LisaRaye McCoy Admits That She Went Through An “Identity Crisis” After Playing A Stripper in The 1998 Hit Film “The Players Club”
While speaking with @PageSix, LisaRaye McCoy revisited her time working on set
of the film “The Player Club.” She talked about what it was like prepping for the role as Diamond — a stripper, and how she was feeling following the success of the 1998 Ice Cube film; revealing that the experience actually caused her to doubt herself:
“I had an identity crisis after ‘Players Club,’” she told the outlet. “I felt like I had to have the long hair and look like my character, ‘Diamond,’ in order to be recognized.” LisaRaye went on to say that the movie, “put me on the map… it made me a bona fide sex symbol, and when you are a sex symbol people think that you’re sexy all the time, and that stigma follows you,” she added. “So I am forever Diamond.”
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Recalling the preparation to get mentally and physically ready for the 1998 film, she said,
“They gave me a trainer for a good six weeks so that helped me feel more confident about my body,” she said before praising Cube, “So when it was time to do a striptease, Ice Cube was so great, and [was] there for me as a new actress.” He was so professional. I didn’t even see the rapper then. I saw the father, the businessman, the director.
She added, “He was gracious enough to set up multiple cameras, and I did the strip scene maybe twice. So he allowed me to what I needed for a green new actress.”
Now, at age 54, she admits that she’s happy with how things played out:
“I’m an older ‘Diamond’ now,” she noted. “But diamonds always shine, so I am here for it. I did not know what sexy was at the time… I think it was best for me not to really know, because I probably would’ve tried to play it up in my role and messed it up.”
There have been talks about a possible remake of the film, but nothing yet.
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