Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Wednesday 14 March 2018
Affleck, Damon's production company to adopt inclusion rider

By LINDSEY BAHR entertainment industry with production teams.
AP Film Writer Annenberg's guidance But when Pearl Street an-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Promi- for nearly two years after nounced their adoption
nent producers and celeb- Damon and his show "Proj- of the concept Monday,
rities like Matt Damon, Ben ect Greenlight" became some on social media
Affleck and Paul Feig are embroiled a controversy scoffed. Both Damon and
jumping on the inclusion over the show's choice to Affleck have in the past
rider bandwagon following spotlight a film by a white, five months faced public
Frances McDormand's best male director. During the scrutiny for either com-
actress Oscar acceptance production, he clashed ments, in Damon's case,
speech. Fanshen Cox Di- with producer Effie Brown or alleged past behavior,
Giovanni said late Mon- in a conversation that was in Affleck's, in the #MeToo
day on Twitter that Damon perceived to be racially in- era and to some are em-
and Affleck's production sensitive. In response to an blematic of an outmoded
company Pearl Street Films outcry for more diversity, entertainment industry.
would be adopting the in- Damon told The Associ- Others called it a step in
clusion rider in conjunction In this Aug. 10, 2015 file photo, Ben Affleck, left, and Matt Damon ated Press in July 2016 that the right direction.
with USC's Annenberg In- attend the "Project Greenlight" premiere of "The Leisure Class" in an idea they were explor- And not all companies
clusion Initiative . Los Angeles. Damon, Ben Affleck and Paul Feig are jumping on ing was putting clauses in are jumping to embrace
Early Tuesday, "Brides- the inclusion rider bandwagon following Frances McDormand’s contracts to promote more the practice of institut-
Oscar acceptance speech.
maids" director Paul Feig Associated Press inclusive hiring — in what ing inclusion riders. Netflix
followed suit saying on appears to be an early CEO Reed Hastings said
Twitter that his company cept after the Oscars for employment attorney Kal- precursor to the inclusion last week that his compa-
is also going forward with his company Outlier Soci- pana Kotagal. Pearl Street rider. That was around the ny is, "Trying to do things
the inclusion rider for all film ety, which is developing a Films has been working time when J.J. Abrams and creatively" and not just
and television productions. sci-fi series for Netflix and toward addressing the cri- Ryan Murphy began ac- through "agreements," USA
Feig thanked Stacy L. other projects. sis of representation in the tively trying to diversify their Today reported.q
Smith, the director of USC McDormand brought new
Annenberg's Media, Diver- attention to contract ad- Rapper Big Boi takes
sity & Social Change Initia- dendums requiring studios
tive, for her "guidance and to hire a diverse crew and aim at more TV, film projects
inspiration." "We challenge cast for a project at the
other companies and stu- Oscars on March 4. The An-
dios to do the same," Feig nenberg Inclusion Initiative By JONATHAN LANDRUM
wrote. "Black Panther" ac- explained the concept in Jr.,
tor Michael B. Jordan was a December 2017 paper, Associated Press
one of the first to lend his crediting Smith as hav- ATLANTA (AP) — Big Boi
public support to the con- ing crafted the rider with has never taken an act-
ing class, but he's still find-
ing ways to land roles
thanks to his upbringing.
"From uncles and aunties,
hustlers, pimps and push-
ers, I've sucked up game
since a tender age," he
said in a recent interview.
"I tried to mimic and ab-
sorb how they were. I re-
enacted a lot. But it really In this March 15, 2016 file photo, Big Boi performs at the South
didn't hit me until Ving by Southwest Interactive Festival in Austin, Texas.
Rhames told my moms, Associated Press
when I did 'Idlewild,' that cruit. The rapper said he ing rap duo OutKast. Along
I had acting chops and I can relate to his character with Andre 3000, the group
should pursue it." since his son, Cross Patton, won six Grammys and
Big Boi has starred in sev- is a heavily recruited high churned out six platinum-
eral films including the school football player who plus albums, including their
OutKast movie "Idlewild," was offered a scholarship "Speakerboxxx/The Love
''ATL" and "Who's Your at the University of South- Below," which sold over 10
Caddy," and he's looking ern California. million copies.
to focus on more televi- Big Boi said he's not as As a solo artist, Big Boi has
sion and film projects. brash as his TV show char- been able to hold his own.
The Atlanta-based rap- acter. He's released three studio
per has already landed "I'm going to games, be- albums including his criti-
a recurring role on BET's ing that athlete-father-par- cally acclaimed "Boomi-
"The Quad" and is in the ent," he said. "I just pulled verse," which was released
process of filming his part from my everyday life. But last year.
for "Super Fly," a remake I'm not obnoxious in real He also collaborated with
of the 1970s cult classic. life. In this role, I had to ac- Danger Mouse and Run
On "The Quad," which tually bring out that obnox- the Jewels on "Chase Me,"
airs Tuesday, Big Boi plays iousness." a Grammy-nominated
the highly-opinionated Big Boi is best known as song from the "Baby Driver"
father of a new top re- half of the groundbreak- soundtrack.q