Jumping The BroomAn Exclusive Interview with Romeo Miller
By Wilson Morales
May 5, 2011
Coming out this week is the romantic comedy ‘Jumping The Broom,’ which stars a bevy of talent including Angela Bassett, Paula Patton, Laz Alonso, Mike Epps, Loretta Devine, Meagan Good, Tasha Smith, DeRay Davis, Julie Bowen, Romeo Miller, Gary Dourdan, Pooch Hall, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Valarie Pettiford.
The film focuses on a weekend wedding in Martha’s Vineyard where two families from divergent socioeconomic backgrounds clash during their first meeting before the big event.
For Romeo, who plays the bride’s cousin Sebastian, the film marks his first appearance as an adult as his character tries to woo Tasha Smith’s character.
As the son of entertainment mogul and entrepreneur Master P and nephew of C-Murder and Silkk the Shocker, the New Orleans native, who grew up as Lil’ Romeo, has been reinventing his career after having early success as a rapper and actor, with roles in the film ‘Honey’ with Jessica Alba and the Nickelodeon’s series Romeo!
Currently on break from playing basketball at USC, Romeo is competing in season 12 of ABC’s ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ where he is partnered with professional dancer, Chelsie Hightower.
How would you describe your character in the film?
Romeo: My character Sebastian is an old soul. He’s the youngest in the movie but he definitely has an old soul. He wants to be loved. He loves women. That’s all I’m going to say. He tries to teach all the guys in the movie how to treat a woman, and how a real man would treat a woman. So he’s definitely an old soul and is very mature for his age.
You’re paired with Tasha Smith, who’s known for her roles in a few of Tyler Perry’s films. How was working with her on the movie?
Romeo: It was amazing working with her. I definitely learned a lot. And she’s an amazing actress and an amazing person. So I had the best of both worlds and I couldn’t ask for a better person to be working along with.
Now this is your first film that people will see you as an adult.
Romeo: It definitely makes me feel good to see that people are recognizing me for what I’m doing. And this is a great start to an amazing career for everybody in this movie. There’s Pooch Hall, DeRay Davis and Mike Epps. You got Loretta Devine and Angela Bassett. There are a lot of veterans in the game but I feel this movie is going to take everybody to another level because it’s like a fairy tale once you watch it. That’s why I was happy and I really accepted this role. I was able to play this character because it as the perfect character to be played by somebody who is coming back as an adult. From seeing me from when I was young and now they’re going to see me in a different light. This is the perfect movie to be my first comeback movie as a grown man. As Romeo. And like I said it’s the beginning to everything. It’s just the beginning.
What did you learn as an actor that was different from what you learned years ago? What did you learn from (director) Salim (Akil)?
Romeo: I learned from Salim that the way you look at things, everybody has a particular viewpoint. And his eye for movie making and TV making is just amazing. He’s a terrific director. And that you don’t have to be a crazy intimidating guy to get what you want. Everybody on this set respected him because he’s so respectable and that’s the way he treated everybody. And I definitely learned a lot from him just from being an actor and then from a directing side, as well. And he went in there- this is his first big movie. I think this is just the beginning for him. He’s an amazing director. He has a great eye. And for anybody to pull this type of talent in one movie, it definitely says a lot about his character.
Is there any part of you in the character of Sebastian?
Romeo: I don’t know. I know we’re both young and we’re both kind of ridiculous.
You’re one of the few people that can go to school and come back to the entertainment world, whether it’s on TV, the big screen, or in the music industry. So what’s it like to be receiving all the fan fare all over again?
Romeo: You know it’s a blessing. A lot of people don’t realize that it’s very difficult to just make that transition from being a kid star to an adult star. I definitely give my blessings to God, my family, my parents, my father. I think he made everything possible for me. And you just always gotta stay humble, you know. People that give you general respect. And I’m very blessed. And like I said it’s all timing. I really felt that for me everything was timing. Timing played a big key. I went to college so I could really grow up so I could go back to my craft and be prepared for this. And I feel like I’m better prepared than anybody else. Everything before has been practice for me. My TV show, and my music. I take that as preparing for the big test. That’s how I look at it.
How has your dad helped guide your career and life?
Romeo: My dad is my best friend. And people don’t know what he achieved being one of the biggest music moguls ever. I definitely learned a lot from what he is. That’s an achievement. And he definitely gave me a lot of advice. And he’s the reason I am what I am today. A lot of these child actors and big stars when they’re young just- they’re parents kind of get overshadowed by them because they’re the ones calling all the shots. Well, my dad, he always taught me to be respectful. And education was always first in the household. Not money. Not fame. Education.
How’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ going for you so far?
Romeo: It’s definitely been a journey. It’s one of those things where it seemed impossible at the beginning. Now we are halfway through the season. It just shows that anything’s possible with hard work and practice. That’s why I wanted to do this show ‘Dancing With the Stars’. I’m doing it for my foundation Urban Born. For www.urbranborn.org. I just want to show kids you can’t be afraid to fail.
What was the attraction to doing that show when they first approached you?
Romeo: They asked if I would want to do season two. My dad replaced me when I got an injury playing sports. And then it was just perfect timing. I finished my movie, ‘Jumping the Broom’. And I’m not playing basketball this year. It all worked out. So perfect timing.
How challenging has it been for you?
Romeo: It’s very challenging. People only see the end result. We’re working at least eight hours a day every day. And I’m the youngest on the show but I definitely don’t feel like that. I’m on my toes every day. It’s really tough. It’s a great workout. And I think a couple of NBA friends will start looking at me because my vertical has increased by three inches. Now I’ve got a forty-four inch vertical. So it’s definitely a great workout.
Do you think you’re going to win it?
Romeo: Yeah, you’ve got to give your best in everything in life. I’m not a dancer. I came from the hip-hop world. And for me this is an achievement already where I’m going. I never imagined myself being able to do what I’m doing now. All these dances. I was that kid at school who was afraid to dance at prom or to dance at the winter formal. And it’s an achievement for me already. But I always had a passion to be the best that I can be. So you’ve got to envision it to get to it.
Why should anybody go see ‘Jumping the Broom?’
Romeo: At the end of the day you should go see ‘Jumping the Broom’ because it’s an amazing movie. It’s the best movie this year. It has an all-star cast. And it’s like a fairy tale. When you leave out of that movie theatre your life will be changed. You’re going to have a little bit more faith. You’re going to be inspired. And I heard that when you go see ‘Jumping the Broom’ you do fall in love. I’m just saying. Love is the key to happiness.
Do you have anything else coming up next?
Romeo: I have my new album and mixtape coming out. My new single ‘Rock Wit It’ and my new single ‘Famous Girl’ featuring Sean Kingston. For more information on that you can go to my website www.romeoforever.com or Twitter @RomeoMiller. I’ve got a couple movies in the works right now. My new clothing line is called College Boyys. And I just want to keep it going. There’s no limit.
When you have all this stuff happening what keeps you grounded?
Romeo: My fans. My family. My parents. You’ve always got to be grateful. I just look at the real world. Our soldiers made a big accomplishment a few days ago. Anytime you’ve got people over there fighting for you I don’t think they get much love. That’s why we named our label No Limit Soldiers. I think the soldiers out there are fighting for us. For me to be able to do what I’m doing. To have a regular life, go out there and have fun. And they’re out there losing their lives, putting everything out there for us. They definitely keep me grounded. So when I have a hard day I always just think about them.
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