Sanaa Lathan Talks RepentanceBy Wilson Morales
February 26, 2014
Coming out this week is the psychological thriller ‘Repentance,’ starring Forest Whitaker, Anthony Mackie, Mike Epps, Sanaa Lathan, Nicole Ari Parker, and Ariana Neal.
Years after a drunken car crash that almost took his life, Tommy Carter (Anthony Mackie) has reinvented himself as a therapist/spiritual advisor who advocates a synthesis of world religions and positivity. He’s parlayed this vocation into a successful book release that one day draws the attention of Angel Sanchez (Forest Whitaker), a profoundly troubled man fixated on the “untimely” death of his mother. When Carter takes on Sanchez as a personal client in an effort to raise funds for his indebted brother Ben (Mike Epps), things quickly take a turn for the worse. Angel needs much more than a simple life coach.
For Lathan, who plays Maggie, Carter’s wife, the genre is new for her. Known for her roles in Urban romantic films and romantic comedies such as The Best Man, Love & Basketball, Brown Sugar, and most recently The Best Man Holiday, the New York City has also tackled different film genres and other acting projects that have brought her an fanbase from all areas.
Besides being one of the few African American actresses to lead a sci-fi film (Alien vs. Predator), Lathan has done a few stints on the stage, where she was Tony-nominated for her role in Kenny Leon’s 2004 revival of A Raisin in the Sun. In 2012, she won a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Lead Actress for her role in By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.
Blackfilm.com recently spoke with Lathan about her role in Repentance, working with the cast, and her upcoming space film, ‘Ad Inexplorata.’
What was the attraction to doing this film?
Sanaa Lathan: Well, I love Forest (Whitaker) and I love Anthony (Mackie) and the script to me was a little bit different. I like the fact that it really dealt with some issues and it wasn’t a hacker like thrillers and there was a real reason behind the horror. I like the fact that it’s about karma and what goes around comes around and owning up to mistakes. It had a different twist than what I had seen before.
How would you best describe your character Maggie?
SL: Maggie is a New Orleans woman who loves her husband. She’s a very simple but with a mysterious past involving his brother, played by Mike Epps.
You and Forest had worked previously on an indie called ‘Powder Blue,’ so how was it working with him again as well as working with the rest of the cast?
SL: Forest is such a wonderful human being. He’s really at the top of his game. He’s also a very generous humanitarian. We’ve been friendly from afar and working with him, he’s very dedicated, and it’s always inspiring to be around another artist on set who is completely giving 150%. With Anthony Mackie, I had done the ’24 Hour Plays’ with him in New York and always admired him from afar. He’s a great guy and really funny. Mike Epps and I have known each other for years. I got his start on DEF Comedy Jam, which is my daddy’s show, (TV producer Stan Lathan). He was also in ‘Something New’ with me. He played Wendy Raquel Robinson’s love interest. It was fun and like a reunion. It was great and a challenge to be in New Orleans in August. It was like working in a steam room, but I love the city, the culture, and the food.
It’s not often we see psychological thriller involving a African American cast. What are some films you had seen may be similar to this?
SL: I’ll be honest. I’m not a big thriller girl. I’m a scaredy-cat. I’m very impressionable. I would go to sleep and dream about it. I try to stay away from them. I did ‘Alien Vs. Predator,’ which is more sci-fi but also goes into the thriller aspect. I think they are very challenging to make, in a good way, in conjuring up that terror.
Speaking of ‘Alien Vs. Predator,’ this year marks the 10th anniversary since you starred in that film, and we haven’t seen many females in that position.
SL: I remembered one day I realized the impact of that movie. I had all these middle aged Japanese women surround me and screaming. I didn’t know what they were saying, but they were treating me like a rock. They know ‘Alien Vs. Predator.’ That’s great and that’s where we should be going in the entertainment industry. There shouldn’t be any limits as to who you cast. This is the melting pot of the country, the melting pot of the world and it’s about time we see all types of races and genders on the screen, and telling different stories.
Since your character lived in the end, would you be open for a follow-up if the producers felt they could revive the franchise?
SL: Yes. I always say it all depends on the whole package, including the script, directors, etc.; but yes, I’m down. I had a a good time making that film. They did do another film following that, but I never saw it. It had a different cast.
With the success of The Best Man Holiday, and with Universal Pictures looking to do a third film, what would you add to your character if Malcolm (D. Lee) were to ask each of the cast for some input?
SL: Well, definitely not to be pregnant. Her arc is always dependent on Taye’s arc. She’s the supportive wife and that’s fine, but as an actor, you want to have your own. This arc was about being pregnant and being an outsider. I told him and he said he will finding something where I’m in bikini shape.
You have ‘Ad Inexplorata’ as your next film. Is that a space film?
SL: Yes, and no. It’s set in space but it’s really a metaphor for life. It’s a beautiful script. I’m in the middle of shooting that now with Mark Strong, who’s been in so many films, and Luke Wilson. It’s a small film that came out the Sundance Lab. The writer-director Mark Elijah Rosenberg has won so many awards for his work. I’m thrilled to be a part of it because it’s outside the box of what I’ve done before. The story centers on astronauts on a one-way trip to Mars and I’m one of the astronauts. There’s only two of us. It takes nine months to get to Mars, and the film is about that journey is a metaphor for stepping out of your comfort zone and exploring. It’s very poetic. I’m excited to see how it comes out. We’re having a good time shooting it.
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