Beyoncé Knowles-Carter was shaking like a leaf during her first-ever acting audition, which led to the titular role in MTV’s 2001 made-for-TV movie, Carmen: A Hip Hopera.
The 43-year-old pop diva was only 19 when she flew to New York to read for director Robert Townsend, who loved her ‘striking look’ as a member of the girl group, Destiny’s Child.
‘She’s with the head of A&R to make sure to protect her client. She’s got security with her,’ the 68-year-old filmmaker recalled on Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe last Tuesday.
‘I can see she’s nervous, like, really nervous – shaking and everything.’
Robert enlisted the two people with Beyoncé to read lines during her audition, and they both immediately got nervous.
‘And then she was watching them get nervous. And then she got stronger,’ Townsend noted.
Beyoncé Knowles-Carter was shaking like a leaf during her first-ever acting audition, which led to the titular role in MTV’s 2001 made-for-TV movie, Carmen: A Hip Hopera
‘And so then I said, “Oh, there it is. Oh, there it is.” And then she was like, “Can we do it again? Can we do it again? And can I do the death scene?” I said, “Let’s do the death scene!”
Even though Knowles-Carter was rocking her Christian Louboutin ‘red bottom’ heels, she gamely rolled around on the ground pretending to be shot for the scene.
‘Watching her blossom into the superstar that she has become, I saw it in that room,’ The Bear actor explained.
‘Because there’s certain actors, actresses, first audition, they wouldn’t go all the way there. She went all the way there.’
As seductive aspiring actress Carmen Brown, the 35-time Grammy winner was criticized for her dialogue delivery and praised for her singing while her onscreen leading man Mekhi Phifer was accused of the opposite as police sergeant Derek Hill.
The first widely released musical involving mostly rap also featured Mos Def, Rah Digga, Wyclef Jean, Da Brat, Joy Bryant, Reagan Gomez-Preston, Jermaine Dupri, and Lil’ Bow Wow.
Carmen: A Hip Hopera was based on Otto Preminger’s 1954 Oscar-nominated film Carmen Jones starring Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, which was based on the 1943 Broadway musical originating from the 1875 opera Carmen.
In 2002, Beyoncé made her big-screen acting debut as undercover spy Foxxy Cleopatra in Jay Roach’s comedy three-quel Austin Powers in Goldmember, which amassed $296.9M at the box office despite dismal reviews.
Knowles-Carter’s other acting credits include The Fighting Temptations (2003), Dreamgirls (2006), The Pink Panther (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), Wow! Wow! Wubbzy! (2009), Epic (2013), The Lion King (2019), and Mufasa: The Lion King (2024).
The 43-year-old pop diva was only 19 when she flew to New York to read for director Robert Townsend (R, pictured in 2001), who loved her ‘striking look’ as a member of the girl group, Destiny’s Child
The 68-year-old filmmaker (L) recalled on Legacy Talk with Lena Waithe last Tuesday: ‘She’s with the head of A&R to make sure to protect her client. She’s got security with her. I can see she’s nervous, like, really nervous – shaking and everything’
Robert enlisted the two people with Beyoncé to read lines during her audition, and they both immediately got nervous: ‘She was watching them get nervous. And then she got stronger’
Even though Knowles-Carter was rocking her Christian Louboutin ‘red bottom’ heels, she gamely rolled around on the ground pretending to be shot for the scene
Townsend explained: ‘Watching her blossom into the superstar that she has become, I saw it in that room because there’s certain actors, actresses, first audition, they wouldn’t go all the way there. She went all the way there.’
As seductive aspiring actress Carmen Brown, the 35-time Grammy winner was criticized for her dialogue delivery and praised for her singing while her onscreen leading man Mekhi Phifer (R) was accused of the opposite as police sergeant Derek Hill
Carmen: A Hip Hopera was based on Otto Preminger’s 1954 Oscar-nominated film Carmen Jones starring Dorothy Dandridge (R) and Harry Belafonte (L), which was based on the 1943 Broadway musical originating from the 1875 opera Carmen
In 2002, Beyoncé made her big-screen acting debut as undercover spy Foxxy Cleopatra in Jay Roach’s comedy three-quel Austin Powers in Goldmember, which amassed $296.9M at the box office despite dismal reviews
Knowles-Carter’s other acting credits include The Fighting Temptations, Dreamgirls (pictured in 2006), The Pink Panther, Cadillac Records, Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!, Epic, The Lion King, and Mufasa: The Lion King
This Thursday, Queen Bey will celebrate her 44th birthday following the conclusion of her $407.6M-grossing, 32-date Cowboy Carter Tour on July 26 (pictured July 25)
This coming weekend, the Oscar-nominated songwriter will accept her first-ever Emmy trophy at the 77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her Netflix special, Beyoncé Bowl
Beyoncé won outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction, or reality programming alongside her collaborators Shiona Turini, Erica Rice, Molly Peters, Chelsea Staebell, and Timothy White
Knowles-Carter and Alex Rudzinski also scored a nomination for outstanding directing for a variety special at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, which air September 14 on CBS/Paramount+
This Thursday, Queen Bey will celebrate her 44th birthday following the conclusion of her $407.6M-grossing, 32-date Cowboy Carter Tour on July 26.
The Oscar-nominated songwriter has three children – daughter Blue, 13; and fraternal twins Sir & Rumi, 8 – from her 17-year marriage to rap mogul Jay-Z.
Earlier this month, Beyoncé and the 55-year-old Roc Nation founder (born Shawn Carter) reportedly purchased a 58-acre plot of farmland in the Cotswolds, worth $11.5M, in order to build a lavish country retreat – according to The Mirror.
This coming weekend, Knowles-Carter will accept her first-ever Emmy trophy at the 77th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for her Netflix special, Beyoncé Bowl.
The Levi’s brand ambassador won outstanding costumes for variety, nonfiction, or reality programming alongside her collaborators Shiona Turini, Erica Rice, Molly Peters, Chelsea Staebell, and Timothy White.
Beyoncé and Alex Rudzinski also scored a nomination for outstanding directing for a variety special at the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, which air September 14 on CBS/Paramount+.
Knowles-Carter’s NFL half-time concert originally aired on Christmas during the Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans game, which was held at NRG Stadium in her native Houston, TX.
