After nearly 15 years apart, MORRIS CHESTNUT

(Identity Thief), TAYE DIGGS (Baggage Claim),

REGINA HALL (Scary Movie franchise), TERRENCE

HOWARD (Hustle & Flow), SANAA LATHAN

(Contagion), NIA LONG (Soul Food), HAROLD

PERRINEAU (Zero Dark Thirty), MONICA

CALHOUN (Love & Basketball) and MELISSA De

SOUSA (Miss Congeniality) reprise their career-

launching roles in The Best Man Holiday, the long-

awaited next chapter to the film that ushered in a new

era of comedy.

In the closing frames of The Best Man, the ground-

breaking movie from then first-time writer/director

MALCOLM D. LEE, Lance (Chestnut) and Mia

(Calhoun) had just gotten married, and Harper (Diggs)

proposed to a very shocked Robyn (Lathan). Murch

(Perrineau) found the nerve to break up with Shelby

(De Sousa) and begin dating Candy (Hall), the fantasy

girl who’d become the love of his life, while the

industrious Shelby rebounded and found herself in bed

with lothario Quentin (Howard). And although Jordan

(Long) was successful as a television producer, she

seemed destined to stay unlucky in love.

Everything has changed since that day.

Throughout the years, there have been marriages,

children and divorces—not to mention all the love

(L to R) Harper (TAYE DIGGS), Lance (MORRIS CHESTNUT) and Mia (MONICA CALHOUN) are back together again.

– 10 –

and heartbreak that accompany a life well lived—but

the group has not been able to manage a proper get-

together since Lance and Mia’s wedding. But that’s all

about to be remedied. When the college friends finally

reunite over the Christmas holidays, they will discover

just how easy it is for long-forgotten rivalries and

passionate romances to be reignited.

Lee returns to write and direct this sequel to

his directorial debut. He also produces the film for

Blackmaled Productions, while SEAN DANIEL (The

Mummy franchise, Dazed and Confused) joins him

in production duties for The Sean Daniel Company.

The filmmakers and cast welcome EDDIE CIBRIAN

(Good Deeds) and JOHN MICHAEL HIGGINS (Pitch

Perfect), who are brought aboard the ensemble for the

long-awaited next chapter in the formative series.

The seasoned creative team is led by director

of photography GREG GARDINER (The Game

Plan), production designer KEITH BRIAN BURNS

(Abduction), editor PAUL MILLSPAUGH (Welcome

Home Roscoe Jenkins), costume designer DANIELLE

HOLLOWELL (The Best Man) and composer

STANLEY CLARKE (The Transporter).

PRESTON HOLMES (Something New) serves as

executive producer and unit production manager on

the comedy.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

Feels So Good:The Cast Is Reunited

In 1999, when The Best Man topped

the box office on its opening weekend,

audiences fell hard for a group of

college friends named Harper, Lance,

Mia, Shelby, Murch, Robyn, Jordan,

Quentin and Candy. Writer/director/

producer Malcolm D. Lee explains that when he created

these roles, he wasn’t thinking about a renaissance

of African-American cinema, he simply wanted to

watch his world represented on the big screen. He

says: “The impetus of making the first movie was

that I didn’t see myself or people I knew represented

on screen. I wanted to write characters who spoke

to the people that I could relate to. We all know

somebody who is a Harper, Quentin, Lance, Shelby

or a Mia; that’s what’s great about the relatability of

the characters.”

As moviegoers grew attached to The Best Man

during its theatrical run and subsequent life in home

entertainment, Lee grew to understand just how

identifiable and beloved the characters he dreamt up

were becoming. The filmmaker admits that he thinks

of these friends as an amalgam of archetypes that he’s

encountered, not specific persons whom he’s met. “I

know these people, and I love these people,” he says.

“They’re certainly influenced by friends I went to

college with and people who I grew up with, but they

take on a life of their own.”

Harold Perrineau, who plays Julian (better known

to his friends as Murch), discusses why the film struck

such a nerve among audiences and grew to become

Robyn (SANAA LATHAN) and Harper are ready to welcome their first born.

– 11 –

such a classic: “It resonated with the African-American

community because it feels real. The characters and

circumstances all feel relatable and genuine, and they

hit home with the audience.”

Morris Chestnut, who portrays Lance, was not

surprised that the relatively small comedy has grown in

popularity over the years—adopted by audiences who

viewed the players as both relatable and aspirational.

He reflects: “Malcolm wrote some great characters, and

he directed one hell of a movie. It’s a film that people

can watch over and over again and see characters with

the same issues that they are dealing with in their own

lives. There’s a lot of heart to it.”

While audiences were entertained by the college

friends’ romantic escapades, the strong bonds that held

this group together are what endure. Regina Hall, who

plays Candy, says: “One of the greatest things that the

movie talks about is friendship. Friends sustain, and

they support you through the most joyous and most

difficult times. True friendships hold you up when you

want to fall.”

In the almost 15 years since the comedy was shot

and released, the nine principal performers have gone

on to build enviable careers, yet there has long been

talk of returning to these beloved characters for a

sequel. Taye Diggs, who plays Harper, shares why they

all felt so passionate about the film: “What we did was

different at the time, and people were hungry for that.”

The discussions began in earnest four years ago,

when Diggs and Lee were on a flight from New York to

California. During the trip, Lee revealed that he wanted

to revisit the story. Although the performer was receptive

to the idea, at the time it was just a conversation between

two old friends. Still, the spark was lit.

Fast forward a few years, and Lee reached out to

his former collaborators with a concrete proposition.

“I called everybody up in late 2011 and said, ‘I’ve got

an idea for a sequel to The Best Man, but I want us all

to get in the same room again. It’s been a long time,”

Lee recollects. “I told them, ‘If you like it, great, and

if you don’t, then at least we will have seen each other

and caught up.’ So we all got together, and they were

all excited about the idea.”

Diggs was happy he’d been paying attention: “Now,

15 years later, we were attracted to Malcolm’s idea of

these characters simply experiencing life. They are all

adults, and the idea of family has entered the picture.

I thought Malcolm had an interesting take on the

material, as opposed to some crazy, zany events that

happen—like a road trip or a caper.”

After years of honing his craft as a comic writer and

director, working on films like Undercover Brother,

Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins and Soul Men, Lee was

ready to revisit this world, but he knew that a sequel

would work only if the entire original cast agreed to

return. He explains his rationale for waiting for more

than a decade to create the second chapter: “I always

meant to return to these characters, but first I wanted

them—and me—to gain some life experience.”

Sanaa Lathan, who plays Robyn, recalls that night:

“Malcolm wanted to know we were all on board before

Jordan (NIA LONG) and boyfriend Brian (EDDIE CIBRIAN) discuss their Christmas vacation.

– 12 –

he did all the work. The pitch had us riveted, and by the

end, we said: ‘We’re on board. Write it!’”

The cast was eager for an on-screen reunion, and

Lee set to work on a draft script. Still, he needed a

commitment from Universal Pictures to greenlight

the film. Therefore, he rallied the troupe once again

with an odd request. “I told Universal, ‘Let me get

my cast together and do a read-through for you,’”

Lee remembers. “I told the actors, ‘Guys, this movie

is going to sink or swim based on what you do in the

room that day.’ They took me very seriously and came

to perform, and we sold it as a unit. Once the studio

saw these great actors performing, they immediately

understood what the movie was.”

Nerves aside, The Best Man cast knew that it was

showtime. Lathan discusses the pivotal day: “We did

a table read in person for all the studio executives. By

the time we got to our cars, we knew they would sign

on—that’s how well it went. It was thrilling.”

The cast’s confidence in its read-through per-

formance was well-placed. Universal signed on and

immediately set to work assembling the behind-the-

scenes team to bring Lee’s story to the big screen,

including Lee’s new production partner, Sean Daniel,

who has had a long relationship with

the studio. In fact, in 1985, Daniel

became its youngest president of

production. The films he supervised

for Universal include Animal House,

The Blues Brothers, Fast Times at

Ridgemont High, The Breakfast

Club, Do the Right Thing and Field

of Dreams.

Now an independent producer

with an impressive list of films to his

credit—from comedy favorites such

as Dazed and Confused, Michael,

Rat Race and CB4 to blockbusters

including The Mummy trilogy and

Tombstone—Daniel was quick to

accept the offer to work with Lee. He enthuses: “I loved

the first movie. It was a wonderful film full of heart

and character and great values, and I have followed

Malcolm as a filmmaker and have loved what he’s done

since then. I was honored to be invited on board.”

Once they got the greenlight, Daniel and Lee spent

time developing the script, perfecting the mix of comedy

and heart. Daniel shares: “Malcolm is a brilliant writer

with a great vision for this movie. I became a sounding

board and a collaborator. The studio had one condition,

which was that everybody had to be back in the film.

So Malcolm reached out again to the actors and said,

‘Okay, it’s time to get real.’”

Daniel sees The Best Man Holiday as much more

than a sequel. He says, “It is its own story. It brings

the characters back together several years later. They

have all had busy lives and have gone on to accomplish

things. They have all had struggles, but the characters

that people loved are as powerful, funny, emotional

and opinionated as everybody remembers them.” He

predicts the sequel will join the ranks of holiday films

to remember: “This is a different kind of holiday film

in that it is about so much of life. I cannot wait to be in

a crowded theater as people take this in. It will make

Candace (REGINA HALL) and Julian (HAROLD PERRINEAU) enjoy a long overdue holiday dinner.

– 13 –

them laugh, and it will move them. In that holiday

spirit, it is incredibly affirmative.”

For Lee, it was always about telling audiences a

new story that was more sophisticated. He reflects:

“Our concerns as 20 year olds are different from the

ones that we have at 30 and 40. Our careers, lives and

technology are different. There are children, mortgages.

There are all kinds of things we think about when we’re

at a certain age. To make it more sophisticated, you

have to bring more things to the table. In this case,

we’re bringing an element that’s very different from the

first one.”

The filmmakers took care to make sure audiences

would be just as engaged in the characters this time

around. Continues Lee: “The first one was a gathering

of college friends for a wedding. This is a holiday

celebration, and they end up finding out that it’s more

than that. They were brought together for a bigger

purpose—not just to get together for a typical reunion.

The film is ultimately about a group of friends who

reunite over the Christmas holidays and find out not

only what they’re missing from each other, but the

true meaning of Christmas. It’s a journey with a lot

of emotions, laughter and drama; there will be a fair

amount of tears as well.”

Moving Forward:

Characters Then and Now

When last we saw Lance, he had

forgiven Harper for his indiscretions

and married Mia, the love of his young

life. Now a successful football player,

Lance is on the verge of breaking the

NFL’s all-time rushing record in his final

season with the league. He is also a proud

husband and father to four children:

L J (LINDEN LILES McCURDY), August

(RICHIE LAWRENCE), Faith (RIELE

DOWNS) and Hope (MILLIE DAVIS).

According to Chestnut, Lance’s priorities have

changed considerably now that he has settled down

with Mia and has children. The actor explains: “Lance

has matured. Now, it’s God first in his life, then his

family, then football. Those are the three things that are

most important to him, in that order.”

It didn’t take long for Chestnut to access the right

frame of mind to play a more mature Lance. Even so,

the football player had one stumbling block that was a

challenge for the actor portraying him. Chestnut shares:

“I try to find certain elements in me and pull them to

the forefront. I relate to Lance, but the emotional aspect

is always the hardest part. I don’t show my emotions

too often, and Lance goes through the whole gamut of

emotions in this movie. It was tough to go there.”

In the holiday spirit, the soft-spoken Mia, played

by Monica Calhoun, invites the entire group to spend

Christmas at her family’s home, with the intent to open

the door to reconciliation among the friends. Calhoun

delves into Mia’s intentions: “Mia has her own family

now. She has maintained the relationships, though her

friends have their own lives. One purpose of the holiday

season is to strengthen friendships, learn the value of

love and mature in our relationships. Mia really just

wants everyone to be together in harmony.”

Harper, Lance, Julian and Quentin (TERRENCE HOWARD) serenade the ladies.

– 14 –

When last we saw them, Lance and Harper’s

friendship was tenuous at best, due to Harper “loosely”

basing two lovers in his best-selling book upon Mia

and himself. After Lance found out about their tryst, he

and Harper had a knockdown, drag-out fight at Lance’s

bachelor party, which Quentin had to break up. Even

today, those tensions reverberate among the tight-knit

group. Chestnut explains: “We try to resolve our issues,

and then things happen again. It’s going to be tough.”

For the sake of story, Diggs appreciates that this

long-brewing rivalry is far from over. He says: “That’s

another facet that I enjoy about this script. It’s realistic

that they’re still dealing with the fallout. Lance and

Harper still keep in touch, but it’s not forgotten.”

Unfortunately, Harper’s troubles are not confined to

his shaky fraternal relationship with Lance. His life has

become complicated. His writing has stalled, and due to

budget cuts, the Harlem resident has lost his university

teaching position. Diggs welcomed the challenges,

appreciating that Harper’s issues are grounded in

reality: “These characters are just experiencing life.

Careers have dipped, and there are peaks and valleys.

You pick up on what their lives are like now.”

Our story begins as Harper and Robyn are finally

expecting their first child, after a long series of fertility

treatments and heartbreaks. Lathan

reflects on her character’s evolution:

“Look at me now. I got my little bun

in the oven!” Robyn has evolved and

grown, yet there are glimpses of her

younger self. “Robyn’s a successful

chef, but there’s still a part of her that’s

a little unsure. She is a strong woman,

but she puts a lot of her self-worth in her

man. If he’s going through something,

she’s going to go through it as well.”

Given the Jordan-Robyn dilemma

in which Harper found himself the

last go-around, Diggs believes his

character chose well when he decided

to marry Robyn rather than continue to pursue Jordan.

The performer notes: “Jordan and Harper are driven,

competitive and cerebral. All of that aside, Jordan is not

the type of person that Harper could settle down with.

Robyn calms Harper, which is why he adores her and

ends up with her.”

Lathan adds that the characters’ admitted duality

has strengthened their marriage over the years: “Robyn

always looks on the bright side, and Harper needs that.

They’re opposites, but she lifts him up.”

The storied history between Harper and Jordan is

a classic case of timing never being right. They have

realized that, although sometimes the chemistry is spot-

on, they are just not right for one another for the long

haul. Nia Long, who plays Jordan, describes the complex

relationship: “Jordan and Harper constantly challenge

one another, but there is mutual respect. Sometimes

they act like brother and sister, and sometimes they

bicker like husband and wife. Ultimately, the little

spark between them never dies. Jordan’s wish is for

Robyn and him to live happily ever after, even if it

hurts…just a little bit.”

When we last saw Jordan, she was a hotshot

producer for BET whose career was No. 1 in her life,

but all of that came at a big cost. She focused so much

Mia, Shelby (MELISSA De SOUSA) and Jordan don’t mind if they do.

– 15 –

on her job, but she had no one with whom to share

her life. Although Jordan seems to have it all, Long

describes where her character is at both in work and

in love: “Jordan is the director of programming at

MSNBC but realizes there is something still missing

in her life. She’s the last to commit to sharing her

life with someone from their group. The events in

the movie catapult her into doing so. Jordan realizes

there’s more to life than her BlackBerry, powerful

position and Prada bag.”

Jordan finds love with someone who shocks even

her: a man named Brian, who just happens to be white.

This is yet another demonstration of how her character

has evolved over the past 15 years. In The Best Man,

she was very judgmental of anyone dating outside

his or her own racial group. “Jordan widened her net

and is dating outside the race,” says Diggs. “That’s a

fun and contemporary way to demonstrate how we’ve

progressed. It’s not a big issue in this movie…beyond

a little ribbing.”

Long offers that as time has gone by, her character

has become much wiser: “Love is colorless and age-

less. Love should be genuine and balanced. When

Jordan introduces Brian to the group, she is reluctant

at first, but soon realizes that he fits right in. Jordan

is finally vulnerable to ‘love’ and finds

Brian’s presence comforting.”

Fortunately for fans, Jordan, Harper

and Robyn’s love triangle isn’t the only

one explored in the sequel. Discussing

his arrested-adolescent character of

Quentin, Terrence Howard admits that he

considered this to be a definitive role. He

states: “Malcolm gave me the freedom

to be Quentin, and Quentin has been

so quintessential in my entire career.”

Coming back to the part of the man-

child, Howard observes: “The fact that

Quentin’s in his 40s and he doesn’t have a

family, and everyone else around him has

a family, says something about his underdevelopment.

Yet, he still hasn’t found himself. Somewhere in this

movie, he figures out his place in life.”

Much to audiences’ delight, the fractious

relationship between Quentin and the pot-stirring

Shelby continues in this chapter. Howard explains:

“Quentin loves Shelby and hates her at the same time.

He is always afraid that Shelby is about to ‘Murch’

him—meaning, Murch used to be the man in college,

and somehow he got with Shelby and lost all his

manhood. Our relationship is on and off, but it’s a

beautiful thing. We balance each other.”

Reflecting on the odd couple’s pairing, Melissa De

Sousa, Shelby herself, sums: “They are two of a kind.

They are both strong personalities who come together

because they understand each other. It’s weird how

sometimes the person you least expect is the one you

usually go to in the end.”

Since the humiliation of being dumped by Murch

for an exotic dancer, Shelby has reinvented herself as

a successful businesswoman in a popular housewives

television franchise. Shelby juggles between a lucra tive

career and being a mother to Kennedy (ISIS MOORE).

De Sousa reflects on her character’s evolution: “In the first

movie, Shelby needed Murch to define her. She needed

Candace and Robyn enjoy the show.

– 16 –

that perfect picture. But when she comes back this go-

around, she is her own woman and standing strong on

her own. She’s now a force to be reckoned with.”

Lee admits that because Shelby is so unpredictable

and hotheaded, she is one of his favorite characters to

write. He laughs: “I love Shelby. She’s still a little bitter

about being taken out by what she calls ‘the stripper.’

Still, what’s interesting about her character is that she’s

got all these fabulous things and is a television star, but

she’s not happy in her own life.”

Perrineau’s Julian (aka Murch) has also changed

since the first film. He is now happily married to

Candace, formerly known as Candy, and together

they are raising two daughters—Keisha (ALLISON

AUGUSTIN) and Kelly (SHAI PIERRE-DIXON)—

and running a charter school. Like the rest of the cast,

Perrineau has embraced his character and his director.

He praises: “Malcolm embodies a lot of what he has

written for Julian, so I just watch him for inspiration.

The chance to work with him again has been an absolute

honor. He’s a true collaborator, and I’m in awe of the

way he works with people.”

Perrineau susses out the differences between

Julian’s past relationship with Shelby and his current

relationship with Candace. He

shares: “Julian and Candace are

having the great romance that

most people dream of. When

you see them you’ll see how

much they love each other, even

when there is strife. The first

relationship was about Shelby

and her insecurities, and this one

is about these two people and the

family that they’re creating.”

Reprising her role—now

as Candace—Hall relished the

opportunity to join the other cast

members for further exploration

of their signature roles. She

shares: “Being reunited with this ensemble is so

exciting because we had a lot of fun in the first movie. I

didn’t get to work with everyone the way I do now, and

getting to see each other another time and relive our

characters has been an amazing experience.”

Among the group, Hall’s character transformation

since we saw her last may take the proverbial cake. As

Hall explains, her character has gone from Candy the

exotic dancer to Candace the educator: “Candace was

a stripper, but she was also in school. Educating young

girls and boys from disadvantaged homes so they can

succeed is her new focus. She is learning from her

mistakes, and she’s inspired by what she’s able to give

people. Her daughters and her husband inspire her, too.

So she’s got quite a few motivations.”

As they were in The Best Man, friendships are

once again tested in The Best Man Holiday. When the

truth is revealed about Candace’s past, Harper’s career

difficulties and the real reason that Mia invited everyone

to her home for Christmas, drama and comedy arrive in

abundance for our friends.

Lathan shares her thoughts on why audiences relate

so well to the characters’ journey, through good times

and bad: “The film is about true friendship and no

Harper, Julian, Brian and Lance aren’t supposed to see what’s on the video.

– 17 –

matter what challenges friends go through, the love that

you have for your friend will get you through to the

other side. That’s depicted so well in the first film and

again in this one.”

New to the franchise are John Michael Higgins

and Eddie Cibrian, who portray, respectively, Harper’s

literary agent, Stan, and Jordan’s boyfriend, Brian. In

particular, the character of Brian was a flash of genius

for Lee. He shares: “When we cast the part of Brian,

we had to make sure that we had somebody who could

fulfill both of those roles: somebody that both women

and men would like. It’s very easy to put the token

white guy in a role where he is the token white guy, and

it’s not that way because Brian’s just a guy’s guy and a

lady’s man.”

Even though he’s the new kid on the block, Cibrian

wasn’t worried about fitting in; he had worked previously

with Long and Chestnut. Indeed, that flexibility is a trait

he shares with his character. Cibrian explains: “Brian is

very comfortable in his own skin, comfortable in any

environment. During the read-through at Universal,

I think Malcolm saw something in me that was very

similar to Brian: that I’m at ease in any environment.

That’s what he wanted for this character.”

Cibrian finds the interracial

relationship between Jordan

and Brian to be very realistic.

He says: “Yes, there are still

probably some people who view

it as taboo, but we’ve come a very

long way. I’m Cuban and playing

a white guy. Everybody comes

from a different background.

I love that this movie is able to

express the reality that love can

be between anyone, any race.”

As his ensemble gave its

all to the performances, Lee

couldn’t have been happier with

their work. He sums up what his

actors have brought to the film: “This cast is a very

talented bunch who has grown as artists and as actors.

I knew they’d be able to embody the roles. I had to

write something that was going to be up to par with

them and was going to challenge them. I had to give

them the direction that I thought would match my

vision. The good thing about their getting better is that

they were able to step up to the plate and embody the

roles and the emotions that it took to deliver drama

and humor.”

Winter Wonderland:

Setting the Scene

While love, family and friendships are at the core of

the film, nothing would be complete without a perfect

house to welcome everyone for the holidays. To make

sure that occurred, The Best Man Holiday was shot on

location in Toronto and Buffalo, NY.

As the Sullivan mansion is a critical element of the

movie, the team knew it had to find just the right place.

“Since we left him, Lance has had a fantastic career as

a football player and has raised a big, beautiful family,”

explains producer Daniel. “He and Mia have made a

Jordan, Mia and Shelby catch up after all these years.

– 18 –

fully realized, compassionate, expensively wonderful

life for themselves, and they take care of their friends.

Lance is very philanthropic, and they live in a big

house…so we had to find just the right one.”

Production designer Keith Burns set about looking

for the right home, and after weeks of searching he

found it in Toronto’s most prestigious neighborhood,

the Bridle Path. Daniel offers: “The mansion was just

as Malcolm had imagined. It’s very much where the

Sullivans would be living.”

The 30,000-sq-ft. home, set on 2.5 acres of mani-

cured grounds, with an indoor pool, high-end fixtures

and impressive layout, certainly fit the filmmakers’

requirements. It had one other requirement they hoped

they’d find: Although it fit the bill in terms of its grandeur,

it was also in its final stages of being built. Because the

house wasn’t fully furnished, the art department had

complete freedom to dress it—according to what Lee

and Burns saw for the characters.

As the majority of the events of The Best Man

Holiday occur at or around Lance and Mia’s mansion,

the production designer and Lee knew it had to be

perfect. Shares Lee: “Once we found the place on the

Bridle Path, it was a no-brainer. We looked around, and

all the rooms were such a great height and

size. They were perfect not only for the

technical aspects of the film—shooting,

lighting, etc.—they were appropriate for

guest rooms that any of Mia and Lance’s

college friends were going to stay in. The

house was very production-friendly and

suited our needs—not only the interior

of the house, but the grounds and

exterior were ideal as well. We were able

to have that yard, an indoor pool and a

man cave…as well as the huge kitchen.”

The filmmakers credit Burns and his

team for the attention to detail, making

sure that every part of the home reflected

the personality of the Sullivan family.

Truly, they turned the enormous mansion into a warm

and comfortable place, filled with holiday cheer. Lee

felt it was just what he wanted to portray Christmastime

in New York. He says, “If you dress up a fancy house,

it can really evoke those magical feelings. We have a

majestic and magical setting, and everybody looking

great and dressed in their Sunday best.”

Other key settings included the Ralph Wilson

Stadium in Buffalo, where the Bills play—and, for the

purpose of our film, where Lance attempts to break the

rushing record during his final season with the New

York Giants. On Lee: “I have to thank the Buffalo Bills

organization for allowing us to desecrate their arena.

It’s one of the oldest organizations and football fields in

the NFL, and we were very fortunate to use the stadium.

They worked very well with us and were tremendous in

helping us out.”

Take It to Church:Music and Choreography

It wouldn’t be a Best Man movie without a signature

soundtrack and killer moves. To make sure the cast was

ready, the filmmakers chose seasoned choreographer

Julian tries to stop Shelby from causing trouble.

– 19 –

JAMAL SIMS (Footloose, Step Up Revolution) to

prepare the male castmembers for a scene in which

Harper, Lance, Murch and Quentin entertain Robyn,

Jordan, Mia, Candace and Shelby by dancing to New

Edition’s “Can You Stand the Rain.”

Lee sets up the scene that has its roots in his lip-

synching days at Georgetown: “After dinner, Mia tells

the guys that they’re not going to have dessert until they

do ‘air band.’ This catches them by surprise. She has

the jackets, hats and outfits they had circa 1991, and

they’re going to perform this number they did back in

college. It’s a great thrill for them, as well as for the

wives who never saw their husbands in this light.”

For the stage-trained Diggs, learning the

choreography was worth the effort. He shares: “It was

not easy for any of us, so we were just so proud of

ourselves when we got it down. It was one of the best

shooting days for me. There was so much energy, and

nobody had to act. We were sweating; the girls were

screaming. It was a good time.”

For his part, Chestnut laughs that he could’ve used

just a few more days: “I wanted a month of rehearsals

because I wanted to get the moves down pat.”

According to Lathan, he had no reason to worry

about his performance. She tells: “We were crying with

laughter and joy! First of all, the guys can dance. All

the girls were saying, ‘I’m glad we didn’t have a dance

scene,’ because we wouldn’t have been able to do it.

They really went for it. I can’t wait to be in the audience

when this scene comes on because people are going to

go crazy.”

The cast and crew got to experience another scene

that will undoubtedly be the topic of much discussion.

The day featured hundreds of extras, multiple cameras

and singers ANTHONY HAMILTON and MARSHA

AMBROSIUS with their take of Stevie Wonder’s iconic

song “As.” Lee explains that this was an intentional,

full-circle moment: “In The Best Man, we featured

Stevie Wonder’s ‘As,’ which is one of the greatest love

songs made, but it’s an up-tempo song, celebratory. We

used it with Harper and Jordan, and it became very

much associated with the film.”

While Lee had partnered with the multitalented

Hamilton for the soundtrack of Soul Men, this was his

first time working with Ambrosius, whose voice he

describes as “incredible and soaring.” The day proved

extremely busy and emotional, as each department

exerted maximum effort to honor this critical aspect of

the story.

Being on a film set was relatively new for Hamilton

and Ambrosius. However, they agree that it was a

welcome challenge. Shares Ambrosius: “Just watching

the reaction of the characters during the scene makes

you feel the emotion that much more. Singing a song

like ‘As’ meant so much.”

Between the singing and the heightened emotions,

there wasn’t a dry eye on set. The whole crew was

extremely focused, and the entire cast was moved by

the performance, which made it a day to remember.

Perrineau shares: “Anthony and Marsha were

Harper comforts Jordan.

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astounding. They both have really well-crafted voices.

We were just amazed that those sounds could come out

of them. They were there the whole day and were great,

take after take. This is going to be one of those scenes

that you won’t easily forget.”

His director agrees with the actor’s assessment.

Adds Lee: “I knew that when we got to this scene that I

wanted to have something that was going to be emotional

and strip that song down. These two tremendous voices

made it very simple, just with strings and a piano. I have

to say, I’ve never been on a set where crew members are

crying during the performance of a song. They took it

to church with their rendition of ‘As.’”

In addition to the work of Ambrosius and Hamilton,

the soundtrack to The Best Man Holiday is filled with

re-imaginings of old favorites and new ones, just in

time for the season. With holiday-themed tunes from

Mary J. Blige’s “This Christmas,” Monica’s rendition

of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Mario’s

“Someday at Christmas,” Fantasia’s “What Christmas

Means to Me” and Jordin Sparks’ “Christmastime to

Me,” not to mention Emeli Sandé’s

take on “Winter Wonderland,” Ne-

Yo’s “I Want to Come Home for

Christmas” and Jayda Brown &

Jasmine Watkins’ version of “O

Holy Night,” the soundtrack offers

up platinum-selling and award-

winning artists who bring their

signature vocals to beloved songs.

Working with composer Stanley

Clarke, Lee shaped a score for The

Best Man Holiday that fit every char-

acter, mood and scene. “I am a firm

believer that music is essential to the

entirety of a filmgoing experience.

The Best Man Holiday soundtrack is

no exception,” ends Lee. “The songs

listed here not only make up the

fabric of the movie, but many served

as inspiration to the creation of the screenplay. With

a combination of new R&B tunes and Christmas classics

by contemporary artists, this is the soundtrack I heard

accompanying this movie. I hope audiences enjoy it this

holiday season and every year.”

****Universal Pictures presents a Blackmaled/Sean

Daniel Company production of a Malcolm D. Lee

film: The Best Man Holiday, starring Morris Chestnut,

Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Terrence Howard, Sanaa

Lathan, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau. The music is by

Stanley Clarke, and the costume designer is Danielle

Hollowell. The Best Man Holiday is edited by Paul

Millspaugh, and its production designer is Keith Brian

Burns. The director of photography is Greg Gardiner,

and the executive producer is Preston Holmes. The Best

Man Holiday is produced by Sean Daniel, p.g.a., and

Malcolm D. Lee, p.g.a., and it is based on characters

created by Malcolm D. Lee. The film is written and

directed by Malcolm D. Lee. © 2013 Universal Studios.

www.best-man.com

Fraternity brothers Quentin and Julian have still got it.

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