Cool Diva

Beyonce (26) had a stomachache as soon as the shooting of “Dream Girls” was finished. I guessed for a moment that she was nervous, but she overturned my guessing by saying “Ah, I was really happy.

“Think about it! The pain that you cannot eat something you are dying to eat. I had to ignore popcorn, donuts and anything like that during the whole shooting to act the role of Dina Jones, who’s slimmer than me. All food I had was beverages, and Anika, who played Lorrell, presented a strawberry cake to me at the last day of the shooting. I was so glad that I devoured it and I had a stomachache.”

Why did Beyonce, who is gorgeous and beautiful, have to display her big appetite and be obsessed with a diet? It was because of the movie and also her affection for “Dina Jones.” Beyonce, who debuted with the female group “Destiny’s Child” in 1997 and has sung for 10 years, is facing a turning point in her career as Dina Jones, a heroine of “Dream Girls.” In an e-mail interview, I could see behind the scenes of Beyonce who is going through her second golden age.

“The director (Bill Condon of “Chicago”) came to see me during a performance of Destiny’s Child. I thought that if he watched my performance, I would be cast as Dina Jones automatically, but he didn’t even call me to the audition, saying I looked like Tina Turner.

Beyonce, who took pride in being a top star after having been on the top of the Billboard Chart with Destiny’s Child many times, and having starred in “Austin Powers 3,” showed up at the audition uninvited. The director couldn’t help but saying “yes” to her at her passion, and since then, she lived as Dina Jones, taking acting classes for six months.

“Even when I went to a basketball game, I thought many times ‘Who am I?’ and even when recording my album, I repeated to myself ‘It’s not me, it’s just acting.’ I was so absorbed in Dina Jones that I think it took a couple of months to return to myself, even after the shooting was finished.”

The reason why she showed her obsession beyond affection is Diana Ross, the real model of “Dream Girls.” She displayed her respect for Diana Ross, who was a dominant black singer in the 1960s, and “the Supremes,” her group, saying, “She is a mentor to the most black female singers.”

However, isn’t it because content in the movie, such as a spotlight on one member and accordingly, conflicts among members were similar to what Destiny’s Child and Beyonce experienced?

“People say that stars are alone. While Dina Jones went through things she didn’t have to, I manage my relationship with people around very well. I can tell whether words came from their heart or they are just flatteries and I also know how to keep my true friends around me.”

It was not easy for her, being a 21st Century star, to go back 40 years. She tried to remember the supposition “If I sang in the 1960s,” and analyzed that “women in the 1960s were self-restrained and sensual at the same time.” However, she still showed her confidence, saying, “Even if I sang at that time, I would have been a wonderful singer, representing the times.”

She has also changed as a singer.

She is in her second prime by ranking first with “Irreplaceable” from her second album staying on top of the Billboard singles chart for ten consecutive weeks, and ranked first on the Billboard album chart with “Listen.”

She proved that she can succeed without focusing on her sexy looks. She said that it is all because of her passion.

“It seems that you look the sexiest when you love yourself with confidence. Whenever I hear people saying that I look sexy, the power of affirmation exudes from my body. You never know when a sequel of Dream Girls with Destiny’s Child, or Beyonce as heroine will come out if I do my best singing on the stage.”

bsism@donga.com