Nia Long, a Longtime "it" girl in Black Cinema, Discusses her Personal and Professional Renewal

The renowned actress discusses the revival of the "Best Man" series, becoming mixed up in an NBA scandal, and finally pursuing a career on her terms: "The days of needlessly participating in combat are ended."

In her 36-year career, Nia Long just left a set for the first time. We're eating lunch at Culina in the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills when she says, "It crushed my heart to have to do it because it's not who I am, but I knew that I needed to do it because it didn't feel right in my gut."

Even though Long, 52, is renowned for being a consummate professional, quitting a job in the middle of production is indicative of the woman she claims to be growing into. She gained notoriety for her iconic performances in Boyz n the Hood, Love Jones, and the influential Best Man franchise, among other memorable leading roles in Black films and sitcoms. However, the veteran actress doesn't feel obligated to participate in what she refers to as "this competitive race to be the 'It' girl forever." Additionally, since the 1993 release of "Steve Biko (Stir It Up)" by A Tribe Called Quest, about 20 rap songs have already immortalized her status as such, an honor Long says she respects as a "genuine hip-hop aficionado."

I'm simply really Black, so if it matters to us in whatever we're doing, she says, "then I know that I'm living in harmony with my mission." Because of this, Long plans to be more deliberate in the roles she selects, looking for opportunities that not only speak to her personally but also resonate with the effort made by Black artists to have a bigger voice in Hollywood. The actress has experienced several new beginnings as a result of this change of focus.

She claims that 2023 will be her "year of new beginnings." "I've never been more thrilled."

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For Long, change is currently the only constant. As Kez's father, the troubled Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, deals with a one-year suspension, the actress is in the process of relocating to Los Angeles from Boston with her kids, Massai, 22, and Kez, 11. Being forced to say goodbye to Jordan Armstrong, a role she has performed three times over her career has made it an especially difficult year for her. The Best Man Holiday, a 2013 sequel to the 1999 film The Best Man, featured Long again as the brash media billionaire. Notably, The Best Man Holiday outperformed Thor: The Dark World at the box office on its opening day.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters, the next Peacock series that will premiere on December 22, will include a cast that includes Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Taye Diggs, Sanaa Lathan, Terrence Howard, and Melissa De Sousa in addition to Malcolm D. Lee, who wrote and directed both movies.

All good things must come to an end, but Long also feels that this story is bigger than simply these folks. "We contributed to and inspired a decade of culture during that time."

Beginning with their breakthrough performances in John Singleton's 1991 Oscar-nominated coming-of-age movie Boyz n the Hood, Long and Chestnut have collaborated on four productions.

We never shared a scene, but Chestnut reminisces, "I remember how, just doing the table reads, she was just this fiery, cute chick that was playing a lead female character in the movie."

Long referred to the co-star as her "therapist" while they were filming The Final Chapters, demonstrating how long their bond has been. He was delighted to play the part.

I like how she has for so long moved through this community, he says. "I have so much admiration for her since it's uncommon for a woman to be 30 years old onscreen in front of the cameras in starring female roles.

From left: Long and Larenz Tate in Love Jones (1997); Long with Cuba Gooding Jr. in Boyz in the Hood (1991). COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION; COLUMBIA PICTURES/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION

Many of the early-career parts that solidified the Brooklyn native's appeal as the girl next door during what is frequently referred to as the "golden age of Black cinema" have been long-desired comebacks by her fans. One of them is Nina Mosley from the 1997 cult classic romance Love Jones. However, Long responds directly to the frequent question of a sequel, saying, "I don't think it's essential.

We were both so young and the job was done with no filters, which, in her opinion, is one of the reasons why the movie was so lovely. By attempting to rework it or add another installment and having it turn out poorly, I would hate to let anyone down.

For Long, the most crucial thing at this point in her career is to produce excellent work that accurately depicts Black experiences. She recently abandoned a project because it didn't meet her new standards.

"I believed that everything that was organic and natural for me wasn't what they want, and I wasn't willing to give up what I believed to be real. I was ecstatic to be leaving the battlefield unnecessarily behind when I boarded the plane to return home. Simply put, I can no longer maintain that area.

She had learned this lesson from Fatal Affair, her previous significant undertaking. When the 2020 psychological thriller received poor reviews, Long, who also co-starred in the movie with Omar Epps as well as producing it for Netflix, raised concerns about the lack of diversity in the production. Long assured the crew that her upcoming production would be different by explaining that she joined the project too late to make the required adjustments.

She says, "I'm learning to be a little more choosy." "I believe that some of my worst errors in life have resulted from my presuming that others would act in the same way that I would or comprehend something the same way that I do. So I apologize.

Her decision to abandon this most recent effort was confirmation of her new way of thinking. According to Long, the fact that her co-star chose to depart with her made the occasion even more moving.

I received the impression that my business at home is more important to me than teaching a white director-producer how to create a Black story, in addition to the fact that my fellow cast member, who is Black, supported me and understood what I felt strongly about.

Udoka was suspended by the Boston Celtics for the 2022–23 season after an independent law firm's investigation found many policy infractions, including improper contact with a female employee. Long and Udoka started dating in 2009 and became engaged in 2015. They are co-parenting their son Kez.

Because he was going through a difficult period, I went home to be with my son, and that was what was most important to me, says Long, who declined to speak about the state of her relationship with Udoka or the behavior that led to his reprimand.

The Celtics held a press conference on September 23 to discuss Udoka's ban. Both the choice and the severity of his punishment within the NBA were unprecedented. According to Long, who pulled her son out of school after the news broke, "I think the most devastating part about all of this was seeing my son's face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public." It was and still is awful. He still experiences times when things are difficult for him. Sorry, but no one from the Celtics organization has even phoned to check on me or my kids if you're in the business of safeguarding women. It is quite disappointing.

As word of Udoka's misconduct circulated through sports media sources that day, so did a surge of support for Long on social media as the fired coach apologized to his family, players, and supporters in a statement.

Long and fiancé Ime Udoka, in 2017. PAUL ARCHULETA/FILMMAGIC

She recalls the media blitz: "I genuinely felt like my heart had jumped out of my body." The tribe of women and men I later discovered were sticking up for me in a way that made me feel like I was in a bubble of protection, which was incredibly comfortable.

Long reveals that she's been having a great time lately with her closest companions and that she values sisterhood. They have also supported her as she aims to become a first-time director of a movie. She is "very, really, really, really, really enthused" about the early-stage project, which is a love story set in the 1940s.

She emphasizes that investing time and effort in passion projects is a component of her drive to be more disciplined in her personal and professional life.

I believe sometimes when so much is happening, it takes your breath away and then it's like you're holding your breath, and you feel this angst and this fear of continuously being in fight-or-flight survival mode," she adds. "I have to devote myself to that." Black women who are mothers, in my opinion, comprehend that better than anyone.

Lathan, a longtime friend, and co-star in this year's On the Come Up consider Long's decision to become a filmmaker "long overdue" and says she will be there to support her. Lathan recently made her own directorial debut. It will be a kind of role reversal as Long, who started acting about seven years before Lathan, advised her early in her career on everything from auditioning to dealing with rejection.

Being a Black woman in this industry is "a really distinct, specific experience," according to Lathan. "Thank God, things have changed, and opportunities are much greater now. However, if you went through it at the same time as us, you needed someone who could truly relate.

"It's a battle sometimes behind the scenes, even once you, quote-unquote, 'make it,' and you're starting to actually work and people are recognizing you," she continues. Acting is a difficult profession that is not for the weak of heart.

The introduction of Will Smith's acceptance speech at the 94th Academy Awards this year, when he won the Oscar for best actor for the title role in King Richard, is identical to Lathan's. He said, "In this industry, you have to be able to have people treat you disrespectfully and you've got to grin and act like it's okay."

I query Long as to whether she can relate in any way to the emotion made by her former Fresh Prince of Bel-Air co-star. Of course, she replies. She continues, "I believe you are criticized if you are not willing to be agreeable with all that is provided to you.

Since that night, when Smith famously entered the stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock in response to a joke the comic had made about Smith's wife, actress Jada Pinkett Smith, she has spoken to Smith.

As a friend of both Chris and He, Long recalls, "I checked on him and Chris." "That was difficult for me because those two resemble my brothers. And I suppose my hope is that they can reach a point where they can at least communicate civilly and reconcile.

From left: Monica Calhoun, Long, and Nikki Tillman in The Best Man (1999) and Terrence Howard and Long in The Best Man Holiday (2013). COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION; UNIVERSAL/COURTESY EVERETT / EVERETT COLLECTION

Long has two acting projects in the early 2023 period before she turns her attention to assuming control of the set. First up is Missing, a standalone sequel to Searching, a 2018 mystery thriller that also starred Joaquim de Almeida and Storm Reid. The second is the group comedy You People starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, and Jonah Hill.

Long, whose goal was fulfilled this year, adds, "I've been wanting to work with Eddie Murphy my entire life and I've never gotten the job."

Hill and Kenya Barris, the creator of Black-ish, wrote the screenplay, which follows a young couple as they negotiate cultural and generational barriers. Hill is also the film's director. Barris is one of Long's closest pals in the industry.

I genuinely believe that what he accomplishes for Black people in this field is innovative. It's completely out of place. It provokes thought and laughter. You think, "This guy is nuts," as a result. I respect him for it, though, since it's in the craziness that we discover the truth.

Long believes that this film will carry on that humorous tradition. According to her, "This video explores the distinction between Blacks and Jews in a very funny freaking way, and right now, there's a lot of discourse about antisemitism and the experience of the Jewish religion." In order to improve understanding, let's try to discover the humor in our differences and show respect and admiration for them.

With the addition of these roles, Long will have a respectable 70 acting credits to her name since her debut in a 1986 episode of 227. Long lists herself among the "handful" of Black actors who have been able to work consistently, noting that she hasn't declined many roles throughout the years. The greatest is yet to come, she believes.

"I've spent a lot of time motivating others, which has benefited my career, but I'd like to feel more motivated by the tasks that come my way and the things I work on. She refers to her character Jordan from the Best Man as saying, "I'm a very different lady today from who I was when people first met me. "At the time, I hadn't yet become a mother and was attempting to understand what it meant to be a woman in the workplace. I felt as though I were getting a glimpse of my womanhood. I believe I'm there now.

READ: Chris Rock and Will Smith's Relationship Through the Years: A History