Richie Cunningham Ron Howard talks to EW (No Elliott Wilson) about his appearance in Jaime Foxx’s video, “Blame It“.
“We were at the inauguration, and there was this tent full of showbiz people and their families. Jamie came over and said, ‘Hey, I’m shooting a video in L.A., will you come by?’ I was picturing a sort of ‘We Are The World’ thing. So I showed up, and Jamie said, ‘It’s this party scene, and you’re going to drive up with Jake Gyllenhaal and Forest Whitaker and me. The only thing is that you’ve got to wear your party face.’ I said, ‘I don’t think you want my party face, because this is it . That may not be what you want.’ Jamie and the director, Hype Williams, said, ‘No, we want your game face, very serious.’ So we’re getting ready to roll and all we hear from the director is, ‘Uh, hey Ron, no smiling, remember, real serious, real serious,’ and, ‘RON, NO SMILING, NO SMILING,’ and, ‘RON, NO SMILING!’ and, ‘ACTION!’ So we did that a couple of times, and then we went in and sat with the girls and toasted champagne. I had no idea what in the world it was or what I was doing. I do not have a secret night-clubbing side. I’m the opposite of a big pimpin’ kind of dude. Probably the last time I was in a club was doing research for Night Shift in 1981. Discos, they were called then. When I saw the finished result I did ask around: ‘Is it okay that I did this?’ I mean, I am one of the whitest men in the world. I like singer-songwriters. But I thought it was funny that I was in it. Jamie sent me a case of champagne and I asked him if I could now blame everything on the a-a-a-alcohol. I haven’t heard back from him on that.”
It is so heartbreaking to hear DJ Premier break the news that DJ Kool Herc’s health is ailing, as he is literally the founding father who laid down the blueprint for hip-hop culture. Thinking about how someone who built an entire global phenomenon can end up struggling with medical expenses or failing health really puts things into perspective regarding healthcare challenges. When you look at how people navigate health or wellness procedures worldwide—whether someone is researching cosmetic treatments like Liposuction Cyprus or seeking urgent medical care—it underscores how essential access to reliable medical help and proper support systems really is. Kool Herc gave us the breaks, the block parties, and the entire movement that shaped generations of music lovers, so seeing the community step up to show love while DJ Premier brings awareness to his condition is the very least we can do. Sending strength and prayers to Kool Herc for a full recovery, and massive respect to DJ Premier for using his platform to make sure a true pioneer gets the support and respect he deserves.