|
|
|
|
|
Bryant's Bronx Blessings
By Ramona Prioleau
Sashaying
into the room in distressed jeans and a suede fringed jacket, Joy
Bryant jokingly remarked that since she was having a Lola Falana day
she was probably prepared for stardom. As flip and superficial as
that may sound it doesn't correspond to Joy Bryant's eccentric
essence. The Bronx native is patently aware of the blessings
bestowed upon her.
|
|
|
|
© 2002 Fox Searchlight
Derek Luke and Joy
Bryant in Antwone
Fisher
|
|
A graduate of the prestigious Fieldston Academy in
Riverdale, New York and a recipient of the highly competitive A Better
Chance scholarship to The Westminster School, Bryant attended Yale
University for 2 years before leaving to pursue a modeling and acting
career.
|
|
|
|
Bryant made her feature film debut in
Denzel Washington's Antwone Fisher, an experience she sums up as
magical. Of the many lessons she took away from the Antwone Fisher
set, Denzel's insistence to "don't act, just be" was the
most profound. Still in awe of having landed the role, Bryant pinched
herself to make sure she's not dreaming.
|
|
|
|
But long before Denzel tapped her to
play the role of Cheryl Smolley in Antwone Fisher, a matriarch touched
Bryant's life. In remarking on what set her on the path to Fieldston
& Yale, Bryant is forthright.
|
|
ADVERTISEMENT
Support MOSAEC, Visit Our Sponsors
|
|
|
|
"I could have easily gone the other
way because I'm supposed to be a statistic. Luckily, for me, the one
constant thing that I had in my life was my grandmother. I think if
everyone, regardless of where you come from and what's going on, if
you have that one person. It doesn't necessarily have to be blood. As
long as you have that one constant in your life you can come out
okay," Bryant emphatically states. "My grandmother instilled
in me that just because [I was] a poor black girl from the Bronx
didn't mean that anyone was better than me and I wasn't better than
anyone else."
Growing up, failure wasn't an option for Bryant.
"I was always pushed to succeed, to do well in school and to
reach for the stars whatever they were. I didn't know that I wanted to
be an actress. I just knew that I was going to be something,"
Bryant says. "I honestly believe that being blessed - so
tremendously blessed - and having [my grandmother] in my life who
loved me unconditionally really saved me from what's out there."
Ever mindful of her good fortune, Bryant
acknowledged that working with Denzel Washington in her first feature
raised the bar in terms of assessing other projects that come her way.
However, she is cautious about being too selective in terms of future
roles.
Bryant, who can be seen in Honey with Jessica Alba
and Mekhi Phifer, recently wrapped an indie short that she starred in
and produced.
M
January 2003
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Vote for MO'
Make Donation Below |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
