The Study of Racialism

zsana · Moderator Joined: 05 Feb 2005 {Posts: 1032 }

Woodard no stranger to interracial romance

Friday, February 3, 2006

By AMY LONGSDORF
For the Courier-Post

Alfre Woodard has a theory about interracial romances. She believes they "far, far, far outlive" most relationships because the participants are forced to adopt an us-against-them philosophy of life.

"You've got to be more honest with your partner," she reasons. "When you come together, you are partners against the world."

Woodard speaks from experience. The actress, who has been married to Caucasian writer Roderick Spencer for 23 years, learned quickly not to care what other people think.

"Twenty-five years ago, if we were walking down the street in New York, I'd hear, "What you doing with that white man?' But I'd come right back with, "That's my boyfriend. Why?' You got to be ready," says Woodard, whose work has illuminated movies as diverse as Passion Fish and Crooklyn. "If you spend your life caring what others think of you, what a miserable life you'll lead. You might as well shrivel up and die."

Woodard's latest movie Something New addresses some of these very issues head-on. In the film, opening today, Sanaa Lathan stars as Kenya, an African-American CPA whose search for the IBM (Ideal Black Man) gets derailed by her attraction to a white landscaper (Simon Baker of TV's The Guardian). Almost everyone in Kenya's inner circle disapproves, including her brother (Donald Faison) and her mother (Woodard).

"What this story does besides stirring up a romance that's sizzling hot, is to encourage people to follow their own hearts and take restrictions off themselves," notes Woodard. "Here's a chance to see adults falling in love on screen. Who cares what race they are?"

At 53, Woodard is in the midst of a career revival, thanks to Something New, upcoming roles in Take The Lead with Antonio Banderas and 16 Blocks with Bruce Willis and a gig on TV's Desperate Housewives.

If you're been watching the hit show lately, you know that Woodard's Betty Applewhite has all of Wisteria Lane talking about the mysterious man she's imprisoned in her basement. So far, an increasingly inebriated Bree (Marcia Cross) is the only one who knows the truth about Betty.

Asked if she enjoys her storyline on the show, Woodard says, "Yes, I do. Right now we are headed into a whole new mystery. We played out the first mystery. Bree is on to me. I gave that drunk gal a ride home and then she turned on me. It's like "Oh, no, you do not turn on Betty Applewhite.' So, you'll have to watch and see what happens next."

Woodard had never seen an episode of Desperate Housewives when creator Marc Cherry offered her the role. Over the course of a weekend, she looked at a dozen or so episodes and was instantly intrigued by the show's twisty plotlines.

"I love anything that breaks form and Desperate Housewives certainly does that," says Woodard. "You don't know whether to laugh or cry or be outraged or disgusted at the show. You are looking at something terrible and laughing, but there's no harm. It's dishy fun."