After nearly 15 years apart, MORRIS CHESTNUT (Identity Thief

(L to R) Harper (TAYE DIGGS), Lance (MORRIS CHESTNUT) and Mia (MONICA CALHOUN) are back together again.
After nearly 15 years apart, MORRIS CHESTNUT
(Identity Thief), TAYE DIGGS (Baggage Claim),
REGINA HALL (Scary Movie franchise), TERRENCE
HOWARD (Hustle & Flow), SANAA LATHAN
(Contagion), NIA LONG (Soul Food), HAROLD
PERRINEAU (Zero Dark Thirty), MONICA
CALHOUN (Love & Basketball) and MELISSA De
SOUSA (Miss Congeniality) reprise their careerlaunching roles in The Best Man Holiday, the longawaited next chapter to the film that ushered in a new
era of comedy.
In the closing frames of The Best Man, the ground­
breaking movie from then first-time writer/director
MALCOLM D. LEE, Lance (Chestnut) and Mia
(Calhoun) had just gotten married, and Harper (Diggs)
proposed to a very shocked Robyn (Lathan). Murch
(Perrineau) found the nerve to break up with Shelby
(De Sousa) and begin dating Candy (Hall), the fantasy
girl who’d become the love of his life, while the
industrious Shelby rebounded and found herself in bed
with lothario Quentin (Howard). And although Jordan
(Long) was successful as a television producer, she
seemed destined to stay unlucky in love.
Everything has changed since that day.
Throughout the years, there have been marriages,
children and divorces—not to mention all the love
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and heartbreak that accompany a life well lived—but
the group has not been able to manage a proper gettogether since Lance and Mia’s wedding. But that’s all
about to be remedied. When the college friends finally
reunite over the Christmas holidays, they will discover
just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and
passionate romances to be reignited.
Lee returns to write and direct this sequel to
his directorial debut. He also produces the film for
Blackmaled Productions, while SEAN DANIEL (The
Mummy franchise, Dazed and Confused) joins him
in production duties for The Sean Daniel Company.
The filmmakers and cast welcome EDDIE CIBRIAN
(Good Deeds) and JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS (Pitch
Perfect), who are brought aboard the ensemble for the
long-awaited next chapter in the formative series.
The seasoned creative team is led by director
of photography GREG GARDINER (The Game
Plan), production designer KEITH BRIAN BURNS
(Abduction), editor PAUL MILLSPAUGH (Welcome
Home Roscoe Jenkins), costume designer DANIELLE
HOLLOWELL (The Best Man) and composer
STANLEY CLARKE (The Transporter).
PRESTON HOLMES (Something New) serves as
executive producer and unit production manager on
the comedy.
producer Malcolm D. Lee explains that when he created
these roles, he wasn’t thinking about a renaissance
of African-American cinema, he simply wanted to
watch his world represented on the big screen. He
says: “The impetus of making the first movie was
that I didn’t see myself or people I knew represented
on screen. I wanted to write characters who spoke
to the people that I could relate to. We all know
somebody who is a Harper, Quentin, Lance, Shelby
or a Mia; that’s what’s great about the relatability of
the characters.”
As moviegoers grew attached to The Best Man
during its theatrical run and subsequent life in home
entertainment, Lee grew to understand just how
identifiable and beloved the characters he dreamt up
were becoming. The filmmaker admits that he thinks
of these friends as an amalgam of archetypes that he’s
encountered, not specific persons whom he’s met. “I
know these people, and I love these people,” he says.
“They’re certainly influenced by friends I went to
college with and people who I grew up with, but they
take on a life of their own.”
Harold Perrineau, who plays Julian (better known
to his friends as Murch), discusses why the film struck
such a nerve among audiences and grew to become
ABOUT THE
PRODUCTION
Feels So Good:
The Cast Is Reunited
In 1999, when The Best Man topped
the box office on its opening weekend,
audiences fell hard for a group of
college friends named Harper, Lance,
Mia, Shelby, Murch, Robyn, Jordan,
Quentin and Candy. Writer/director/
Robyn (SANAA LATHAN) and Harper are ready to welcome their first born.
– 11 –
Jordan (NIA LONG) and boyfriend Brian (EDDIE CIBRIAN) discuss
their Christmas vacation.
such a classic: “It resonated with the African-American
community because it feels real. The characters and
circumstances all feel relatable and genuine, and they
hit home with the audience.”
Morris Chestnut, who portrays Lance, was not
surprised that the relatively small comedy has grown in
popularity over the years—adopted by audiences who
viewed the players as both relatable and aspirational.
He reflects: “Malcolm wrote some great characters, and
he directed one hell of a movie. It’s a film that people
can watch over and over again and see characters with
the same issues that they are dealing with in their own
lives. There’s a lot of heart to it.”
While audiences were entertained by the college
friends’ romantic escapades, the strong bonds that held
this group together are what endure. Regina Hall, who
plays Candy, says: “One of the greatest things that the
movie talks about is friendship. Friends sustain, and
they support you through the most joyous and most
difficult times. True friendships hold you up when you
want to fall.”
In the almost 15 years since the comedy was shot
and released, the nine principal performers have gone
on to build enviable careers, yet there has long been
talk of returning to these beloved characters for a
sequel. Taye Diggs, who plays Harper, shares why they
all felt so passionate about the film: “What we did was
different at the time, and people were hungry for that.”
The discussions began in earnest four years ago,
when Diggs and Lee were on a flight from New York to
California. During the trip, Lee revealed that he wanted
to revisit the story. Although the performer was receptive
to the idea, at the time it was just a conversation between
two old friends. Still, the spark was lit.
Fast forward a few years, and Lee reached out to
his former collaborators with a concrete proposition.
“I called everybody up in late 2011 and said, ‘I’ve got
an idea for a sequel to The Best Man, but I want us all
to get in the same room again. It’s been a long time,”
Lee recollects. “I told them, ‘If you like it, great, and
if you don’t, then at least we will have seen each other
and caught up.’ So we all got together, and they were
all excited about the idea.”
Diggs was happy he’d been paying attention: “Now,
15 years later, we were attracted to Malcolm’s idea of
these characters simply experiencing life. They are all
adults, and the idea of family has entered the picture.
I thought Malcolm had an interesting take on the
material, as opposed to some crazy, zany events that
happen—like a road trip or a caper.”
After years of honing his craft as a comic writer and
director, working on films like Undercover Brother,
Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins and Soul Men, Lee was
ready to revisit this world, but he knew that a sequel
would work only if the entire original cast agreed to
return. He explains his rationale for waiting for more
than a decade to create the second chapter: “I always
meant to return to these characters, but first I wanted
them—and me—to gain some life experience.”
Sanaa Lathan, who plays Robyn, recalls that night:
“Malcolm wanted to know we were all on board before
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he did all the work. The pitch had us riveted, and by the accept the offer to work with Lee. He enthuses: “I loved
end, we said: ‘We’re on board. Write it!’”
the first movie. It was a wonderful film full of heart
The cast was eager for an on-screen reunion, and and character and great values, and I have followed
Lee set to work on a draft script. Still, he needed a Malcolm as a filmmaker and have loved what he’s done
commitment from Universal Pictures to greenlight since then. I was honored to be invited on board.”
the film. Therefore, he rallied the troupe once again
Once they got the greenlight, Daniel and Lee spent
with an odd request. “I told Universal, ‘Let me get
time developing the script, perfecting the mix of comedy
my cast together and do a read-through for you,’” and heart. Daniel shares: “Malcolm is a brilliant writer
Lee remembers. “I told the actors, ‘Guys, this movie
with a great vision for this movie. I became a sounding
is going to sink or swim based on what you do in the
board and a collaborator. The studio had one condition,
room that day.’ They took me very seriously and came
which was that everybody had to be back in the film.
to perform, and we sold it as a unit. Once the studio
So Malcolm reached out again to the actors and said,
saw these great actors performing, they immediately
‘Okay, it’s time to get real.’”
understood what the movie was.”
Daniel sees The Best Man Holiday as much more
Nerves aside, The Best Man cast knew that it was than a sequel. He says, “It is its own story. It brings
showtime. Lathan discusses the pivotal day: “We did the characters back together several years later. They
a table read in person for all the studio executives. By have all had busy lives and have gone on to accomplish
the time we got to our cars, we knew they would sign things. They have all had struggles, but the characters
on—that’s how well it went. It was thrilling.”
that people loved are as powerful, funny, emotional
The cast’s confidence in its read-through per­
and opinionated as everybody remembers them.” He
formance was well-placed. Universal signed on and
predicts the sequel will join the ranks of holiday films
immediately set to work assembling the behind-theto remember: “This is a different kind of holiday film
scenes team to bring Lee’s story to the big screen, in that it is about so much of life. I cannot wait to be in
including Lee’s new production partner, Sean Daniel, a crowded theater as people take this in. It will make
who has had a long relationship with
the studio. In fact, in 1985, Daniel
became its youngest president of
production. The films he supervised
for Universal include Animal House,
The Blues Brothers, Fast Times at
Ridgemont High, The Breakfast
Club, Do the Right Thing and Field
of Dreams.
Now an independent producer
with an impressive list of films to his
credit—from comedy favorites such
as Dazed and Confused, Michael,
Rat Race and CB4 to blockbusters
including The Mummy trilogy and
Candace (REGINA HALL) and Julian (HAROLD PERRINEAU) enjoy a long overdue holiday dinner.
Tombstone—Daniel was quick to
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Moving Forward:
Characters Then and Now
When last we saw Lance, he had
forgiven Harper for his indiscretions
and married Mia, the love of his young
life. Now a successful football player,
Lance is on the verge of breaking the
NFL’s all-time rushing record in his final
season with the league. He is also a proud
husband and father to four children:
L J (LINDEN LILES McCURDY), August
(RICHIE LAWRENCE), Faith (RIELE
Harper, Lance, Julian and Quentin (TERRENCE HOWARD) serenade the ladies.
DOWNS) and Hope (MILLIE DAVIS).
them laugh, and it will move them. In that holiday
According to Chestnut, Lance’s priorities have
spirit, it is incredibly affirmative.”
changed considerably now that he has settled down
For Lee, it was always about telling audiences a with Mia and has children. The actor explains: “Lance
new story that was more sophisticated. He reflects:
has matured. Now, it’s God first in his life, then his
“Our concerns as 20 year olds are different from the
family, then football. Those are the three things that are
ones that we have at 30 and 40. Our careers, lives and
most important to him, in that order.”
technology are different. There are children, mortgages.
It didn’t take long for Chestnut to access the right
There are all kinds of things we think about when we’re frame of mind to play a more mature Lance. Even so,
at a certain age. To make it more sophisticated, you
the football player had one stumbling block that was a
have to bring more things to the table. In this case,
challenge for the actor portraying him. Chestnut shares:
we’re bringing an element that’s very different from the
“I try to find certain elements in me and pull them to
first one.”
the forefront. I relate to Lance, but the emotional aspect
The filmmakers took care to make sure audiences
is always the hardest part. I don’t show my emotions
would be just as engaged in the characters this time too often, and Lance goes through the whole gamut of
around. Continues Lee: “The first one was a gathering emotions in this movie. It was tough to go there.”
of college friends for a wedding. This is a holiday
In the holiday spirit, the soft-spoken Mia, played
celebration, and they end up finding out that it’s more by Monica Calhoun, invites the entire group to spend
than that. They were brought together for a bigger
Christmas at her family’s home, with the intent to open
purpose—not just to get together for a typical reunion. the door to reconciliation among the friends. Calhoun
The film is ultimately about a group of friends who
delves into Mia’s intentions: “Mia has her own family
reunite over the Christmas holidays and find out not
now. She has maintained the relationships, though her
only what they’re missing from each other, but the friends have their own lives. One purpose of the holiday
true meaning of Christmas. It’s a journey with a lot season is to strengthen friendships, learn the value of
of emotions, laughter and drama; there will be a fair
love and mature in our relationships. Mia really just
amount of tears as well.”
wants everyone to be together in harmony.”
– 14 –
When last we saw them, Lance and Harper’s
to marry Robyn rather than continue to pursue Jordan.
friendship was tenuous at best, due to Harper “loosely”
The performer notes: “Jordan and Harper are driven,
basing two lovers in his best-selling book upon Mia competitive and cerebral. All of that aside, Jordan is not
and himself. After Lance found out about their tryst, he the type of person that Harper could settle down with.
and Harper had a knockdown, drag-out fight at Lance’s Robyn calms Harper, which is why he adores her and
bachelor party, which Quentin had to break up. Even ends up with her.”
today, those tensions reverberate among the tight-knit
Lathan adds that the characters’ admitted duality
group. Chestnut explains: “We try to resolve our issues, has strengthened their marriage over the years: “Robyn
and then things happen again. It’s going to be tough.”
always looks on the bright side, and Harper needs that.
For the sake of story, Diggs appreciates that this They’re opposites, but she lifts him up.”
long-brewing rivalry is far from over. He says: “That’s
The storied history between Harper and Jordan is
another facet that I enjoy about this script. It’s realistic
a classic case of timing never being right. They have
that they’re still dealing with the fallout. Lance and
realized that, although sometimes the chemistry is spotHarper still keep in touch, but it’s not forgotten.”
on, they are just not right for one another for the long
Unfortunately, Harper’s troubles are not confined to
haul. Nia Long, who plays Jordan, describes the complex
his shaky fraternal relationship with Lance. His life has
relationship: “Jordan and Harper constantly challenge
become complicated. His writing has stalled, and due to one another, but there is mutual respect. Sometimes
budget cuts, the Harlem resident has lost his university
they act like brother and sister, and sometimes they
teaching position. Diggs welcomed the challenges, bicker like husband and wife. Ultimately, the little
appreciating that Harper’s issues are grounded in
spark between them never dies. Jordan’s wish is for
reality: “These characters are just experiencing life. Robyn and him to live happily ever after, even if it
Careers have dipped, and there are peaks and valleys.
hurts…just a little bit.”
You pick up on what their lives are like now.”
When we last saw Jordan, she was a hotshot
Our story begins as Harper and Robyn are finally producer for BET whose career was No. 1 in her life,
expecting their first child, after a long series of fertility but all of that came at a big cost. She focused so much
treatments and heartbreaks. Lathan
reflects on her character’s evolution:
“Look at me now. I got my little bun
in the oven!” Robyn has evolved and
grown, yet there are glimpses of her
younger self. “Robyn’s a successful
chef, but there’s still a part of her that’s
a little unsure. She is a strong woman,
but she puts a lot of her self-worth in her
man. If he’s going through something,
she’s going to go through it as well.”
Given the Jordan-Robyn dilemma
in which Harper found himself the
last go-around, Diggs believes his
Mia, Shelby (MELISSA De SOUSA) and Jordan don’t mind if they do.
character chose well when he decided
– 15 –
Candace and Robyn enjoy the show.
on her job, but she had no one with whom to share
her life. Although Jordan seems to have it all, Long
describes where her character is at both in work and
in love: “Jordan is the director of programming at
MSNBC but realizes there is something still missing
in her life. She’s the last to commit to sharing her
life with someone from their group. The events in
the movie catapult her into doing so. Jordan realizes
there’s more to life than her BlackBerry, powerful
position and Prada bag.”
Jordan finds love with someone who shocks even
her: a man named Brian, who just happens to be white.
This is yet another demonstration of how her character
has evolved over the past 15 years. In The Best Man,
she was very judgmental of anyone dating outside
his or her own racial group. “Jordan widened her net
and is dating outside the race,” says Diggs. “That’s a
fun and contemporary way to demonstrate how we’ve
progressed. It’s not a big issue in this movie…beyond
a little ribbing.”
Long offers that as time has gone by, her character
has become much wiser: “Love is colorless and age­
less. Love should be genuine and balanced. When
Jordan introduces Brian to the group, she is reluctant
at first, but soon realizes that he fits right in. Jordan
is finally vulnerable to ‘love’ and finds
Brian’s presence comforting.”
Fortunately for fans, Jordan, Harper
and Robyn’s love triangle isn’t the only
one explored in the sequel. Discussing
his arrested-adolescent character of
Quentin, Terrence Howard admits that he
considered this to be a definitive role. He
states: “Malcolm gave me the freedom
to be Quentin, and Quentin has been
so quintessential in my entire career.”
Coming back to the part of the manchild, Howard observes: “The fact that
Quentin’s in his 40s and he doesn’t have a
family, and everyone else around him has
a family, says something about his underdevelopment.
Yet, he still hasn’t found himself. Somewhere in this
movie, he figures out his place in life.”
Much to audiences’ delight, the fractious
relationship between Quentin and the pot-stirring
Shelby continues in this chapter. Howard explains:
“Quentin loves Shelby and hates her at the same time.
He is always afraid that Shelby is about to ‘Murch’
him—meaning, Murch used to be the man in college,
and somehow he got with Shelby and lost all his
manhood. Our relationship is on and off, but it’s a
beautiful thing. We balance each other.”
Reflecting on the odd couple’s pairing, Melissa De
Sousa, Shelby herself, sums: “They are two of a kind.
They are both strong personalities who come together
because they understand each other. It’s weird how
sometimes the person you least expect is the one you
usually go to in the end.”
Since the humiliation of being dumped by Murch
for an exotic dancer, Shelby has reinvented herself as
a successful businesswoman in a popular housewives
television franchise. Shelby juggles between a lucra­tive
career and being a mother to Kennedy (ISIS MOORE).
De Sousa reflects on her character’s evolution: “In the first
movie, Shelby needed Murch to define her. She needed
– 16 –
that perfect picture. But when she comes back this goshares: “Being reunited with this ensemble is so
around, she is her own woman and standing strong on exciting because we had a lot of fun in the first movie. I
her own. She’s now a force to be reckoned with.”
didn’t get to work with everyone the way I do now, and
Lee admits that because Shelby is so unpredictable getting to see each other another time and relive our
and hotheaded, she is one of his favorite characters to
characters has been an amazing experience.”
write. He laughs: “I love Shelby. She’s still a little bitter
Among the group, Hall’s character transformation
about being taken out by what she calls ‘the stripper.’ since we saw her last may take the proverbial cake. As
Still, what’s interesting about her character is that she’s
Hall explains, her character has gone from Candy the
got all these fabulous things and is a television star, but exotic dancer to Candace the educator: “Candace was
she’s not happy in her own life.”
a stripper, but she was also in school. Educating young
Perrineau’s Julian (aka Murch) has also changed
girls and boys from disadvantaged homes so they can
since the first film. He is now happily married to succeed is her new focus. She is learning from her
Candace, formerly known as Candy, and together
mistakes, and she’s inspired by what she’s able to give
they are raising two daughters—Keisha (ALLISON people. Her daughters and her husband inspire her, too.
AUGUSTIN) and Kelly (SHAI PIERRE-DIXON)—
So she’s got quite a few motivations.”
and running a charter school. Like the rest of the cast,
As they were in The Best Man, friendships are
Perrineau has embraced his character and his director. once again tested in The Best Man Holiday. When the
He praises: “Malcolm embodies a lot of what he has
truth is revealed about Candace’s past, Harper’s career
written for Julian, so I just watch him for inspiration.
difficulties and the real reason that Mia invited everyone
The chance to work with him again has been an absolute to her home for Christmas, drama and comedy arrive in
honor. He’s a true collaborator, and I’m in awe of the
abundance for our friends.
way he works with people.”
Lathan shares her thoughts on why audiences relate
Perrineau susses out the differences between so well to the characters’ journey, through good times
Julian’s past relationship with Shelby and his current
and bad: “The film is about true friendship and no
relationship with Candace. He
shares: “Julian and Candace are
having the great romance that
most people dream of. When
you see them you’ll see how
much they love each other, even
when there is strife. The first
relationship was about Shelby
and her insecurities, and this one
is about these two people and the
family that they’re creating.”
Reprising her role—now
as Candace—Hall relished the
opportunity to join the other cast
members for further exploration
Harper, Julian, Brian and Lance aren’t supposed to see what’s on the video.
of their signature roles. She
– 17 –
Jordan, Mia and Shelby catch up after all these years.
matter what challenges friends go through, the love that
you have for your friend will get you through to the
other side. That’s depicted so well in the first film and
again in this one.”
New to the franchise are John Michael Higgins
and Eddie Cibrian, who portray, respectively, Harper’s
literary agent, Stan, and Jordan’s boyfriend, Brian. In
particular, the character of Brian was a flash of genius
for Lee. He shares: “When we cast the part of Brian,
we had to make sure that we had somebody who could
fulfill both of those roles: somebody that both women
and men would like. It’s very easy to put the token
white guy in a role where he is the token white guy, and
it’s not that way because Brian’s just a guy’s guy and a
lady’s man.”
Even though he’s the new kid on the block, Cibrian
wasn’t worried about fitting in; he had worked previously
with Long and Chestnut. Indeed, that flexibility is a trait
he shares with his character. Cibrian explains: “Brian is
very comfortable in his own skin, comfortable in any
environment. During the read-through at Universal,
I think Malcolm saw something in me that was very
similar to Brian: that I’m at ease in any environment.
That’s what he wanted for this character.”
Cibrian finds the interracial
relationship between Jordan
and Brian to be very realistic.
He says: “Yes, there are still
probably some people who view
it as taboo, but we’ve come a very
long way. I’m Cuban and playing
a white guy. Everybody comes
from a different background.
I love that this movie is able to
express the reality that love can
be between anyone, any race.”
As his ensemble gave its
all to the performances, Lee
couldn’t have been happier with
their work. He sums up what his
actors have brought to the film: “This cast is a very
talented bunch who has grown as artists and as actors.
I knew they’d be able to embody the roles. I had to
write something that was going to be up to par with
them and was going to challenge them. I had to give
them the direction that I thought would match my
vision. The good thing about their getting better is that
they were able to step up to the plate and embody the
roles and the emotions that it took to deliver drama
and humor.”
Winter Wonderland:
Setting the Scene
While love, family and friendships are at the core of
the film, nothing would be complete without a perfect
house to welcome everyone for the holidays. To make
sure that occurred, The Best Man Holiday was shot on
location in Toronto and Buffalo, NY.
As the Sullivan mansion is a critical element of the
movie, the team knew it had to find just the right place.
“Since we left him, Lance has had a fantastic career as
a football player and has raised a big, beautiful family,”
explains producer Daniel. “He and Mia have made a
– 18 –
fully realized, compassionate, expensively wonderful
life for themselves, and they take care of their friends.
Lance is very philanthropic, and they live in a big
house…so we had to find just the right one.”
Production designer Keith Burns set about looking
for the right home, and after weeks of searching he
found it in Toronto’s most prestigious neighborhood,
the Bridle Path. Daniel offers: “The mansion was just
as Malcolm had imagined. It’s very much where the
Sullivans would be living.”
The 30,000-sq-ft. home, set on 2.5 acres of mani­
cured grounds, with an indoor pool, high-end fixtures
and impressive layout, certainly fit the filmmakers’
requirements. It had one other requirement they hoped
they’d find: Although it fit the bill in terms of its grandeur,
it was also in its final stages of being built. Because the
house wasn’t fully furnished, the art department had
complete freedom to dress it—according to what Lee
and Burns saw for the characters.
As the majority of the events of The Best Man
Holiday occur at or around Lance and Mia’s mansion,
the production designer and Lee knew it had to be
perfect. Shares Lee: “Once we found the place on the
Bridle Path, it was a no-brainer. We looked around, and
all the rooms were such a great height and
size. They were perfect not only for the
technical aspects of the film—shooting,
lighting, etc.—they were appropriate for
guest rooms that any of Mia and Lance’s
college friends were going to stay in. The
house was very production-friendly and
suited our needs—not only the interior
of the house, but the grounds and
exterior were ideal as well. We were able
to have that yard, an indoor pool and a
man cave…as well as the huge kitchen.”
The filmmakers credit Burns and his
team for the attention to detail, making
sure that every part of the home reflected
the personality of the Sullivan family.
Truly, they turned the enormous mansion into a warm
and comfortable place, filled with holiday cheer. Lee
felt it was just what he wanted to portray Christmastime
in New York. He says, “If you dress up a fancy house,
it can really evoke those magical feelings. We have a
majestic and magical setting, and everybody looking
great and dressed in their Sunday best.”
Other key settings included the Ralph Wilson
Stadium in Buffalo, where the Bills play—and, for the
purpose of our film, where Lance attempts to break the
rushing record during his final season with the New
York Giants. On Lee: “I have to thank the Buffalo Bills
organization for allowing us to desecrate their arena.
It’s one of the oldest organizations and football fields in
the NFL, and we were very fortunate to use the stadium.
They worked very well with us and were tremendous in
helping us out.”
Take It to Church:
Music and Choreography
It wouldn’t be a Best Man movie without a signature
soundtrack and killer moves. To make sure the cast was
ready, the filmmakers chose seasoned choreographer
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Julian tries to stop Shelby from causing trouble.
Harper comforts Jordan.
JAMAL SIMS (Footloose, Step Up Revolution) to
prepare the male castmembers for a scene in which
Harper, Lance, Murch and Quentin entertain Robyn,
Jordan, Mia, Candace and Shelby by dancing to New
Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain.”
Lee sets up the scene that has its roots in his lipsynching days at Georgetown: “After dinner, Mia tells
the guys that they’re not going to have dessert until they
do ‘air band.’ This catches them by surprise. She has
the jackets, hats and outfits they had circa 1991, and
they’re going to perform this number they did back in
college. It’s a great thrill for them, as well as for the
wives who never saw their husbands in this light.”
For the stage-trained Diggs, learning the
choreography was worth the effort. He shares: “It was
not easy for any of us, so we were just so proud of
ourselves when we got it down. It was one of the best
shooting days for me. There was so much energy, and
nobody had to act. We were sweating; the girls were
screaming. It was a good time.”
For his part, Chestnut laughs that he could’ve used
just a few more days: “I wanted a month of rehearsals
because I wanted to get the moves down pat.”
According to Lathan, he had no reason to worry
about his performance. She tells: “We were crying with
laughter and joy! First of all, the guys can dance. All
the girls were saying, ‘I’m glad we didn’t have a dance
scene,’ because we wouldn’t have been able to do it.
They really went for it. I can’t wait to be in the audience
when this scene comes on because people are going to
go crazy.”
The cast and crew got to experience another scene
that will undoubtedly be the topic of much discussion.
The day featured hundreds of extras, multiple cameras
and singers ANTHONY HAMILTON and MARSHA
AMBROSIUS with their take of Stevie Wonder’s iconic
song “As.” Lee explains that this was an intentional,
full-circle moment: “In The Best Man, we featured
Stevie Wonder’s ‘As,’ which is one of the greatest love
songs made, but it’s an up-tempo song, celebratory. We
used it with Harper and Jordan, and it became very
much associated with the film.”
While Lee had partnered with the multitalented
Hamilton for the soundtrack of Soul Men, this was his
first time working with Ambrosius, whose voice he
describes as “incredible and soaring.” The day proved
extremely busy and emotional, as each department
exerted maximum effort to honor this critical aspect of
the story.
Being on a film set was relatively new for Hamilton
and Ambrosius. However, they agree that it was a
welcome challenge. Shares Ambrosius: “Just watching
the reaction of the characters during the scene makes
you feel the emotion that much more. Singing a song
like ‘As’ meant so much.”
Between the singing and the heightened emotions,
there wasn’t a dry eye on set. The whole crew was
extremely focused, and the entire cast was moved by
the performance, which made it a day to remember.
Perrineau shares: “Anthony and Marsha were
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astounding. They both have really well-crafted voices.
We were just amazed that those sounds could come out
of them. They were there the whole day and were great,
take after take. This is going to be one of those scenes
that you won’t easily forget.”
His director agrees with the actor’s assessment.
Adds Lee: “I knew that when we got to this scene that I
wanted to have something that was going to be emotional
and strip that song down. These two tremendous voices
made it very simple, just with strings and a piano. I have
to say, I’ve never been on a set where crew members are
crying during the performance of a song. They took it
to church with their rendition of ‘As.’”
In addition to the work of Ambrosius and Hamilton,
the soundtrack to The Best Man Holiday is filled with
re-imaginings of old favorites and new ones, just in
time for the season. With holiday-themed tunes from
Mary J. Blige’s “This Christmas,” Monica’s rendition
of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Mario’s
“Someday at Christmas,” Fantasia’s “What Christmas
Means to Me” and Jordin Sparks’ “Christmastime to
Me,” not to mention Emeli Sandé’s
take on “Winter Wonderland,” NeYo’s “I Want to Come Home for
Christmas” and Jayda Brown &
Jasmine Watkins’ version of “O
Holy Night,” the soundtrack offers
up platinum-selling and awardwinning artists who bring their
signature vocals to beloved songs.
Working with composer Stanley
Clarke, Lee shaped a score for The
Best Man Holiday that fit every char­
acter, mood and scene. “I am a firm
believer that music is essential to the
entirety of a filmgoing experience.
The Best Man Holiday soundtrack is
no exception,” ends Lee. “The songs
listed here not only make up the
fabric of the movie, but many served
as inspiration to the creation of the screenplay. With
a combination of new R&B tunes and Christmas classics
by contemporary artists, this is the soundtrack I heard
accompanying this movie. I hope audiences enjoy it this
holiday season and every year.”
****
Universal Pictures presents a Blackmaled/Sean
Daniel Company production of a Malcolm D. Lee
film: The Best Man Holiday, starring Morris Chestnut,
Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa
Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau. The music is by
Stanley Clarke, and the costume designer is Danielle
Hollowell. The Best Man Holiday is edited by Paul
Millspaugh, and its production designer is Keith Brian
Burns. The director of photography is Greg Gardiner,
and the executive producer is Preston Holmes. The Best
Man Holiday is produced by Sean Daniel, p.g.a., and
Malcolm D. Lee, p.g.a., and it is based on characters
created by Malcolm D. Lee. The film is written and
directed by Malcolm D. Lee. © 2013 Universal Studios.
www.best-man.com
Fraternity brothers Quentin and Julian have still got it.
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