How did you feel when you got the chance to portray Whitney Houston?
Gabrielle: I was very excited. And I felt like at that point I had earned it, I had worked hard and I really wanted it. I realized at that moment, that sometimes when you have a vision, you have to put in the work and like they say: opportunity meets preparations.
I say that because I’ve been in the industry long enough to have a bit of a ‘resume’ but to be able to have this opportunity, to play the leading lady in a film like this, on this type of platform, I haven’t done yet. So it’s exciting for me to have different doors open for me.
Are you prepared for the criticism the film may receive and how do you plan on handling negative publicity?
Gabrielle: You can’t please everyone all the time, it will never happen. So far, the majority has been positive. People are talking about and are excited about it, which for me is enough. The public now has a newfound respect, understanding and appreciation for Bobby Brown and his life and what he’s gone through.
When watching the film, make sure you put the kids to bed at a certain hour, bring your box of tissues, some snacks and turn your phone off, because things get really interesting.
What was the biggest challenge you had when playing these two characters?
Gabrielle: For me, it was time. I literally had a week to prepare; we had a short period of time and filming schedule. Also, people have a lot of expectations and perceptions when it comes to who they think Bobby and Whitney are.
Woody: The most difficult thing for me was to fall in love with four different women. My heart is fragile. So having to deal with my heart being broken numerous of times was a bit of a challenge.
What do you hope viewers take away from Bobby’s story?
Gabrielle: For me is definitely about not judging a book by its cover, from the perspective of this being his film, his story, his family, his musicand seeing him in a way that only people who’ve known him closely were able to see him.
He’s not perfect, has made a lot of mistakes about life and he’s learnt from them. And I think that’s very important, to not beat yourself up because of things you’ve done in the past. What’s important is to try find a way to grow from it and to move forward.
