Singer, actor – look for more mixed milieus from Milian
Pop singers used to be pop singers, and actors used to be actors. Now that the two have become almost interchangeable, Christina Milian can go ahead and chase a Grammy and an Oscar at the same time.
The New Jersey-born Cuban-American, who turns 23 today, did her first commercial, for Wendy’s, at age 9. Her self-titled debut album was released only abroad in 2002, but the single “AM to PM” did well on Billboard’s Hot 100.
Now Milian is on tour opening for Usher, promoting her latest CD, “It’s about Time.” The first single, “Dip it Low,” is a top-five Billboard hit.
She also has two movies set for release in March: “Man of the House” with Tommy Lee Jones and “Be Cool” with John Travolta and Uma Thurman.
The self-professed lover of shoes and SUVs said she’s wanted to sing and act since she was a child, watching Janet Jackson, Whitney Houston and the “Wizard of Oz.”
Q: You’ve been around for a long time, but “Dip it Low” is your biggest hit. Why do you think it’s taken a while for you to take off?
Milian: I just think it takes time. My first album was about to come out in America but a lot of things were key factors in the reason it didn’t come out. I had my record “AM to PM” which was blowing up but then (9/11) happened. … I think being overseas and touring was a great rehearsal for me.
Q: You’ve been compared to Beyonce in appearance and voice. How do you feel about that?
Milian: It’s a compliment. She amazing, she’s an amazing artist … the hair is one key factor (in the comparison). And it has nothing to do with Beyonce. I think she is a lovely artist, very talented but the only reason I changed my hair color is because I was getting bored of my same old look and I wanted to do something different.
Q: Is your acting career going to be taking a back seat now that your music career is taking off?
Milian: Oh no. I think I’m always going to be doing both. That’s what I’ve always wanted to do and I started out acting and then when I moved into music I focused only on my music so it was about time when movies started coming back into my life that you know it was the right time and the time to say, ‘OK, I want to get back into movies now and I can do both of them at the same time and balance it out.’ I think once these movies come out next year it’s going to be even a bigger situation I will have to deal with trying to balance them both.
Q: Do you prefer singing or acting?
Milian: I really don’t have a preference over one or the other. I do love, however, performing live on the stage … above all else. It’s my favorite.
Q: Ten years from now do you still hope to be doing both?
Milian: Ten years down the road probably I’ll slow down more on the music and it will probably be more of my films because I mean how long does, how many more topics, how many changes can I possible make? But who knows. Look at Madonna and Janet Jackson.
The birthday bunch
Fitness expert Jack LaLanne is 90. Actor Kent McCord (“Adam 12”) is 62. TV host Anne Robinson (“The Weakest Link”) is 60. Singer Bryan Ferry is 59. Country singer Lynn Anderson is 57. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 56. Singer Olivia Newton-John is 56. Singer-guitarist Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 50. Country singer Carlene Carter is 49. Actress Linda Hamilton is 48. Actress Melissa Sue Anderson (“Little House on the Prairie”) is 42. Actor Jim Caviezel (“The Passion of the Christ”) is 36. Singer Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) is 32.