Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 20 December 2002 — Page 25

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THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20,2002

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Deliberately scaring me is abuse.

Stop it.

Domestic violence feeds on fear. Victims of abusive partners exist in an oppressive, often cruel relationship. Thev feel scared, alone and powerless. Creating fear and anxiety aie devastating behaviors to teach your children. Certainly fear will destroy your family and theirs. i: vou think deliberately scaring someone is no big deal. Think again. It s one of the fifteen warning signs ot domestic violence listed in this ad. Read the list. Then consider your actions. Nothing good ever comes from an abusive relationship So. stop it.

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Five questions with comic Doug Williams

NEW YORK (AP) - When he was 26, comedian Doug Williams left Alabama with $600 in his pocket and headed for Hollywood. Seven years later, Williams says he’s finally arrived. “I came from Montgomery, Ala., a small town. Most of my friends are back in Montgomery working at these local factories and plants,” he said in a recent interview. “Hollywood is a big dream out there, because it’s so far from that” Williams started out as a rapper. “The group was trying to be serious, but my raps always came out humorous, so my friends told me I should be a comedian.” He started performing standup and doing showcases at a local comedy club while attending Alabama State University. In 1995, he moved to Los Angeles, landing a role in “The Nutty Professor.” Williams was arrested for domestic violence shortly after the movie wrapped. “After that incident my life was really falling apart,” he said. He did a “short stint” in jail, and attended anger management classes for a year. While the classes helped, Williams said he found the stage to be the best therapy. “Had it not been for standup and getting up onstage and talking about that incident I don’t know what would have happened to me,” he said. “Comedy saved my life.” Now a spokesman against domestic violence, Williams stars as Kevin, the single sportswriter and chauvinistic pool player always ready to dispense advice, on HBO’s “The Mind of the Married Man.” He also appears on BETs “Comic View” and “The Way We Do It” and is a fixture on the standup circuit He enjoys life with friends and family in Los Angeles But he never forgets where he came from - or the true constant in his life. Comedy “has never failed me,” he said. Who encouraged you when you were starting out?

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Williams: When I was coming up in the early’90s, when Arsenio Hall broke with “The Arsenk) Hall Show,” he really gave Black entertainers a sense of encouragement because to get on... Jay Leno or (David) Letterman, everything had to fall right for you to make those shows. You had to be the cream of the crop. But when Arsenio came on, it really made us feel like we had a legitimate chance to get on the show. Who are your favorite comedians? Williams: A comedian I really, really, really like - and I’ve had an opportunity to meet him a few times, and he’s always giving me encouraging words - is Martin Lawrence. I really have a lot of respect for Martin. Eddie Murphy would fall into that (category), too. And Richard Pryor, just watching him. We’re all - the New Age comedians - clones of Richard Pryor, with Eddie Murphy being first. He set the bar so high, and we love watching him so much. How did you find humor in something as serious as domestic violence? Williams: Life is funny. And the best comedy comes from tragedy. My favorite comedians are Richard Pryor and George Carlin. When you listen to those people, they talk about tragic situations that they made funny. So I found the humor in my tragedy and I was able to relay that to people, to convey that message. Do you use the stage as an emotional outlet? Williams: Absolutely.... It really keeps me sane because my act really surrounds me and my trials and tribulations - what I go through dealing with relationships and people. Is comedy therapeutic for you? Williams: Some people take up a hobby. For some people, it’s eating. Actually, foralotofpeople it’s eating. Standup has been that release for me, that form to express myself.

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Cannon of ‘Drumline’ is on fire By KAM WILLIAMS For Tha Rtcardf Even if you don’t know Nick Cannon, odds are that your kids do; For not only does he already have his own hit TV series on Nickelodeon, but it’s also named after him. Although my son is a big fan of “The Nick Cannon Show,” to be honest with you, I had never heard of him before now. But after watching Nick’s impressive motion picture debut as the star of “Drumline,” I expect much bigger things of this emerging actor. Cannon was bom in San Diego on Oct 17,1980. By the age of 8, he was playing the synthesizer, drums and harmonica. Before he was a teen-ager, he was performing comedy on stage. Soon, the Renaissance boy added rap to his repertoire, and found himself on die same bill as Will Smith on the Billboard Live Tour, as half of a hip-hop duo called Da Bom Squad. Next, Cannon headed for Hollywood, where at 16 he committed himself to a career in comedy, doing stand-up at such clubs as The Improv, The Laugh Factory and the Comedy Store. His career really took off once industry insiders took note of his talents and gave him guest spots on such shows as “All That,” “The Parkers” and “Teen Summit” before ultimately rewarding him with one of his very own. I spoke with the effervescent, yet mature young man on the eve of Drumline’s premiere. KW: I really enjoyed this film and your work in it NC: Thank you. Thank you, so much. KW: My son’s already been a fan of yours from Nickelodeon. NC: OK, cool! KW: You’re originally from San Diego. Is the weather there really perfect year-round like they say? NC: There’s that myth that it never rains in Southern California, because the temperatures are mostly in the 70s and 80s. But it rains all the time. KW: Why did you decide to make your movie debut with “Drumline”? NC: What attracted me to “Drumline” was the fact that it was shedding light on a subcul-

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Nick Cannon don’t know about. And also that my character, Devon, had such an arc and so much development. For a first film, it offered a great opportunity for me to branch out I was able to show my range with this character. KW: The role certainly called for a mix of skills. NC: It definitely took a lot of dedication, more than anything. Learning all the drumming, becomingthat person and beinghim and living that life. It was like drumnastics. And cutting my hair. KW: So, you really shaved that big afro off for the film? NC: Yeah, yeah, yeah, definitely. That was no wig, stunt or anything like that That was my own hair being cut off. KW: That must have been traumatic. You took a long time to grow all that hair. NC: Yeah, but it’s all good. Like I said, it took dedication. KW: Did you see a film called “Our Song” that came out acouple of years ago? That was about a marching band, too. NC: Nah, I didn’t, but I heard about it though. KW: How do you find time to make a movie if you have the daily grind of a television show? NC: You have to find the time. You work 20 hours a day. I also have a rap album coming out So, I’m constantly going. KW: What type of rap do you do; not gangsta? You Ve got a good image. NC: Oh, no. Nah, definitely not It’s bringing the fun back to hiphop. Like the old school Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh days. KW: I’m glad to hear that, because so much rap is all cursing and dissing of women. NC:Oh,dafinitdynaneurfthat I have to maintain that positive image and positive spirit for the young people who look up to me, so I can continue to strive to be a role model. KW: Were you affected by the gangland-style slaying of Jam Master Jay? NC: That hurt It was a very unfortunate tragedy. He was a hip-hop mogul and legend. A pioneer who was taken away way too soon. KW: Any plans to make a music video? NC: Yeah, actually I’m shooting one pretty soon, in about two weeks. KW: What made you move to Hollywood at 16, such a young age? NC: I graduated from high school early and wanted to take stand-up comedy seriously. So, I knew I had to go to LA, buckle down, and get rid of all the other stuff, if I wanted to make it happen. And the stand-up led to acting and everything else. KW: You’re have compiled such an impressive resume. How exactly didyou get your own show so fast? NC: First, I wrote episodes of “All That” for two seasons and I was the warm-up comedian for the live audience. I was doii own thing, rapping and jokes, making everybody laugh. And they thought, “Wow, this guy's really good.” From there, it kind of trickled down into my own show. KW: Bow’d you like working with Zoe Saldana and Orlando Jones? NC: Zoe was great She and I had a whole lot of chemistry, and Orlando, he’s crazy. But hie also showed me the ropes as the veteran actor on the set He gave me lots of tips.” KW: Is there a Web site where your fans can e-mail yon? NC: NickCannon.coin is being constructed right now. Until then, there’s Nkk.com. KW: What advice do you have for fans who want to follow in your footsteps? NC: Maintain aj no matter what i Just set goals and 1 can achieve them, if j them and maintain til that’s all yon reafly