Mario Van Peebles - WE The Party
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With a million dollar smile and his cultured charm, actor/director
Mario Van Peebles
spent a good portion of his Wednesday morning with about 50 Grady High School students. He's in Atlanta with the Bronzelens Film Festival promoting the new film he directed titled
We The Party
. Van Peebles described the movie as "fun but with nutritional value."
Patrick Cage II
who is one of the stars of the film told me that We The Party is about the lives of six individuals and how today's generation is starting to move away from sex and drugs.
Salli Richardson-Whitfield
and
Snoop Dogg
also star in the film. [ I think the kids were impressed when Mario said that he "just phoned-up Snoop" and asked him to be in the movie because they've always wanted to do one together.]
Van Peebles was engaging from the moment he arrived to Grady's Black Box Theater. He was genuinely interested in connecting with the students by asking them questions about their career choices and wanting to learn the latest freestyle dance moves. He advised the students that professionally, good (and friendly) people skills are very important and to "be in a business that you love with people you want to work with and to try to (always) say something meaningful."
Mario Van Peebles was clearly having a good time. He hung around for pictures and autographs until his publicist whisked him away... My colleague and good friend,
John Brandhorst
and I were able to grab a picture with Mario just before.
