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A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 29 december 2022
‘The Best Man’ wraps up storylines with new Peacock series

By ALICIA RANCILIO weaves a tangled web, the
Associated Press catalyst for drama in each
When the film “The Best iteration of “The Best Man”
Man” was released in 1999, is Harper’s novel, “Unfin-
featuring a cast of young, ished Business.” Inspired by
up-and-coming, attrac- his friend group, the book
tive Black actors including reveals some explosive se-
Taye Diggs, Nia Long and crets, including how Harp-
Terrence Howard, it wasn’t er once had a one-night
just a box office hit but stand with his best friend
also a fresh perspective on Lance (Morris Chestnut’s)
film, following the ups and fiancee.
downs of friendship, ca- In “The Best Man Holiday,”
reers and love through the Lance is still bitter about
lens of young Black profes- revelations from the book.
sionals. In the series, Harper could
“I remember reading that This image released by Peacock shows Terrence Howard, from left, Taye Diggs, Harold Perrineau see “Unfinished Business”
script and feeling, ‘Oh, and Morris Chestnut in a scene from “The Best Man: The Final Chapters.” made into a film. He wants
this is something I’ve never Associated Press to get in front of any po-
seen before. Black people on Peacock called “The tive. But to be honest, I that.” tential drama and get his
represented in this way,’” Best Man: The Final Chap- would have enjoyed any To transition to television friends’ blessing for the
recalled Diggs, who plays ters.” iteration of it. I would have Lee tapped “Insecure” project, and what better
Harper, a successful author. Originally Lee envisioned enjoyed it as a film. writer and executive pro- time to ask than at a des-
“I had never seen a project possibly two more films to “For me, it’s just the char- ducer Dayna Lynne North tination wedding for their
where I saw myself.” tie up the stories, but he acters and being honest to be co-showrunner. friend Quentin (Terrence
Morris Chestnut, however, says with a series, there’s to those relationships that “I’ve been a fan of the fran- Howard.)
says at the time he was just more real estate for story- they have and the love chise for my whole adult Lee calls Harper’s book
thankful for the work and telling. He used some of they have for each other life. I liken it to going from “the magic prop.”
everything that came after his ideas for movie sequels and their trials and tribu- being in the stands, watch- “I was very strategic in the
is a welcome bonus. in the show and enjoyed lations.” More time was a ing your favorite team, to first ‘Best Man’ with trying to
“As an actor, you’re glad to being able to stretch that welcome idea for Melissa LeBron (James) or some- create something that was
just get a job. You want to further and find additional De Sousa, who wanted her body being like, ‘Hey, you, a hot button thing. I called
work. You want to get a job stories for the characters. role of Shelby, a bossy real- fan. You want to come it a magic prop because
that pays,” he said. “Start- “You get a little bit more ity TV star, to be fleshed out. down and play with us, you it kept on getting passed
ing out, you do things that time to just expand on their “Not only was it necessary, know what I mean?’ That’s around to the friends and
no one ever sees. I had no story and dig deeper into it was requested. I said, ‘Lis- really what it felt like,” said then it got into the wrong
idea it would still be around their home life, their career ten, if we’re going to do North. “It felt like going hands.
to this day.” life, their personal struggles this, it can’t be the same from my cheap seats to “The ‘Unfinished Business’
Director, writer Malcom D. and triumphs. (The films) thing over and over. You down on the field. .. It’s re- book certainly is causing
Lee reunited the cast for a were the impetus, but it have to see all sides of her. ally been an honor and su- drama this time around as
2013 sequel “The Best Man grew into something else.” You have to show why she per fun because I’ve loved well. Even though it’s not
Holiday” which was also a Regina Hall says the series is the way she is. You have these characters from the what the series is about,
success. Now, he’s wrap- gives each character an to see a real woman with moment that I met them.” it’s about these folks and
ping up the story with an arc “as opposed to feed- emotions and struggles, While each character in about their relationships,
eight-episode limited series ing one story, the collec- and fears,’ and they did “The Best Man” franchise but it’s a good engine.”q

Princeton University plans Toni Morrison

tribute in 2023

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — A through manuscripts, corre- work and practice.
monthslong Toni Morrison spondence between her- But I also wanted to show
tribute at Princeton Univer- self and other Black wom- how this archive in par-
sity, where the Nobel laure- en, photographs, maps ticular is a site that opens
ate taught for 17 years, will she drew while working on up new lines of inquiry and
range from music created her acclaimed novel “Be- inspires new kinds of col-
and performed by Gram- loved,” rare drafts of her laboration,” said curator
my-winning vocalist Cécile novel “Song of Solomon” Autumn Womack, assistant
McLorin Salvant to a spring and various unfinished proj- professor of English and Af-
lecture series and three- ects. The exhibit runs at the rican American Studies at
day symposium featuring Princeton University Library Princeton, in a statement
author Edwidge Danticat, from Feb. 22 to June 4. released Wednesday.
among others. The tribute “In imagining this initiative Morrison, who died in 2019

will center on “Toni Mor- from exhibition to sympo- at age 88, was also known
rison: Sites of Memory,” sium to partner projects I for such novels as “Sula,”
American Nobel laureate and “Beloved” author Toni Morrison an exhibition drawn from wanted to show the im- “The Bluest Eye” and “Jazz.”
smiles during a news conference at the Louvre Museum in Paris, her archives that will ex- portance of the archive to She won the Nobel Prize for
Nov. 8, 2006. plore her creative process understanding Morrison’s literature in 1993.q
Associated Press