Beyoncé once named her three favourite movies of all time
Since she made her acting debut in the 2001 MTV romantic musical Carmen, hilariously sub-titled A Hip Hopera, former Destiny’s Child member and all-round global superstar Beyoncé has sustained a successful film career for over 20 years. Queen Bey followed this up with a great cameo in Austin Powers in Goldmember, kickstarting a sequence of increasingly prominent roles that culminated in voicing Nala in Disney’s 2019 remake of The Lion King.
Back in 2003, however, Beyoncé’s acting resumé was still in its infancy, and it was when she gave an interview as part of the promotion for The Fighting Temptations that readers and fans got a glimpse into the singer’s film preferences. While the film itself, the tale of a New York advertising executive (played by Cuba Gooding Jr) who returns to his hometown of Georgia to revive the church gospel choir, was not particularly well received, it put Beyoncé on the map in terms of a ‘serious’ actor – and let us know what her favourites where.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Beyoncé touched upon how she had evolved as an actor since the Hip Hopera, explaining that “Every time I do a movie, it feels just easier, and I get more comfortable. I had to cry; I had to take certain things in my life and make the issues that Lily went through the same as mine.”
Despite admitting that she was “not” a movie buff and that she rarely got “a chance to go to the movies”, Beyoncé did reveal three of her favourite movies, which her mother introduced her to: Mahogany and Cooley High, both from 1975 and Sparkle, released a year later.
Classic examples of quality Black cinema in the 1970s, the first title was a Diana Ross vehicle, which saw the singer as a fashion design student-turned-model whose overnight success brought fame, fortune, and severe tension between herself and a social activist portrayed by Billy Dee Williams (of Star Wars fame).
Cooley High, a seminal coming-of-age drama that heavily inspired and influenced the likes of John Singleton and long-time Beyoncé fan Spike Lee, followed a group of high-school friends living in 1960s Chicago. After an innocent day out puts them on a collision course with a pair of criminals, their low-stakes lives suddenly take a dramatic and exciting turn.
Lastly was Sparkle, an expansive musical drama that took its inspiration from the history of the famous Motown group The Supremes. Set in 1950s/1960s Harlem, the movie explored the struggles of fame whilst celebrating a specific moment of Black New York culture.
As she continued to discuss her newfound passion, Beyoncé also teased other roles that fans might one day hope to see her in, explaining that “I want to play a woman that’s a little more vulnerable, like a suspense thriller or something,” before also adding that she “also like action movies. I would love to play an action hero.” Seeing as Queen Bey’s acting career is still alive and kicking, there’s a chance this may be just around the corner.
Beyoncé’s three favourite movies:
- Sparkle
- Mahogany
- Cooley High
