Mario Van Peebles on We The Party

Watch "We the Party" on Dec. 19 at 8P/7C!

Mario Van Peebles: Ambassador to the Youth - Being the son of a famous filmmaker can be a gift and a curse. But for Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin), it has only become a greater gift with each year. With his own legacy considered an extension of his fathers', it's easy to see why Van Peebles is able to identify with the youth. BET.com spoke to the esteemed director and actor about his recent movie, We the Party, which premieres on BET Star Cinema on December 19 at 8P/7C! (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)
Some of the scenes in We The Party are shot in your home. What was it like to be “on location” in your own personal territory?  - A. "We have a basketball court in the backyard, Snoop’s got game and he was playing against YG, and then the New Boyz got in. During the filming, lots of the actors were crashing at our house when we shot late. It was like camp, a house party and Take Your Kids to Work Day all summer long rolled into one. Mad fun. I guess I was the camp counselor."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)
How has directing this film changed the dynamics of parenting for you? - A. "When your kids become teenagers, their peer group can start to outweigh the family group. In effect, when I cast the movie, I got to cast their peer group for a summer. My poor kids had to listen to their dad at home and then as their director on the set. I tricked them and kept myself relevant in their lives for an extra year or two. They became bilingual, we have always been playful at home and now they were getting a chance to learn the Van Peebles family work ethic on the job."  (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)Why was music such an integral part of this movie? - A. "When I first came up with the idea for We the Party, I knew music would have to be a huge component; and it had to be legit. My teenagers swagged me out in a 'snapback' and skinny jeans and I went with them 'incognegro' to the hottest all age underground hip-hop spots. We heard the New Boyz, YG, Pink Dollaz, The Rej3ctz, and of course the dog father Snoop. To top it off, we cast them all in the movie! A lot of people are moved by YG'€™s performance of the song 'Success' in the film. I wrote that song especially for his character; you can check out the video on YouTube."(Photo: Mike Radiloff / Xlrator Media)

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Mario Van Peebles: Ambassador to the Youth - Being the son of a famous filmmaker can be a gift and a curse. But for Mario Van Peebles (son of Melvin), it has only become a greater gift with each year. With his own legacy considered an extension of his fathers', it's easy to see why Van Peebles is able to identify with the youth. BET.com spoke to the esteemed director and actor about his recent movie, We the Party, which premieres on BET Star Cinema on December 19 at 8P/7C! (Photo: Courtesy of Mario Van Peebles)

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