NEWS

This interview was conducted by J. Michael Carr Jr. for A New Way Media on December 20, 2006. A New Way Media sat with actor Brian J. White, co-star of Stomp the Yard, due to be released nationwide on January 12th, 2007. You can see White in Brick (2005), Mr. 3000 (2004), Trois 3: The Escort (2004), and The Lone Ranger (2003).

ANWM - Tell me about your new film, Stomp The Yard, and the character you portray?

BW - Stomp The Yard is a history lesson. The film encapsulates the kind of character building moments that have occurred for many students on the campuses of historically black colleges over the years. Stomp The Yard is a coming of age story, about a young man from Los Angeles, CA who learns valuable life lessons through his experiences at Truth university in Atlanta, GA. DJ (Columbus Short), the main character of the movie, is the student of this history lesson. At the end of the lesson, DJ gains a sense of family and brotherhood through the good-hearted people he encounters. Through a newly discovered self awareness, he develops a means to effectively communicate and express himself.

The character I play, Sylvester, is the Theta Nu Theta fraternity president and step team captain, who starts off as DJ’s antagonist. In my opinion, our fictional fraternity is loosely the personification of the oldest of the divine nine, Alpha Phi Alpha, which exemplifies the ideals of unity, strong personal character and brotherhood held by famous Alpha’s such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Initially, Sylvester doesn’t feel as if DJ’s motives for wanting to join his frat are authentic so a series of events have to occur before he trusts DJ.

ANWM - What interested you in the project? Was it your own college experience, the character, or the script?

BW - From my own experience, I learned that college was about a lot more than athletic and parties. When my professional sports career was cut short by an injury and I couldn’t play anymore, it made me look at life differently. It made me look at the big picture. But most of all, it made me thankful I had not taken my time at Dartmouth College for granted.

Even though this picture takes place on the campus of a historically black college, it is a universal story about understanding your place in life and the challenges we all must overcome. My character is very similar to my own life. I’m an older brother and a mentor. And like my character, Sylvester, I’ve learned to walk softly but to carry a big stick. My inspiration for this character was Larry Fishburne’s character, Dap, from School Daze.

However, I think what attracted me to this project the most was the opportunity to work again with Sylvain White, who I believe to be one of the most talented Hollywood directors making movies now. He is black, but originally from France so he doesn’t see American society and race relations the same as a lot of directors I have encounter thus far in my career. The stories he tells come from a place of universal struggle and not necessarily from the racial divide that dominates us here in America. The lesson I hope the audience walks away with from the movie is our sum, as a people, can be far greater than our individual parts.

Also, the movie allowed me to showcase some of my dance skills for the first time in a film.

ANWM - Was there a strong B-boy influence on the dancing in the movie?

BW - Yes. Absolutely. We were looking to walk the line between cutting edge and traditional Greek steppin’. David Scott from You Got Served and Jesus “Chuck” Moldinado, who is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Inc. were the choreographers for the dance sequences. The director, Sylvain White wanted to showcase the evolution of steppin’. Bring it into the new millennium and also make it exciting and interesting to the youth and “mainstream” America who may not already be familiar with it.

ANWM- Was it easy for you to incorporate your dance background into Greek steppin'?

BW - Steppin’ is no joke! In fact, it was harder than dancing. Dancing breaks down movements by count and is less abstract for my brain and body to absorb. Steppin’ is syncopated and it took me awhile to get the hang of it.

First, the two rival fraternities in the movie had to attend a 4 week boot camp in Atlanta, GA to learn all the different styles of modern dance like clownin, foot-working, crump, etc. We wanted the true fans of these dance styles to say that the dance scenes were “BUCC” because then we would know we had captured something authentic. So, as our final test, we had to step on the quads at the center of the historically black colleges - Morehouse, Spellman, Clark, and Morris Brown. If we made it pass their criteria, we knew we had nailed it. FYI, all the stepping in the film is performed by the actual cast members themselves. We had no stunt doubles. No trick photography! It was all us and all real.

ANWM - I noticed you have been in at least three ensemble casts. Do you prefer to work with a large body of actors/actresses or a small cast?

BW - I like to work with great talent, period. It inspires me to do my best work. I select projects based on the character first. Is this a character I’ve never played before? I thrive to work in different genres. To me, art is about challenging myself. My secondary goal, by virtue of being a black man is always to represent a positive image of African-Americans to mainstream America like my cinema heroes, Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, and Will Smith.

ANMW- Since we last spoke, you have co-founded a production company, White LLC? Do you like the business aspect of Hollywood more than acting?

BW - The power in Hollywood is in producing. If you have your own cameras, then you can put what you want in front of them. Owning a production company doesn’t replace acting, but it helps me have some say in what projects I want to participate in and how those stories are told.

ANWM - Tell me about the second company you co-founded this past year, White & White Inc.?

BW - That is strictly my mom and I. My mother is my hero. She is my single greatest influence on my charitable work. Through her, I have realized what a productive and positive influence I can have on children and future generations. So we created this company to try and seek out opportunities to do just that.

ANWM - What were your favorite R&B and Hip Hop cds for 2006?

BW - The six cd’s in my changer are currently: Raul Midon, Jay-Z, Esthero, Nas, The Dave Matthews Band, and Remy Shand.

ANWM - With philanthropy, producing, and acting, what does Brian do for fun?

BW - I play basketball in the NBA Entertainment League, which is a great way to burn off energy. I love camping. Recently, I’ve become very fond of traveling oversees. I’ve gotten to see China, Canada, and have a trip planned over the holidays with my family to Europe.

ANWM - What should we expect from Brian White in 2007?

BW - Like Jay-Z says, “Expect everything, but earn and deserve it”.

For more Information about Brian White, please visit www.BRIANWHITEONLINE.com and www.stomptheyard.com. Stomp The Yard will be in theatres on January 12th, 2007.

By A New Way Media
The mission of A New Way Media is to promote family values, civic responsibility, and social leadership by displaying positive images of the hip hop culture through local, national, and international media outlets.

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