In her first acting audition, Robert Townsend said he knew that Beyoncé had undeniable star power.
Speaking Lena Waithe for Legacy Talk, Townsend shared his memories about casting the burgeoning superstar in the 2001 film, Carmen: A Hip-Hopera
“I didn’t know Beyoncé […] I knew of her and I was like, ‘Wow, she has a striking look.’ You know, she’s a beautiful, young girl, but I could see that she had something special, Townsend told Waithe. ‘Cause [with] my director’s eyes, I go, ‘Something’s going on with her. She’s got something.”
After auditioning several actresses, Beyoncé accepted the invitation to audition for the lead role of Carmen and she was “really nervous.” But Townsed got Bey’s entourage to perform with her and that settled her down.
“I have an arsenal when it comes to getting performance or making somebody comfortable, ” said Townsend explaining how he got her team involved in the performance..
“They started to sweat and really get nervous and then she was watching them get nervous and she got stronger. I said, ‘Oh, there it is.’” Bey was so excited and asked to repeat the scene a few more times and even requested to do the “death scene.”
Townsend praised Beyoncé for her drive and commitment to excellence. Everything she has accomplished since then, he said he saw in her audition.
“Watching her blossom into the superstar that she has become, I saw it in that room because there’s certain actors/actresses’ first audition, they wouldn’t go all the way there. She went all the way there,” Townsend with pride.