Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing and producing the films Disappearing Actsand Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth10 June 1969
CountryUnited States of America
crying rare realizing seeing sitting theater watching women
I remember sitting in the theater watching 'Bridesmaids,' and I'm doubled over laughing, and then I'm crying in the same movie. It's the overwhelming feeling, as I'm looking up and seeing these women, and I'm realizing how rare it is to see that.
everybody fail freedom god great learn love oh school ucla
Oh my God, I love UCLA so much. Their film school is great because it's unstructured, so there's a freedom to fail in there and just tell your story, and everybody makes a film. It's so important to have that freedom in film school because that's what you're there for: to learn and make a film.
fascinated respect
Improv is a very big thing for me. The thing with actors is I do not understand at all how they do what they do. I'm fascinated by it, and I have such a respect for it.
adopted birth complete finding given growing search trying white
I was adopted by a Salvadorian mother and a white father. Growing up having complete identity crisis. Then my search for my mother and trying to find out why I was given up, and how could a mother give up a child, then finding out the circumstances of my birth was pretty traumatizing.
favorite films fuel love music sings
Some of my favorite films are musicals, like 'Walk the Line,' 'The Rose' and 'Lady Sings the Blues.' I just love the way the music and the story fuel each other.
break came industry large school thousands
I just remember when I came out of film school - and I loved film school - that the industry was such a mystery. How to break in, and once you are in, how to make a film; that is such a large undertaking. There are thousands of pitfalls.
ball hire life love played run sets sports track watching woman women worse
With 'Love & Basketball,' I played ball my whole life and did track at UCLA. So, I'm an athlete. And it was very important for me to get it right. I started with casting: As an athlete, there's nothing worse for me than watching a sports movie and the woman that they hire can't run or can't shoot. It sets women's sports back years.
arms black came cosby exist families father kids knew mother reflecting
When 'The Cosby Show' came out, and everyone was up in arms about 'The Cosby Show' and that it was reflecting a world that didn't exist - but I knew black doctors. And I knew black lawyers. And I knew families that, you know, had a mother and a father and kids that were well-behaved.
writing character perfect
People often ask me if I feel discriminated against as a black female director. I don't. I'm actually offered a ton of stuff. But I only want to direct what I write. And I prefer to focus on black female characters. What's most important to me is to put characters up onscreen who are not perfect, but who are human and flawed.
writing scripts emotion
I write to music, so every script I have has its own playlist. Music just opens me up to the emotions that I'm writing.
struggle careers want
I want us to have it all, love and career. It's a struggle sometime to achieve that, but I love the struggle.
college white confusion
I grew up with white parents and until after college, it was a lot of confusion, especially because I grew up in an all-white area. So I never looked around and saw anyone who looked like me.
blessing build chance changed game gives shrinks social twitter
Twitter and social media have so changed the game for filmmakers, but especially for artists. It shrinks the world and gives chance to feel like they know you. But it's a blessing and a curse. It can help build you up, but there's also such anonymity.
directing great love project
I love writing and directing because it's great therapy. Every project I've done, there's been a personal connection.