LOU GOSSETT, JR. DROPPING KNOWLEDGE!

LOU GOSSETT, JR. appears in the final two episodes of BET's "The Book of Negroes."  We had an amazing chat a couple of weeks ago, some of which appears in the current TASTY CLIPS in the Los Angeles Wave.  Here I present more of the knowledge he dropped on our world today, his close call with Charles Manson's cult, hanging with Jimi Hendrix, his favorite films, and more.
 
50 years later, do you think we're living in Dr. King's Promised Land?  "We are, but a lot of us in the DNA are still used to fighting for freedom.  White folks in their DNA are fighting to keep control. We’re in the land of the free and the home of the brave, but a lot of us don’t know what that means.  Black people have not practiced their responsibility.  I call them American Africans these days, not African Americans.  We’re Americans first.  We’re having that problem of getting used to this new situation that’s going to happen.  It’s eminent that we’re going to have a global society but it has to start in America.  It’s eminent that we need each other desperately, but it’s hard to change old habits."
 

"Look at that storm on the east coast.  We’re getting signals from the spirits that we need to do something. I think the number one thing we need to do is straighten the planet out, the weather, its animals and its insects.  We’re supposed to be the caretakers of this planet and then pass that on to our children.  In the meantime we’re fighting over racism, territory, oil, money, military might.  We may as well be in a 747 at 30,000 feet pointing towards the ground, but everybody’s in the plane fighting for First Class."  

"Everybody knows something’s wrong.  Open up the book and open up your minds to the growth that mankind has in store.  We need to get rid of some of those things that are getting in the way of our compassion.  I went to S. Africa and spent 20 minutes with Nelson Mandela.  If anybody would be upset about injustice it would be him, but he came out of Robbin Island with a smile on his face and messed everyone up.  So with what happened to him, if he can do that then I have a signal that I can do the same." 

What are your feelings about the impact of the civil rights movement?  "My best friends now are Andrew Young and his wife and Xernona Clayton all who were in the middle of that.  The best news about the civil rights movement today are the multi racial young people who are joining in the fight against injustice.  That’s a great message.  Our children, the gang bangers, they haven’t been taught anything so they’re taking matters into their own hands.  They want us to pay attention to them.  They know what’s wrong but they don’t know what’s right.  So they’re desperate for some kind of lesson, some elder leadership.  I’m getting a personal response from them all across the country and I love it."

I read where you were almost killed by Charles Manson's cult.  "Oh yes, absolutely.  We were welcoming the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.  I can’t remember who it was, but it was at the Chateau Marmont.  The reception was in this beautiful suite and I was there with Mick Jagger, John and Michelle Phillips, Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix.  Someone said, 'Hey, we’re going to go to Roman [Polanski]’s house with Sharon [Tate] and we’re going to continue this party.  You coming Lou?'  I said, 'Yeah, but I’m going to go and take a shower.'  I came out the shower and the police were at Sharon’s house on the TV.  I had to take another shower. (laughs) I broke out into a salty sweat!"  

What was Jimi Hendrix like?  "Jimi was very quiet except when he was on the stage.  We used to hang out in London during the Abbey Road period with The Beatles.  George Harrison was who I hung out with mostly.  He and the Maharishi lived there. We used to close a restaurant called The Baghdad Gardens. We’d pass the guitar around and share some other things after the place was closed.  We talked about philosophy, politics, free love, anti-war stuff and transcendental mediation until the sun came up.  Jimi would be in the corner quiet but he would live what he was talking about.  He was one of those special geniuses.  Great man." 

Which of your movies are your favorites?  "There’s one that I did that I have special appreciation for called 'Benny’s Place.'  The other one was 'Lawman Without a Gun.'"  

Have you seen anything lately that you were impressed with?  "My favorite movie this year was "Black or White." It told some truth.  It wasn’t uncomfortable.  It’s about love and us needing each other.  And we need each other desperately.  The Americans as a universal soup doesn’t taste half as good without the black input." 

Along with your work with the Eracism Foundation, what's up next for you outside of "Extant?" There’s The Harlem Renaissance which I’m trying to present.  That's a 60 to 70 year tapestry of politics, art, gangsters and freedom fighters.  WEB DuBois was in the middle of that.  Maybe a one man show.  I’m very grateful to be able to remember my lines and be healthy, and have friends of all kinds.  I dropped 60 pounds.  The girls say more than hello to me now."

‘LOVE JONES' SEQUEL BREWING? OYELOWO CHIDES ACADEMY

“I got the vampire in my blood,” actor LARENZ TATE says jokingly about his still youthful look.  “Me and Pharrell Williams.  We’re not telling the secret.”

What he will talk about, though, is “White Water,” a fact-based 1960s southern civil rights tale, with Sharon Leal, Amir and Amari O’Neil, directed by Rusty Cundieff (premiering Feb. 7 on TV One).

“I feel there are different stories to be told of our history,” Tate says about the project. “Even though our grandparents and great-grandparents as African-Americans felt the oppression and negativity that surrounded them, I know mine weren’t walking around with their heads hanging down.

“You telling me our people weren’t having a good time? Where did all that good music come from?” he added. “Where’d all the great family values come from?  It came regardless of the oppression.  So what are those cool stories?”

Tate said he understands actor Anthony Mackie’s point about some people being tired of race films, but adds: ‘We can’t walk away from the history.  I think it’s about telling fresh stories.”

“In “White Water,” black folks ain’t getting beat with billy clubs.  Black folks ain’t getting stomped.  They ain’t hanging from trees.  We’re telling a different story from a boy’s perspective.”

Tate’s slate consists of a recurring role on Showtime’s “House of Lies,” producing and starring in a film called “Beta Test,” directing (Antonique Smith’s video for the Grammy nominated “Hold Up, Wait a Minute”), and helping south L.A. youths through the BLOOM initiative (www.calfund.org/bloom).

As for any potential “Love Jones” sequels, Tate said, “You have to catch lightning in a bottle to get that fulfilled.  If the story isn’t a hundred percent there, we don’t want to tarnish it.  But if we could find a way to do a super special story, I’d be there in a heartbeat.”

“I do know the Obamas love the film,” Tate affirmed.  “I think it was one of their dates.  If we’d had it in the can, we could’ve had a big premiere screening at the White House.

“We playing games!  Let me call Nia Long!”
 

SPOKEN WORDS: Tuff Gong International will digitally release “So Much Things to Say,” a rare 35-minute interview with Bob Marley from 1973, by legendary Jamaican DJ and journalist Neville Willoughby. The interview was recorded in Jamaica upon Marley’s return from the Burnin’ album tour in the U.S. and the UK. The recording, combined with background tracks, has been digitally remastered and re-edited by Marley’s wife, Rita, and their daughter, Cedella Marley, in time for what would’ve been Bob’s 70th birthday.
 
CLIPPETTES: Jaden Smith & Maya Rudolph are cast in the HBO comedy pilot “Brothers in Atlanta,” created by, and starring Diallo Riddle & Bashir Salahuddin …

Oprah Winfrey will co-star in a dramatic series for her network based on the novel “Queen Sugar” by Natalie Baszile, to be written, produced and directed by Ava DuVarnay …

The Pan African Film Festival (paff.org) is in gear this week ...  

Rick Ross and B-Real headline the 4th Annual High Times SoCal Medical Cannibus Cup Concert, Sat., Feb. 7 at the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino.  Doors at 8 …

The great Rita Moreno is going to be a “Glam-Ma” on CW’s “Jane the Virgin” …

Mehcad Brooks (“True Blood,” “Desperate Housewives”) is your new Jimmy Olsen, a romantic interest to CBS’ “Supergirl”…

Amaury Nolasco (“Prison Break”) is joining Eva Longoria’s “Telenovela,” described as a soap within a soap comedy, at NBC ...
 

TASTY QUIP: “I know people may say ‘this guy’s a fascist’ and all this stuff, but man, you can take positivity from watching [Benito Mussolini]. No wonder why Hitler was attracted to him. This guy’s a hypnotic figure. There’s so much pride behind what he’s saying. I’m not even Italian and I feel the pride he’s projecting.

"He had that street swag; he was doing this stuff with his hands and moving his head before it was even hip-hop.” – MIKE TYSON to Rolling Stone on the inspiration of his one take ad-lib on Madonna’s “Rebel Heart” album.  His trippy cartoon show has its season finale Feb. 8 on Adult Swim.
 
TC ON TV: Fri, Feb. 6 – “NAACP Image Awards” (TVONE): Anthony Anderson hosts Oprah Winfrey, Kerry Washington & Chadwick Boseman to name a few.  Eric Holder, Spike Lee & Clive Davis to be honored … “Preachers of L.A. (OXYGEN): Deitrick (Haddon) Goes Home in this special … “SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED” (PBS): “The Taming of the Shrew with Morgan Freeman,” “Othello with David Harewood” …

Feb. 7 – “Red Band Society” (FOX): 2 hour series finale … “Megachurch Murder” (LIFETIME): Inspired by Shakespeare’s Hamlet and set in a modern African American church, this film stars Tamala Jones, Malcolm Jamal-Warner, Michael Beach, Corbin Bleu & Dawnn Lewis …

Feb. 8 – “The Simpsons” (FOX): Pharrell ... “57th Annual Grammy Awards” (CBS): Common, John Legend, Sam Smith, that Rihanna/Kanye/McCartney group, Beyoncé and whispers of Prince! … “Talk to Al Jazeera” (AJAMERICA): Akon … “Watch What Happens Live” (BRAVO): Steve Harvey & Hoda Kotb …

Feb. 9 – “Late Late Show” (CBS): Wayne Brady hosts Robert Glasper (who is playing The Mint on the 7th).
 

CALIFORNIA LOVE: The GRAMMY Museum® (800 W. Olympic Blvd.) has opened its latest exhibit — All Eyez on Me: The Writings of Tupac Shakur, in cooperation with the Estate of Tupac Shakur.  Some of the artifacts featured in the exhibit (through April 22) include: Tupac’s handwritten notes, lyrics and poems; the Versace suit he wore at the 1996 38th Annual GRAMMY Awards; Original tape box and studio notes from his first post-prison release recording; Interviews, performance footage and more.

TASTY QUIP: ”Generally speaking, we, as black people, have been celebrated more for when we are subservient, when we are not being leaders or kings or at the center of our narrative, driving it forward.

“To me, Denzel Washington should have won for 'Malcolm X.' We’ve just got to come to the point whereby there isn’t a notion of who black people are that feeds into what we are celebrated as.

“Not just in the Academy, but in life as well. We have been slaves, we have been servants, but we’ve also been kings and have changed the world.” – DAVID OYELOWO at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.