Exclusive Interviews
The Color Purple musical has been taking over our social media feeds as we anticipate its Christmas Day release. If it's not the show-stopping style moments from the film's stars, it's the fun tidbits we've learned from behind the scenes. Either way, the excitement surrounding the movie has us all eating it up. The original film, adapted from the Alice Walker novel, premiered in 1985 and starred Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover, and more. After many runs on Broadway, the beloved story is making a huge splash on the big screen yet again, but with a musical twist. This time, it stars Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, and a number of other iconic names. Oprah has rejoined the film, but this time in the role of producer. Danielle plays the character that Oprah made famous, Sofia, and Corey Hawkins plays her husband, Harpo.
Harpo, which happens to be Oprah spelled backward, is also the name of the legendary talk show host's production company. In a xoNecole exclusive, Corey Hawkins and Colman Domingo, who plays Mister, open up about the name's significance and divine connection to Oprah's journey.
"I think it was, actually," Corey said when asked if he believed Harpo being Oprah spelled backward was a coincidence. Colman agreed. "I think so. It was a coincidence, but it may seem like divine," he said.
Corey further explained how the name resonated with the OWN network founder before she even knew it. "What does she say? All things purple are all things divine. Everything on this movie has been just; it gives me chills because you think about that. You think about the legacy that she was stepping into before she even knew it and how much that book applied to her way before she even knew it," Corey shared. "So, again, it's a little bit of it's a lot a bit of divinity. It's God."
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Feature image by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
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