Sanaa Lathan revealed that she was originally asked to play a different role in The Best Man.
Subscribe to Shadow and Act’s Opening Act podcast here.
According to the Atlanta Black Star, Lathan, who played the co-lead Robin in the film, was originally brought in to audition for the role of college student and stripper Candy, played by Regina Hall. While on the podcast Jemele Hill Is Unbothered, she said how she realized Candy was too far out of her comfort zone.
“It was actually a good kind of like…stepping into your worst lesson for me because I really just responded to Robyn more and I remember asking them could I adution for Robin, and then they said yes,” she said. She added that even though she was a new actor at the time without a lot of clout in the industry, she still felt she could shoot for the role she actually wanted to play.
“…[T]here’s so many rules when you’re first getting into the business, you have to do it this way and that was not a thing that I knew was possible,” she continued. “So [asking for Robin] was great and then I got the part, and loved her. She had so much of me,” she said, adding how both she and Robyn are a “little hippie.”
Another of Lathan’s iconic roles came from Love & Basketball. Lathan has commented in August how fans might not be able to see a sequel to Love & Basketball anytime soon.
“Gina Prince-Bythewood would never want to do that. We’ve talked about it. Gina’s response was ‘no’,” she said to Elle as reported by Shadow And Act. “The imaginations of the audience will have to decide what happens to Monica and Quincy.
Lathan is currently starring in Netflix series Hit & Run. She is also starring in the third season of HBO’s Succession.
