INTERVIEW: Usher on 'In the Mix'

You know Usher for his impressive musical resume filled with Grammy's, platinum records, and #1 singles. He would like you to know him as a well rounded entertainer who takes great pride in all of his artistic endeavors, approaching his acting career with the same desire for perfection that took him to the top of the charts. We took a little time to find out why he chose this film for his debut as a leading man, how difficult it is to be loved by the ladies, and his blatant disregard for cake.

Q: Why did you pick this film to do?

USHER: What was my inspiration? Well, No. 1, I wanted to be associated with something successful. First and foremost, I wanted to broaden my horizons as an entertainer, as an actor. As you've seen, I've done other acting roles, but this would be the first one where I took on a lead. I was excited about it, and when I heard Chazz [Palminteri] was associated with it, I was like, Wow! It's really coming together beautifully. And after meeting Emmanuelle and seeing the chemistry that we had, I knew that we would create a great relationship on camera. Have you seen the movie?

Q: Yes, of course.

USHER: I think more roles like this in Hollywood will give way for films like this. People kind of follow the trends. Unless you have one or more roles in that direction…

Q: This will lead to more interracial romance films?

USHER: Not specifically the interracial portion of it, but just the character. The character Darrell Williams and just not going after the stereotypical shoot 'em up bang bang – that's the one thing that's going to sell for a black actor or a black actress. [I wanted] to go in a different direction. Something that's a little more positive.

Q: Can you explain how you became a household word?

USHER: Because my mother thought I would be. [laughs] She believed it more than anybody else and has always continued to fight harder than I would imagine I would fight myself. I remember having conversations with her when she'd say, I want you to be a household name. She's after me all the time, you shouldn't do that. You shouldn't say this. You shouldn't look like that. I'm like, Okay, well, it's my personal preference. [She'd say] You don't do that if you want to be a household name. Of course, there's God's grace in everything, but I say the one thing that was the key component in everything was the fact that she said it first. She started that.

Q: How many cast and crew members' daughters or sisters were you introduced to during the shooting of the movie?

USHER: From the beginning to the end! I was constantly meeting and shaking hands and hugging and taking pictures and kissing babies and everything. That's what comes with it. It was a great cast, though. A great cast of individuals. The cast and grew were very courteous. They worked very, very hard. There was no ego involved on the set. I'll be honest with you.

Q: So will you be taking the foot off the music pedal for a while? The label has to be calling asking for Confessions II.

USHER: Yeah. They're not heavily anticipating a new album. However, it would be good in the marketplace to have an album. But to promote, to factor in the time it's going to take to introduce it, promote it, market it, actually find the records and work with the producers. It doesn't happen overnight. One, I have to live a little bit more. Let me come up with a few more songs and have a few more issues. This next album, I don't think it's going to be geared towards the same things you heard from Confessions. However, you will be able to find a good time. I plan on going on somewhat of a world tour. Not to perform, but just to kind of live a little and get out and have a little – I went all around the world with this album, but I didn't really get a chance to live in it. Sometimes when you're working you get engulfed, and you don't get a chance to enjoy all the beautiful things you can go [see].

Q: What was the easiest or the most difficult part of bringing this character to life?

USHER: Usher has so similarities with Darrell Williams. Just one, being a fly guy with all the ladies. It was pretty much a breeze. Once you see it on paper – I mean, I could relate to what they were talking about, although I have no ties to an Italian-American family whatsoever, as an African-American, I do understand how you can make a family of your own. I've done that with your closest friends and people who are not even related to you, they ended up being like brothers. Have you've ever had like a friend where you're like, Oh, she's my sister. She's not really your blood sister, but sometimes a best friend is better than your real family. But in those areas we were similar. But I had to definitely look into myself. Because this character lost his father and mother, and that has a lot of reason to do with why he dealt with doing things the way he did. He could have very much lashed out at anyone who came at him, especially with racial issues. But it was obviously something he had already dealt with in his past, because there was a connection between the Pacelli family and my family. So for me to lash out at Jackie's character, it wouldn't have been a trait of Darrell William's character.

Q: Give us a confession. What was one of your most embarrassing moments?

USHER: One of my most embarrassing moments onstage? I fell – in front of 25,000 people. In Philly.

Q: What did you do?

USHER: Got up and kept going. I laughed it off, and they laughed with me. It actually made the show better. It actually loosened everyone up. After that happened, it was like, c'mon, I'm not perfect. I fall like everybody else. But come on, let's keep it going. But I bust my behind onstage! But I don't know – something about me? If you consider hitting somebody upside the head with ten cakes. I mean, it's like a tradition that we do every birthday. We take like 50 cakes and cake that person.

Q: Who?

USHER: Whoever's birthday it is.

Q: When was the last time that you did that?

USHER: The last caking was my brother's birthday. He's 21 now.

Q: You hit him with 21 cakes?

USHER: No, we hit him with 50 cakes. They got me good. They got me here at Madison Square Garden, and I was on tour. So that means we just have extra people who just want to chime in and get you. But we totally destroyed Madison Square Garden. There was cake all over the hallways. It was crazy.

Q: That's a family tradition?

USHER: It's a family tradition. Yeah. It's a friend tradition. My mother? Hell no. Better not bring a cake anywhere near her. You pretty much know it's going to happen to you. It was a tradition that was started about two years ago, and we've been holding true to it.

Q: Can you put some kind of cap on the rumors about Usher and the ladies? Is that true?

USHER: Put yourself in my shoes! You know, 26 years old, in an industry where everything is kind of at your disposal, it's like what do you do? Not get involved with anybody? You definitely meet people. You hope that you find or meet somebody that's going to be intriguing enough to take your mind off what you're doing as an entertainer. I'm patient. I'm not rushing back into a relationship. I'm single right now and possibly, I'm going to avoid just – try to stay that way as long as I possibly can and have friends.

Q: What's on your wish list? It seems like you have about everything.

USHER: Mm-hmm. There's no much more. There are so many other things that I've never done that I'd like to do. I wish to some day to play in a stadium full of people who know all the words to my songs. I hope to some day – one of the main ones would be, as an actor, to someday win an Oscar.