Roger Guenveur Smith Stars In `A Huey P. Newton Story'; Directed By Spike Lee

Jet, May 28, 2001

The life story of Huey P. Newton, the late co-founder of one of America's most powerful movements, the Black Panther Party for Self Defense, is coming to television on Black Starz!

Roger Guenveur Smith reprises his award-winning off-Broadway one-man performance of Newton in the world premiere of A Huey P. Newton Story, slated to air June 18.

Smith created, wrote and stars in the movie that famed filmmaker Spike Lee directs. Acclaimed jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis serves as the music soloist for the project.

Drawn largely from Newton's own words, the movie is a mixture of film and archival footage which captures Newton's "inner mind" as Smith performs before a live audience.

"I'm exceedingly happy and humbled to have embarked on this historic, collaborative journey. On stage, Huey has been a great challenge. Even more resources, more energies are required to put Huey on screen," said Smith, who was allowed exclusive access to the archives of the Dr. Huey P. Newton Foundation. "Huey P. Newton was an extraordinarily complex man who wanted us to see him as a 'regular human being.' He was, of course, nothing of the sort, and that's why he's able to fascinate us for 90 minutes."

Newton was gunned down in 1989 at the age of 47. He died on the same street in Oakland, CA, where he began the Black Panther Party in an effort to improve the lives of its residents.

A long-time collaborator with Lee, Smith has worked on such Lee flicks as Summer of Sam, Get on the Bus, Malcolm X and Do the Right Thing.