Nia Long is way past giving an eff!
The Best Man star is going through some real life drama these days, with her now ex, NBA coach Ime Udoka, getting caught cheating with a co-worker after they were together 13 years. She recently blasted the Boston Celtics for airing her dirty laundry without ever considering what it would do to her. It’s been a mess.
So when she got asked about some Hollywood beefs while promoting her new thriller Missing, we guess we can’t be surprised she did not hold back!
The question in this case was about a longstanding rumor that Nia had turned down a role in the huge hit Charlie’s Angels — something that could have changed the course of her entire career — to play the straight woman to Martin Lawrence in Big Momma’s House, which came out the same year. That, Nia now says, is “the biggest fattest lie.”
Related: Nia Long Reacts To Rumors She’s Dating Omarion After Ime Udoka Split!
No, she didn’t turn down the action franchise. It’s true she was gunning for the role of Alex Munday, which was eventually scored by Lucy Liu. But she says they rejected her, and not the other way around. And the reason she heard about why is pretty rough:
“Charlie’s Angels did not want me because they said I looked too sophisticated and too old next to Drew Barrymore.”
Ouch! Really?! What an odd criticism… For the record, she’s two years younger than Lucy — but four years older than Drew, who was also a producer on the film. Hmm. But who knows how Hollywood execs think, right? In any case, she thinks it all worked out:
“I thought Lucy Liu was great in that role. When I went back and looked at it, I was like, ‘Whoa, she’s really doing some stunts.’ I don’t know if I was quite ready for that. I don’t… you can’t do everything, and every opportunity isn’t for you. And as much as it would’ve been fun to play that character, I think Big Momma’s House was probably more fun for me. And working with Martin Lawrence, another genius comedian who I have so much respect for.”
She added about Martin:
“You know, the turnover [in this industry] is so frequent that we forget about the guys that really just came and allowed Black people to have success in television. Do you know how many people worked because of Martin Lawrence?”
It’s a fair point. And Big Momma’s House was also a big hit that scored a less successful sequel. So fair play. We just wish there had been more for Nia to do in Hollywood altogether. Don’t you??
[Image via Z.Tomaszewski/WENN/Sony/YouTube.]
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