Ice Cube made his name as singer-songwriter for the controversial band NWA. In 1990 he made the transition to movies with "Boys N the Hood", although it wasn't until 1999's "Three Kings" that he was finally taken seriously as an actor. As well as singing and acting, the rapper has also tried his hand at directing music videos, and co-writing the comedy "Friday". He now takes the lead role in "Barbershop".
What do you like most about "Barbershop"?
I think we really captured the real flavour of a barbershop in this movie. Anyone who's ever been in a barbershop is going to recognise it.
Tell us about your character Calvin...
Calvin owns the shop and one day he realises just how much it means to his community. He's a young black man who's trying to do the right thing. He's ambitious and isn't really satisfied with what he has. But then he learns to appreciate what he's got and just do the best he can.
So what was it that appealed to you about the story?
It did for me what "Boyz N the Hood" did when I first read it. It's a perfect slice of the world. A lot of people underestimate what a barbershop means to a community. But it's definitely somewhere that both older and younger people can meet and talk honestly about anything. I just thought it was a great movie.
How did Chicago influence the film as a setting for the story?
I guess all barbershops are pretty much the same. So I thought it would be great to have it in the middle of America rather than make it a New York or an LA thing.
