Books
Magazine Love: Oprah, Michael B. Jordan, Forest Whitaker, and Chiwetel Ojiofor Cover Essence for the March 2014 Hollywood Issue!
3/06/2014 12:15:00 AM
Essence had some of the top African American actors of 2013 on the cover of their March 2014 Hollywood Issue. 2013 was the year for Black Film. Although movies like Fruitvale Station and Lee Daniels' The Butler lost steam toward the end, films like 12 Years a Slave pushed through and became the Picture of the Year at the Oscars. Each movie represented and told the true stories of black America (each from a different era and point of view) they all depicted: the struggle, hatred, racism and that is and was plaguing our society along with the will to rise above it.
The strong portrayal of each character in these powerful moving films were what captivated audiences. Michael B. Jordan the youngest of the stars on the cover of Essence magazine starred in Fruitvale Station as Oscar Grant, III, a 22 year old who was shot dead in a train station. In the film it laid out all the events that happened to Oscar that day including his untimely death. Oprah Winfrey and Forest Whitaker starred in Lee Daniels' The Butler as Cecil and Gloria Gaines. The film was about a man and his wife/family who became the butler to the White House and served 8 presidents throughout the civil rights movement and Vietnam. It also depicted his struggle with his family and the complications that came with being a butler to President. Chitiwel Ojiofor starred in 12 Years a Slave as Solomon Northup a man born free from upstate New York that was kidnapped and sold into slavery for 12 years.
Each film had a special place in black film, history and 2013. Careers were made and solidified by the solid performances given by each actor and actress. Congratulations to everyone who worked on these films in terms of production and performance. You presented the world with a piece of art that will be forever praised.
On the cover Oprah looks stunning in her frilly long gown and the guys well they're all good looking guys with tailored suits and big smiles. Gotta love that! Congrats to everyone who had a bang up year with their ground breaking movies. I can't wait to what else your capable of!
Go pick up your copy of Essence Magazine read how the actors felt about 2013 and their impact on the film industry. FYI: Lupita Nyong'o makes an appearance in this months issue speaking on her self-image and how she overcame bullies and her own insecurities!
Here's a sneak peek:
“I remember a time when I too felt unbeautiful. I put on the TV and only saw pale skin; I got teased and taunted about my night-shaded skin. … And when I was a teenager my self-hate grew worse, as you can imagine happens with adolescence. My mother reminded me often that she thought that I was beautiful, but that was no [consolation], she’s my mother, of course she’s supposed to think I am beautiful. And then…Alek Wek. A celebrated model, she was dark as night, she was on all of the runways and in every magazine and everyone was talking about how beautiful she was. Even Oprah called her beautiful and that made it a fact. I couldn’t believe that people were embracing a woman who looked so much like me, as beautiful. My complexion had always been an obstacle to overcome and all of a sudden Oprah was telling me it wasn’t.”
Take a Look at What They Had to Say About The Issue:
Source: Essence
0 comments