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William James Adams, aka Will.i.Am, was born on March
15, 1975 in the City of A versatile musician, Will not only plays various keyboards, the bass and drums, but also sings and raps as well. Besides Black Eyed Peas, he's produced several successful solo projects, plus he has collaborated with a number of other artists, including Sergio Mendes, Usher and Flo Rida.
Perhaps his most important cultural contribution came during the
run-up to the presidential election, when he released ’Yes We Can,’
the Emmy-winning song which ostensibly served as the Obama
campaign's unofficial theme song. Will made his first foray into
acting last fall when he provided the voice of Moto Moto in the
animated feature
Will.i.Am - The X-Men Origins: Wolverine Interview
KW: Thanks for the time, Will. By the way, is this you or just a hologram of you? WiA: No, this is really Will. KW: I remember when you were interviewed by Anderson Cooper as a hologram on Election Night. WiA: Yeah, it's wild being a hologram back then and now being teleported in X-Men Origins.
KW: I believe that your song ’Yes We Can,’ played a pivotal role
in getting young voters excited about
Barack
Obama and that it helped him become President of the
WiA: So far, he's done great! People are enthusiastic about KW: Attorney Bernadette Beekman asks what inspired you to write ’Yes We Can?’ WiA: My passion. I was inspired by his speech, and by all the invisible freedom fighters from the past who you never read about in school. KW: Did you think it would help Obama become president? WiA: No, I wrote it basically so teachers could teach his speech in school. I wasn't thinking, ’I'm going to write this song to make Obama our president.’ That's not logical. I was thinking, ’I'm going to write this song so we would have a politician's words being taught in schools.’ That was something I could do that would have an immediate effect. KW: That's brilliant, Will! WiA: Thank you. That was the real reason I did it, although there was the possibility that this dude could become our president once he was already being taught to the kids.
KW: As for X-Men, what a spectacular screen debut you're getting to make by being a part of such a popular film franchise. WiA: Yeah, it's more than spectacular. It's unbelievable, and kind of crazy, if you ask me. KW: Did you base your approach to playing John Wraith on anybody? WiA: I modeled him after my cousin, Earl. He used to be a very, very bad, bad man. He's done some bad, bad things, but he's also a very approachable, likable, huggable kind of guy. He has some bad friends who've done bad things, too, but he has a conscience.
KW: How would you describe your character's relationship to WiA: He and Wolverine are close buddies. They go off into the world, and mess up things, but he has a heart, and knows when enough is enough. KW: What was working with director Gavin Hood like? WiA: Working with him was incredible. First of all, I love his movies. He's very talented and very endearing as far as making you feel comfortable about tapping into all the emotions you need to deliver. He pulls the best out of you, and that's awesome. KW: And how was it acting opposite Hugh Jackman? WiA: Hugh Jackman is the nicest guy on Earth. I was like, ’Dang, dude,’ he was so super nice. KW: Are you planning to make more movies? WiA: I would love not only to do more work as an actor, but to write and direct. KW: you're an incredibly accomplished Renaissance man who has made a mark in a number of fields. But you started out in fashion. Is it still your first love? WiA: Yeah, I love fashion. It is my love.
KW: I know you were born in
WiA: My folks are from
KW:
’Realtor to the Stars' Jimmy Bayan wants to know, where in WiA: [Sings to the tune of Hollywood Swinging] Hollywooooooooooood!!!!! KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? WiA: It's more the opposite. I've been asked a lot of questions I wish people wouldn’t. KW: The Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid? WiA: Afraid about what? KW: The Columbus Short question: Are you happy? WiA: I'm happy every day of my life. KW: The Teri Emerson question: When was the last time you had a good belly laugh? WiA: Last night. KW: The bookworm Troy Johnson question: What was the last book you read? WiA: Can I be honest. KW: Of course. WiA: I've never really read a book. [read AALBC.com reactions to this response] KW: Why not? WiA: I can read pretty well, but my attention span is really short. When I read, the first paragraph is great, the second is great, but by about the third paragraph or so, I'm just reading the words and it's no longer sinking into my mind. KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you have had to overcome? WiA: I'm going through that right now. KW: The Rudy Lewis question: Who's at the top of your hero list? WiA: I have many heroes. When it comes to molding my character, my grandma, Sarah Cain, is my biggest hero. We call her Nanny. And my mom, Debra, of course, too. But aside from my family, my biggest hero is Quincy Jones, by far.
KW: A big fan of yours, Marcia Evans, loves those
CDs you made with
Sergio Mendes.
She wants to know, how you liked working in
WiA: I loved working there. KW: Marcia was also wondering what you think of the Brazilian culture.
WiA: I love the culture because black people in
KW: I recently read a book by a sister who went back to
WiA: Interesting. KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps, like my son who is majoring in music in college? WiA: I would say just to continue to make music and to share it on the internet. That's the future, in just making it and sharing it. KW: Thanks again for the interview Will, and best of luck with all your endeavors. WiA: Thank you so much, dude. _______________________________________ A trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine:
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WiA: Hi Kam.
