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After Draya Michele and Joseline Hernandez went back and forth on social media last week about which one of them would be better cast as the role of Diamond in a reboot of the 1998 film The Player’s Club, LisaRaye McCoy — the original star of the role — recently shared her surprising take on how she thought her former role should be depicted.
The whole debate got started last week when Draya posted on her Instagram Stories that she would be a shoo-in to play Diamond if the powers that be ever decided to create a reboot of The Player’s Club. Not to be ignored as a potential option, Joseline commented under The Shade Room’s repost to say that she could embody the role better.
Tagging Ice Cube — the director and a star of the original film — Joseline’s comment read, “Except that she’s not #joselinescaberet everyone will agree that I’m the perfect girl @icecube.”
Speaking with her fellow Cocktails with Queens co-hosts on the topic, LisaRaye said that even though she’s not opposed to the classic film being redone, she would have an issue with someone not playing the role of Diamond to her standard.
“I do have a problem with some of the sequels — sometimes when they’re done so well it’s as if the first time you see it — it’s like — let Diamond be Diamond. Maybe somebody can play ‘Cubic Zirconia.’ Since she felt she’d nailed the role initially, the host added, “Diamond was done so well so she’s still Diamond, you know what I mean? I don’t know what to say.”
Concerning one of the ladies as an option, LisaRaye added, “I’ll tell you that I don’t see Joseline in that role though.” After Vivica A. Fox chimed in to say that she didn’t see the Love & Hip Hop star in the role either, both she and LisaRaye went on to say that if anything, Joseline had the right physique to do the role justice. McCoy said on Joseline, “Honey she got it, she got body ody ody ody for real.” Speaking on Draya, the host additionally shared, “And I think Draya can absolutely — Draya did it for Halloween and she did it very well. She hit me with ‘Look, I’m a little you,’ you know what I mean? And I’ve actually acted in some things with her as well.”
“But you know what I really really think?” LisaRaye later said. “I think that they would do what Cube did in the first place — they would get a ‘no-name.'”
If you didn’t know, LisaRaye was an undiscovered talent before securing her role in the original film. Explaining why that casting choice would be her preference if the movie was to be redone, she said, “Because a no-name gives you an opportunity not to compare to anything and anybody else. A no-name gives more of a chance because you’re watching and saying ‘Let me see how much of a good job she’s done.’ But if you’re watching somebody that’s done something else, you gotta watch and critic it in a different type of way.”
LisaRaye and the Cocktails with Queens ladies aren’t the only ones who having been talking about Diamond lately — but to see their discussion on who the best Diamond would be, it’s available down below.
