People Magazine – February 2006

 

Sanaa Lathan and Simon Baker, stars of the romantic comedy Something New, dish about interracial romance, fiery on-set chemistry and baring it all for the camera.

He's a married Aussie with three kids. She's a Yale educated single girl from New York. But in Something New, Sanaa Lathan, 34, who plays an uptight businesswoman, can't help falling for Simon Baker, 36, her laid-back landscape architect, despite issues of race and class. People's Alexis Chiu chatted with the pair about how they bonded-onscreen and off.

Sanaa, we hear Simon wore more makeup than you during filming. Lathan: He has pale skin and I have dark skin, so they had to balance us out a bit (for lighting reasons.) All of the girls in the make-up trailer got see Simon naked. They totally did his whole body in tanning cream.

Baker: I looked like a Greek fisherman, didn't I?

Lathan: The makeup gave him that sunny glow.

What else went on in that make-up trailer?

Lathan: It was really Simon and 10 black women. He was privy to private black girl stuff. Secrets…

Baker: I was a fly on the wall. I vowed never to tell.

Was he popular on-set?

Lathan: All my girlfriends had crushes on him.

Baker: You were a little protective of me. All the other girls would be like, 'Heeey!' and she would look at me like…(burrows his brow).

Lathan: I was like, "Stay away from my man." That was just me being in character.

You had to strip down again for a love scene, Simon.

Lathan: Even thought it's PG-13, we did a scene where we saw his butt. No one will ever see it, but we did!

Any valentine's Day plans?

Lathan: He tried to set me up.

Baker: I sort of tried. It didn't work. Within five minutes, you were like, "it's not working"

Have you dated interracially?

Lathan: I don't discriminate.

Baker: I've been married 12 years, and my memory only goes back five. I once dated an Asian girl; we sort of shacked up for a few days.

He's Blushing!

Lathan: Aww, he's such a guy. Most American movie stars are boy-men. Simon's a man. He has that edge but is able to be romantic and sweet.

So, are you both romantics?

Lathan: I am

Baker: I'm hopeless.

Lathan: We started rehearsals for the movie on Valentine's Day a year ago, and he brought me flowers.