Tosin Cole wasn’t immediately sold on the idea of a “House Party” remake.
“I was like, oh f–k — why are they making this again? Why are we doing this?” says Cole.
Although originally unsure about the project, the 30-year-old British actor was quickly won over after reading the script, cowritten by “Atlanta” alum Stephen Glover and Jamal Olori. The new film also boasted a strong backing team: it was produced by LeBron James and directed by Calmatic, in his feature debut after establishing himself through music videos including “Old Town Road.”
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“House Party” is the latest reboot of an iconic ’90s film/show hoping to capitalize on Millennial nostalgia. The original and now cult-classic film starring hip-hop duo Kid ‘n Play was released in 1990 — “before I was even a thought,” says Cole. But it still made its mark on his formative years, and two sequels followed.
“I grew up watching it with my cousins and my family and friends,” says Cole. “I knew about the kid who played Darius; I knew about the high tops. I knew about the dance scene, the battle scene,” he continues, adding that in addition to the cultural references, the appeal as a teenager was also rooted in its more illicit content.
Cole coleads the reboot with Jacob Latimore; the best friend duo orchestrates an unauthorized party at LeBron James’ mansion after they’re hired (and soon fired) as the estate’s private cleaners. The film features party cameos from James, Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne, Tinashe, Kid Cudi, Lakers player Anthony Davis and original stars Kid ‘n Play.
“Snoop’s definitely my number one,” says Cole of the guest-star list. “I remember seeing Snoop and just being like, ‘bro, thank you man.’ I couldn’t even say I’m a big fan, I just had to say ‘thanks man. I’ve been listening to your music for years.'”
Cole was cast in the project early in the pandemic, and production got pushed back several times before filming started in summer 2021. Before that, he was in Chicago filming the series “61st Street,” and had a two-day turnaround before heading to L.A. to start “House Party.”
“I work better under pressure sometimes,” says Cole of his quick pivot from starring in the weighty legal drama to lighthearted teen comedy. “Even with packing — I’ll pack right before I’m jumping on the plane,” he adds.
Cole, who was stateside for the film’s Atlanta premiere, was flying back to London the following morning, where he’s currently filming the upcoming Netflix superhero sci-fi series “Supacell.” “I get to use my accent for once,” says Cole, adding that he has another project and accompanying accent — about someone “very, very iconic” — on the horizon as well. Last year, he also appeared in the acclaimed film “Till” in a supporting role, as civil rights activist Medgar Evers.
Cole credits an unrequited teenage crush — and Shakespeare — for his current career trajectory.
“I went into acting because I liked a girl, and she went to this drama class every weekend,” says Cole. “I went there and then I found out she had a boyfriend,” he adds. “And then I was upset because we were doing Shakespeare.” Although Cole wasn’t a fan of Shakespeare, he stuck around and the youth theater’s artistic director put the classic work in a new context.
“How I grew up, Shakespeare kind of seemed more for upper class people and the wealthy,” says Cole. “And [the theater director] was like, nah, Shakespeare was a man of the people. He broke it down and explained it to me, and since then I’ve had the [acting] bug,” he adds. “I kept on going every Saturday. I started doing plays, and then I got scouted by an agency, and it just kind of took off from there.”