Sanaa Lathan gets real about the 20-year old movie classic.
It has been almost 20 years since the release the iconic black film, Love & Basketball. The movie has gone onto becoming a cult classic and played an essential part in blooming the careers reputable actors Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps. Yet, despite the movie’s high praises, its main actress Sanaa Lathan recently opened up about the “miserable” experience she had while filming it. “I was miserable. I can laugh about it now,” Lathan shared with Los Angeles’ CBS local.
“I got the job and I think Gina Prince-Bythewood] finally got to the point where she had to hire somebody. It’s almost like she hired me because she couldn’t find somebody else. There wasn’t a lot joy and there wasn’t a lot trust in me. It was her baby and it was her first time directing. It was a big deal for her and nobody knows me then really. She gets to the point where she makes this decision with me, but I felt like the default.” The actress added that she faced numerous challenges because she never played basketball before. “The hardest challenge was getting the job, which I think weirdly prepared me for Monica. I had a dance background, but I had never picked up a basketball,” she added.
Despite this, lovers the movie know she nailed the role. You can read the full interview here.