The \u201cJamesy Boy\u201d Interview<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Born in L.A. on July 14, 1975, Jimmy \u201cTaboo\u201d Gomez began dreaming about show business at an early age. The versatile fourple threat is a multilingual rapper, singer, dancer and emcee who got his big break in 1995 when approached by will.i.am to form the Black Eyed Peas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the popular hip-hop group\u2019s hits are the Grammy-winning \u201cI Gotta Feeling,\u201d \u201cLet\u2019s Get It Started,\u201d \u201cBoom Boom Pow\u201d and \u201cMy Humps,\u201d to name a few. Besides music, Taboo is also the designer of his own line of footwear, Taboo Deltah, and has added acting to his bag of tricks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here, he talks about his latest outing as Guillermo in \u201cJamesy Boy,\u201d a fact-based tale of redemption co-starring Ving Rhames, James Woods and Spencer Lofranco. Although he wants to make more movies in the future, he is currently focused on his own solo album releasing later in the year, as well as on an upcoming tour with the Black Eyed Peas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kam Williams:<\/strong> Hi Taboo, thanks for another interview.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taboo: Thank you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Like last time, I\u2019ll be mixing in my questions, with some from my readers. How did you get interested you in acting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Well, I had actually been taking acting classes prior to joining the Black Eyed Peas in \u201996. In fact, I originally thought it was going to be my introduction to the entertainment world, because Black Eyed Peas was more of a local, L.A. underground band. I kept up with the acting classes as a safety net, until we took off a couple of years later, after the release of our first album. Once we started touring, I had to put acting on hold, although I still wanted to act. Fast-forward to 2005, when I made my feature film debut playing a character named Ramirez in \u201cDirty,\u201d with Cuba Gooding, Jr., Clifton Collins, Wyclef [Jean] and a couple other people. Then I did a movie called \u201cCosmic Radio\u201d and, after that, one called \u201cStreetfighter.\u201d And now, \u201cJamesy Boy.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Editor\/Legist Patricia Turnier asks: What drew you to the story of James Burns and what is your perception of him?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: The reason I got the movie is because my acting coach presented the script to me, and I fell in love with the role of Guillermo. I\u2019m a big James Woods fan, so when I found out he was already attached to the film, I was sold.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Patricia also asks: How did you prepare to play Guillermo?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: I really wanted to challenge myself, so that I wouldn\u2019t just be Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas up on the big screen. I did something that\u2019s a no-no in the music industry. I cut my hair. For years, my hair was my stamp. \u201cOh, that\u2019s the long-haired guy from the Black Eyed Peas.\u201d But when I did it, it was like a breath of fresh air. So, I immersed myself into the character Guillermo to the fullest, with intense power, since I wanted to show the world that I\u2019d go that extra mile because I believe in this project and in my acting abilities so much, and because I want to continue to do films.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Well, you definitely disappeared into the role. I barely recognized you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Thanks, Kam. That\u2019s what I want to hear. I love when people say that.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Did you base your character on a hardened convict you know?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Guillermo was kind of a reflection of my family, on my dad\u2019s side. My father came from a gang lifestyle. My brother, who passed away last year, God rest his soul, had been in prison for many years. He had the bald head, the tattoos, and served as an inspiration for Guillermo, being the closest person to me in prison and living that hard lifestyle. But also, there was an insecurity I saw in him that I brought to Guillermo who was a bully and antagonistic as a defense mechanism.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Sorry to hear about your brother. I do remember how in your autobiography you credited your grandmother for saving you from the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Yeah, if it wasn\u2019t for her and my mom taking me away from that lifestyle, my life would\u2019ve gone in a totally different direction. When my mom divorced my dad, she introduced me to a new world. I\u2019m blessed that I had a strong grandmother who gave me a second chance at life. So, I owe her a lot.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> \u201cJamesy Boy\u201d had a pretty impressive cast, including veterans like James Woods and Ving Rhames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: They were all great people. I worked mostly with James Woods, Spencer [Lofranco] and Ben [Rosenfield]. We had a really good time both on and off the set. I enjoyed working with Trevor [director Trevor White], too. I was able to hang out with him as friends, go to the clubs, and hear his stories. It was a great opportunity to work with such a great cast and crew and to make some new friends.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What\u2019s going on with you musically?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: I\u2019ve been talking about it since 2008, but my first single is finally coming out in April, \u201cDumbao.\u201d It\u2019s dedicated to the World Cup. I\u2019m Latino-American, and I wanted to do something that best represents my culture. So, I created this song that\u2019s in Spanish, but has the pulse, rhythm and beat of a Black Eyed Peas song.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> What interested you in linking the release to the World Cup?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: I supported the World Cup four years ago with the Black Eyed Peas, and I fell in love with the atmosphere so much that when I learned that the next one was going to be in Brazil, I love Brazil so much that I was like, \u201cI gotta be there! I gotta create an anthem that will go hand-in-hand with the World Cup.\u201d And that\u2019s what I did.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> I loved that album, \u201cTimeless,\u201d that you recorded down in Brazil with Sergio Mendes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Thank you, that was great.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Since we\u2019re on the subject of music, what was the last song you listened to?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: You\u2019re gonna laugh at me, dude, because I have a 2 year-old and a 4 year-old who are heavily into movie soundtracks. For some reason, we\u2019ve watched Despicable Me 2 over a thousand times in the last month. They really love the song \u201cHappy\u201d by Pharrell. We\u2019ve been playing that non-stop. It\u2019s like our anthem to get them ready for school. So, that\u2019s the last song I listened to today.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/B00CMB8MXC\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: My wife and I sometimes read books together. It\u2019s kind of like bed talk. Right now, we\u2019re sharing \u201cThe 5 Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/exec\/obidos\/ASIN\/0802473156\/ref=nosim\/thslfofire-20<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Jamie Foxx question: If you only had 24 hours to live, how would you spend the time?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: With my wife and kids.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Kerry Washington question: If you were an animal, what animal would you be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: A black panther.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Mackie question: Is there anything that you promised yourself you\u2019d do if you became famous, that you still haven\u2019t done yet?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Yeah, release my own music.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Melissa Harris-Perry question: How did your first big heartbreak impact who you are as a person?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: It made me stronger, as far as chasing my dream, and knowing that I was onto something with music, because the first person who broke my heart had no faith in me.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Viola Davis question: What\u2019s the biggest difference between who you are at home as opposed to the person we see performing onstage or onscreen?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: At home, I\u2019m daddy and a husband. There\u2019s no Superman\u2019s cape. I\u2019m changing diapers, giving my kids baths, and coloring Angry Birds and playing games with them. Most of my career, people have the misconception about me as being threatening and scary, and having an intense look, but that\u2019s not the real me. I\u2019m very domesticated when it comes to my family. First and foremost, I\u2019m a father and a husband.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Anthony Anderson question: If you could have a superpower, which one would you choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: The ability to shape shift into different people.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Judyth Piazza question: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: The drive and the passion to succeed.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Harriet Pakula-Teweles question: With so many classic films being redone, is there a remake you\u2019d like to star in?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: I don\u2019t think they need to remake it, but I would love to be in \u201cBack to the Future.\u201d That\u2019s my favorite movie of all time.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> If you could go back in time and change one event in history, what would you choose?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: To prevent the conqueror Cortes from causing the collapse of the Aztec Empire.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> The Michael Ealy question: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Bruce Lee.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks: What is your favorite charity?<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: Little Kids Rock, a charity in East L.A. that gives musical instruments to schools that no longer have music or art classes.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n KW:<\/strong> Thanks again for the time, Taboo, and best of luck with all your endeavors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n T: You too, Kam. Have a great day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n To see a downloadable HD trailer for Jamesy Boy, visit: http:\/\/cloud19.com\/clients\/xlrator\/jamesyboy\/JamesyBoy_trl_1080psf2398_240_EN20_H264.mov.zip<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n To see a Youtube trailer for Jamesy Boy, visit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n