Lonette McKee has enjoyed a film career spanning more than 30 years, and she has no plans of slowing down now. The actress who has starred in films including Jungle Fever, He Got Game, Malcolm X, and Men of Honor is next slated to appear alongside rapper/actor Common in Luv, which hits theaters in January.
McKee is also an accomplished musician and started out in the entertainment industry writing music, singing and playing the piano. In 1976 she had her film debut staring as Sister in the cult-classic Sparkle, where she performed the film’s hits with Irene Cara and Dwan Smith.
Tomorrow, McKee takes the stage at Aaron Davis Hall in New York City for her illustrious one-night concert, A Night to Remember. She spoke to theGrio while preparing for her performance, weighing in on this year’s remake of Sparkle and assessing the current state of black actors and filmmakers in Hollywood.
McKee, who has written seven of her own screenplays and appeared in three of Spike Lee’s films, defended the director’s recent body of work and the poor reception some of his films, like Red Hook Summer and Miracle at St. Anna, received at the box office.
“The very real issue is that we are living in a racist society and this country does not like black folks,” McKee said. “He’s [Spike Lee] been an outspoken advocate for black folks and the white people with the money don’t like it.”
theGrio: What did you think of the Sparkle remake? Did you get a chance to see it?
McKee: Yeah, I thought it was wonderful. And I thought that it was such a beautiful tribute to all of us who were a part of the original. I think we have to feel honored when young, intelligent, creative producers, writers and directors deem something that we’ve been a part of worthy of remaking. I think that’s really significant and I think we have to have gratitude for that.
Did Whitney Houston or any of the film’s producers ever reach out to you for your input, or to ask you to make an appearance in the new version of Sparkle?
No she didn’t… But I think that their concept for the film was to not include in any way the original people, and I think that was a smart move. I think it would have been a little over the top to have any of the original cast members, and it would have made the new cast members a little uncomfortable to have the originals around. They didn’t reach out to me, and I don’t resent it in any way.
I spoke to Spike Lee recently about his film Red Hook Summer, and one of the questions I asked him was, why does he think his more recent films didn’t generate the same level of box office success as some of his earlier work? Some of which you starred in. Why do you think his most recent movies didn’t have the same success as his earlier films? Do you think Spike Lee has peaked as a director?
No I don’t. And I think that has everything to do with marketing and promotion. I think that Spike has been a very outspoken advocate for rights of black folks. He broke the glass ceiling and he’s never been a brown-noser. He’s never been able to suck up to white people and I think he tells them like it is, and a lot of them don’t like it. So when he goes to these big white powers to do his films, I think that they give him a bad deal in terms of marketing and promoting. If they pump the marketing money into what you are doing, you will peak again. He’s been an outspoken advocate for black folks and the white people with the money don’t like it.
You having been trying to cut your teeth as a director. Talk to me about your directorial efforts.
I am working on a project now called Dream Street, a screenplay I’ve written. It’s about a group of people who all at one time were very successful in the entertainment industry, but because of life and hard time[s] and finding themselves on the fringes of society, they’ve lost their dreams.
It’s been a struggle raising the money for my projects. The very real issue is that we are living in a racist society and this country does not like black folks; Hollywood is racist….So a white girl straight out of film school can go and get five or $10 million dollars to do her movie, and I’m still struggling to find finance for mine.
The entertainment industry is merely a reflection of societal issues. It’s not really entertainment, it’s really just mirroring what is happening in life, and as long as we’re living in a racist society it’s going to difficult for filmmakers like Spike and me to get our project done because we don’t make fluff.
I recently watch The Women of Brewster Place, where you played a lesbian character, which was groundbreaking 20 years ago. Do you think Hollywood has progressed with how lesbian and gay characters are portrayed on the big screen?
I’m not gay, but I found playing the role was one of the most dramatically important roles of my life. I hope everyone thinks I did it justice; I think I did. And of course I adored Paula Kelly, who’s also not a gay woman, but I think we played it as best as we possibly could. The movie was directed by a lesbian, Donna Deitch, and she directed our roles with a specific sensitivity because of her own gayness and I think it comes through on the screen.
But I think as people of color we have to take control of the industry that we are so much a part of and we really don’t have so much of a say in it as we should. Plus as consumers, black folks spend money. We buy all the products we go see all the movies, we get all the cable channels, we buy everything and their not presenting us with choices. There’s what, three black filmmakers right now doing anything? Tyler Perry, Spike Lee and Lee Daniels.. and that’s not enough.
Are you a fan of Tyler Perry? A lot of people think that his movies often set the black community a step back. What do you think about that?
I have to give Tyler a lot of credit. Tyler is an entrepreneur and we can all have our personal opinions about how we each express our creativity. But you have to respect the fact that Tyler Perry has moved himself into an entrepreneurial position, where he is a mogul and he is now calling his own shots. If people don’t like what he’s doing, don’t go see it.
To a lot of people you are known for your beauty. The model Iman once talked about beauty being a burden. Do you agree with that statement? How have you handled the process of aging as a Hollywood actress?
Well I think that you have to frame it up in a way where it doesn’t become what drives us. Because beauty is fleeting and it’s superficial. Even when I was at the height of my beauty and my youth I never really felt pretty or beautiful. I always thought of myself as an awkward tomboy that preferred to be with horses and dogs and birds [rather] than at a party. I didn’t think about my looks and I didn’t really care about them.
Because I never took my beauty that seriously I guess I am having an easier time going through the aging process than say a woman like Iman, who’s entire career was built on how beautiful she is. She was a model…her whole career was built on her looks. So sure, I can see how beauty can be a burden, but it hasn’t been for me.
What was it like working alongside Common in the film Luv, which hits theaters in January?
I love him. He called me personally to do that movie. I was doing another project out of town and he tracked me down. Once I saw the script and realized it was so dark and dramatic, I knew he was going to tear up the role. I have always been a fan of his. He’s a very kind man and very smart, and on top of that he’s cute. I was just so happy to be a part of that with him and I think the film is going to go through the roof when it comes out. I think Common’s going to surprise everybody with his acting chops.
Follow Chris Witherspoon on Twitter at @WitherspoonC