Jada Pinkett Smith for Haute Living Magazine

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“People tell me that I always play strong women,” says Baltimore-born beauty Jada Pinket Smith when asked about “Rome,” the sexually-charged character she portrays in the upcoming film, Magic Mike XXL.“In all honestly that is probably where I am restricted in my creative pursuits, she says. “I have no idea how not to be strong, and I don’t know if I have the desire to. I tend to gravitate towards strength energy lines,” she admits, revealing her commitment to self-awareness and introspection. Her recent role in the TV series Gotham—where she morphed into the hard-core villain Fish Mooney—is further evidence of the strength energy lines she speaks of, complete with manicured claws and a red-tipped wig. Audiences were captivated by her portrayal of the over-the-top nightclub mobster.
“What I tried to do with Rome is communicate strength differently—from a place that is a lot more feminine—a bit more soft and open,” she reveals. Magic Mike XXL reunites Channing Tatum with his “Kings of Tampa” buddies from the original Magic Mike in 2012. Jada’s character was added to the cast alongside Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodríguez and Gabriel Iglesias, who all starred in the original. “The part of Rome was originally written for a man,” she divulges, adding that she had apprehensions taking the part of the brothel madame, who revels and promotes sexually-charged male stripping. “But after getting on Skype with Channing and director Greg Jacobs, I knew their intensions were pure,” she concedes. “One of the biggest selling points for accepting this role was Channing saying—and I’m not quoting—that there is a way to make the adult entertainment industry responsible. First of all, Channing has a huge influence in this industry—the idea that he has the guts to tackle this subject was a real selling point for me,” she notes. The movie celebrates male strippers and is very pro-female in terms of women’s pure enjoyment of the male body.
“It was such a beautiful partnership with [executive producer] Steven Soderbergh, [producer and writer] Reid Carolin and [producer and director] Greg Jacobs to create this character,” she says. “It was one of the most enjoyable processes that I [experienced] in making the film.”
Staying open is key for Jada, who is at a point in her life where exploration is her focus. “I have no real set vision of what I want,” she says. “I simply want to be on a beautiful creative journey staying open. This attitude allowed me to participate in Gotham and Magic Mike XXL. Once I get stuck with fixed ideas—a role like Rome could have just slipped through my fingers,” she says. of her newest role. “There is a certain freedom that I have in my life now that I haven’t had in the past. I think it has to do with having the time to grow and shed old ideas that I no longer need—and just trusting!” she says in a heartfelt, animated manner.
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Jada Pinkett Smith for Haute Living Magazine.
Images: Haute Living