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WE'RE HANGIN' WITH "SAVE THE LAST DANCE's" CHENILLE KERRY WASHINGTON!
Since "Dance" Kerry has starred as a shoplifter in The Lift and you may have caught her on t.v. in "NYPD Blue" or in her recurring role on Sidney Lumet's "100 Center Street". Currently, Kerry is hitting the big time as a co-star with Chris Rock and Anthony Hopkins in a film that is directed by Joel Schummacher and produced by Pearl Harbor's Jerry Bruckheimer. Our entertainment reporter Lynn b. had a lively e-mail exchange with Kerry recently. AGW: Kerry, how did you first get the "acting bug" and was Our Song your first time on camera? Kerry: I think I was born with the acting bug. I was always "dramatic" as a child :). I remember performing entire concert performances alone in my living room to an imagined stadium filled with spectators. Our Song was not my first time on camera but it was my first feature film. AGW: Is your background anything like Lanisha's.(Her character in Our
Song)?The movie is described as a "docudrama". Was any of
it close to your personal experiences? Kerry: I actually share a lot of similarities with Lanisha. I grew up in NYC in The Bronx and spent many afternoons at the local Boys and Girls Club cultivating my singing, acting and dancing skills. It was my version of the Jackie Robinson Steppers. The center helped to provide me with a creative outlet and inspired me to grow in many ways. Like Lanisha, I started to commute to school on the subways when I began attending The Spence School. That change in my educational environment affected my life in many ways. While filming, I thought a lot about where Lanisha was at that point in her life and in many ways, I could relate. Lanisha is a young woman at the brink of change, she is transitioning from childhood to adulthood, she is learning about individuality. She is exploring love, she is trying to make responsible and independent decisions - these were things that I can definitely relate to and although I am much older than Lanisha, when we were shooting the film many of these issues were at the forefront of my personal life. AGW: Has your acting style evolved since Our Song? If so, how is it different? Kerry: Every project that I do allows me to grow as an artist and as a person. I think Our Song helped me to learn that the most important elements to bring to my work are integrity, generosity and truth. AGW: Was the whole experience of making Our Song pleasant? What were some of the highlights and low moments? Same with Save the Last Dance. Kerry: Making Our Song was a dream come true. It was a completely
magical experience. It was also the hottest summer of my life (outside
of a summer that I lived in India) and those wool band uniforms were very
challenging! Save the Last Dance was also an incredible experience. I couldn't believe how different the two projects were. Independent filmmaking and big studio filmmaking are very very different. I don't prefer one over the other, I plan to always do both because there are unique rewards and challenges involved with each. I think the Chenille character in Save the Last Dance was the most "real" and convincing in the film. (Note: We agree). AGW: Tell us how you got under the skin of the Chenille character and made her your own. Kerry: One of the things that really helped me was spending an afternoon
AGW: In Lift, your character is looking for approval and status in life by shoplifting. All she really wants is to please her mother. Many of our teen readers have or will shopliftsomething in their lifetimes. What did doing this role teach you about the perils of shoplifting? Kerry: I have learned to see shoplifting like many other risky, self
destructive behaviors - it is a way that we try to fill an emotional void,
a way of escaping, a way of trying to be something other than who we are.
It can easily be compared to gambling or drug addiction or co-dependence,
it is a way AGW: Are you hoping to play a lighter, more comedic role in future? Kerry: In the film I am doing now I play Chris Rock's girlfriend and, needless to say, I am having a lot of fun. The truth is, I want to keep doing new things especially if they scare me :) I want to do comedy, drama, romance, action, contemporary stories, period pieces, musicals - whatever new adventures I can get my hands on! AGW: Any advice for young girls who would like to be actors? Kerry: Speaking from my own experience so far, I would say: do what makes
you truly fulfilled, listen to your heart and go after the things that
you want. And the most important thing for me to remember is that no one
else is ever responsible for my happiness. I never have to rely on anyone
else's approval to feel good about myself because who I am today is exactly
who God wants me AGW: What's next for you? Kerry: As I mentioned, I am shooting a film with Chris Rock and Anthony
Hopkins that is directed by Joel Schummacher and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
When I am done I will be working again this season on Sidney Lumet's t.v.series
"100 Centre Street" on A&E. Hey, thanks for your time! These
were great questions :) - kerry
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Young
African-American actress Kerry Washington is a true rising star. Her first
film Our Song, which focused on the complicated lives of three
young girls growing up in Brooklyn, was a finalist for the Grand Jury
Prize at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival. (The film is in wider release
this summer. Check your local theater listings). She was noticed by Hollywood
and cast as Chenille in the mega-hit Save the Last Dance with Julia
Stiles. 
interviewing and hanging out with a group of real teenage mothers in Chicago.
They helped me to understand the nitty gritty everyday life that 