The beautiful and talented actress Sanaa Lathan is on the cover of “Jewel” magazine with the accompanying headline, “Conquering Hollywood on Her Own Terms.”
Scan: Urban-Hoopla/Jewel
Check out a quick excerpt from the interview Sanaa had with Jewel’s Miki Turner:
In an era when it’s hard for women of color to even get a foot in the door, Lathan has seen a steady flow of opportunities come her way. Maybe that’s because she’s that rare actress who is both beautiful and talented. Or perhaps it’s because she doesn’t cower when she hears Hollywood’s favorite N-word: No. “There are scripts out there with Black women in lead roles,” she says emphatically. “It’s just that the people in power who are making decisions aren’t interested in our stories. That’s why you focus on the positive and know that there’s always an exception. If they’re not interested in telling my stories, then I’ll get them told somewhere else.” Lathan might just have that kind of power. Studio heads will tell you that Black films don’t do well overseas, which is one of the reasons why they’re hesitant to make more than a handful per decade. They obviously haven’t been to Japan. Lathan claims that she was once mobbed at a hotel by Japanese tourists calling her “Brown Sugar.” So what’s the problem? “It’s a double-edged sword,” Lathan says. “The studios decide who opens movies. They only give a person one chance, and if the movie doesn’t do well, they make that the rule. That’s bull.” [JEWEL]
For those interested and curious, shop Sanaa’s cover look over at Meghan Online Store. Speaking of which… Melanie Brown wore a Meghan “Shirley” dress and Christian Louboutin pumps to the 2008 VMA’s while Sanaa wore the cap-sleeve verison of this dress with strappy Giuseppe Zanotti shoes for her “Jewel” magazine photo session.
Photos: CELEBUTOPIA/JEWEL
Which look is better?
