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On the star track
Ebony, March, 2005
EVERY NOW AND THEN SPECIAL PERSONALITIES HIT HOLLYWOOD AND THE STAGE--hard--and quickly become the talk of the town by displaying qualities that have brought them to the forefront. They are talented. They are beautiful. They are versatile, and they are climbing the ladder that could take them to superstardom.
The performers featured on these pages are making their mark in the spotlight, exhibiting the kind of talent that could make them "the next big thing."
Kerry Washington
WHEN do you know you've made it? Is it when the paparazzi start calling your last name and you tell your mother, "Morn, they're talking about m."
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For 28-year-old Kerry Washington, a featured star in the movie Ray, it has been one defining moment after another in a career that's about to take her to another level. "I don't know if I'll ever feel that I've arrived:' Washington says during a taxicab phone interview from the streets of New York.
Washington, who grew up in the Bronx, N.Y., and went to the exclusive Spence School on a scholar ship (she graduated from George Washington University in Washington, D.C., in 1998), has been lauded for her versatility in films. She starred in The Human Stain with Anthony Hopkins and Nicole Kidman, had the lead role in the Spike Lee movie She Hate Me, and was universally praised for her performance as Ray Charles' wife opposite Jamie Foxx in Ray. This summer she'll gain even more fame as the blind love interest of the famed Marvel superhero "Thing" in the movie Fantastic Four. She and her fiance, David Morrow. have homes in Harlem and Los Angeles.
"I hope that--as much as I plan and envision for myself--I have the courage to allow for there to be even more [fame]" says Washington, who enjoys yoga and meditation. "I always hope that [my life] goes beyond my imagination."
Sophie Okonedo
HER name may not be common to most, but her roles, whether on screen or on stage, are unforgettable. Sophie Okonedo, born to an English mother and Nigerian father, has been praised for her in-depth characterizations and thought-provoking portrayals.
Most recently, the London-based actor co-starred in Hotel Rwanda as Tatiana, the wife of hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Don Cheadle), who risks his life and the lives of his family to save more than 1,200 refugees during the 100-day massacre in Rwanda that left more than 1 million dead. In a role that has garnered the praise of critics and audiences alike, Okonedo gives a heart-wrenching performance that illustrates the tests and triumphs of motherhood and the perilous bounds of loyalty in a dived country. "After you watch this film, when you hear the word genocide, I fell that one would have a much stronger reaction to that word," says Okonedo. "It puts a human face on what went on."
While talks of an Oscar-worthy performance swirl throughout the entertainment world, Okonedo, professionaly trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, is already back in front of the camera, preparing for her role in the action-thriller movie Aeon Flux, co-starring Charlize Theron.
Of the many roles she has played, including those in 13 television productions, 13 movies and 11 theatrical performances, Okonedo finds depth and realism in her role in Hotel Rwanda. "I'm a mother [7-year-old daughter], so I know all of those feelings of protection that you have for your child," she says. "And the story of Rwanda is such that you can't help but feel it to the core."
Sharon Warren
SHARON Warren, a 24-year-old little-known actress from Tuskegee, Ala., has been the talk of Hollywood since her incredible performance in the movie Ray as Aretha Robinson, the strong-willed laundrywoman who reared the musical genius. She was chosen by the movie's director, Taylor Hackford, who had seen the actress in a local performance in Atlanta. After that, he didn't consider anyone else following her audition for the role, according to Warren, who drew on family input in order to prepare for the role. "It was my grandmother who allowed the [Aretha] role to come to life," says Warren. "She knew what it was like to be a Black woman struggling in the South with two children and the danger that women faced."
Warren's parents, who had introduced her to culture and art at an early age, sent their daughter to Auburn University in Alabama to study accounting and business. However, she had other plans. While at college she was bitten hard by the acting bug after playing Benetha in the play A Raisin in the Sun. "I left school. It was not the thing for me," she recalls. "I really needed to pursue my dream."
Warren packed her bags and headed to Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the local theater circuit. She got a role in the play Flying Over Purgatory, in which she appeared with veteran actress Ruby Dee. "When I stepped out on stage the first time, I was home," says Warren, who will be seen in Glory Road, scheduled for release in March 2005. "I was a little bit apprehensive at first, but it came very natural to me."
