Page 30 - Florida Sentinel 12-20-19

Entertainment
André 3000 Says A New
Orlando Jones Ponders Legal Action Over ‘American Gods’ Firing
After two seasons as trick- ster god Anansi, aka Mr. Nancy, on the Fremantle- produced show based on Neil Gaiman’s acclaimed 2001 novel, and one troubled season as a writer and pro- ducer, Jones took to social media this weekend to say he was suddenly fired from the series in September as it pre- pared to go into production for Season 3.
“This white man sits in that decision-making chair and I’m sure he has many black bffs who are his advi- sors and made it clear to him that if he did not get rid of that angry god Mr. Nancy he’d start a Denmark Vesey uprising in this country,” the Sleepy Hollow alum claimed in a video posted on Decem-
ORLANDO JONES
ber 14, aimed at new showrunner Charles “Chic” Eglee without ever actually mentioning the Walking Dead veteran by name. “I mean, what else could it be?”
“I’m really trying to do my level best to create an envi- ronment for the future, be- cause there are plenty of folks who are going to come be- hind me with that company who are going to experience the same thing that I experi- enced,” Orlando Jones says of his decision to go pub- lic a few days ago with what he calls his firing from the Starz drama American Gods by producers Fremantle. “Hopefully, they’ll just do their business practices right moving forward and not do what they did to me, which is take work out of my family’s pocket and then call me an a**hole for posting a video in December for some sh*t they’ve probably known way before September.”
Speaking on a female em- powerment and inclusivity panel at the launch of her hol- iday collection with New York & Company, Gabrielle Union alluded to her firing from “America’s Got Talent.” While she did not specifically call out the NBC series, Union’s comments marked the first time since her departure from the show that she ad- dressed workplace inequalities in a public forum.
Giving advice on being a leader in the workplace, Union said, “Don’t be the happy negro that does the bid- ding of the status quo because you’re afraid. Don’t allow them to call you angry when some- one else is called passionate. It’s terrifying. There’s a solid chance you’ll lose your job ... I
Speaking to the media crowd, alongside Hannah Bronfman, stylist Solange Franklin, model and activist Ebonee Davis and co- founder of Plus Model Mag Maddy Jones on a panel ti- tled Power of Inclusivity and the Women Leading the Charge, held at Ladurée in SoHo, Manhattan, Union ex- plained her thought-process when she is making personal career decisions: “How many checks do I need? This finan- cial freedom, they’re shackles, masquerading as zeros in my bank account.”
“There are a lot of people who are only interested in fill- ing their own plate,” Union continued. “I can’t enjoy my food if everyone else is starv- ing.”
Fans have been waiting for a new André 3000 project, whether solo or with his pio- neering hip-hop act Outkast, for years. But in a new inter- view for the Broken Record podcast, the artist born André Benjamin told Rick Rubin that for personal reasons, he's been unable to get started on a new album. “I’d like to, but it’s just not coming,” he said.
"I haven't been making much music, man" Benjamin told Rubin around 13:35 into the podcast. "My focus is not there, my confidence is not there." Benjamin goes on to elaborate on how his massive success has actually hobbled his creative drive: "Once the attention is on that world, the world goes away."
The release of one-off solo songs and the occasional fea- ture hasn't helped, either: "Any little thing I put out... people
ANDRE 3000
nitpick it with a fine-tooth comb. 'Oh, he said that word!' And that's not a great place to create from. And it makes you draw back."
Album Isn’t Coming, Explains
How Fame Has Killed His
Creative Drive
Gabrielle Union: ‘Don’t Be The Happy Negro That Does The Bidding Of The Status Quo’
GABRIELLE UNION
speak from experience,” she quipped, though never men- tioning “America’s Got Tal- ent.”
Saturday Night Live will welcome comedian/movie star Eddie Murphy on Sat- urday, Dec. 21. The musical guest will be singer Lizzo.
Murphy's SNL appearance will be particularly special be- cause it'll be the comedian's first time appearing on the show in 35 years, after being an official cast member from 1980 to 1984. Since leaving SNL, Murphy's starred in classic films like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America, and he recently appeared in the Netflix comedy Dolemite Is My Name.
After 35 Years, Eddie
Murphy Is Returning To Host SNL Saturday
EDDIE MURPHY
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