
describe your
character, Henry
Carver?
DH:
He’s a
government
operative who
basically hunts
down anyone with
the psychic
ability to see
into or alter
the future, and
then he helps
them weaponize
that trait for
tomorrow’s war.
KW:
You had a
similar sort of
role in
The
Island,
right?
DH:
Yeah, I did some
bad things
working for the
sake of the
government.
KW:
What was it like
working with
Dakota Fanning,
Camilla Belle
and Chris Evans?
DH:
It’s always a
pleasant journey
when you’re
working with an
actor who takes
all the elements
of the
production to
heart. Here,
Chris Evans was
always watching
out to make sure
the story flowed
and that all the
dots were
connected. To
come to a
setting where a
fellow actor is
so dedicated
only enhances
your overall
understanding of
the project and
inspires you to
do your very
best, too.
KW:
Sounds like he’s
a future
director.
DH:
Yeah, I really
think this kid
has all the
ingredients to
be a great
director. So, I
hope he takes a
shot at it.
KW:
Coincidentally,
one of my
readers, Laz
Lyles, wants to
know whether you
have any plans
to direct.
DH:
I’d love to, but
I’m so aware of
everything
involved in
directing that
it discourages
me from
seriously
considering it.
There are so
many elements in
making a movie
which have
nothing to do
with directing.
That would be
too much of a
headache for me.
I don’t think I
have enough
patience for
that. But I like
the idea of
producing
stories that
move me.
KW:
What would you
say was the
biggest obstacle
you have had to
overcome in your
career?
DH:
There’ve been so
many. [Laughs]
Which one was
the biggest? My
coming to
America, moving
here all by
myself, just me,
myself and I,
with no
background in
the language and
having to learn
it on the spot
in order to work
in English.
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KW:
Attorney
Bernadette
Beekman was
wondering how
you improved
your English
after making
Amistad?
DH:
The same way I
was doing even
before
Amistad,
which was by a
combination of
watching
documentaries on
television and
reading books. I
would keep
watching and
reading even
when I couldn’t
understand a
word. With
documentaries,
depending on
what you’re
watching, what
is described is
pretty much what
is happening in
front of you.
That can really
help you grasp
the language on
some level. And
then you go out
and mingle with
crowds to learn
the everyday
language used on
the street,
which is
different.
KW:
Speaking of
mastering
English, I heard
you’re doing
Shakespeare
soon, appearing
in a screen
adaptation of
The Tempest.
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DH: We just
wrapped that.
KW:
How did it go?
DH:
It was quite a
production.
That’s the least
I can tell you.
[Chuckles]
Caliban was an
intriguing
character to
play, and it was
very challenging
going through
four hours of
makeup daily.
But I loved
working with a
cast of such a
high caliber:
Helen Mirren,
Alfred Molina,
Chris Cooper,
and so many
other great
actors.
KW:
It’s usually
impossible to
assemble such an
impressive cast
like that simply
because of
conflicting
schedules. How
did director
Julie Taymor
pull off that
miracle?
DH:
She was smart.
She got
everybody at the
right time.
KW:
The Tasha Smith
question: Are
you ever afraid?
DH:
Yes.
KW:
The Columbus
Short question:
Are you happy?
DH:
Sometimes.
KW:
The bookworm
Troy Johnson
question: What
was the last
book you read?
DH:
Things Fall
Apart.
KW:
By Chinua
Achebe.
DH:
Hey, you got it!
KW:
Yeah, in fact,
my wife’s book
club is reading
both
Things Fall
Apart
and
The Heart
of Darkness
by Joseph Conrad
this month. So,
at the meeting
next week
they’ll be
comparing the
two authors’
characterizations
of Africa.
DH:
Wow! Please let
me know how the
discussion goes.
I really want to
call you and
find out.
KW:
Will do. Is
there a question
no one ever asks
you that you
wish someone
would?
DH:
Yes, but how do
I put this. It
really has to do
with the way how
people view
Africa, when
Africa is
addressed.
Because I think
the generic way
of looking at
Africa is like
it’s just a
bunch of people
in loincloths
running around
chasing gazelles
and stuff.
That’s the
issue, but I
don’t exactly
know how to
phrase that as a
question.
KW:
No, that was
good enough.
Rudy Lewis asks:
Who’s at the top
of your hero
list?
DH:
Nelson Mandela,
although I have
a few other
people in
different
domains.
KW:
The music maven
Heather
Covington
question: What
music are you
listening to
nowadays?
DH:
A combination,
really. Tribal
music . . .
hip-hop… reggae
. . . I’m sort
of cosmopolitan
as far as music
is concerned.
KW:
Djimon, thanks
for a great
interview, as
usual.
DH:
It’s been a
pleasure! Thank
you very much.
Give my best to
your family and
Happy New Year!
KW:
Same to you!
To
see a trailer
for
Push, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsDWFWupyYU
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posted 31
January 2009 |
