Larenz Tate Archives - I Love Old School Music

Larenz Tate Turned Down Two Major Movie Roles, One Well Known Actor Should Thank Him

ilosm — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 00:40:56 +0000

Larenz Tate

The talented veteran actor, Larenz Tate, has been doing his thing on the big screen for years in some our favorite cult classic films, including Menace II Society, where he played as “O-Dog” and in the movie, Love Jones, where he stole plenty of women’s hearts as “Darius Lovehall.”

Aside from Love Jones, fans almost had another opportunity to see Tate and Nia Long on screen together again, but Larenz turned the role down.

“Brown Sugar”

In an interview with B.E.T., Tate revealed that he was offered the role of “Harper Stewart” for the romantic comedy, Best Man. Larenz revealed that he loved the chemistry he had with Nia in Love Jones and that he has great respect for the director, Malcolm Lee. However, he felt like the role of “Harper,” which essentially was played by actor, Taye Diggs, was too close to his prior character in Love Jones. A stand up guy, Tate said that he didn’t regret taking the role because he was a fan of the movie and he thought Diggs did a phenomenal job.

“The Best Man”

In addition to declining the role of “Harper Stewart” in Best Man, there came another time when Taye Diggs yet again got another opportunity, thanks to Larenz.

Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs in scene from “Brown Sugar”

In an interview with ‘The Breakfast Club,’ Tate revealed that he turned down another role in a classic romantic Black comedy- the role of “Dre” in Brown Sugar. He didn’t explain why he turned down that role, but Tate did break down why he felt The Best Man wouldn’t have worked for him. He explained that like his previous character, “Darius Lovehall,” “Harper Stewart” was similar to his character in the sense that both men were writers. Also, when Larenz was offered the role, Nia Long was already assigned to her role in the film and he said he didn’t want to take away from the magic they created in Love Jones. Jokingly, Breakfast’ host , Charlamagne Tha God, commented that Taye Diggs should send Larenz an edible arrangement to thank him. Check out what else Larenz said about this at the 24:40 mark in the video below…

Before seeing Taye Diggs on the big screen, he was acting on the Broadway stage. He later transitioned to television on Guiding Light and scored his big-screen debut in How Stella Got Her Groove Back. But let’s be real, Diggs’ career really took off when he starred in the The Best Man. Although some movie critics doubted the success of the film, it was and always will be a cult classic among the Black culture.

Malcolm Lee wrote and directed The Best Man in 1999 and the The Best Man Holiday in 2013. Both releases were big successes, with the first film making $34 million domestically on a $9 million budget, according to BoxOfficeMojo. The 2013 film earned $70 million. There were also talks that The Best Man Wedding would be released in 2016, however, due to scheduling conflicts the movie was put on hold.

From The Best Man, to Brown Sugar and now onto his recurring role on the Fox hit show, Empire- it’s safe to say that Taye Diggs should at least treat Larenz to a full course dinner for indirectly helping to launch his impeccable acting career.

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Larenz Tate Turned Down Two Major Movie Roles, One Well Known Actor Should Thank Him

ilosm — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 23:41:09 +0000

Larenz Tate

Aside from Love Jones, fans almost had another opportunity to see Tate and Nia Long on screen together again, but Larenz turned the role down.

“Brown Sugar”

“The Best Man”

In addition to declining the role of “Harper Stewart” in Best Man, there came another time when Taye Diggs yet again got another opportunity, thanks to Larenz.

Sanaa Lathan and Taye Diggs in scene from “Brown Sugar”

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Director Discusses The Time Jada Pinkett & Lauryn Hill Turned Down “Love Jones” Role

ilosm — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 01:21:27 +0000

Embed from Getty Images

ILOSM fam’ can y’all believe it’s been 22 years since the cult classic film, Love Jones, hit theaters? Seems like just yesterday that we were waiting for the release of the film that introduced us to “Darius Lovehall” and “Nina Moseley’s” relationship.

Years later, on the 20th anniversary of the film in 2017, cast members- Nia Long, Bill Bellamy, Larenz Tate, Isaiah Washington, and Lisa Nicole Carson- along with the film’s writer-director, Ted Witcher (pictured above, 2nd from left), dished some previously unknown behind-the-scenes facts about the Love Jones.

Director Tells Why Jada Pinkett-Smith Declined “Love Jones” Movie Role:

Embed from Getty Images

Witcher revealed that Nia Long was nowhere on his radar when he was trying to cast the film. He instead wanted Jada Pinkett-Smith:

Witcher- “Believe it or not, I had Jada Pinkett [Smith] in mind. I had seen her on “A Different World” and thought she had a very different sensibility from other black actresses of her generation. I tried to get her and she passed.”

Jada Pinkett-Smith as ‘Nina Moseley’?!! Nah. Don’t me wrong, I love me some Jada and one of my favorite Jada roles is “Stony” in Set It Off, but after seeing Nia as “Nina,” there is just no other “Nina” in my eyes.

That’s not all that was revealed though, turns out, Witcher almost got Lauryn Hill to star in the film too. Interestingly, he initially did NOT want Larenz Tate in Love Jones, but he had his reasons…

SEE WHY THE DIRECTOR DIDN’T WANT LARENZ IN THE MOVIE & WHY LAURYN HILL TURNED IT DOWN>>>

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Ageless Larenz Tate And Wife Anxiously Anticipate Baby #4 With Celebrity Friends

I Love Old School Music — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:35:30 +0000

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bmw_7FgAFuI/

Larenz Tate and his wife, Tomasina, are looking forward to showing the world their newest addition to the family. And, allegedly, it could happen as soon as September.

According to Essence, the Tates and the Bellamys (Bill and Kristen) were recently hanging out together over the weekend.

During their time, as friends do, the couples decided to capture the moment with a few selfies. Kristen captioned the moment as follows.

“Beauty and the Boys. How she does it nobody knows…with boy number 4 in the oven, it’s never a dull moment with the Tates. Can’t wait for our new little prince #teamtate.”

As you can see in the photo below, Larenz and Tomasina wore matching shirts which read, “New Recruit.” And from Kristen’s post, it’s a boy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm9xrsvHC3g/

If you’re unaware, the Tates already parent three sons: Miles, Zander, and Zion. What happened to “third time’s the charm?” Maybe that transformed into “fourth time’s the charm.”

Yet, at this point, it might be clear there are no daughters on the way anytime in the near future for Larenz or Tomasina.

According to Essence, the due date is set for sometime in September. It’s inconclusive; however. The source says it can pretty much happen any day now.

‘MAKE IT LAST FOREVER’…

In a previous interview with Essence, Larenz expounded on his lasting marriage and what it’s taken to stand the test of time.

“I think that compatibility is really important, and friendship,” Tate explains, “you know what I mean?”

“When you can have friendship and compatibility and true love – that is, for us, the ingredient of a successful relationship. And the thing about it is, we don’t go by other people’s standards. What works in our relationship and our household may not work for the next people.”

According to Larenz, he and Tomasina don’t worry about what other people are doing. Rather, they focus on what works for their particular relationship.

“It’s what we create and what we do,” Tate continues. “We don’t get involved with anybody else’s business; we just do our thing. The one thing about our relationship, in our family, we have three children; we have three boys and our children is truly our pride and joy.”

If it’s one thing celebrity families tend to lack, it’s privacy. In the age of reality TV, everyone wants their whole lives on broadcast. And if it’s not happening that way, people generally think those particular celebs have fallen off.

However, Larenz states it’s completely fine to have a certain level of privacy, even in his celebrity stature – especially since they have kids involved.

Nevertheless, Tate and his family look hella youthful, right?

It seems like yesterday, Larenz was debuting “Why Do Fools Fall in Love.” Apparently, Tate has found some “forever young,” magic elixir because he looks as if he just walked off the set.

And, of course, that was 20 years ago. Happy anniversary!

https://twitter.com/LarenzTate/status/1034664676821327872

As you can see, Larenz defies the aging process. While we understand “Black don’t crack,” Tate has seemingly tapped into some kind of bio-porcelain.

All in all, let us know your thoughts about the Tates and their new addition. If you have any comments, feel free to share them on our Facebook page.

FYI: Please take a moment and change Facebook notifications for ILOSM to “See First,” so you don’t miss any breaking news or trending stories on your timeline.

[Featured Photo via Kristen Bellamy / Larenz Tate / Instagram]

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Larenz Tate Turned Down 2 Popular Movie Roles & One Famous Actor Should Thank Him

I Love Old School Music — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 14:16:17 +0000

Larenz Tate

Aside from Love Jones, fans almost had another opportunity to see Tate and Nia Long on screen together again, but Larenz turned the role down.

“Brown Sugar”

“The Best Man”

In addition to declining the role of “Harper Stewart” in Best Man, there came another time when Taye Diggs yet again got another opportunity, thanks to Larenz.

(L) Larenz Tate; (R) Taye Diggs

The post Larenz Tate Turned Down 2 Popular Movie Roles & One Famous Actor Should Thank Him appeared first on I Love Old School Music.

Bill Bellamy and Larenz Tate Celebrate Love Jones’ 20th Anniversary With Their Wives

I Love Old School Music — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 01:18:11 +0000

Good friends/actors, Larenz Tate and Bill Bellamy, were all smiles this weekend as the cast and crew of the cult classic romantic film, Love Jones, reunited to celebrate its release 20 years ago. Hol’ up…can y’all believe it’s been 20 years already? Every last one of the cast members look like they haven’t aged one bit. The anniversary party turned into a double date night for Tate and Bellamy, who brought along their spouses and family for the epic celebration.

Sometimes it takes time for a movie to get the respect it deserves and it seems that Love Jones is finally getting acknowledged. It was amazing night at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater filled with excitement and memories as the crowd drifted back in time to 1997 when Love Jones was first released. The classic love story stands out because there are just not many films that feature African-American characters falling in love. Many films today feature African-Americans that are slaves, impoverished, involved in drugs, or killed in the first scene. Movies like Love Jones are a dying breed.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Love Jones, The Academy showed a special screening of the event followed by a conversation. All the original cast and crew were there for the epic night! Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs explained why they decided to acknowledge the Theodore Witcher film.

We look back and realize this stereotype-breaking, genre-redefining cult classic delivered a powerful message—without a lecture

Not only was the night a great night because of the stars that were in the house, but it was refreshing to see Larenz Tate and his wife Tomasina Parrott and Bill and Kristen Bellamy. Fans of the movie, Love Jones, remember the tension between their on screen characters, but in real life, Bellamy and Tate are like brothers.

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Larenz Tate & His Famous Brother Launch New Bizarre Business Venture

I Love Old School Music — Sat, 29 Apr 2017 21:10:46 +0000

Legendary actor and heartthrob to many ladies, Larenz Tate, along with his brother, have teamed up with Laurence Fishburne to offer fans a one 0f a kind experience with an audio drama that has everyone talking.

Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne

Larenz Tate, 41, has made a name for himself in Hollywood for quite some time now. Many of us know him from his legendary role as ‘Darius Lovehall’ from the movie Love Jones and who could ever forget him as, O-Dog in the classic 1993 film, Menace II Society.

Lahmard Tate

Actors Lahmard Tate (L) and brother Larenz Tate (R)

It seems like working in the entertainment industry is a family business as older brother, actor Lahmard Tate, is in the film industry too. Most of us are familiar with Lahmard Tate, for his comedic roles. The 47 year-old actor had fans rolling when he starred in the comedic film Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. If you didn’t catch him in that film, I’m sure you remember him as Anthony Anderson’s partner in crime from the movie, Barbershop.

The THIRD Tate Brother, Larron

Tate brothers: Lahmard Tate, Larron Tate, and Larenz Tate

The Tate brothers are just not comprised of 2 handsome, talented men but 3! The brothers have another brother, Larron Tate, 41, that is in the industry too. He’s a producer and has produced the following movies: Across the Tracks (1990), Without a Pass (1991) and M.A.N.T.I.S. (1994). I guess good things do come in threes…their parents must be proud!

Tatemen Entertainment & Their New Interesting Business Venture

What’s amazing is that the 3 men have a production company called Tate Entertainment and they’ve teamed up with Laurence Fishburne to create an incredible star studded -and somewhat bizarre (for today’s era)- audio drama, Bronzeville, podcast revolution.

You Must Listen:

Bronzeville is a scripted audio drama that is based in the 1940s era of Chicago. According to Global Grind, the series tells the stories of how many African-Americans left the racist South and migrated North to build communities that were based on a community-wide lottery, kept alive by numbers runners and local citizens. Listeners will get to meet those characters through the series. It’s a star studded cast and many voices you’ll recognize.

In addition to Larenz Tate and Laurence Fishburne, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Omari Hardwick are among the star-studded cast. They are also joined by Wood Harris, Tika Sumpter, Lance Reddick, Brittany Snow, and Mitch Pileggi. If you’re a fan of The Wire or Boardwalk Empire, then Bronzeville is for you. You won’t be able to see these stars, but, you’ll be able to hear their incredible voices and feel their talent. The acting is powerful and you’ll learn that these actors and actresses are more than pretty faces.

Fishburne, who directed the audio action, promised USA Today, “It’s gonna be better than TV.”

KINGS & QUEENS! Happy Lovers Day from BRONZEVILLE! Tune into an all new episode NOW! https://t.co/3eHL2c1VRL pic.twitter.com/zv3syUEMCz

— Larenz Tate (@LarenzTate) February 14, 2017

Fishburne and Tate could have gone the traditional route of creating a television show but they wanted to do something different. The Hollywood royalty decided to chose audio to avoid the long process of getting a film financed, shot, produced and marketed. Bronzeville allows you to listen to something entertaining while you’re working out, cleaning up or if you’re just trying to kill time.

With sound effects and the timing, Producer Kc Wayland creates audio gold and brings Bronzeville to life. Listeners will feel like they’re back in the 1940s.

So, if you need something entertaining and your cable is turned off, don’t worry. What’s great about podcasts is that you’re able to download them and listen to them. In today’s fast paced society we live in, it could work because of mobile listening and entertainment on the go. Bronzeville gives people the opportunity to have an audio only, with no visual experience. That type of series is mostly unheard in today’s society. It’s really cool and I can’t wait to check it out! Will you?

See Tate and Fishburne discuss their scripted audio drama below:

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Wow! Have U Seen Larenz Tate? Here’s What He Said About His Financial Position

I Love Old School Music — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 19:30:00 +0000

Have you seen Larenz Tate lately? If you compared a 90’s photo to a current one, you’d probably have a hard time telling the exact age difference between the two photos. The famed Menace II Society actor is like a fine wine, and has even been referred to as a vampire, because he’s aged so well! However, there’s much more to Larenz than looks.

[kkgallery kid=”2033″ title=”Wow! Have U Seen Larenz Tate? Here’s What He Said About His Financial Position”]

Even though many celebrities have embraced the limelight by allowing their children to make public appearances in magazines and on reality TV, Larenz Tate’s decision is quite laudable. It proves Larenz is a man of many hates. Not only is he great actor, but he’s also a commendable family man. But, hopefully in the future, at least one of his sons inherit his acting abilities!

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