An interview with Jada

Ale · August 30, 2008

SHE’S GOT PLENTY TO DISCUSS WITH HER NEW FILM THE WOMEN OUT THIS FALL, BUT IT’S THE STATUS OF WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD THAT KEEPS BALTIMORE NATIVE JADA PINKETT SMITH ALL FIRED UP. SHE SITS DOWN WITH LISA LING FOR SOME SERIOUS GIRL TALK.

With Layla Revis Photographs by Jack Guy

On a still summer day in Hollywood, the doors of the Sunset Marquis are wide open, anticipating what is sure to be a grand entrance. Ten seconds sooner than expected, Jada Pinkett Smith breezes into the lobby in a pair of shorts and bright blue YSL stilettos. Her presence is awe-inspiring. She’s in better shape at 37 than most people are at 19, and the inherent energy in every inch of her five-foot frame feels massive.

The actress, known for her roles in The Nutty Professor and the second and third Matrix films, is also the real-life wife of actor Will Smith, and has recently added the title of author to the mix with her 2004 lyrical children’s book, Girls Hold Up This World (Scholastic), featuring photographs by Donyell Kennedy- McCullough. Pinkett Smith’s story challenges young girls to realize their full worth, power, and beauty. “We girls hold up this world as we build our self-esteem. We know that discipline will turn a princess into a queen,” she writes. “We are sisters of this earth—members of one powerful tribe. Every color, shape, and size, we’re united by beauty inside.”

Pinkett Smith’s eyes connect with the group instantly, putting everyone at ease. A wide smile spreads across her face. She’s here to discuss her new movie, The Women, a remake of George Cukor’s 1939 film, directed by Diane English, about a wealthy New Yorker who leaves her cheating husband and bonds with other women as a result. Set to premiere on September 12, it features Annette Bening, Meg Ryan, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman, Eva Mendes, and Debra Messing, to name just a few of the film’s exceptional female stars.

Speaking candidly to Capitol File and Lisa Ling, correspondent for Oprah and the National Geographic Channel, Pinkett Smith sees the movie as a starting point for an issue she believes is seriously ignored in the US and abroad: the status of women.

LISA LING: I see that you’re reading Unbowed by Wangari Maathai.

JADA PINKETT SMITH: Yes, it’s such an amazing book and she’s such a phenomenal woman.

LL: Will you option Wangari’s story?

JPS: I’d consider it, definitely. I’m heading to Uganda and Rwanda on a seven-day trip for Malaria No More, so right now I’m just trying to stay focused on the mission and see what comes of that.

LL: Have you been to Africa before?

JPS: Yes, we went to South Africa and Mozambique to shoot Ali. Will and I loved Africa. We went to South Africa and almost moved there. I said, “Do you really want to do this now? We have the rest of our lives to do it.” Will and I always say, “God visits everywhere, but lives in Africa.” When you’re on safari and you see that African sky… it’s just such a spiritual place.

LL: I remember going to Rwanda and being amazed at the way the women of the country are rebuilding their lives. In 2005 Rwanda had more women in Parliament than any other country. Speaking of women, tell me about your latest film, The Women.

JPS: The material is great, but what I liked most about the film was that I had the opportunity to work with some extraordinary women. Diane [English] had been working on the project for 13 years. She was so passionate about it. Meeting Diane, talking to her, we just said, “We gotta do this because they’re trying to shut us out!”

LL: What was it like to work with such a large female cast?

JPS: It was interesting to be in this large group of women. It just worked. And to see how we all collaborated, what we brought individually to the film—I was elated. In all honesty, Annette Bening is brilliant. I was in awe of her. I had to catch myself; [i was] watching her like a student. Just her process… she’s a veteran. And then for all of us—Meg, Eva, Annette—to sit around and talk about our families, balancing our lives, husbands, divorce, boyfriends… you recognize how much you need to be in spaces like that with other women, you know? [it was the] kind of camaraderie that you didn’t need to explain every detail for them to get it. It’s like an unspoken language.

LL: It’s wonderful working with a group of women, but sometimes certain petty issues, insecurities, or jealousies present themselves. Were there any difficulties on the set?

JPS: I tell you, it’s interesting how I look at those situations that inevitably occur, in all relationships. If I see another woman who’s intimidated or feels she has to compete with me, and I feel like I have to do the same, I check myself and say, Now Jada, how can you make this go better? How can you bring this woman comfort? How can you create a situation where you don’t necessarily need to like each other but can have a relationship of mutual respect? When I see those kinds of things, I put it on me, because I’m the only person—in this duel here—that can change. I immediately check myself and go, What is it that I’m doing that might be creating this, or what behavior or attitude can I change in order to change this [dynamic] with the woman in front of me?

LL: You definitely seem evolved in your level of security.

JPS: Well, you know, when you’re dealing with actresses, and just people in this industry as a whole, we’re constantly inundated with rejection, people telling us what we’re doing wrong. You start to second-guess yourself.

LL: What are your biggest insecurities?

JPS: Oh, my body. I hate my legs. Hate ’em.

LL: You’re kidding. You’ve got great legs.

JPS: But that’s the thing, you need other women around you to be a mirror, because sometimes we can’t see ourselves. We’ve been given a certain language, situations that basically form who we are— and the media, which is a whole other thing.... As women we look for this thing and that thing; we fill those voids with men, or with food, sugar, whatever, instead of really dealing with the core issues, the issues we don’t want to look at. But that’s the jewel. That’s where happiness lies.

LL: As an actress and a public person, how much responsibility do you feel?

JPS: I feel every individual, and every artist, has to figure out their own responsibility level. For me, when it comes to women, I am extremely sensitive to the roles I take and how I’m portrayed physically.I try really hard to stay away from stereotypes.

LL: I watched the BET show Hip-Hop vs. America last night and it was amazing. Five African-American men were talking about how women are portrayed in hip-hop videos. These Harvard professors were saying, “Stop blaming the white man for raping the black woman.”

JPS: We can’t do that anymore. You know, it wasn’t right or correct when the whole Imus situation happened, but a part of me thought, We really have the nerve to have this uproar, when you look closely at what goes on within our own family. I’m telling you: That whole situation is so layered and so deep, how we got to that place… just the dynamics of the black family, the black man, and the black woman.

LL: Hip-hop culture is so influential. It’s not just black culture buying into these images of women anymore.

JPS: Oh, I agree. But women also have to understand their position of leadership in the community, and that’s what we’ve lost: the understanding that we’ve allowed this patriarchal, capitalistic attitude to really dictate who we are. We too have compromised our dignity.

LL: Well, that’s another issue you’ve touched upon: figuring out a way to be independent.

JPS: That’s the thing, though. You have to keep a balance. There’s a place in which the masculine can take care of the feminine and a place where the feminine takes care of the masculine, but you can’t relinquish your power. Sometimes I get into a place where I really want to. Sometimes I get really tired and want to say, “Daddy, just take it all! Just take care of me.” I want to suck my thumb and cry like a little girl, but at the end of the day, the dynamic gets out of whack, and that energy gets out of balance.

LL: What about young celebrities?

JPS: Well, first of all, I don’t think I would have made it! The things I have to talk to my children about, at such a young age… it would blow your mind. I have to constantly reassure my daughter that she’s beautiful and teach my sons a different thought process when it comes to how they view women. I’m lucky, though, because Will really values the feminine. He exalts women. He was very close to his mother and grandmother. Will is definitely a feminist.

LL: So how do you instill positive views [of women] at home?

JPS: I think as mothers, with the music and the media out there, we really have to sit our boys down and tell them, “That is not okay.” It’s funny, because I remember telling my kids, “Mommy isn’t going to be doing any more movies this year.” You know what they said? “But how are all the bills going to get paid?” It was cute, but more important, they see a household where both parents contribute.

LL: How important are your girlfriends in your life?

JPS: Very. There’s an incredible amount of camaraderie and power that comes with having girlfriends. They help you be the best you can be, but you have to do the work as an individual too. For example, I’ve noticed that most of the time when I get mad at certain things, it turns out to be a reflection of myself and the stuff I do. Of course, sometimes people do terrible things to us that we don’t deserve, but a lot of the time we get mad at the same things we do to them. You know, [there was a] time I was really hitting a wall in my relationships and I read this book that said to write down all the terrible stuff you’ve done, so I did. I wrote it all down. Then I gave it to Will.

LL: Really? Wow… I hope you destroyed it!

JPS: Oh, don’t worry. I did, but I wrote everything down. It was hard, but it felt so good, like this giant relief. It changed his perception, I’m sure, but it also changed my relationship with myself, the amount of confidence and security I felt. To finally point the finger at myself and get it off my chest, things I was holding onto.

LL: You’re brave. I’m not sure I’d do that. So tell me, what do you think women need most right now?

JPS: We need more leadership in the communities. You know, we can’t let celebrities raise our kids. We need to consolidate our power to reach out to all different types of women. I don’t care what color or nationality, there’s a unified language and understanding among women. The truth is, no one else is going to do it for us. Women have to do it. We as women have to get up our game, because all over the world females are being victimized. We have to teach our daughters to have discipline and we have to be responsible for ourselves.

Source:

http://www.capitolfile-magazine.com/cover_story.html