Posted by | Ray Cornelius
Soul Food…the movie…the music…the food…left an indelible mark in our minds. Who could forget those memorable characters that could have so easily been one of our family members? All of us could relate to the family struggles, the sibling rivalries, the obsure elderly member living in the house and of course gathering around the dinner table on Sunday’s for a home cooked meal. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water!
Essence.com recently caught up with two of the movie’s lead actresses Nia Long who played the spunky baby sister “Bird” and Vivica A. Fox who played the no-nonsense middle sister “Maxine.” The two actresses recall their favorite scenes and where their characters would be today and the secret behind all that great looking food. Check it out…
Long on filming the seductive sex scenes with Mekhi Phifer…
Filming that scene was awkward as awkward can be — having sex on the bathroom sink. It was awkward but it was fun. The greatest thing about being an artist and being an actor is you can make any moment real by committing to it. And when you commit to what you have to do the scene more naturally comes out of it. You hope to have a great scene…
Fox on her most memorable movie scene…
The one scene when me and Brandon Hammond were walking — everyone loves that scene when I said, “I carried you for 9 months, 23 days, 4 hours and 19 minutes” — that scene was the coldest day in Chicago ever. I think it was six degrees with the wind. They would yell cut and we would literally run to the van and drink hot chocolate and warm up and do another take.
Long on the secret behind the ‘soul food’ in Soul Food…
…Every scene around the dinner table took hours and hours because you have to cover every actor. You could eat [the food] if you want. But after sitting there for three hours, you’re kind of full just by looking at it. It was good, I’ll tell you that. They had a special caterer come in and prepare all the soul food so it was authentic…
On where ‘Bird’ and ‘Maxine’ would be today…
Long: I don’t know. I think they may still be together. I think she’s got her salon. Maybe he’s got a good decent job and they’ve probably got some kids by now. Life is probably good. That’s my wish for them. I know that those characters are in our community. There are many Birds and Lems out there. My wish is for the family to always stay together.
Fox: Maxine would still be nosey. Probably trying to tell her son how to run his house, trying to make sure [he has] children and that he marries the right kind of wife. She would probably be the sassy auntie Maxine — all up in everybody’s business. Probably getting on people’s nerves, but making them laugh. She would be making sure people get together for dinner.
Click here to read the full interview
What’s your favorite scene from the movie, Soul Food?
