Bet You Didn’t Know: Secrets Behind the Making of “Waiting to Exhale”
Forrest as a Director
Despite his limited experience, (This was Whitaker’s first feature film.), producers and screenwriters all agreed they wanted Whitaker to take on this project. It turned out to be a great choice. All the cast members and Terry McMillan have expressed their fondness and appreciation for him. The year the movie was released, Angela Bassett told the LA Times that she and Whitaker understood each other.
“We speak the same language, Forest and I. He was like my third eye, which was what you like to have backing you up. He kept me honest and focused at the same time.”
And Lela Rochon said that Whitaker helped her prepare for her scenes by playing DJ. He would ask her what songs would help to best put her in the right frame of mind for her upcoming scenes and play them right before he yelled action.
