Nia Long starred in the 1997 romantic drama Love Jones with Larenz Tate
NEED TO KNOW
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Long looks back at the film in her recent Playboy interview
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Long also discusses teaming up with Tate again for an upcoming film, based on Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite album
Nia Longwill always have a soft spot forLove Jones.
In a recent sitdown withPlayboy, the actress was asked about her feelings about the 1997 romantic classic. Long explains that despite the film's legacy today, at the time, she didn't know what it would mean within her career.
"When I read the script, it was the same feeling I had when I readBoyz n the Hood. … I felt likeLove Joneswas such an extension of who I am. My father was a poet; my mother’s an artist. We’re from Brooklyn, but Chicago and New York have some symmetry. I just knew it was honest, and I think when something is honest, it’s good," she shared.
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"WhenLove Jonescame out, it was considered a box office flop. We didn’t make a lot of money, but what we created was something cultural and iconic. That is more valuable than anything."
Long also discussed her upcoming work with Tate on a new romantic drama, based onMaxwell’s Urban Hang Suitealbum.
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"I love Maxwell. I grew up listening to Maxwell; he’s a personal friend. It took us three years to get the film set up, and it’s a really cool concept. It’s sort of an extension of where Nina and Darius [fromLove Jones] could be today, but it’s a completely different film," she teased.
"There’s a lot more comedy. We’re parents now. We literally just wrapped a couple of weeks ago. I love Larenz. That’s my guy, forever and ever and ever."
Of the pair's on-screen chemistry, she added, "When we were about to start shooting, I think we were both nervous because it had been years since we had shared camera time together. And after the first day, I think we both looked at each other like, 'Yeah, we still got it.' "
Last year, the pair opened up to PEOPLE about their chemistry when they were first cast in the film.
"I thought hw as adorable. When we had to do our chemistry tests, I was like, 'Oh, he's cute. He's not as mean as the character he played inMenace II Society," Long shared.
"I was like, 'This is Nia Long,' " Tate laughed, adding, "I had to keep it professional."
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