(CelebNMusic247-News) David Banner Gives Impressive Performance In The Butler
David Banner acting gets better everytime we seee him on the big screen. The Jackson Mississippi native, born Lavell William Crump gave one of his best performances yet in The Butler.
Banner, most known for crafting radio-friendly singles “Like A Pimp,” “Get Like Me” And “Play”—may not exactly fit in with the likes of Oprah and Mariah, the Southern star has been patiently making a case for himself as a legitimate actor!
Friend in our head, David is a man of many talents, his rap skills superb, his producing top notch and his acting increasing to greatness. David Banner made his debut in 2007?s Black Snake Moan. Since then, he’s gone on to work with the likes of Idris Elba, Al Pacino and Mekhi Phifer, and is currently gearing up to release his own short film, titled Walking With God.
Recently David spoke with XXL about race and his role in The Butler. The hip hop star with the political mindset to fight against racism, profiling, and corruption in politics had this to say when asked about his role in the Oscar worthy film.
On being approached for this movie, and why you wanted to be a part of it:
“My agent came to me about it. Lately I’ve been very particular with the things I’ve been a part of, so when I initially heard about The Butler, I was hesitant because of a lot of the things I’ve been seeing in the press, as it pertains to black people. A lot of movies just had an overload of subservient roles for black people. It was a lot of “Nigga this,” “Nigga that,” “Nigga, nigga, nigga.” And you know, regardless of whether I can control that or not, I can definitely control what I’m a part of and what my brand is a part of. But I had an opportunity to meet Lee Daniels and his sister when I auditioned for the Martin Luther King movie which never came into fruition. So I met them earlier, and I ended up getting a chance to read the script and I was really impressed with the script, and they were impressed with me.”
How the script grabbed you initially:
“What grabbed me was that this individual went from sharecropping to being honored by President Obama. Imaginebeing able to live that long. We’re not even talking about the different attitudes that he had to deal with as a butler in the White House… You know, think about the difference between working for Kennedy and Reagan. And we’re not talking about everything in between. The movie is a reflection of what our people have gone through, historically. And I think it’s important right now. Even the things that people may not like, it’ll raise discussions that need to be raised in our communities right now. I think the thing I’m proudest of with this film is that [it starts those conversations], but it’s not in a way that’s all fire and brimstone. There’s a lot of funny aspects that help brighten up the horrible conditions that our people have gone through in America.”
On the funny moments make the film more accessible and easier to swallow:
“Yeah, but I don’t think it does it for the sake of comedy. I don’t care what situation you go through, you find onemoment. I remember my friends in Jackson, Mississippi got ran over. They were pushing a cart out in the street, and they all ended up getting hit. One of the dudes lost his leg, and while they were on the ground bleeding he looked over and said, “Damn, the day started out good, didn’t it?” [Laughs] If you can find joy in a moment like that… There has to be breaks in the learning process.”
On The Butler winning the box office two weeks in a row:
“It’s amazing that something of substance is doing so well. It breaks all of the norms when it comes to entertainment. It’s a motivating factor for young filmmakers. People wanted something positive. It’s an overload of negative things. It’s great for something as positive as this to do as well as it’s doing. We all know how Hollywood can be. They follow whatever is hot and where the money is being made. We made something positive hot.”
On being involved in a film with Forrest Whitaker and Oprah:
“Forrest and I did a movie called The Experiment together. It was amazing just to be able to work with him and watch his evolution. Before The Butler was released, Forrest produced Fruitvale Station. For him to be a part of two great pieces of work at the same time is amazing to me. As far as Oprah Winfrey is concerned, people from all around the world will check out this movie because she is a part of it. To be able to be exposed to that level internationally is amazing.”
Your growth as an artist as an actor:
“A friend gave me one of the greatest compliments. He said,’People who come from where we come from, they don’t get to see hope. To see you on that screen is motivation to other black men who come from the same surroundings.’ People know the old the Banner. For me to be able to transcend that, it gives other black men, black women, and people who come from small towns to be able to break that mold. It helps me grow as a motivator and to be a server to my people more than anything.”
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