Nia Long: I was at a certain point in my life. I had done Love Jones and Soul Food and I saw the script, loved the script, loved Malcolm. And we had dinner or breakfast in New York. And after that, it was a done deal. And my character was a different character for me. She was very buttoned up, very business-oriented. n just seeing how he she grown in the last 15 year was great.”
Shaun Robinson: But there was no social media back in 1999. So how did you get the word out about the The Best Man?
Malcolm Lee: “The grandfather of social media is email. And it helped get the word out make it No. 1 (in 1999). So social media played a big part in it’s success.”
Sanaa Lathan: “I was supposed to go in and read as Candy the stripper (which was played by Regina Hall).
Morris Chestnut: “I don’t remember where I was when I first heard about it (the script to the 1999 classic The Best Man). I just wanted to work. I had just done Boyz N the Hood and a few other films when this came to me. Every movie that you’ve seen me in, I’ve probably failed 100 times (meaning he was rejected during the casting call).
Morris Chestnut: “You never can tell if the movie will be a success. I always have a good feeling, but the audience decides. I’ve seen and been a part of movies and I say ‘that film is going to make $100 million. But then it comes out and it fizzles. I always wait. And when the box office came out and we were No. 1, that’s when I knew.
Morris Chestnut: “There are always movies that I have to audition for, but yes, I did get more offers after the success of The Best Man.”
