Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers on making ‘The Perfect Find’
The upcoming film based on the novel of the same name debuts this weekend on Netflix.
Gabrielle Union and Keith Powers are happy to bring back the romcom. Both actors star in the upcoming Netflix flick, “The Perfect Find,” based on the book of the same name by Tia Williams. TheGrio caught up with the pair ahead of the film’s debut on Friday, breaking down what drew them to the roles, what it was like to shoot a romantic comedy in New York City, and more.
Directed by Numa Perrier, the film follows Jenna (Union), who finds herself in the midst of a fashion career comeback after a high-profile breakup. Her redemption plans hit a road bump when she falls for younger co-worker Eric (Powers), who just so happens to be the son of her boss, Darcy (Gina Torres).
For Union, it all started with Williams’ book, which she read when it first came out in 2016. “I bought that book on day one,” she told us. “I assumed that somebody else had gotten the rights, then I ran into Tommy Oliver at lunch.” Oliver, a producer, told Union that he owned the rights to the project, and conversations began about making it into a film. “It has been a joyride,” Union said when talking about the process.
When reading the script, Powers told us, he was immediately drawn to the story. “It felt very Black, which I loved and is very fun,” he explained. “The dynamic of the characters and the story was honestly unique to me. It’s a story we don’t get to see a lot … once I read it, I mean, I knew Gabrielle was attached, but I kind of figured this is going to be really fun to do.”
The film also boasts a solid supporting cast, including La La Anthony, Gina Torres, Aisha Hinds and Janet Hubert, to name a few. “It’s us, it’s La La , who is one of my closest friends, Aisha Hinds, Gina … it almost didn’t feel like work,” Union told us.
“Our green room was very fun,” Powers added. “It was a lot of great conversations and debates and then they were like, “Alright we gotta work,” but I think that spilled over onto camera and that’s why the film feels so fun.”
The film also got to shoot on location in New York City, an almost rite of passage some of the best romcoms of our time have experienced. There were also scenes in nearby Newark, New Jersey. “Filming on location, in New York, on iconic sites, we don’t get that,” Union added, alluding to how those types of shoots are often reserved for white talent in Hollywood. “Numa was like, ‘We will have absolutely nothing less. I am going to make the movie of my dreams,’ and we were like, ‘Yeah!'”
“I think the city, both cities, really become a character in the film,” Union added.
“The Perfect Find” premieres Friday, June 23, on Netflix.
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