Leon, a musician first, but an equally talented
actor, writer and producer, stars as Ryan Chambers in "Cover", is now available
on DVD in the U.S. and Canada from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.
Leon's Undercover Brother
By
Omar P.L. Moore/The
Popcorn Reel
June 11, 2008
He has made distinct impressions on the big screen and the music scene, in film
roles ranging from "The Five Heartbeats" to "Cliffhanger" to "Waiting
To Exhale" to,
well, name that movie -- to playing musical notes and singing with his reggae
band Leon And The Peoples. The man formerly, presently and forever known
as Leon gave of his valuable time last month, then just prior to the U.S. and
Canada DVD release of the film "Cover", an explosive and thought-provoking
mystery thriller directed by Bill Duke. The film stars Aunjanue Ellis, Raz
Adoti, Lou Gossett, Jr. and Vivica A. Fox.
The title of Leon's latest record is "The Road Less Traveled" and in "Cover"
Leon takes a road that he hasn't necessarily traveled before in his acting
career as Ryan Chambers, an enterprising and charismatic musician who has a
revelation that will set a family on fire. "The most challenging thing
with this character is finding the heart deep inside the character and realizing
that this person's a human being that has feelings and emotions," he said from
New York City during a telephone conference with several members of the press.
"Cover" is a powerful story that some may find shocking and a tad disturbing,
but Leon, 46, says that the issues it presents need to be discussed. "One of
the things this movie does, and one of the reasons why I wanted to do it is that
it promotes conversation. And the problem we seem to be having in our
communities is that we're not even talking about (sexual attitudes, mores and
behavior.) We act as though it doesn't exist. We try to shove it
under the rug. And that's what I'm hoping this movie will do. And it
has."
It is difficult to talk about "Cover" without giving away its story, but not
talking about it also seems dishonest. Still, for those who have not seen
the film it is best to keep the story covered up.
Leon defines the film like this: "At the end of the day this is a murder
mystery, plain and simple, with a hell of a twist. So then being an actor
I must approach it that way . . . ". Everything was laid out on the
scripted page at the beginning, according to the actor, who said that he never
chose to play his character differently than he is expressed on screen, and that
he agreed with one questioner's comment that Ryan Chambers was a victim of
circumstance and society's jaundiced eye.
Later on in the telephone conference call, Leon said in half-jest referring to
the director, that at the beginning "Bill was rough on me," adding that the
actor had "very strong thoughts" about his character, while Mr. Duke "had
another thought". The clash of opinions between actor and director, Leon
posited, helped enhance the collaboration between the two overall. "If you
don't butt heads that means that both of the people (involved) aren't thinking."
"Cover" is now available on DVD in the U.S. and Canada from Twentieth Century
Fox Home Entertainment.
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