“I don’t have a preference, I just want to be part of a good story,” said actress Regina King about what peaks her interest about selecting a particular roles.
And with her latest project, This Christmas – which opens in theatres just in time for the holiday season (Wednesday, Nov. 21), King feels that the movie is exactly that. Her co-stars include heavyweights like Loretta Devine, Delroy Lindo, Idris Elba and teen heartthrob Chris Brown.
The idea of working with veterans like Lindo, Devine and Black Hollywood’s new “it” man Elba influenced King’s decision to be a part of the project. But at the end of the day it was all about the story.
This Christmas visits an estranged family who spend the holidays together for the first time in years as they rediscover each other and the idea of being connected.
“It may be a reminder of how important family is,” King said regarding what audience can expect to take away from the film. “Your family is what you have and you can’t change them. You can change your friends, but you can’t change your sisters”
What struck and pleased King most was the fact that the personalities and situations within This Christmas transcend race, religion, socio-economic lines and all audiences will identify with something or someone in the film.
“This happens to be a black family but there is nothing about this film that is specifically ‘black’,“ King said.
Known for her strong and sassy supporting woman roles, King’s character in This Christmas is the total antithesis of the characters that have become her trademark.
“This is a more submissive role,” King said. “ She has a husband who is not faithful, and who is trying to start a business that is not successful – yet she continues to stay in the relationship.”
While it was expected that she would enjoy working with the veteran actors that appear in the film, King was eager to admit how impressed and pleasantly surprised she was by co-star Brown.
“He took advantage of an opportunity that most people his age would take for granted,” King said about Brown’s participation in the film. “It was also great that he was allowed to prove himself as a real singer.”
King made it obvious that she is pleased with the work of the cast and the minds behind This Christmas and confident that the film will resonate with audiences.
“I guarantee you that you will not be disappointed.”
This Christmas opens in theatres nationwide on Wednesday, November 21. The film is not yet rated with a running time of 118 minutes.
Originally posted on Thursday, November 8th
