By Rodney Ho/ho@ajc.com/ originally filed Dec. 4, 2014
Karlie Redd is best known as a secondary character on VH1's most popular show "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta." But she'll be getting far more exposure in a notable role in Chris Rock's critically acclaimed film "Top Five" opening nationwide Dec. 12.
Rock plays a comedian who is trying to be taken seriously in the dramatic acting world but is marrying a reality star. A squirrelly promoter (played by Cedric the Entertainer) gets Rock's character two hot women. The trio end up partying for 24 hours and having sex in scenes that are more comedic than sexy. It's fair to say it does not end well.
Karlie said she auditioned multiple times and managed to get past the stigma of being a reality star.
"Reality stars are not supposed to be actors," Karlie said in a phone interview earlier this week. "And I'm so happy that I was one of the few who has actually that. I've been an actress since I was a kid." (She said she is also in a film that has only been released in Africa, she said, featuring Vivica A. Fox.)
Although Karlie is in a sex scene of sorts with Rock and another woman, she said many of the body closeups are of a body double. Why did she even need a body double? She said that was the production company's call. She was impressed that the woman's body did look a lot like hers (which kind of begs the question!)
She said Rock didn't recognize her but when someone identified that she was on "Love and Hip Hop," he was not condescending about it. He even teased her and said, 'Okay, you're on set. There's no fighting here!"
During one of the film festivals, she was agog that she was on the red carpet with the likes of Adam Sandler. "It's amazing being in that type of circuit,' she said, as opposed to dealing with gossip bloggers.
She is also a musician and has been able to use this film promotion to push her "Heartbreaker" song.
She proffered no particular thoughts about her ex-boyfriend Benzino getting booted off "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta." "It doesn't matter to me," she said. She claims she has no ill will toward anybody on the show - not even Joseline and Stevie J. And she has long gotten over her issues with K. Michelle, who has since moved to New York and has her own spin-off show. (Karlie even makes an appearance.)
She is aware a new cast member is coming aboard on the show but she doesn't think about it too much. "I just follow my own story line," she said. "I have so much going on in my own life, I can't be worried about it."
Here's the long trailer for the film. Karlie isn't in it that I can tell - but Whoopi Goldberg is:
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