Interview: Shanola Hampton on Things Never Said DVDPosted by Wilson Morales
December 3, 2013
Out today on DVD, Digital HD and Video on Demand from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the captivating drama, ‘Things Never Said,’ starring ‘Shameless’ actress Shanola Hampton with Omari Hardwick, Elimu Nelson, Tamala Jones, Dorian Missick, Tom Wright, Charlayne Woodard and Michael Beach.
Kal (Hampton) is an aspiring poetess, but truthfully, she’s an artist who’s lost. Wounded by a miscarriage and saddled with an angry husband, Kal tries desperately to find an outlet for her struggling artistic voice. This turmoil, and the surprise and uncertainty of a new love, hits Kal where she’s most vulnerable. Just as Kal helps Curtis (Hardwick) with his unchallenged perceptions about his damaged past relationship and estranged young daughter, Curtis’ influence leads Kal to dig deeper, to ultimately find her voice and sense of self worth.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke to Hampton on the DVD release and her blissful year, which also includes her current pregnancy.
What has this year meant for you?
Shanola Hampton: This has been a pivotal year for me. The term “bliss,” I get what that means now because I’m living it. This year has been so blissful and that’s the best way I can describe it. I’m so excited that this film was able to be seen. You never know when you do an independent film and really a love project and I felt the energy on set and was hoping for it to be seen and for the response they way it was. It’s just has been incredible; and now I get to go back on this incredible show and play this amazing character for a fourth season. I have no complaints, yet I don’t take anything for granted. Now, when I walk on the set of Warner Bros. for Shameless, I remember the girl who used to go on the lot and audition and I’m so grateful everyday.
In a year for Black Cinema, it’s a good thing that this film came out, because all films are being looked are being discussed, from the talent involved and the subject matter. For those folks who aren’t aware of you through TV, you are being introduced as a newcomer on the big screen.
SH: Yes. When you are in a career like this, where there aren’t that many roles for people of color, you don’t want to be pigeon-holed into one category and sometimes people will see you in one thing. When you have the opportunity and when I read this script, I knew I had to play this character to show your range and show and show that you are more than one thing. It’s been incredible for me to see that audiences have options in seeing more one person of color on the screen in more than one film.
Going back to the making of the film, how did and Charles work together on developing the character?
SH: Charles is such an amazing writer and the thing about this script is that it’s based on his mother, so it was more of a personal connection and it was stories that he would tell me about when he was just growing up. It was more of a responsibility to tell this story in a truthful raw way as the script is very real and very raw. There was no “actory” stuff that I could dream of doing in terms of being an actor. I really wanted to be invested emotionally. Charles is fantastic. He’s fantastic in the sense that he lets the actor create their character. He’ll say, “Let’s try this…” and it got to the point that by the end of shooting, we could look at each other and I knew exactly what he was thinking about. It was a great experience.
When you look at the character that you played, how do you think other females thought of the role? Was Kal right in her decisions? How would you best describe her?
SH: I think what’s great about it is that all the choices she makes in the film come into play. I think why the script is so attractive and why it works is that there is no cure in the story. These are people trying to make the right decisions under the circumstances. There is no justification for having an affair. You should just leave and that’s what people are thinking in their heads and then life happens and you make mistakes and choices from them. I think the film invoked people to have several responses when I watched it with several audiences, several times. There was an audience rooting for each of the main characters. There wasn’t one response that was acceptable.
Will there be anything on the DVD that wasn’t on the screen?
SH: I don’t know, but I’m hoping there’s a scene that was cut out that showed Dorian Missick, who plays the boyfriend to Tamala Jones’ character. There was a great scene between me and him discussing how he was treating my best friend. He was so good in that scene, I hope it makes on the DVD. You’ll get to see interviews and what we did behind the scenes. You’ll get to know the people behind the characters.
Congratulations on your pregnancy. Will you taking time away from Shameless?
SH: No. We’re shooting now. By the time I’m ready to give birth, I’ll be wrapping up the season. I’m such a workaholic.
Have you shot anything since the film wrapped?
SH: Besides the TV show, I did a Christmas film, “Christmas in the City,’ which will be shown on Lifetime. It has Ashanti and Ashley Williams and I’m singing in the film. It’s a nice family friendly film that my nephews and nieces can watch.
How do we get to see more of you and people like you on the screen?
SH: I think we need people in more executive positions who want to take more risks. I think there is material out there. I think we don’t see some of that material because it gets shot down at the beginning stages. So, it’s not about the lack of talent or things being written. It’s about the lack of resources to put them into production. It’s very difficult to get something into production. Charles and I weren’t familiar with each other before we did this project. Charles did everything he could, from getting investors and other stuff that some people wouldn’t have the patience to do, to get this project off the ground. We just need people to take more risks. We need the opportunity to be trusted to carry a story.
