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Shallow Nation

August 27th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

Jada Pinkett Smith Capitol File Magazine Cover Fall 2008

Jada Pinkett Smith, Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine cover

Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is on the cover of Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine and interviewed in a feature story. Jada Pinkett Smith is wife of actor Will Smith. She stars in the upcoming movie, The Women in theaters on September 12, 2008. The Women, a remake of George Cukor’s 1939 film, is directed by Diane English with an all-star cast: Meg Ryan, Annette Bening, Eva Mendes, Debra Messing, Candice Bergen, Cloris Leachman, Bette Midler, Carrie Fisher, Debi Mazar, Ana Gasteyer, Lynn Whitfield, Joanna Gleason, Keegan Connor Tracy, and India Ennenga.

Jada Pinkett Smith discussed the movie in the Capitol File Magazine interview, which is in the print edition, with an online excerpt.

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.

Jada Pinkett Smith, Fall 2008 Capitol File Magazine photo

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.

[...]

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?

Source: Capitol File - Hear Her Roar

Photo credit: Jack Guy/Capitol File Magazine

Cover image via - The Most Access - Jada Does Capitol File Magazine

Here is the trailer of The Women (2008)

The Women 2008 Trailer