this is the younger brother of one of my partners 7even:thirty. if you check out this movie, keep an eye out for him 
August 7, 2008
Related Items:  Malcolm Phillips in "The Longshots"
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Tackling the big screen
By Nash Nunnery
Special to The Clinton News
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Special to The Clinton News Above: Malcolm Jerrell Phillips is |
Malcolm Jerrell Phillips may be one of The Longshots, but some people think his future as a Hollywood actor is a sure bet.
Described
as a "feel-good family comedy," The Longshots is an MGM Dimension film
starring rapper-turned actor Ice Cube and directed by Fred Durst,
former front man for rap metal's Limp Biskit.
The film is based loosely on
the true story of the Minden Browns, a football team full of misfits in
small-town Illinois that wins its way to the Pop Warner Super Bowl
championship. Ice Cube is featured as the Browns coach and uncle to
Jasmine (Keke Palmer), the team's female quarterback.
The Longshots will be released nationwide on Aug. 22.
Phillips, a rising 10th-grader at Clinton Christian Academy portrays Manny, a wide receiver with more than a little attitude.
The
character was a bit of a stretch for the mild-mannered Phillips, but he
says he was inspired by a Mount Salus Christian School classmate.
"Manny is a great athlete and he knows it. He's so cocky and full of himself," said Phillips, who just turned 15.
"I patterned him after my friend, Jevonte Young – terrific football player and so sure of himself.
"What
was difficult for me (in the movie) was playing wide receiver," he
said. "I played guard and fullback for Mount Salus Christian School
last year, but the director knew I was the only actor who had actually
played football before, so they needed me at receiver."
Seasoned child actor Keke Palmer, 14, says her Longshots co-star dazzled her with his performance.
"Malcolm
is very accomplished as an actor and impressed everyone," said Palmer,
who will debut in her own TV series on Nickelodeon this fall. "He
really got into the character, and we had a lot of fun making the
movie."
Shirlene Phillips, the young actor's mother, says her son has always had "a bit of actor in him."
"Even
when he was a small child, he could tell a story and have me believe
it," she said, smiling at the thought. "He was very convincing. Malcolm
has always spoken well and been very articulate, but I never dreamed he
would be in a movie one day."
Earning
a role in a major Hollywood movie is not an easy task for any actor,
according to Phillips' agent Sharon Ward – especially child actors
living in Mississippi.
"For him
to win a principal role in a major movie is amazing, when you consider
that those roles are normally reserved for Los Angeles-based actors,"
said the Sharon Ward Agency owner.
"Malcolm
is such a great kid and he's a very, very good actor. He's got a great
future in the business, especially if he can relocate to the west
coast."
Phillips says he was confident in his audition for the part.
"I've
been on a bunch of auditions, and I just had a good feeling about this
one," he said. "When I got to Shreveport (where the movie was shot),
most of the other kids seemed really quiet and reserved. I just turned
it on for the producers."
Don't get the idea that stardom has gone to his head, however. Hobnobbing with famous people, says Phillips, is no big deal.
"I've
never been impressed just by someone's celebrity," he said. "I respect
musicians and actors and recognize them for their talents, but I'm just
myself around people like that."
The
film was shot over a nine-week period in Shreveport last winter, and
Phillips tended to his school work long distance. An excellent student
according to his mother, Phillips only missed the spring honor roll by
one point.
Mount Salus headmaster John Mark Whitney said faculty and students are thrilled about the teen's success.
"Obviously,
we are very proud of him. Malcolm is so talented, and he and his older
brother Michael added a lot to our school," said Whitney. "He's a
really good kid from a really good family."
If his acting career doesn't work out, the Jackson native says he might turn to his other passions.
"Engineering is a possibility for me. My mom says I can build anything," said the teen.
"Also,
I used to write a lot of music and I love the guitar. I can feel the
guitar strings in my hand, and they resonate with me like no other
instrument," Phillips said. "My dad (Arthur) is an accomplished
musician, and I got my love of music from him."
Relocating
to southern California to pursue movie roles is not an option, at least
at the moment, says Shirlene Phillips – unless …
"If
my son was offered a specific role in a television series or something
like that, we'd consider moving," she said, "But things would have to
fall right into place for us to live in Hollywood."
Getting
the opportunity to star in The Longshots is not something Phillips
takes for granted. He says he had a vision three years ago that he'd
become an actor.
"I was watching television and said to myself, 'When I am 14, I want to do something in acting,' " Malcolm said.
"I think that's pretty tight. And now that my dream has come true, I want to pursue acting as my career."
I do want to see that movie.
now i wanna see the movie too!