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Hangin' With Archives
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AshantiGets to “Cheer”by Lynn B.
After her dramatic role in Coach Carter and a singing appearance in the Bollywood musical Bride & Prejudice, the prolific entertainer was ready for a “fun” part that didn’t involve any singing at all. Although Ashanti travels along with an entourage that includes mom, dad and a few bodyguards, she is one of the most outgoing, friendly artists we’ve interviewed. Picture the gorgeous copper-skinned beauty in low-cut salmon-colored top with a silver snake pin on it, huge silver earrings, jeans and a lot of silver bangle bracelets as she tells us about singing, acting, her gal pals, fun on set and future projects including playing action babe in the sci-fi adventure Resident Evil: Extinction. AGW: Wow, you look pretty! Ashanti: Thank you. AGW: So how does doing this movie compare to your experience making Coach Carter? Ashanti: Totally different, totally different vibe. In Coach Carter, I was surrounded by guys, and in this movie, I’m surrounded obviously with girls; it was really, really different. Both movies were high school, but this one is kind of like romantic comedy, and the character I played, Keira, in Coach Carter, was kind of dramatic with the pregnancy. This one is more light-hearted. AGW: So was it fun with all the girls in this film? Ashanti: Yeah. We shot it up in Vancouver and at first I was a bit ‘cautious’ because there were so many different girls; I was like, ‘Ugh, I hope they’re not catty,’ you know what I mean? But it was really cool; we all got along. We went out to eat a couple of times. It was really fun. As long as the girls [you are working with] are cool, it’s all good. But I tend to get along with everyone, but I’m kind of a guy’s girl; I chill out with the guys. AGW: When you girls discover several of you are dating John Tucker, there is a catfight. Was that fun to shoot? Ashanti: Yeah and no one slipped a punch in extra or anything like that. AGW: Did you really throw the ball at Arielle Kebbel’s head? Ashanti: [laughs] Yeah, we did; I felt so bad, cause I’m like, ‘Aw man.’ But she really took it like a champ, and it looks really good and we had to keep doing it and doing it. Sometimes I would miss and she would have to fake it and the ball would go way over this way, but it worked out really, really well. AGW: You were a cheerleader in high school and you ran the clique? Ashanti: Yeah but it was nothing like Heather [her character] at all. I was in cheer my last year in high school. You know, it looked good on the resume. So nothing like Heather. AGW: Did your high school have those various cliques? Ashanti: Yeah, it was a little bit clique-y, but I’m from Glen Cove and we had one of the most diverse schools on the island at the time I went to school. There were Germans and Latins and Blacks and Hispanics, and it was diverse to the tee. So it was really neat, it was like a melting pot, so it was a good time. AGW: Did you know any John Tucker’s at school and did you date any of them? Ashanti: Oh yeah, yeah but no, I didn’t date any of them. I remember one time in high school, I was in math class with this kid named Ryan and he had two different girlfriends; I knew both of them, and they were both named Maria. He came to school with one hickey on one side and another on the other side; both of them found out, it was crazy, so it was very John Tucker-ish. AGW: Did they seek revenge? Ashanti: I don’t know what happened. AGW: Would you ever seek revenge on an ex-boyfriend? Ashanti: Oh, I did but I wasn’t as bad as the girls in the movie. But, when you get hurt, you have to take that anger out somewhere. AGW: What would you say was your favorite scene to shoot?
AGW: What do you think about the saying that ‘boyfriends come and go, but gal pals stay forever?’ Ashanti: You know what, to be honest, I think it can happen both ways. Sometimes girls can’t control their emotions; you have guys and a relationship you’ll be in for five years and after that second year, you might not see your girlfriend anymore. So I guess it works both ways. AGW: So were you glad your character didn’t sing in this film? Ashanti: Oh, 100%. We steer so clear of characters who sing or who are singers in any movies we do. We purposely don’t want to do it just to make sure people know the difference. I’m Ashanti, but venturing into Hollywood, you want to be taken seriously as an actress, so we are definitely more cautious of that. AGW: Can you separate yourself from each or do you still have the music inside you while on set? Ashanti: I separate myself, but when we get back to the trailer – those ‘hurry up and wait’ moments - I’m usually writing or listening to a track. But on screen, you have to separate to become that character. AGW: Are you working on the next album now? Ashanti: Yes. AGW: Any hints into what it’s going to be like? Ashanti: No, I gotta save that. AGW: Didn’t you just finish a movie? Ashanti: Yeah, actually we just wrapped Resident Evil: Extinction, Resident Evil 3. AGW: How was shooting in Mexico? Ashanti: Oh my gosh, it was amazing; we shot in Mexicali, or at least I shot for about 3 ½ weeks, and I loved it. It was 125 degrees, literally, so I love that. The cast wasn’t feeling that too much, but we were in the middle of the desert. It was a blast; I had a ball. And Mike Epps is – oh my g-d, hilarious; we had a barbeque on set and his crew drove up to LA and picked up chicken and barbeque and coal. They drove back to Mexicali and we had a barbeque on set; it was hilarious. We just sat with an open grill and ate the wings. AGW: You shot this movie up in Vancouver where it’s cold, and down in Mexico where it’s hot; do you have a preference? Ashanti: Oh, for sure, I love the heat; I’ll take the heat over the cold any day. AGW: Do you remember seeing Brittany Snow when you were on “American Dreams”? Ashanti: I remember; I signed an autograph for her, yeah. I remember that. The American Music Awards were right around that time and Dick Clark had actually told me that I had won! AGW: While you were on set? Ashanti: Yeah, when I was recording. I played Dionne Warwick, and he told me I had won when I was recording it, and then we did the show. I remember that whole time; it was a good time. I remember she [Brittany[ was so small, and young then and I signed an autograph. AGW: So what was that like when you saw her again for this film? Ashanti: It was really cool; she didn’t think I would remember, but I didn’t forget, I remembered. She was like, ‘You signed an autograph.’ I was like, ‘I know.’ She was cool; I remember she had a book, a cute little autograph book like this (indicates our small press kit) but it was colorful. AGW: Was there ever anyone whose autograph you badly wanted? Ashanti: Are you sayin’ who was I groupied out for? I don’t know if I actually received autographs, but I know I was really shaken up when I met Stevie, Stevie Wonder; he was hilarious. He whispered something in my ear that I will not repeat; I was dying laughing, I could not believe it. And meeting Mary J. Blige for me was a big thing. AGW: Growing up, who did you look up to? Ashanti: Mary, cause for me, she came out in ’91; I was 10, and she put that marriage together between hip hop and R&B and that was my love of music, so that was a big thing. AGW: Is there a singer/actress you would like to model your career after? Ashanti: I think the best person who was able to carry it in a classy way, I would have to say J. Lo. Yeah, she balanced it really, really good as far as music and acting; she made her mark in both, so I think that is really cool. AGW: So what are you doing after “Resident Evil”? Ashanti: I don’t know, we’re going to see. There are a couple great opportunities. One is very, very, very dramatic; I kind of have to change my appearance, so we’re looking forward to that. It’s going to be a challenge and I like a challenge. AGW: So would you have gone for the John Tucker-type back in high school? Ashanti: In school? Well, let me think. I had two boyfriends in school; one of them just didn’t do anything and one of ‘em ran track, did the football, did the basketball. So, I don’t know, I’m extreme; it depends on how good they look and how they can make me laugh. AGW: Did you use some of those lines like, ‘He’s mine; I’m the head cheerleader.’ Ashanti: Oh my gosh; I didn’t necessarily say that, but I though it like, ‘Oh please, he’s mine.’ Especially if he was my boyfriend and another chick was lookin’ or something – yeah. AGW: Have you ever had an embarrassing moment happen to you on stage? Ashanti: I remember I was on tour with R. Kelly and I had this really dope shirt; it was netted and knotted, it was black and it had these holes in it. Obviously, there are large screens on stage, so they’re zooming in; and I’m up there rockin’ and singin’ and I’m getting extra applause; I’m like, ‘I’m doing good, but where is this extra applause coming from?’ And the hole kind of slipped this way (on her chest), and I happened to look on the screen and was like ‘Aaaahhhh.’ I had to do this kind of thing (puts arm over to cover up the hole), covering it up. So that was definitely an embarrassing moment. AGW: You almost had a Janet Jackson moment. Ashanti: Almost, almost. AGW: What music would you take on a road trip? Ashanti: On my Ipod, I’ve got a lot of old school, I have some Mary Jane Girls, some Little Magic, I have some Wu Tang, Maroon 5; oh, I’m infatuated with Jamaican music, reggae music – I love, love, love, love, love the island. But I have a little bit of everything, I got a little mix of everything. AGW: Do you have anything that’s a ring tone on your phone? Ashanti: No, my phone came with it – it’s called ‘Latin Dancing’ so it sounds like (as she dances to it) ‘de da de, de da de, de-de, de-da-de-de.’ It makes you move when you hear it. AGW: Do you have any favorite cities you like to visit when you’re on the road? Ashanti: I’m such the island girl, I would take the beach to the city any day; nothing is like New York City, but I live there so I can get that anytime. I just love the beach and the water. Thank you. AGW: Thanks so much. Ashanti: Sure. Do I have to move on? Darn I was just making this tea. [she takes it with her]
pictures on this page courtesy of and copyright 20th Century Fox, 2006 |
 
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Since
2002 and her gold debut album, singer/actress Ashanti can’t lose.
She’s won Grammys, Billboard awards and Soul Train’s Aretha
Franklin Entertainer of the Year Award. Her release “Chapter II”
produced two top ten singles. Ashanti’s acting debut was singing
as Dionne Warwicke on the 1960’s TV drama “American Dreams”.
The TV show’s star Brittany Snow asked her for her autograph! Now
Ashanti and Brittany are friends and co-stars in the comedy John Tucker
Must Die. 
Ashanti:
There were a lot of ‘em. On that cheerleading thing, they really
did toss me up in the air in that. I like the part where I had to put
the estrogen pills in [John Tucker’s] shake, or whatever, that was
funny. Oh, and when I’m trying to teach Brittany how to walk down
the hall – (does ultra hip-moving mini demonstration) that was hilarious,
I was dying laughing. Yeah, that was fun, that was a lot of fun.