On the day we shot the “Coco” scene, Rudy Ray Moore, portraying the main gangster, could not get the line right. He was supposed to say, “I will see you in the sequel, Coco!” But in take after take he kept calling her “Shakoan.” Over and over again, “Shakoan, Shakoan, Shakoan.” So in a looping session, I begged Robert Townsend to let me say, “Shakoan,” for no good reason before Coco kicks ass in that scene. To this day, Mark Brown and I end every phone conversation not with “goodbye,” but with “I will see you in the sequel, Shakoan!”
The day before shooting the scene with David Hyde Pierce, who played my deaf pianist, we had filmed a full-out production of “Love Goddess” accompanied by my high kicks over and over again. The next day, at the piano when I had to kick over my head, it was impossible. That pain you see when I try to raise my leg was probably the most real moment in the film. Luckily, the genius of David Hyde Pierce masks it.
Isabel Sanford portrayed Jackie’s play mama, Miss Krumes, who famously says, “White people smell like wet potato chips.” Between takes, Isabel told me stories about Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy on the set of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? Apparently, Katharine was appalled that Isabel took the public bus to the set every day. She insisted Isabel be given a chauffeured car.
Marc Shaiman was an unbelievable friend to score the movie for close to nothing. He was in the midst of scoring Ghosts of Mississippi, so we worked on Jackie’s Back! during his lunch breaks. His favorite lyric in the entire movie is in “Love Goddess”: “. . . just like Aphrodite in her nightie. You’re like Thor, I’m like Venus, something’s got to come between us. Love Goddess!”
Jackie’s Back! was in the can and left with the editor. We crossed our fingers and something deep inside told me it was going to be good. When Jackie’s Back! was finally ready, Barry Krost wouldn’t let me see it until he threw an intimate party to celebrate. I wanted to kill him. I wanted to make sure it was good before anyone else saw it. I walked into the party wearing a hoodie under my coat and repressing the rage of a petulant five-year-old not getting her way. Inside I was yearning, hoping, and praying to God to please let it be good. I refused all hors d’oeuvres and drinks. I clutched up in a chair in fetal position, not making eye contact, and was silent. Silent? Y’all know I was scared.
During shooting, I had seen most, but not all, of the dailies. When the movie came on I stayed clutched up until Liza Minnelli, whose dailies I had not seen, came on the screen. When she said “I don’t know much about the African . . . ” the hoodie dropped, the coat flew off, and I came out of my body screaming in joy, “Somebody, break out the champagne” Jackie’s Back! was in fact the best shit I had ever seen. Humbly.
At the premiere, I spotted Rachel in the crowd. I could tell how proud she was of me; like a peacock strutting his beautiful plumage. Everybody was happy. Everybody was proud. A lot of people flew in, including Dr. Roma Little Walker, a friend I’d met on my trip to Egypt, Mrs. Butler, my high school counselor, and Ethel Rue, my “Fat Jackie” partner from Kinloch. My cousin Ronnie did cartwheels. We had a late-night celebration at Kate Mantilini restaurant in Beverly Hills.
A few days later, I left for New York, but I didn’t really need the plane. I was flying high, heading to the city to promote Jackie’s Back! on the Rosie O’Donnell Show. I had been dating a man named Terrence for about a year at this time, and brought him with me. When we landed back at LAX, Lifetime had sent a limousine for us. On the ride home, Terrence, who played a TV reporter in the film, spotted a huge billboard for Jackie’s Back! with my face ten feet tall. We screamed and shouted while our heads stuck out of the limo’s sun roof. The billboards were all over the city. The premiere of the film, June 22, 1999, was one of the happiest days of my life. Flowers and gifts streamed in from Whoopi, Penny Marshall, Toni Braxton, The Boat, my sisters and brothers. Whitney and Bobby sent the largest roses I had ever seen. They were from Africa. Wow!
Unfortunately, the ratings for Jackie’s Back! were low. I guess their Lifetime core audience was just not ready for my shenanigans. Fuck them if they can’t take a joke. But the critics received it as they had received mostly everything I had done. Raves, raves, raves, raves. Life went on.
Over the years, Jackie’s Back! has developed a cult following. All kinds of people—black folks, gypsies, soccer moms, the gay community—stop me on planes, in movie theaters, or at the mall when I’m bra shopping, and tell me they watch the movie over and over again. It even has its own holiday, Jackie Washington Day, which is celebrated on July 15. I’ve been to events where people dress up like characters in the movie and recite the dialogue right along with the actors. Just like the fans of Rocky Horror.
After the wonderful experience of Jackie’s Back!, I got incredible news from Mark and Bobby. They had decided to become parents by adopting a child. They asked me to write a letter of reference to the judge for them. I was honored to do that. It was like an affirmation of our committed friendship. I was present with them when the adoption was confirmed.
I was the first to hold Ella Cesaria Brown after Mark and Bobby. They named her after Ella Fitzgerald. She was exceptionally beautiful. I remember saying to my own beautiful daughter, Charmaine, “She’s got face,” meaning she’s has beauty and personality. Mark and Bobby adopted their wonderful son, Sander, a few years later. It has been a monumental pleasure for this here godmama to love and spoil them rotten.
FOURTEEN
MOTHER COURAGE
On screen I have portrayed Whitney’s mama, Tupac’s mama, Taraji’s mama, Terrence J’s mama, Gabrielle’s mama, and Raven-Symoné’s grandmother. I even played Angela Bassett’s mama in What’s Love Got to Do With It despite being just eighteen months older than her! Sometimes I think, “They’re gonna ask me to play Miss Jane Pittman’s mama next!”
Off-screen, I never thought of myself as “motherly.” But God knows that I play with everybody’s baby—in my family, among my fans, and even in the grocery store. I may be a high diva sometimes but nothing humbles my ass quicker than a cute little baby. When I was in love with Thomas, there was a point where I thought we would marry and have a baby. But, as time went on, having kids just fell off my to-do list.
When Rachel and my Boat sisters suggested that I consider being more active in the lives of children, I was surprised. They weren’t saying jump into motherhood right away. They thought it would be good for me to start out by mentoring. I definitely had the energy for hanging with children, and had a sense of fun along with a desire to give back.