Author Archives: Sonya's Spotlight
← Older posts Newer posts →KERRY WASHINGTON
June 12, 2012Emmy Hopeful: Kerry Washington – ‘Scandal’ By JARETT WIESELMAN June 11, 2012 In its all-too-short first season, ABC’s Scandal not only emerged as an unpredictably daring drama, but a splendid showcase for star Kerry Washington’s dangerous yet delicate mix of venom and vulnerability. Now, with the 7-episode series hitting DVD, there is no better time to see what all the fuss is about. Especially since Kerry Washington’s name is in the mix for a Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Emmy Nomination. ETOnline caught up with the actress while she was in NYC to find out how she snagged the role, the lessons she learned about working on a TV show steered by creator Shonda Rhimes and — spoiler alert — what she knows about Quinn’s true identity! ETOnline: The Scandal DVD (out 6/12) includes your audition tape. Is that a process you enjoy? Kerry Washington: On a good day, I really enjoy auditioning because it’s an excuse to do what I love for 15 minutes. But it requires me to be at a level of passionate detachment, where I’m not fearful of the result. I think it’s fun to include on a DVD. I mean, it’s crazy and embarrassing for us, but fun for viewers. ETOnline: What was the audition process like for Scandal? Washington: This was a highly coveted role and I wanted this … but I had to beat out a lot of other actresses. Shonda and I had never met before, so I really didn’t know if I got it. I knew that I loved this character and this show was obviously a tremendous opportunity. I just didn’t know how it was going to go until I got the call. ETOnline: What is it about Olivia Pope that you were drawn to? Washington: She is …
Posted in Celebrity Profile | Leave a commentWINNIE
May 25, 2012TDJ ENTERPRISES / TDJ INDEPENDENTS SIGNS ON AS EXECUTIVE PRODCER FOR WINNIE MANDELA BIOPIC “WINNIE” AND “A MILLION COLOURS” TDJ Enterprises / TDJ Independents announced recently that the company has signed on as executive producer to two new films — the highly-anticipated feature “Winnie,” the untold love story of Winnie and Nelson Mandela starring Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson and Academy Award nominee Terrence Howard, and”A Million Colours,” the opening film at the 2012 Hollywood Black Film Festival. Following the success of “Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day” — a TDJ Independents feature that topped its opening weekend’s box office for indies and outpaced all releases that same period on per-screen average — TDJ Enterprises is now leveraging the growing power of the company’s brand to create a global platform for projects that might not otherwise reach a broad audience. “Stories like ‘Winnie’ and ‘A Million Colours’ are important historically and socially. Collaborations like this offer us a unique ability to provide the global community a window into African culture through the creation of quality content,” said T.D. Jakes. “TDJ Enterprises is excited to work with creative professionals like producer André Pieterse and others to bridge the cultural divide and fuel a freedom of expression that produces dynamic films.” With production recently completed on both films, TDJ Enterprises will serve in an executive producer capacity helping to develop domestic marketing and distribution channels for both films. This opportunity provides TDJ Enterprises with content for both its mainstream division, which boasts box-office successes like last summer’s runaway hit “Jumping the Broom,” and the upcoming “Sparkle” through the company’s first-look deal with Sony. The deal will also provide content for TDJ Independents, the company’s outlet for indie films. Says producer André Pieterse, a thirty-five year veteran of the film industry: …
Posted in Movie News | 1 CommentKENTUCKY DERBY 2012 – HATS, SOIREES, HORSE RACES & MORE!
May 4, 201211:30 pm – 5/6/2012 What a whirlwind of a weekend it was for me in Louisville, but the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby is HISTORY! My day was so full yesterday (Derby Day) that I didn’t get a chance to blog about my experiences, but it was all good – the weather, the races, the socializing, the hats. I discovered some years ago (with my girlfriends) that the best way to get to the Derby is not by car. It’s easier to catch one of the special, Derby passenger buses that takes you right to the entrance of Churchill Downs. The cost was $20 to get a roundtrip bus ticket to the track from a downtown hotel. I arrived at Churchill Downs mid afternoon to the largest crowd Churchill Downs had ever seen for a Derby – 165,307! After navigating through the massive crowd a bit, taking pictures and being snapped by photographers everywhere, I decided to head to the Red Carpet area with one of my Derby Diva friends, Penny. We caught up with a few celebs briefly – on their way inside to watch the races – Mary J. Blige, Travis Tritt, Cyndi Lauper, Debra Messing, Cal Ripken, Erin Andrews, along with several other entertainers and athletes. With the temperature feeling like it was close to 100 degrees, chasing down a celeb for a photograph just didn’t seem that appealing to me, so after about 30 minutes of snapping photos, I decided to stand in line for some freshly made lemonade and some kernel popcorn. I had only eaten a light snack before leaving for the Derby (I planned to eat a good meal once I arrived), but the lines at the food vendors were way too long for me. Popcorn and lemonade would have to do. When a guy approached me – telling me that a young lady and …
Posted in Photos | Leave a comment“SINGLE LADIES” RETURNS ON VH1 Memorial Day
May 2, 2012VH1 IS SERVING A SECOND SEASON OF LOVE, SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS THIS MEMORIAL DAY WITH THE RETURN OF HIT SCRIPTED SERIES “SINGLE LADIES” Season 2 Premieres May 28 AT 9PM ET/PT Guest Appearances Include: Big Boi, Chilli, Eve, La La Anthony, Lauren London, Paula Patton, Rick Fox, Romeo, T.I., William Levy, Executive Producer Queen Latifah and Others VH1 and Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit Entertainment are bringing sexy back to summer with the Memorial Day second season premiere of the hit scripted series “Single Ladies.” After averaging 3 million total viewers during premiere plus first encore each Monday night, VH1′s first hour-long scripted series returns with fan favorites LisaRaye McCoy (Keisha) and Charity Shea (April), along with the series debut of actress Denise Vasi (Raquel) as a new co-lead. “Single Ladies” season 2 will premiere May 28 at 9PM ET/PT on VH1. Season 2 of VH1′s “Single Ladies” turns up the heat and brings a whole new dose of sex, love and betrayal for Keisha, April and Raquel. Still reeling from Malcolm’s run-in with the FBI, Keisha (LisaRaye McCoy) is forced to decide just how loyal she is to her flame, especially since the facts aren’t lining up in Malcolm’s favor. With the surprise return of the man who broke her heart, Keisha finds herself reminiscing on the past and wondering if she ended things too quickly. April (Charity Shea) finds herself entering the dating game after being off the market since she was 18 years old. But she is discovering the game isn’t quite what she remembers. Meanwhile, newcomer Raquel (Denise Vasi) has spent her entire life living up to her parents’ expectations. A long-time childhood friend of Keisha’s, Raquel has found herself in the role of the “good girl” for years. With encouragement from Keisha and April, Raquel finds …
Posted in Sports & Inspiration | Leave a commentLL Cool J
April 30, 2012“Unity is one of the prerequisites to success. Keep things real. Get on your knees and pray, be grounded, be centered, and really work towards your goal.” LL Cool J, Rapper/Actor
Posted in Celebrity Success Tips | Leave a commentBeyoncé Knowles – People Magazine Names Beyoncé World’s Most Beautiful Woman of 2012
April 27, 2012“You cannot let people get you down. You have to continuously pray and stay positive – even when everybody else is negative.” Beyoncé Knowles, Performer/Actress
Posted in Celebrity Success Tips | Leave a commentThink Like A Man – Box Office Hit
April 27, 2012One guy loves his girlfriend, but when is he going to grow up and propose? One woman wants a man as successful as she is, but what about the up-and-comer right under her nose? Then there’s the ladies’ man with his sights set on that smart beauty, but will her standards throw him off his game? How about that sweet guy who can’t break free of his mother’s infantilizing affection to recognize the love he has with the cute single mom? Sounds like these people need some words of wisdom, the kind that can only come from bestselling author Steve Harvey. The question is, how should they use that advice? The sharp, funny and truth-telling romantic comedy Think Like A Man is an ingenious adaptation of comedian and nationally syndicated radio host Steve Harvey’s New York Times best-selling book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man. In the film, four interconnected and diverse friends have their love lives shaken up after the women they are pursuing buy Steve Harvey’s book and start taking his advice to heart. When the band of brothers finds out that they have been betrayed by one of their own, they conspire to use the book’s teachings to turn the tables. The romantic comedy stars Michael Ealy (Takers, For Colored Girls), Jerry Ferrara (“Entourage”), Meagan Good (Jumping The Broom, Stomp The Yard), Regina Hall (Scary Movie, Law Abiding Citizen), Kevin Hart (Death At A Funeral, Not Easily Broken), Taraji P. Henson (Hustle & Flow, Karate Kid), Terrence J (BET’s “106 & Park,” Stomp The Yard: Homecoming), Jenifer Lewis, Romany Malco (The 40-Year-Old Virgin, No Ordinary Family), Gary Owen (Little Man, Daddy Day Care), Gabrielle Union (Cadillac Records, Bad Boys II), and Chris Brown (Stomp the Yard, This Christmas). LaLa Anthony (Two Can Play That Game) …
Posted in Cinema | Leave a commentTrumpet Awards 2012
April 25, 2012 Posted in COWBOY CARTER TOUR- ATLANTA - A NIGHT TO REMEMBER, Spotlight | Leave a commentMy Greek Experience
April 25, 2012I’ve always wanted to visit Greece and take a Mediterranean cruise, so when a friend asked me to take a spring trip to Athens, Greece (with a group of avid travelers) to visit some of the most beautiful and revered islands in world, I knew I had to make it a part of my travel experiences. At the time, my Bible class was studying the Book of Revelation. An upsurge of interest was sparked when I saw ancient Ephesus and the Isle of Patmos listed on the itinerary. I especially wanted to see Patmos where St. John the Evangelist had a vision of Christ and wrote the text to the apocalyptic Book of Revelation. I knew that actually visiting the places we were studying about would be more of a spiritual awakening for me . . . so my Greek experience began. Our first stop was in Amsterdam (the Netherlands). Our layover was short, but what I saw of the city (the beautifully colored buildings and the many canals) was enough to make me want to return for a visit someday. A few hours later, we were off to Athens, Greece. Upon arrival in Athens, we were warmly greeted and briefed by our tour guide. After getting refreshed at our hotel, we were off to get a taste of Athens. On day two, we boarded our cruise ship, sailing the Aegean Sea. Our first stop was on the Island of Mykonos, the most visited of the Greek Isles. We hit the ground running, taking in all the beautiful sights and sounds of the rolling sea. I immediately fell in love with the Mykonos; its sugarcube houses with blue/ green shutters, some with balconies that hang over the sea, and its giant white-washed windmills that seemed to beckon me to come …
Posted in Travel | Leave a commentYou Have No Idea
April 25, 2012YOU HAVE NO IDEA – The highly anticipated first book by superstar Vanessa Williams, written with her mother, Helen Williams A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other) By Vanessa Williams and Helen Williams with Irene Zutell “Sometimes, I thought Mom was being unfeeling when she stood over me while I silently begged for her affection. But in her own way, she was holding me tighter than I could really understand—she was teaching me the lesson I needed. I’m still learning. Mom has yet to say, I told you so.” – Vanessa Williams, from YOU HAVE NO IDEA “A lot of parents think it’s important to be their child’s friend. When Vanessa was growing up, I didn’t care if she liked me. She could hate me as far as I was concerned—and sometimes I think she did. I wanted her to understand that I reacted the way I did because I knew she would continue to do things she would eventually regret.” – Helen Williams, from YOU HAVE NO IDEA In YOU HAVE NO IDEA: A Famous Daughter, Her No-Nonsense Mother, and How They Survived Pageants, Hollywood, Love, Loss (and Each Other) (Gotham Books, April 17, 2012) Vanessa Williams and Helen Williams give a mother-daughter take on Vanessa’s personal and professional life journey, including the obstacles they’ve overcome together and the lessons they’ve learned along the way. During Vanessa’s turbulent teenage years, mother and daughter were constantly at odds, but despite their early conflicts, Helen has always ardently protected and supported her daughter, staying in contact with the FBI about the death threats Vanessa received after being crowned the first black Miss America, and being there for Vanessa through the birth of her four children and dissolution of her two marriages. …
Posted in Celebrity Profile | Leave a comment ← Older posts Newer posts →
