Day: December 2, 2012

Khalil Kain Takes the Stage Takes the Stage

k_1_article-small_20355Juice, where he and Tupac played teenagers caught up in a tragic web of violence. The New York native later portrayed heartthrob Darnell Wilkes on the hit UPN sitcom, Girlfriends. But Kain is pretty much over the typical “nice guy” roles L.A. has offered him. Next up: his new role as Scag in a remake of the classic 1970s Negro Ensemble Company play, The Great MacDaddy. Kain chats with EBONY.com as he explains the importance of Black actors finding dynamic work and the lack of “culture” in young African-American life. EBONY: Congratulations on your new role in The GreatMacDaddy.

Khalil Kain: Thanks so much. I actually love doing live theater. Part of the reason why I moved back to New York is so I can be on stage more often. When talking about the difference from doing a play from a movie or TV show, we’re talking about three separate disciplines. I think theater is the base, the root. If you don’t have that, then you’re not going to be as strong as you could be.

EBONY: Do you find theater a little more challenging?

KK: It depends on the play. Honestly, that’s a part of why I chose to do that, because I needed to be challenged. The things that are required of me as an actor out in L.A., for big film and television, is pretty limited in scope. A lot of the things I was being asked to do were simple. Imagine being asked: “So how did you prepare for the role of Darnell on Girlfriends?” Like, really?

EBONY: But Darnell was a very dynamic character in his own way. Especially toward the end, when Darnell and Maya were breaking up, because it showed a completely different aspect of African-American men that we didn’t see a lot of: vulnerability.

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Spike Lee & Rik Cordero Team Up For 6-Episode Basketball Doc ‘The World Is Watching’

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It’s a new online basketball docu-series titled The World Is Watching, narrated by Spike Lee, and directed by Rik Cordero. In short, the series features prominent teenage athletes competing in a New York City Basketball tournament calledBattle of the Boroughs. It features the best up and coming basketball players in New York City including rising starMaurice Harkless, currently playing for the Orlando Magic. As the players push their bodies to the limit, they must also live up to the expectations of their coaches, their families AND their boroughs. The series is 2 episodes in thus far, although we just found out about it.

Episodes 1 & 2 are embedded below:

Walking Dead’ Showrunner Teases Mid-Season Finale Episode + Promo (SPOILERS AHEAD!!)

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One thing we can be sure we’ll see in tomorrow’s mid-season finale of The Walking Dead is the intro to Chad Coleman as Tyreese in AMC’s hit zombie series… just in time as Rick preps for a showdown with the Governor. But what else can fans expect in tomorrow night’s episode? As the title of this post says SPOILERS AHEAD, so if you prefer to be surprised, you probably should stop reading now.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, posted yesterday, showrunner Glen Mazzara revealed some scoop on Sunday’s mid-season finale.

Of note are the following:

– When asked whether Rick and The Governor will finally meet, Mazzara said “Not yet.“- In response to whether Andrea and Michonne would reunite, Mazzara said “I would hope so.”

– And with Michonne returning to Woodbury, and The Governor thinking she’s dead (Merle lied, telling him Michonne was dead), what might that mean for all 3 – Michonne, Merle and The Governor? Mazzara replied that there will definitely be a showdown between Michonne and The Governor; he doesn’t say what the outcome of that face-to-face will be though. He added that Rick, Daryl, Michonne and Oscar will attack from the gates of Woodbury, which I think we saw in the promo. He doesn’t comment on what this might do to the relationship between Merle and The Governor, when the Governor realizes the Merle lied to him.

– As for whether Andrea will now see The Governor’s true colors, Mazzara said, “The veil is lifted!” – And maybe the most crucial revelation he made in the interview was when he was asked whether members of Rick’s contingent, or The Governor’s will die, Mazzara replied, “It’s the midseason finale, there have to be some deaths!” Further, he stated, “Definitely. The question is: By whose hands?” READ MORE…

Ryan Leslie Ordered to Pay Man Who Found His Laptop $1 Million

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Ryan Leslie may be regretting the $1 million bounty he put on his stolen laptop, which was taken from a black Mercedes. Armin Augstein, who allegedly found the laptop while walking his dog and turned it over to police, filed suit against Leslie in Manhattan federal court, claiming the “Diamond Girl” hitmaker ignored his repeated emails about recovering the stolen item. Now a judge has ruled for Augstein, ordering Leslie to pay out the $1 million reward. “”Ain’t no way to get around ups & downs.” Jury of my peers rules for the plaintiff,” Leslie wrote on Twitter following the verdict. Leslie, who was touring Germany in October (2010) when his MacBook was stolen, initially offered $20,000 for the return of the device. He later raised the reward to $1 million, writing on Twitter: “For the record, I had so many amazing music & visual projects on that MacBook that I was working on to share with u this winter.” Additionally, he released a message of plea via Facebook and Youtube stating: “I lost my computer out here in Germany. I actually had my whole new album on there, which I had been working on in secret, and it got stolen. So right now I got a million-dollar reward for anybody that can return my intellectual property to me.” According to the New York Post, the jury thought a $1 million pay out was too high, but in the end, agreed, after Augstein and his lawyers refused to settle. “No one forced him to make an offer of so much money for a finder’s fee,” Augstein told the Post. “It seems like he believes that that which he promised, he doesn’t have to live up to.” $20K to a million is a big jump! We’re guessing Ryan is pretty upset, but it makes for a great song.
Read more: http://singersroom.com/content/2012-11-30/Ryan-Leslie-Ordered-to-Pay-Man-Who-Found-His-Laptop-1-Million/#.ULq9aZPjlbs#ixzz2DrFmw8uK