{"id":63373,"date":"2012-06-04T07:51:27","date_gmt":"2012-06-04T07:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/0de2709a84.nxcli.net\/0-kjasnb\/2012\/06\/04\/jada-pinkett-smith-talks-madagascar-3\/"},"modified":"2018-12-18T10:54:33","modified_gmt":"2018-12-18T10:54:33","slug":"jada-pinkett-smith-talks-madagascar-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blackfilm.com\/read\/jada-pinkett-smith-talks-madagascar-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Jada Pinkett Smith Talks Madagascar 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jada Pinkett Smith On Channeling Her Inner Hippo and More<\/strong>By Brad Balfour<\/p>\n

June 4, 2012<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

As the rail-thin Jada Pinkett Smith<\/strong> bounds into the Waldorf Astoria suite for a friendly chat about life and family, she exudes energy and an intensity that makes this petite 40 year-old a lot bigger in the chair than she seems.<\/p>\n

Opening at Cannes 2012, Madagascar 3: Europe\u2019s Most Wanted<\/a> <\/strong>— the third installment of the billion-dollar franchise — stars Central Park Zoo refugees Alex the lion (Ben Stiller<\/strong>), Marty the zebra (Chris Rock<\/strong>), Gloria the hippo (Jada Pinkett Smith<\/strong>) and Melman the giraffe (David Schwimmer<\/strong>) who are determined to make their way back to New York City.<\/p>\n

Leaving Africa behind, they detour to Monte Carlo on a hunt for the penguins and chimps who left had stranded them.<\/p>\n

After their pals break the bank of a Monte Carlo casino, the animals are soon discovered by dogged French animal control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois (Frances McDormand<\/strong>) who doesn\u2019t appreciate these foreigners running wild in her city and is thrilled by the idea of hunting her first lion!<\/p>\n

Once they\u2019ve surfaced, quite literally, in Europe \u2014 the Zoosters hide out in a down-and-out traveling circus where they plan to reinvent it without humans, discover a few new talents and make it home to the USA alive.<\/p>\n

For the first time in 3D, the Madagascar crew are doing death defying tricks with a wild bunch of new friends.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Both as hippo Gloria and in her many other roles, Pinkett Smith has proven to be one of the most versatile stars today, both on and off screen. She has amassed an impressive array of film and TV credits, including Hawthorne<\/strong> (the TNT medical drama that ran from 2009-2011 for which she also served as an executive producer), Reign Over Me<\/strong> (opposite Adam Sandler<\/strong> and Don Cheadle<\/strong>), and in Michael Mann<\/strong>\u2019s Collateral<\/strong> (where she had pivotal role opposite Tom Cruise<\/strong> and Jamie Foxx<\/strong>). But she\u2019s probably best known as the take-charge Niobe in the iconic sequels, Matrix Reloaded<\/strong> and Matrix Revolutions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Through her production company, 100% Womon, Pinkett Smith wrote, directed and co-starred in The Human Contract<\/a><\/strong> opposite Jason Clarke<\/strong> and Paz Vega<\/strong>. She also put pen to paper resulting in the New York Times bestseller \u201cGirls Hold Up This World<\/strong>,\u201d published in 2005.<\/p>\n

In 2010, Pinkett Smith assumed executive producer duties for the feature film The Karate Kid<\/a><\/strong>, starring her son Jaden Smith<\/strong> and was also an executive producer on The Secret Life of Bees. Together with husband Will Smith<\/strong>, she created and executive produced the CW Network\u2019s All of Us.<\/p>\n

Beyond the medium of TV and film, the Smiths have collaborated with record industry mogul Jay-Z<\/strong> to produce the Broadway musical hit Fela!<\/strong> which earned three Tony Awards.<\/p>\n

Focusing on her musical interests, Pinkett Smith became the lead singer of the rock band Wicked Wisdom<\/strong>, which opened for Britney Spears<\/strong> during her Onyx Hotel Tour. Her most recent musical project, a sensual ballad entitled \u201cBurn,\u201d was released on iTunes on Valentine\u2019s Day 2012 and was dedicated to her husband.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Born and raised in Maryland, Pinkett Smith studied dance and acting at the Baltimore School of the Arts and North Carolina School of the Arts. Her big break came when she landed a role on the long-running NBC series A Different World<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Though Madagascar 3 is her latest high-profile project, this actress\/producer\/writer is constantly developing or producing for various media including now a web series, Red Table Talk<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

How was it channeling your inner animal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Well, for the inner hippo in me — this is our third installment so it\u2019s like putting on an old jacket, shirt, or a pair of old slippers that you are very familiar with. So it\u2019s not difficult at all.<\/p>\n

Do the animators give you pointers as to how your dance moves should be or or do you have a certain strategy around your moves?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> No. I mean\u2026. You know it\u2019s funny because while we are actually recording they have a video recorder, and they are actually recording us while we are doing the voices.<\/p>\n

Whatever movements that we are doing at that time, they actually use them in the film whether it\u2019s facial expressions, actual physical movements or what have you. So that\u2019s always interesting to see their interpretation of what you\u2019ve done.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

At least they didn\u2019t make you wear the suit with all the little sensors.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Oh yeah. No, didn\u2019t have to wear that this time. That was for Matrix, but not for this.<\/p>\n

Is it easier being in a studio talking to a microphone, than it is being on set as an actress performing in a regular film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> It\u2019s not actually. It\u2019s difficult when it\u2019s just you and a microphone because you are so used to interacting with other actors. And yes, it can be challenging because you are there alone all of the time, and so you don\u2019t know\u2026 the directors tell you, \u201cOh, you know, Chris did this.\u201d Or, \u201cDavid did this, and we would love for you to try and do that.\u201d But you really don\u2019t have a reality on what it is.<\/p>\n

Chris Rock made a few comments last year about his work in animation that a black guy can play a zebra and white guy can play an Arabian prince, as well as, someone feeds you your lines and you get a million dollars. Is the process of animated film really just that easy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> It just depends on how you come and approach it. It wasn\u2019t that easy for me because I found it took me three installments to get the swing of this.<\/p>\n

Okay and because Chris is a standup comedian, he\u2019s used to being a one man show, right? I was so used to interacting with other people and didn\u2019t have a set or clothes, and you just have people telling you all of this stuff. I\u2019m like, \u201cI don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing right now, and I don\u2019t know what this is. So let me just\u2026 I\u2019m just going to give what I got.\u201d<\/p>\n

So I found it to be a very trying process because also you have to be able to reenact. Like if you see Gloria running, I actually have to run, I\u2019m screaming, my voice is hoarse and I\u2019m [heaving]. They\u2019re like, \u201cOkay we are going to save this section because after this you aren\u2019t going to be able to talk. I was like, \u201cWe will do this at the end of the session.\u201d It was like, \u201cOkay. Cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a lot of work. But for somebody like Chris he\u2019s probably like, \u201cI do this every night.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Have you seen the finishing product yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Yes.<\/p>\n

What are your favorite parts from the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>I love the bear, Sophie the bear and Sacha Baron [Cohen who voices King Julien]. That is probably the most adorable aspect of the story line to me. I just I love it. I don\u2019t get enough of it. That bear is hilarious.<\/p>\n

What did your family think of the film?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> They haven\u2019t seen it yet. They won\u2019t see it until the premiere.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So are there obligations to see each other\u2019s films when they open so near to each other like Men In Black 3?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> We try, definitely. It\u2019s like when you create that\u2019s just being part of a creative group like we are, you have to check out each other\u2019s products.<\/p>\n

So you don\u2019t worry that the kids might want to see Dad\u2019s film versus your film anything like that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Oh no. No you don\u2019t have any of that. Oh no, you don\u2019t have any of that.<\/p>\n

You recently released an episode of your web series The Red Table Talk on Mother\u2019s Day and that was so empowering.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Thank you.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A lot of what you do is empowering women. Why is that so important to you and when will the next installment happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>It\u2019s funny because it was really something that I did organically — I just wanted to offer it as a gift to women, especially mothers, for Mother\u2019s Day.<\/p>\n

I get asked a lot about how do I communicate with my daughter [Willow], and about my relationship with my mother [Adrienne Banfield-Jones] being that we\u2019ve had very humble beginnings as far as our relationship and what we have overcome. Because of Red Table Talks I am now in discussion about creating a television show. I have a couple of people coming after me for a television deal for it. And also a couple of web deals which are interesting.<\/p>\n

So I will continue it, and want to focus on issues in regards to relationships that will eventually and extend into other areas. But not just relationships in regards to familiar or even love relationships but also like we have the Human Trafficking Report is about to come out.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know if you know this, but African American women and Latino women hold the number one and number two spot as far as women who are trafficked in the United States of America. So I want to do a Red Table Talk with a fantastic beautiful woman, Rachel Lloyd, who heads the GEMS organization here in New York which works in regards to this issue.<\/p>\n

I have another special project coming out on June 19 with Salma Hayek that I\u2019m doing in Spanish with regards to that particular issue as well.<\/p>\n

I want to use Red Table Talk as a forum in which you can come and be real. It\u2019s really that simple. I think that any relationship that you have with anyone you have to be able to put it on the red table. Meaning it has to be raw. So whether you are dealing with love, with family, a social issue, or whether you are dealing with creation, it has to be raw.<\/p>\n

I think that now in this particular culture people go so hard at artists. So to be able to create a place where people and artists, can come and feel safe to just be raw and not feel that they are being attacked or stripped down. That\u2019s the only way that we can keep our authenticity as people, as human beings, to be able to keep those genuine relationships to ourselves and to whomever we are interacting with. So to me that is the reason for the red table.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s exciting. Real and raw are two very appropriate adjectives for watching it. Your openness was inspiring.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Thank you.<\/p>\n

Even watching Willow she displayed a lot of vulnerability and strength, and it was very interesting to see you interacting with her and kind of getting her to put words to her emotions. What was it like for you in that moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> I have to be honest with you, I don\u2019t know which segments you watched because there\u2019s been so many segments dispersed but there was a segment where Willow comes to the table and says, \u201cI just want to tell you how much you mean in my life.\u201d And she bursts into tears. The Red Table Talk was over, okay. And we\u2019ve gone to the other room, and she goes, \u201cMommy, I still have something that I need to put on the table.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was like, oh the lights, the guys, the technicians, had taken the lights. The cameras were down, but she was so adamant. Because you can see it\u2019s dark outside, right, versus when we started it was light, right? And I was like, \u201cI\u2019m sorry guys but we\u2019ve got to put these lights back.\u201d<\/p>\n

And she got on the table, and I didn\u2019t know what Willow was going to say. And when she started to cry I was like, you know, I was just like, \u201cOkay. Just let this flow. This is her moment. This is what she wants to express.\u201d<\/p>\n

But it was challenging because as a mother you want to go, \u201cCut. Cut it. Okay. Cut it.\u201d You know what I mean? But she wanted to come to the table, and her expression and words\u2026like the things that she said, I was in utter shock. I had no idea. I was just like\u2026and just her perspective I was just like, \u201cWillow, I never even thought about it like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

You know, so the red table for us was just as I meant to be because it was\u2026 You guys saw, it was a bowl with questions. You know what I mean?<\/p>\n

I learned more about my daughter and my mother in that day, and I think that Willow learned a heck of a lot about us. I still have probably\u2026 We were at that red table for about two and a half hours.<\/p>\n

I think we\u2019ve shared with you maybe 45 minutes of that. But she has another segment that\u2019s crazy. She has another segment that\u2019s out of sight. You know I had to just figure out when to, but she was just amazing throughout the whole thing.<\/p>\n

<\/embed><\/object><\/p>\n

How do you balance your career and raising your children? Obviously they are top notch, how do you do it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Balance?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The career and motherhood?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>It\u2019s not separate. I never stop being a mother and I never stop being an artist. You understand? Which is probably why my kids are so creative, because it\u2019s not separated. You see, when I\u2019m with my kids I\u2019m creating, and I\u2019m still a mom.<\/p>\n

And when I\u2019m creating I\u2019m still a mom. It\u2019s not like\u2026 I don\u2019t wear two different hats. My kids will be on the set with me.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one of the reasons that I had my mom on. I had that segment where my mother was on because I was breastfeeding so she had to sit on that set. Like literally, like on a chair while I\u2019m sitting up there doing karate she\u2019s sitting up in that chair with Willow in her lap and walking Willow around because she can\u2019t go anywhere because I\u2019m breastfeeding.<\/p>\n

None of my kids took a bottle. They would not take a bottle. Do you hear me? So they couldn\u2019t leave my side for a very long time.<\/p>\n

So I\u2019m sitting up there doing Kung Fu, the movie Kung Fu, but I still have to do the mommy thing. There\u2019s no separation and if I\u2019m at home with my kids and feeding them… I remember talking to Latifah and she\u2019s like, \u201cGirl I remember coming to your house and seeing you dancing in front of them kids. Feeding them kids, rapping, and signing, and all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

And I said, \u201cThat\u2019s why, that\u2019s how they got all that.\u201d<\/p>\n

I was like, \u201cThat\u2019s just what you call good genes. You know what I\u2019m saying?\u201d You get with the artist, you make artists. You know? So. Yeah.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the things about Gloria is that in all three movies she never apologizes for her appearance and how she looks. How can we use that to empower little girls as far as positive body images?<\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: That\u2019s why I love Gloria. The idea that she\u2019s a lot of girl, and she loves it. I try to give her that sass and swagger. It\u2019s not even about necessarily talking about it but sometimes just showing it, that it\u2019s about how you look at yourself and how you carry yourself.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m dealing with this issue very deeply right now in dealing with the idea of romanticism in this next video that I\u2019m doing, that comes out on June 19 in regards to human trafficking because how most women and girls get caught up in this is the dream.<\/p>\n

You get sold the dream, that whole romantic idea that you are going to find the perfect person, you are going to find the perfect situation.<\/p>\n

A lot of times it steals\u2026we give away our power in thinking that we have to look to someone else to have acceptance for who we are. And that our images of ourselves are based on how other people see us.<\/p>\n

Anytime that you do that you are going to be a very unhappy person because it varies too much. He might be happy with something that she might not be happy with. So now you are stuck in between the middle in trying to figure out, \u201cWell who am I supposed to be?\u201d versus focusing on, \u201cWho are you happy with? What are you happy with?\u201d<\/p>\n

At the end of the day what she thinks and what he believes has nothing to do with your existence. I tell you what, the moment that you understand your power and your beauty, your life changes.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When we get out of expecting him to accept you, her to accept you, or anybody else to accept you, okay because it\u2019s too varied. It\u2019s too varied. But I\u2019ll tell you what\u2019s not varied, how you feel about yourself. And if you can carry that with you, you are going to be okay.<\/p>\n

When did you understand your power and beauty?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Listen, that\u2019s something that you continue to\u2026because you learn it on so many levels. You find one aspect\u2026 I look at even my daughter Willow, and she\u2019s way ahead of the game now than I was at her age.<\/p>\n

I can only imagine who she\u2019s going to be as a 40-year-old woman because it\u2019s a journey. It\u2019s a journey. It\u2019s something that you continue. You don\u2019t get to a destination of it because the more you start to grow, and the more you start to understand, you never stop. So you never get to a place like, \u201cAh, here it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

You might get to a place like, \u201cOkay, I\u2019m finally glad to be here and be comfortable in my skin no matter what.\u201d But the lessons don\u2019t stop.<\/p>\n

You are known for balancing business and your artistic side. You have your own production companies, and take your own ideas and actualize them. How do you know what to do from this business point of view or that creative one.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Even now I\u2019ve learned how to separate art from commerce. There are certain things I do creatively for commerce and there\u2019s certain things that I don\u2019t do for commerce like my music. I don\u2019t do it for commerce at all. I just do that to be creative, so I separate that from business completely. That is strictly art creation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

And so depending on what I\u2019m trying to achieve really depends on how I will approach something from a business standpoint. It\u2019s like, \u201cOkay if I want the masses, how do I get masses of people to gravitate to this particular project?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then you have to strategize creatively, and you have to strategize business wise also, like what partnerships you create or what have you. Like Fela for instance.Jay Z came to us about that particular project. So here you have three very recognizable African-Americans that are behind this Broadway show Fela.<\/p>\n

Great show by the way.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Right. So when you look at it from a business point of view, for us that\u2019s something that we did creatively and something that we did for business as well.<\/p>\n

We joined forces and I have to say one of the things that I love about Jay Z, and love about the relationship that I have with him business-wise, I think Roc Nation and Overbrook Entertainment [Will\u2019s company] are maybe the only two African-American entertainment groups that I know of that merge together all the time, on all kinds of different projects — and we have such wonderful success.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m hoping that, that will set an example for African-Americans. We don\u2019t always have to be in competition.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more power in numbers. That goes for everybody, not just African-Americans. That goes across the board for everybody. Everybody just want to have\u2026just be a law. Forget about the power of the groups.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ve learned that over the years that to really be able to create alliances on a business side to encourage growth and prosperity on the whole for everybody.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

With the summertime coming up who are some of your favorite artists that you are listening to on your IPod?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith:<\/strong> Oh my gosh. Who am I listening to right now? Probably not many people you would recognize because I like a lot of\u2026. You know I\u2019m a metal head. I like a lot of metal music.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s really what I listen to a lot. Or off the cuff, I listen to a lot of\u2026 I love artists like Santigold or GoldFrapp. Yeah. And Pelican. That\u2019s kind of where I\u2019m at right now. And I like a lot of old Police. A lot of throwbacks. What else am I listening to?<\/p>\n

A Police song like \u201cRoxanne\u201d would seem appropriate of course with the Sex Trafficking issue in mind.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Yeah. Of course. Of course. Of course.<\/p>\n

A lot of people have been vocal about negative images on reality TV particularly with Basketball Wives and the Housewives. People like Star Jones and even Nicki Minaj have come forward saying how negative they are. As a mother, and as someone who is in the industry, what do you think about these shows?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong>Jada Pinkett Smith: <\/strong>Listen, I think there\u2019s room for everything. You know? I think there\u2019s room for everything, and I think what we have to focus on is balancing. I don\u2019t think we have to focus on, you know, listen everybody is trying to create.<\/p>\n

Everybody is trying to make a living. Don\u2019t be mad, don\u2019t come down on them. Talk to the people that are actually putting these shows on and ask them to balance it out. It\u2019s not that those shows shouldn\u2019t exist. It\u2019s not about coming down on people.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just about creating a balance. But also as a community, we have to be more responsible about what we are willing to watch. Now how about that? Okay? And that\u2019s really\u2026that\u2019s what people really don\u2019t want to talk about.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m going to tell you something. It\u2019s not that people try to put on programming for us that\u2019s varied. It\u2019s not that people don\u2019t try to create movies for us that are varied.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll tell you what, people we need to be more responsible about what we are going to see. Because people only create what we are going to watch. So don\u2019t you come down on them. Folks need to be looking.<\/p>\n

Take responsibility about what you have you have on your TV and about what you are out there supporting. People need to check their own individual selves on that one.<\/p>\n

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