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Updated
7/25/02 We're Hangin' With........
by Lynn B.
Beyonce told us that she hadn't seen the film or even one daily at that point. "I haven't seen myself on the screen at all. When I did Carmen (the film of the rock opera), Robert Townsend [her director] said he didn't think it was good to watch the movie until it was done because it effected your performance, the natural things you do. I might as well wait until the film opens now". Her performance is very natural. She seems born to be on screen. "I didn't do a lot of takes. Usually, after two takes, Jay [the director] was satisfied because, like with vocals, I'm a perfectionist and the second or third time is my best. After that I'm just stupid". We wondered if the new part of her career made her nervous. "I was nervous until they said "action". When they say 'action' then whatever I was thinking about disappears. I get comfortable but the second they say 'cut', I'm back nervous again". Even after all the accolades and awards, she still experiences stage jitters. "We just got off a tour. After the first couple of days I don't get as nervous but I still have a problem with lyrics and names. Songs that I write and have been singing for five years, I forget the words sometimes and I get nervous and blank out.. What are the words"? The singer never gets tired of performing her hits. "Every night, there's so much excitement. people know the songs and they love them and you are anxious to sing them because you're sharing something with the audience and they know all the words. In the quick change booth, I'm like 'oh, God, I hate this song'. Then you go out and perform it and you love it". Beyonce didn't get to stay in high school, although she went to the Houston school of performing and visual arts for three months. She got a record deal and came to LA. From then on she had tutors. She's learned a lot from her performances and was able to transfer her music experience to filmmaking. "It's very different but there are similar things. Like on the stage or on award shows I'm nervous but I can use that as energy or that spark to make the performance that much better. That's what I took with me for this because I was definitely nervous working with Michael Caine and all of the other legendary people in the movie". The singer/actress was exposed to 1970's "Blaxploitation" films early on. "My mom was always a fan of Foxxy Brown, Pam Grier, every movie that she did and she would always try to get me to watch them. When I was thirteen I saw my first one and I didn't understand it because I was too young. When I was sixteen, I saw it again and I could appreciate it because the music was wonderful and the clothes were great. But after [filming] this movie I watched them again and it was incredible to me. It was funny. It was over the top and the girls were so [hot] and so tough and had such a vibe". Beyonce was determined to embody Foxxy to the hilt. "Before I did the second audition with Mike [Meyers], I watched Foxxy Brown over and over again and I would only talk like Pam Grier. They'd say, 'how do you want your make-up?' and I'd be like 'I want blue eye shadow, sugar'. Everything was 'sugar'. I felt more confident and comfortable". Beyonce found recording while playing Foxxy very difficult. "I was supposed to be trying to record my album but I did a couple of songs, just demos but it's too weird. All of my songs would have sounded like Foxxy Brown. 'Work it Out' [for the soundtrack] sounds like her. It's supposed to, thank God. I always loved music from the '70's so it's natural for me to love the music from the movie".
Beyonce had some great advice for her young fans hoping to follow in her footsteps. Some of the advice involves simple faith. "If you want to do it because you want to be famous and go to the parties and all of that, then don't do it. It seems very glamorous and you want to make the videos but that's just a small part of it and that part can get really old really quick. You have to have a love for the stage and the art and a love for performing. When God feels like it's your time, it'll happen if your heart is truly there and it's time. Perform as much as you can, give a hundred percent and the right person will be there at the right time". The star's next film role will be in a more serious vein. In Fighting Temptations with Cuba Gooding Jr. she plays a jazz singer. "I have a son and I'm Cuba Gooding Jr.'s love interest. He's a producer trying to produce this gospel choir and he wants me to be a member of it. They're still developing the plot. I'm excited though because Cuba is excellent. It starts shooting next month in Atlanta". So what
does a super star listen to when kicking back? "I listen to a lot
of old school music which I have since I was sixteen, Aretha Franklin
and James Brown and Donny Hathaway and Sugie Otis. Some of the current
artists, I like Tweet. I like B'Lau. I like N.E.R.D.". We asked what
served as a natural high in Beyonce's life. "Certain foods to be
honest with you. I love Popeye's chicken and I love performing on stage
that gives me a natural high". The young performer is receiving a load of scripts now. "My mom actually reads the scripts and gives me the best ones. I didn't plan on doing a movie. I didn't know about Austin Powers. I didn't know about Foxxy Cleopatra. Then they called me and told me about it and I got excited and then I wanted it, of course". Well, she got it. Now what? She's already getting great reviews. "It's very scary. I haven't seen the movie and people keep saying great things, which is great but they say stuff like that and I'm like "oh, you guys'. It's hard but it's a blessing. I hope it's true but if it's not, I'm okay".
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Okay..
I can say nothing bad about Beyonce, "Foxxy Cleopatra"/Destiny's
Child Knowles. When we chatted with her in an L.A. hotel, she swept into
the room carrying chocolate-covered strawberries on a tray and offered
them to us! I was starving so Beyonce, gurl…you rule! The young singer/actress
is quite gorgeous in person with golden skin, gorgeous eyes and, on our
interview day, she was wearing a fluffy peasant blouse and cool abalone-shell
jewelry. She is very excited about her first big film role as Austin Powers'
hot girlfriend "Foxxy" in Austin Powers in Goldmember. She
must have taken lessons from '70's star Pam Grier 'cause she has that
hot attitude down pat in the film. In person, Beyonce is warm, kind of
shy and excited about a film career. 
The
young star would enjoy doing a musical film like Moulin Rouge.
"I love musicals even though, sometimes, it's kind of hard to watch
[the story] because there's so much singing but I guess that's what a
musical is. We did the hip hop Carmen [ for MTV] which was really cool.
[Suddenly, to a fly circling the chocolate-dipped strawberries:] No! don't
land on the strawberries!. Anyway, it was great and I'd love to do another
one". But could she keep up her music career while doing film? "I
love film but I love performing. I love Destiny's Child. I'm happy that
Barbra Streisand, Cher and Diana Ross did both and I hopefully can do
the same thing".