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Have you
seen a teen flick lately? Well, you've got to
check out Save
The Last Dance. See
what the cast members have to say about the movie!
An Open Dialogue with the Cast of Save the
Last Dance
By Feona Sharhran
Huff
February 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick --
It was a box
office success in its first weeks in theatres,
and quickly became a teen favorite everywhere.
And why not? When you put together popular actors,
great music, and true-to-life high school concerns,
you've got yourself great study-break cinema.
Save The Last Dance, starring
Julia Stiles and Sean Patrick Thomas, is a musical
drama centered around Sara (Julia), a white girl
from a small town in Chicago, who gives up her
dream of ballet when her mother is killed in a
car accident, and Derek (Sean) a popular and smart
Black guy who lives in an urban neighborhood in
Chicago. Their worlds collide when Sara has to
move in with her father and attend Derek's predominately
black high school. When they first meet in class,
Derek tries to provoke a debate and test Sara's
intelligence. She thinks he's a "Mr. Smarty
Pants."
Through the friendship that
develops between Derek's sister, Chenille (Kerry
Washington), and Sara, Derek becomes quite fond
of her. He likes her so much that he introduces
her to the world of hip-hop, and helps her regain
her zest for ballet. But, Derek's ex-girlfriend,
Nikki (Bianca Lawson) and childhood friend Malakai
(Fredro Starr) have major problems with the interracial
relationship. Sara and Derek stand firm on their
feelings for each other, however, and triumph
in the end. (See the flick to find out how!)
Read on as the cast members
of Save The Last Dance discuss behind-the-scenes
movie stuff, what the characters and story offer,
and where their careers are headed.
The Making of the Movie...
Ever wonder if the
actors in your fave films really like each other?
In the case of the cast for Save The Last Dance,
they got along great. That's because they made
it a point to bond with each other. "We went out
together in Chicago," says Kerry. "We also partied
a lot!"
And what about the advanced
dance moves? Although Julia had taken hip-hop
and ballet classes prior to making the movie,
she admits that she needed more rehearsals to
perfect her dance routines. As for Sean, he fell
over with laughter as he talked about his experience
of learning how to dance for the movie. "It was
a matter of chilling out," he explains. "Before
this, I didn't dance at all, not even socially."
About Their Characters...
Julia says she was able to understand her character's
plight as the only white girl in an inner city
school, and appreciate the fact that Sara tried
so hard to fit in. "I was the only white girl
in my own junior high school," says Julia. "They
called me 'blondie.' I felt like a fish out of
water."
Sean says he was thrilled
with his character. "As a young black actor, you
don't get to flex your intellect in most roles.
What was great about this role was its smartness
and sensitivity. As Derek, I'm the All-American
boy at this inner city school. I want to go to
medical school, but I have loyalties and friendships
from the old neighborhood," explains Sean. "My
character is trying to hear everybody. He's able
to acknowledge both sides in an adult manner.
I like that he tries to do that."
Kerry echoes her pleasurable
experience as Chenille. "I was really drawn to
Chenille's commitment to honesty," says Kerry.
"Chenille is courageous and isn't afraid to voice
her opinions."
Fredro Starr is known for
playing the 'bad boy' in movie roles he's had
in the past (remember him as Rodney J. Templeton
in Light It Up?). His role as Malakai is
no different. And, rather than make his character
in this movie a good guy, he wanted to stick to
what his fans appreciate about his tough guy acting.
"Playing Malakai was not stressful for me," says
Fredro. "We said 'Let's keep it real.' Malakai
has to keep his respect, which meant he had to
be a force to be reckoned with."
What Will the Audience
Gain?
All of the cast members believe the movie is brilliant
and opens the door for a lot of communication.
Kerry is all for teens talking about their feelings.
"I hope the film will help you to talk about the
issues that were addressed like interracial dating
and true friendship," she says.
What's Next?
Now that their work with Save The Last Dance
is done and the movie is in theatres all over,
Julia, Sean, Kerry, and Fredro are concentrating
on other endeavors.
* Julia just completed her
first semester at Columbia University, New York,
NY. Although she hasn't yet chosen a major, she
is very interested in studying Spanish.
* These days, you'll be able
to catch Sean in the CBS series "The District."
And, as far as films, he has a role in the flick,
Dracula 2000.
* Kerry is currently co-writing
a script and has plans to open up her own theatre
company called The Post Colonial Theatre Company.
She has a recurring role on "100 Centre
Street."
* Check the airwaves for
Fredro Starr. That's because this hip-hop artistand
founding member of Onyx, is promoting his first
solo album, Firestarr (Koch Records). He's
also working on the development of a dramedy called
Young, Rich & Famous.
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