Life, Animated

The very time I became aware of autism, what it was and how it manifests was when I was in rehearsal for the 1st National tour of "The Who's Tommy".  You see the character of "Tommy" was a high functioning autistic child who becomes a rock star.  The creative team had professionals come in and tell us all about it, so that onstage our relationship with Tommy would be authentic and real.

About a year ago, I was chatting with my old friend Jonathan Freeman.  He began telling me about a book by Ron Suskind called Life Animated and about his kid named Owen who was autistic.  He revealed that Owen broke out of his autistic prison through watching Disney animated films. Now, this was fascinating, because both Jonathan and myself have a Disney connection.  I played Shenzi in Los Angeles production of "The Lion King" for three years and Jonathan is the voice of "Jafar" in the Disney animated feature "Aladdin" and performs this role eight times a week currently on Broadway.

BROADWAY'S JAFAR IN ALADDIN AND CARLA RENATA

As life works, while at Sundance 2016,  I found out Owen Suskind is now the subject of a documentary directed by Roger Ross Williams.  When I tell you, I spent 90 minutes doing the ugly cry while trying to laugh...I really do not exaggerate!

At three-years old, Owen Suskind began speaking gibberish.  After taking him to numerous medical professionals, he was diagnosed autistic.  For those of you who don't know what that means, it simply means that these kids have a brain that is overly stimulated.  They are brutally honest and don't know what lying or being polite is.  They simply live in the moment...whatever that moment happens to be.

After one year of complete silence while watching "The Little Mermaid", Owen uttered what his parents Cornelia and Ron understood as "juicer voss".  Owen was trying to say "just your voice" ( a line from the character Ursula). Now, as a 23-year old adult, Owen has transitioned into adult assisted living, had his heart-broken for the first time and secured employment at a local movie theater.

Life, Animated is one of the most inspiring, heartwarming and heartbreaking films I have seen in quite some time.  It was truly a reality check.  It reminded me that just when you think your life sucks, there is always someone else who has it just a little harder.

I wonder what Walt Disney would think about his films being the catalyst for a child who most people wrote off and were ready to throw in the towel on.  Ron and Cornelia Suskind  and their other son Walter NEVER gave up on Owen and continue to make his life as normal and easy-going as possible.

While saying goodbye to Jonathan, Owen and his family popped by and when we asked if he was tired of being a movie star, he simply replied "Yes, it will be nice to get back to me".  One of my favorite moments of the film was having Gilbert Godfried pop by Owens' Disney Club and do a live reading of Aladdin for all the members along with Jonathan.

Thank you Jonathan for bringing Owen and his beautiful family to my attention.  You and them have TRULY changed my life and mindset forever.

Life Animated opened in theaters on July 1st and remember you heard it here first...it will definitely be on the short list for the Oscars in 2017.

Float Like A Butterfly - Sting Like A Bee - R.I.P Muhammad Ali

Back in St. Louis, Missouri, our house sat right in back of a drive-in movie theater.  We would hop over the fence, turn up the speakers that weren't being used, grab some lawn chairs, popcorn, snacks, blankets and watch the movie with our whole block sitting on the lawn. One of the films I remember vividly watching was "The Greatest" with Muhammad Ali.  Ali was bigger than life in generosity, kindness, boxing skills and personality.  He truly was "The Greatest of All Time".

Muhammad Ali lost his battle with Parkinson Disease.  Even after his organs failed, his heart continued to beat strongly for 30 minutes, which is so indicative of how strong-willed the spirit of this champ was for the decades.  He never gave up.  His sheer presence on this earth taught me personally that impossible is not a fact it's an opinion.

Ali denounced his “slave name” (Cassius Marcellus Clay, which was also his father’s name), the Christian religion and famously refused to serve in the Army stating “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.”A life decision which was not popular, but when did Ali ever care about what was popular and what was not.  He lived his life on his terms...without regret.

Sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for his refusal to comply with the draft, Ali was fined $10,000.  With his boxing license revoked and not allowed to box in the very prime of his career, the State Department even took away his passport to restrict him from fighting outside the country.  Yet, Ali once again bounced back.

After a trilogy of infamous Frazier/Ali fights and a devastating final loss, to the much-younger Trevor Berbick, the champ retired in 1981 after 61 fights, with 56 wins.   Muhammad Ali was not the greatest "black boxer", but simply the greatest athlete to grace that sport.

His life has been documented on film several times, most famously in the bio pic Ali, which earned Will Smith a Oscar  nomination.  In my opinion, he was an OG rapper..  Check him out, spinning rhymes as only Muhammad Ali could do.

Check out these films, which illustrate the spirit and dogged determination of a man we came to know and love for decades as the "Greatest of All Time"  R.I.P. Muhammad Ali

Here are a few other flicks about the champ...

The Greatest...  Thus was the one time Ali attempted to act by portraying himself in a story of his very colorful life.  The song, "The Greatest Love of All", originally recorded by George Benson, but was immortalized by the late, great Whitney Houston.

There was a documentary released early this year on Ali, which features interviews and commentary from his daughter Laila Ali, Common, Sugar Ray Leonard and many more...

 RIP DEAR BROTHA' MUHAMMAD...You really ARE the GREATEST OF ALL TIME❤️