Alicia Keys' "Secret Life"

Teen Hollywood caught up with singer/actress Alicia Keys at the Toronto International Film Festival to talk about her new movie, The Secret Life of Bees, written for the screen and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood based upon the award-winning novel by Sue Monk Kidd. The film also stars Queen Latifah, Dakota Fanning, Jennifer Hudson, and Sophie Okonedo; a powerhouse ensemble of women from the world of music and film.

"Bees" is a touching story about the need for love, sisterhood and redemption and our desire to belong somewhere. Story goes...in 1964 South Carolina, the intelligent and independent honey-making Boatwright sisters (Latifah, Keys and Okonedo) find their world rocked with the arrival of fourteen-year-old Lily Owens (Fanning) and her caretaker Rosaleen (Hudson). Surrounded by the unexpected comforts, grace and deep-rooted spirituality Lily encounters in the Boatwright home, she soon forms a maternal bond with each of these women whose unique and special gifts help reconcile the loss of her mother. Through the strength of female empowerment, Lily ultimately comes to the realization that sometimes you must leave home in order to find it.

Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum recording artist Alicia Keys' debut album, "Songs In A Minor" hit the top of the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 235,000 copies in its first week. Alicia's critically acclaimed sophomore effort, "The Diary of Alicia Keys," sold over 618,000 copies during its first week of release in the United States. The album is currently seven times platinum. Keys hit the charts again last year with her third album "As I Am". The single, "No One," became one of the fastest moving and highest charting singles on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

You might have seen Alicia crossing over to film kicking serious butt in the actioner Smokin' Aces as Georgia Sykes. She also appeared in the big screen adaptation of the best selling book "The Nanny Diaries," opposite Scarlett Johansson. We chatted with Alicia about "Bees" and her upcoming projects that include writing and singing the theme song with Jack White for the new Bond film, Quantum of Solace. Alicia is also on tour until December.

TeenHollywood: You have such an amazing music career. Do you feel it was harder to get into movies and acting?

Alicia: No, I feel like it's just a delicate process. It's the same care I take with music, I just don't sing any song. It's very important to me to just feel out what's the right thing for me and where I am. And that's the same thing for film. So, I think it's just a process that takes time and I don't have any rush. I want to really build myself up. Just like I build myself in music, I want to continue to build and get better and better. Everything that is good takes a lot of work. Everything is work. So, I can't say it's harder than the next thing.

TeenHollywood: Do you see yourself doing anything more creative on the movie side, either writing movies or something else behind the scenes?

Alicia: I do. I do. I would like to help continue to bring forth movies like this that are varied; interesting and different and stories that are not often told.

TeenHollywood: You are in a great ensemble cast here. How did you get the part in "Bees"? What scene did you audition with to show you could pull it off?

Alicia: I've been a fan of the book since it came out. I was so enraptured by it. So, it came down the line that they were going to do a 'Secret Life of Bees' movie. And I was like, 'Omigosh, this is my favorite movie in the whole world'. Honestly, I groveled my way into this thing. I begged and pleaded and really tried to express my passion for this piece. So, it came to a place where they started putting together the cast. They got Queen on board, they got Jennifer on board and they realized that the person who would be great for it was me. So, I actually never auditioned but I like to say I begged for the part.

TeenHollywood: Were you friends with Latifah or Jennifer Hudson before getting to set?

Alicia: Myself and Latifah, we definitely had met at different events and things. We were always very friendly. Myself and Jennifer had met at a couple of events. In fact, before the movie came together, when it was still kind of in negotiations with everything, Latifah called me and said, 'Y'know this movie, I really hope it works out that we could do it together.' And she's like, 'It looks like it will be real special.' And I was like, 'Everyone knows I love it. So, I'm ready for sure.' So, yes, when we walked on set it was a very family thing and we all just connected.

TeenHollywood: What was it like to be one of the more inexperienced movie actresses on the set?

Alicia: It was very, very calm and very encouraging. Everybody really came to the set and wanted it to be a brilliant piece. So, no matter what your experience, it was really about banding together, especially because we had very limited time. The resources were limited. It was freezing cold. We were supposed to be in the summer. Everything was about totally being focused.

TeenHollywood: What did you do to get ready? We know you had read the book.

Alicia: My personal preparation took months that I did by myself, before I met anyone. And then, I had to learn my dialect and do my own personal research about June [her character] and how her story develops and how it relates to my personal story to give it authenticity. And when we got on set it was more about creating a family environment. You had to do things on the spot as the character and you felt crazy and uncomfortable, but it forced you to become your character and associate with the people who were part of that life. [The director] threw Jennifer into a situation where all these people in a restaurant started challenging her and how would she react? So, it was really about submersing ourselves into the environment and into the understanding of the family and the culture and the time. It was incredible.

TeenHollywood: This is a very emotional film. What are you most excited about the fans seeing?

Alicia: I am very excited about this film; the way that all these people's stories, they really relate to our own. So, somewhere inside one of those characters you find yourself, no matter if you are a man or a female or if you are black or white or however you were raised, whatever religion. It's not really about those specifics. It's about this general feeling of the human experience and how you find yourself through it all. And it's not always clean. It's a little messy sometimes. And so, that vulnerability of the whole piece, it sweeps you up and it makes you laugh or cry.

TeenHollywood: This is so different from Smokin' Aces. With the small amount of movie work you've done, do you know what kind of movies you want to be in as an actor?

Alicia: Well, I actually desire to do different things every time. That's my goal for myself. It's like my music. It angers me when people say, 'Don't you just play the piano?' That makes me mad because I feel like you are kind of forcing me to just be one thing. And as much as I love to play the piano and I always will play the piano, I am not ever just one thing. So, for film as well, I just want to be able to express the many sides of myself. And I think that is what really defines us, a true actor and a true musician. Someone that really is unafraid to try and connect to. So, I want to try everything.

TeenHollywood: Isn't today the day you are shooting the James Bond video?

Alicia: Right, so I am doing the Bond video tonight. I am very excited about that. Doing it here in Toronto. With Jack White, baby! Let's do it! So, it's very, very exciting. I was just able to approve the piano that I am going to use. They made it so it's very nice.

TeenHollywood: Did you write the song too?

Alicia: Yes, myself and Jack. But Jack really took the lead on that and it was kind of cool because I am a big fan of his music obviously and of The White Stripes, so it was cool to kind of walk in and put my flava on something he really vibed up. So, it was cool. It's called 'Another Way to Die.' And I did see the movie. I saw it four days ago. It's 'off the chain.'

TeenHollywood: Does it have that Bond "vibe", like using notes from the famous Bond themesong?

Alicia: Yes! You will definitely feel the essence. It's right in the beginning. The movie starts with this crazy car chase scene and it's bananas and once you reveal this, it starts with the song and it's just perfect. So, it's not as good as The Secret Life of Bees, but I enjoyed it.

TeenHollywood: Did you contribute a song to 'Bees'?

Alicia: Yes, I did. I did. Actually the title song at the end, it's called 'Don't You Know The Sky Is Blue.' Myself and Lynda Perry wrote it. So, it's really nice. I like it a lot.

TeenHollywood: Did you, Queen and Jennifer have any time to sing or do any music on set? I would think there would be some great things coming out of you all.

Alicia: I know, everybody was like, 'What do you mean it's not a musical?' They were pretty upset about that, but I thought it was cool that we were all from musical backgrounds. Music is such a part of life anyways. It's really hard to separate the two from anything and the music in this film really drove the film as well. We knew the music in the scenes. In fact, in particular scenes the music was already in it so that allowed us to sing. That kitchen scene, 'I can't break away...' (sings) That song that Jennifer kind of sings, it's beautiful and it was fun and we would all have a good time. I can't say we were in the corner doing Doo Whop, but y'know...(Laughs)

TeenHollywood: One thing I loved about your character was how she was very forward thinking for the time in terms of not wanting to get married yet. Can you talk about that?

Alicia: Yeah, I loved June. June is really special to me. A lot of her thoughts are my thoughts in a lot of ways, but obviously she's even more extreme in her protection for her family and herself. It's like priority, paramount. I really understood that feeling of wanting to just be careful. You just don't want everybody to come inside, because you've done it before and it's hurt you. Actually there is a whole scene in the movie that had to get cut out because she was supposed to be married a long time ago, but her first husband didn't come to the altar and that really crushed her. So, there were a lot of things about June I really loved and of course her involvement in the Civil Rights Act, so she was just no nonsense.

TeenHollywood: I was wondering since you've come out vocally in support of Obama, how do you think the film might play into that? The film shows a time in America where what we are seeing today wouldn't have been possible.

Alicia: Well, you know, I do support Obama 100% and I do feel like this movie does say all of those things. A lot of the research we did for the film was really about the rallies and the marches and the way there were so many faces from so many walks of life there. It's true this movie does show the uniting of people and I think that's what is so exciting about this election now. It's really not about color, this film is not about color. This film is about people being inspired. And people finding their way. It's about a chance for change.