Nia Long sets the record straight for the second time about a rumor stating she turned down to star in the 2000’s version of “Charlie’s Angels” for a role in “Big Mama’s House.”
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Nia Long told Yahoo! Entertainment that producers told her she looked “too sophisticated and too old” next to Drew Barrymore. Long tried out for the role of “Alex Munday,” which was eventually played by Lucy Liu. Long, on the other hand, praised Liu in the interview, claiming that Barrymore is only four years her junior and Liu is two years older.
“Charlie’s Angels did not want me because they said I looked too sophisticated and too old next to Drew Barrymore.I thought Lucy Liu was great in that role. When I went back and looked at it, I was like, ‘Whoa, she’s really doing some stunts.’ I don’t know if I was quite ready for that. I don’t, you can’t do everything, and every opportunity isn’t for you. And as much as it would’ve been fun to play that character, I think ‘Big Momma’s House’ was probably more fun for me.”
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She added that she learned how every role isn’t meant for her and had fun filming “Big Momma’s House” with Martin Lawrence. Additionally, she gave the comedian his flowers for giving other black actors and actresses to find work in the industry.
“Do you know how many people worked because of Martin Lawrence? Do you know how many people worked because of Tichina Arnold? Just that whole group on [Martin]. Tisha Campbell is a legend. When you go back and you watch Tisha Campbell in School Daze, I was mesmerized by her growing up, her dancing, her singing. She’s a triple threat. She does it all. Like these are the women that I admired and we’re the same age, but they were the ones that kind of got their breaks before I got my breaks. And so I look at them and I just go, ‘Wow, they need to be celebrated more.'”
According to TOO Fab, this is not the first time she had to address the rumor regarding “Charlie’s Angels” and said she didn’t believe the feedback producers gave to her agent while talking to Insider in 2020.
“I was like, “What?” she recalled at the time. “I love Drew Barrymore, I think she’s amazing, but I think that was just a nice way to say you’re a little too Black. Personally, that’s what I think. Because if you notice there were no brown skin [actors]. I mean, honestly, I would have been the blackest thing in the film. The feedback that I received from my agent was, ‘She just looked too old and sophisticated to be next to Drew Barrymore,'” Long continued. “And I’m thinking to myself, it’s an actor’s choice to walk in the room how they want to look, but it’s a director’s vision to help create and curate a character.”