Jamie Foxx, Emerald-Angel Young, Regina Hall (Photo/The Carnegie Group)
When 'Law Abiding Citizen' hits the big screen on Friday, (October 16) one of its stars still won't have seen it! The R-rated drama is 10 year old Emerald-Angel Young's first major Hollywood production. But she tells Examiner she's sure it won't be her last. This New York fifth grader says she's known since she was just two years old that she wanted to be an actress and entertainer. "I was at Starbucks and talking to my mom. I was two. I always wanted to be a doctor on tv. My mom would watch tv and I'd sit down with her and I finally figured it out." After several years of commercial acting, supporting TV roles, and and off-Broadway play 'Law Abiding Citizen' provides her first big break.
The thriller is the story of Clyde Shelton (Gerald Butler) who ten years after his wife and daughter are brutally murdered, returns to extract justice from the assistant district attorney (Jamie Foxx) who prosecuted the case against their killers. His vengeance threatens not only the man who allowed mercy to supersede justice, but also the system and the city of Philadelphia. (Check out the film's trailer below.)
"I'm Jamie Foxx's daddy's girl," Emerald says of her role as Denise Rice in the thriller. "He puts us in a safehouse, the guy was out and he was really bad, so we went there so he didn't hurt me and my mommy" (played by Regina Hall). The other most exciting part about her role? "I play the cello." Emerald's mom and manager says the film's producers got her cello lessons and brought the cello teacher with them to Philadelphia where the film was shot.
But playing cello likely it's too far of a stretch for this young starlet. Emerald considers herself much more than an actress. "I wrote a song for my mom for Mother's Day, she cried," she told me with the pride that can only come from a true mommy's girl. In fact Emerald-Angel Young has already written 12 songs, recorded one, done some TV acting in Life on Mars and played the lead role of "Puck" in the off-Broadway play A MidSummer Night's Dream.
So what did Emerald think of moving from the small stage to the big screen? "It was awesome. It was great, amazing. Everyone was so nice. Gary Gray (director) Lucas [Foster, producer] and Alan [Siegel, producer], Regina, Jamie, of course, he was great. Everyone let me just be myself." So, after playing his movie-daughter, what does this 10 year old think it would be like to be Jamie Foxx's real-life daughter? "Well that is the question," she tells me, "he really is a great dad, fun, and loving. He invited me to his show in Las Vegas and even brought me up on stage!"
Law Abiding Citizen opens nationwide Friday, October 16. Emerald-Angel Young and the rest of the cast will be in Philadelphia for a premiere Thursday.
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Great article, wonderful child and a great movie
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