Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 27, 1993 TAG: 9311270275
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACKIE HYMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Medium
"This is an edgier, riskier, sexier piece about an elite group of cops that have this unique ability to become werewolves," Van Peebles says.
"I've never seen - I've never done - a movie like this," he says. "When I read the material, I said, `This is very avant-garde material for a theater, let alone cable.' "
Van Peebles, who has directed and starred in such black-themed films as "New Jack City" and "Posse," was pleased to find his role in "Full Eclipse" - which debuts tonight at 8 - wasn't written for a black.
"They never looked at the racial issue," he said. "The role could have been played by anyone. How nice there's some people out there that say, `Maybe this guy could play it.' My hat's off to them."
"It isn't `Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?,' " he added mischievously, referring to the 1967 film about a white family adjusting to Van Peebles their daughter's black fiance. "It's `Guess Who's Going to Be Dinner.' "
After the success of "New Jack City," set in the inner city, Van Peebles said studios wanted to link him to similar projects.
"To get beyond that is very difficult to do," he said. But his father, director Melvin Van Peebles, helped him keep a sense of perspective.
"He has a sense of humor," the younger Van Peebles said. "He never gauged himself status-wise on where he was in the industry. He said, `When you cook something, cook something you want to eat.' "
Father and son are developing several projects together.
But despite his admiration for his father, Van Peebles didn't start out to be a filmmaker.
After earning an economics degree from Columbia University, he worked for an investment firm and the commodities exchange and for the City of New York as a budget analyst.
Then he took the plunge, moving west and working as an actor while trying to start a career as a director.
To save up money to make short films, Van Peebles pinched pennies, even sleeping in the kitchen of a shared apartment.
"I put a mattress on the floor," he said. "I had a car and the window wouldn't roll down, you had to open the door. I bought film, 16 mm film, and I made shorts."
After appearing in such films as "Jaws: The Revenge" and "The Cotton Club," the young actor landed a starring role in the NBC series "Sonny Spoon."
He showed one of his films to producer Stephen J. Cannell, who hired him to direct an episode of the series.
Van Peebles went on to direct other TV shows, then moved into features with "New Jack City," in which he co-starred with Wesley Snipes and Ice T. The story about two maverick ex-cops fighting a drug dealer won praise for its energy and stylized visuals.
One thing he's learned is not to disclose his age.
"I have to lie a lot," he admitted. "As a director, they feel much happier if I'm older. If I'm acting, they're much happier if I'm younger. Say, `early 30s.' "
Van Peebles is picky about his roles: He has to like the overall project and not just the part he'd be playing.
"A lot of actors look at, `Do I get a drunk scene? Do I drool, dribble and limp? Do I get to be vulnerable?' " he said.
Instead, Van Peebles applies what he calls "my seven-five-oh test," which consists of asking: "Would I pay $7.50 to see this thing?"
by CNB