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January 2006
Dreamgirls: An Interview with Beyonce Knowles

Dreamgirls Preview: An Interview with Beyonce Knowles

By Wilson Morales

Beyonce talks about playing "Deena"

January 29, 2006

While in Los Angeles to promote her latest film, "The Pink Panther", Beyonce Knowles spoke extensively about her upcoming role as Deena in the highly anticipated film of the year, "Dreamgirls", which just started shooting in Los Angeles.


Will "Dreamgirls" be the biggest thing you would have done as an actress? Is it going to change a lot from what was on stage?

Beyonce Knowles: Definitely. I am so excited about it, I can't even talk. I'm shaking cause I'm so happy. I've been hearing about Dreamgirls since I was 15. I have never seen it because I was born the year it was Broadway, but I have seen the bootleg tape of it. I've been hearing about Deena and everything about her because my choreographer is obsessed with her and when they told me they were doing this movie, I was like, "Oh, my God. I have to have this movie." At first they weren't sure if I can play the part because I haven't done anything like it on film. I knew I could do it. I just never had a chance to do it. I got the movie and I'm so excited because I'm proud of myself and I get to play a character with range and I'm 16 in the beginning and I grow up to be 36. And there's nothing glamorous about Deena, and she kinda butterflies into this diva. I have dramatic scenes and emotional scenes and very funny scenes, and there are all these colors. I'm so excited cause people will see me act for the very first time.


How's working with Director Bill Condon?

Beyonce: Bill Condon is so good. He knows so much and is so detailed oriented. Before we even started, we had 2 months to rehearse, which I've never experienced anything like that. This allowed me and the other ladies to really bond and we have such a great chemistry together and it's real, even off-screen. We do crazy things that friends do. We're all so excited to be there, we're just like, "Is this real? Are we in this film?" In storyboards, he had the movie already shot. I've never seen anything like that. He took all of our screen test and put all of voices to the storyboards, and we could already see the movie before it's shot. Everything is just perfect.


What made you think you could do this now? Why didn't you think you could do it before?

Beyonce: Every movie I do, I learn a little bit more and going on auditions and not getting some movies and getting some movies and having more life experiences and having a couple of acting classes, I realized that I am actor and I can really do this right.


Is Deeena you?

Beyonce: No, but I have a lot of similarities. I started off in a group. I'm very ambitious. There was something about me since a little girl that was just different.


What was the name of that first group?

Beyonce: "Girls Time" with a Y.


Would you do this on Broadway?

Beyonce: Yeah, I would love to do Broadway.


In "Dreamgirls" the emphasis has often been on poor Effie, poor overweight Effie and she seems to get a lot of the attention. You're thrilled to be doing "Deena". Do you see if there's any competition between you and Jennifer Hudson in this movie?

Beyonce: Not at all. First of all, she is so sweet and one of the nicest people. It's her first movie. Imagine someone, and this is their first movie, "Dreamgirls". How blessed is she?

Beyonce: She is so excited and I have chill bones now just talking about it. She is so grateful and I am so grateful and we give each other advice, and we help each other. We change the lines or whatever, because we all want this to be great. The funny thing about "Dreamgirls" is that song "And I am telling you I'm not going" is so wonderful. Everyone who wanted to play Deena before wanted to be Deena and sing that song, but it's impossible. I'm a little jealous cause I do love that song. But we help each other and happy to here.


 

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