(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

For many celebrities, a chunk of the bread and butter comes from side hustles as product spokespeople. And more companies are turning to a diverse group of celebs to serve as the face of their products. For example, we reported recently on new gigs for Olympic  gold medalist Gabby Douglas and astronaut Dr. Mae Jamison were just tapped as spokespeople for two separate major advertising campaigns. There have however been some notable campaigns using black spokespeople. We take a look at some of our favorite African-American celebrity spokespeople.

Source(s): WENN, Celebgotnews

Last week news broke that Trinidadian bombshell Nicki Minaj would be making her acting debut alongside Cameron Diaz in forthcoming film, The Other Woman. While this was major news, according to reports The Other Woman director, Nick Cassavetes and the folks over at 20th Century Fox weren’t the only ones looking to cast theatrical emcee in their latest flick. RumorFix is saying that X-Men producers were strongly considering replacing 46-year-old Halle Berry as Storm in the saga’s latest installment, X-Men: Days of Future Past with the “High School” rapper.

Although this is just a rumor and has yet to be confirmed by Nicki or X-Men producers, we have to admit that the colorful actress-turned-rapper-turned-actress again seems like she has the potential to make a great Storm, especially considering her background in theater. Not to mention that many of her over the top wigs already have a Storm-esque, superhero type feel to them. We have yet to witness her acting skills with our own eyes, but the real story will be told once The Other Woman hits theaters.

As for the forthcoming X-Men sequel, even if Nicki was being considered, director Bryan Singer released a photo of Halle all suited up in her Storm costume, letting it be known that the mom-to-be had signed on to reclaim her role this go ’round. But, there’s no telling what the future may hold and considering how Fox and Marvel get down with all of their sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots, chances are this won’t be the last X-Men movie to be released.

Do you think Nicki would’ve made a good Storm?

Janet Jackson 46, was recently discovered to have been married to her Qatari billionaire businessman Wissam Al Mana. In fact, Jackson and Al Mana, who is almost 10 years the “Control” singer’s junior, actually tied the knot sometime last year in a “quiet, private, and beautiful ceremony,” this according to published reports.

Academy Award winning actress Halle Berry is not only engaged but has recently announced that she is expecting a child with French actor Olivier Martinez. Berry, who will be celebrating her 47th birthday in August and gave birth to her first child Nahla at the age of 42, shares details of her pregnancy in an interview with the Daily Mail, “This has been the biggest surprise of my life, to tell you the truth. Thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it’s been a big surprise and the most wonderful.”

After nearly three decades of dating Tina Turner,73, and boyfriend Erwin Bach are reportedly ready to make their union official (as in marriage). Reports of their engagement come on the heels of the “What’s Love Got to Do With It” singer receiving dual citizenship in Switzerland. According to published reports, the happy couple are planning to tie the knot some time this year.

I could go on and on but I think you all are picking up on what I’m hinting at here: maybe it is time we rethink what it means to be an older woman.

It is generally believed that turning 40 begins the downward spiral into physical and social invisibility in a woman’s life. Tank tops and bikini-cuts will be replaced by granny-panties and full-body girdles. There is no more late-night partying; no carefree adventures and no chances of marriage, motherhood or even hot and dirty sex over the age of 40. Just multi-vitamins, memory loss, poor bone density, menopause and a bedtime that arrives before the start of 11 o’clock news. We’ve been told that for women, life is all downhill once grey hairs start invading. And there is nothing we can do about it except cozy up in the rocking chair in front of old episodes of “Matlock” and wait for death to finally put us out of our old lady misery.

However today’s new economy has created opportunities for women to prosper and gain financial independence over their lives. As such, the fairer sex of the baby boomer generation are ready to stake the claim that over-40 is the new under-40 in many fabulous and non-traditional ways. In addition to annihilating stereotypes of the spinster cat lady, these new mid-lifers are modeling themselves after women like Ernestine Shephard, the 75 year old fitness expert grandmother, who has made the Guinness Book of World Records for being the world’s oldest female competitive bodybuilder. According to this BBC interview, “Miss Ernie,” as she is affectionately called, began training at the tender age of 71 and currently runs about 10 miles a day. She says her true calling in life, however, is helping others to follow a more healthy lifestyle and firmly believes that, “age ain’t nothing but a number.”

Nowadays, women are about personal fulfillment, even if it means delaying marriage and children – if not putting them off all together. In fact, birth rates for women between the ages of 15 to 29 are at historic lows while the rates among those in their late 30s to early 40s is on the increase. The same trend can be seen in marriage where the rate of women marrying for the first time in their 30s and 40s has nearly doubled over the last decade while the rate of marriage of women in their 20s is actually slowing. And a recent study suggests that despite common beliefs of sexless existence after the age of 40, women have grown increasingly satisfied with their sex lives on the other side of that hill.

Well, that’s if you ignore the higher pregnancy risk, depression and anxiety that that we middle-aged gals are reportedly prone to suffer. And then there is menopause. However even with the pitfalls of aging, there are ways to overcome. One word: attitude. Or as stated in this Time Magazine piece:

“Researchers have found that the most profound difference in attitude between men and women at middle age is that women are twice as likely to be hopeful about the future. Women get to wrestle their hormones through a Change of Life; but however disruptive menopause may be for some women, the changes that matter most are often more psychic and spiritual than physical. Talk to women about what happens when they hit midlife hurdles — whether divorce or disease, an empty nest, the loss of a parent — and very often the response is a surprise even to them. They may first turn inward, ask the cosmic questions or retrieve some passion they put aside to make room for a career and family and adult responsibilities. Take a trip. Write a novel. Go back to school. Learn to kiteboard. But then, having done something to help themselves, they have a powerful urge to help others. Best of all is when they can do both at once.”

It would seem that the change of life comes with a new lease on it too. It would appear that life over the hill seems pretty damn sweet, if you ask me.

How can you not like Kelly Rowland? She’s just so charming and humble, right?

Well, in a behind-the-scenes video of her photoshoot, the singer showed off that humble side when she was picked as one of People magazine’s “Most Beautiful” individuals in the world and asked to get undressed (makeup wise) for the magazine:

“The first thing that popped in my head when I was asked to be a part of People magazine with no makeup was, “Oh My Gosh. Oh My God, I’m honored. Oh My God, what’s going to happen? [laughs] But I’m feeling very comfortable with my skin and very comfortable to share it with you guys.”

Dressed down in a sweater, a bra, and some light jewelry, Kells showcases her flawless face for the cameras. But like most women, there is a little something something about said face that she’s not always a fan of:

“What I don’t love about my face that gets covered when I wear makeup…is my bags [under my eyes] when I’m really, really tired. But I love that makeup does the trick. [laughs]“

But the stunning singer definitely is comfortable in her skin, something that wasn’t so easy for her to be as a young girl and that she talked about with CNikky.com. But with time (and the help of Tina Knowles), she learned to embrace her looks.

“You just embrace it. You embrace everything that you are as a woman, even your flaws too. And those things that you want to fix too and you work at making them better.”

I don’t know why people always ask celebrities about people they dated decades ago, but we’re sure glad they did. BET recently did a one-on-one with Shemar Moore, for what reason we’re not sure, but in the interview the Criminal Minds actor was asked about his past relationships with Halle Berry and Toni Braxton and he didn’t hesitate to gush over Ms. Berry and the caliber of woman she is, or let the world know it wasn’t all that serious with Miss. Braxton –ooop. Check out the snippets:

You’ve been linked with some high-profile women, including Toni Braxton and Halle Berry. Were those relationships for real, or just tabloid gossip?
[Toni Braxton] was my first Hollywood relationship. I was a baby, I did not know s***. I had just graduated from college, I had no money and I was on Young and the Restless. She called my agent when she was shooting a video in Miami, and it just went from there. I was like the little kid who found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It was a wild ride with Toni. She would never sing for me, though. That always bothered me.

What about Halle?
She was the first woman to really knock my socks off. I fell hard for Halle. A lot of people now know we dated, but we had to keep it hush-hush at the time because she was fresh off her divorce from David Justice. I’m still grateful for that relationship. I was smitten not just because of who she was, but because we were so similar in so many ways. She was biracial, she was kind of going through the same things I was in Hollywood. Toni was a fun ride, but Halle was a necessary experience. It made me much stronger as a man, and knowing the caliber of woman I want in the future.

She hasn’t had the greatest luck with men since then. Any regrets there?
No, none at all. She’s a tough cookie. I’m glad she’s got a family now. If this love she’s got with this guy is real, then that’s what she needs.

You’re turning 43 next week and have been a bachelor for a while. Any thoughts about settling down?
It’s no accident that I’m not married and don’t have kids yet. Because despite what I’ve achieved in my career, I’m always wondering when somebody’s gonna tap me on the shoulder and say, “OK, the gig is up.” I don’t mind being uncomfortable. In fact, I like being uncomfortable, picking up and moving, and all that. But, it’s not exactly the best scenario for a family. Of course, I want to be able to share that with somebody one day. When I do tie the knot, it will be one time, for good.

Why didn’t Shemar come out and say this a long time ago so everyone could stop calling Halle crazy?!

When Halle is rocking the white hair, you know what time it is. After some moments of being unsure whether or not the actress would be reprising her role as the superhero in the upcoming X-Men sequel, X-Men: Days of Future Past, the actress and director Bryan Singer made it clear that she’ll be back by posting the above photo on Twitter with Berry in full Storm gear. He captioned it, “Storm watch #HalleBerry #XMen #DaysOfFuturePast.” But is anybody else loving that they got rid of the wig with the flipped layers or the extremely long-locked wig and instead went for a style that is inspired by her own signature pixie haircut? Fab!

Of course, because Berry is pregnant with her second child, no one expected her to do all the rough and tumble action scenes, but she actually won’t be doing very much at all. However, as she told the BBC, she’ll still be a huge part of the movie:

“Storm probably won’t be as bada** as she was going to be because we won’t be able to do any fighting or flying or things like that. She’ll be different than we originally planned her to be but I still think she’ll be an integral part of this new X-Men movie.”

So here she is, tight but sleek costume, and preggers!

How would you caption this monochromatic picture of the Hollywood diva letting X-Men fans know she’s back?

Since the beginning of film-making, directors have cast actors and actresses into roles based significantly on talent, often letting factors like age fall by the wayside. Age ain’t nothing but a number in Hollywood, and that’s evident when a 41-year-old Barber Streisand was cast to play a 17-year-old in Yentl, or a 34-year-old Stockard Channing was cast to play an 18-year-old girl in Grease. Let’s see what other actresses and actors are old enough to father or give birth to some of the characters they’ve played–or at least be a young aunt or uncle to them.

DONALD GLOVER

Image Source: WENN.com

Donald Glover, who currently stars as 24-year-old college student Troy Barnes on Community, is just marginally older than his character by 5 years, making Glover 29 years old.

Source: WENN

Last week we told you that 46-year-old actress Halle Berry is pregnant with her second child. In case you were wondering what this means for her career, which appears to be moving full speed ahead, Halle says that she’s excited about adding to her family, but she won’t allow the little one slow her stride, according to E! News. She even joked that a new baby is all the more reason to keep working.

“Well, one thing is for sure: I better keep working. With another baby on the way, Mama cannot take time off!” said the mom-to-be.

She went on to discuss how much time she took off when she had her daughter Nahla and why that won’t be happening this time.

“I think that when I had my first child, my daughter, I took off a good four years because it was something new to me. It was my first time, it was something I tried really hard to do…This time, when I have the baby, I’ll keep walking!”

Halle also told BBC that filming for the upcoming X-Men movie will be centered “around the bump.”

“Storm probably won’t be as badass as she was going to be because we won’t be able to do any fighting or flying or things like that. She’ll be different than we originally planned her to be but I still think she’ll be an integral part of this new X-Men movie,” she expressed.

Did you work around your pregnancy or did you take some time off?

WENN.com

Remember all that time Aretha Franklin was saying she would want Halle Berry to play her in a biopic about the Queen of Soul’s life? Well, I’m sure you also remember that Berry declined, citing the fact the she can’t sing a lick (“If I could carry a tune, I’d consider it. Someone should tell Aretha that I can’t do her justice.”). Plus, there were many critics of Franklin’s choice who felt that the starlet and the icon looked absolutely nothing alike. So Franklin has moved on, and the diva has been very open about the biopic some thought wasn’t going to happen. According to Shadow and Act, she has a director (Taylor Hackford who did Ray), some actresses in line to play Clara Ward and the Famous Ward Singers (who inspired Franklin), and she even wants Denzel Washington to play her dad.

In an interview with Glamour late last year, she discussed why out of everyone in the world, she wanted Washington–despite the obvious fact that he can act his butt off:

“He [Taylor] mentioned Denzel first, and I was thinking of Billy Dee [Williams]. That’s who I was thinking of. And he mentioned Denzel, and I said ‘Hmm…’ And when I thought about Malcolm X, and what he did with that, I said, ‘Yes! He could do it. He could handle it. If he put a little more weight on and glasses, he could handle it.’”

But the most interesting new info is that now, Franklin is trying to figure out if she wants Broadway favorite (and Tony winner) and former Private Practice star Audra McDonald to play her, or Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson to take the reigns as the Queen of Soul in her biopic. In that same Glamour interview, she opened about why she liked both ladies:

“I went to see Audra in Porgy and Bess, and I was very impressed with her dramatic ability. She was terrific.”

“And Jennifer had voice. Audra has voice. The question is whether or not Audra can cross over into soul. You know, she does Broadway magnificently. But can she get over into soul is the question.”

Another real question is whether or not McDonald would even want to play Franklin, considering that she would have huge shoes to fill. But in an interview with Broadway.com, she made it clear that if she were approached, it would be the opportunity of a lifetime. “It would be an honor to play her. Other than that we leave it to fate. Who knows.” Hudson hasn’t responded to the casting rumor, but we’re sure if asked, she wouldn’t turn it down either.

So it seems like this movie could be coming to the big screen sooner than we thought…

Question is, who should play Franklin? And what do you think about the possibility of Denzel acting as her father in the movie? Would he even say yes…?

Source: WENN

Last week we told you that 46-year-old beauty Halle Berry is expecting her second child and it appears that The Call actress was just as shocked as we were by the news.

“I thought I was kind of past the point where this could be a reality for me. So it’s been a big surprise and the most wonderful,” Berry gleefully told CNN‘s Alina Cho during a recent interview.

She went on to say that she is very excited and feels great.

“I feel fantastic. This has been the biggest surprise of my life to tell you the truth,” she gushed.

This will be Halle’s second child and the first that she will share with her 47-year-old French actor fiance, Oliver Martinez. Halle’s daughter Nahla Aubry, 5, is from a previous relationship Halle had with her ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry, who is a Canadian model. After an extended custody battle over Nahla, both Gabriel and Halle were finally able to reach an ‘amicable’ custody settlement back in November at a Los Angeles County courthouse. Details of the agreement were never officially released.

Halle and Oliver have been engaged since 2010. Last summer, news leaked that the love birds were reportedly planning a South African wedding ceremony in Cape Town, but nothing further has come of those reports since they hit the gossip circuits back in June.

This is all really exciting news! We can’t wait to see little Nahla assuming the big sister role.

Congrats, Halle and Oliver.