leilamaeve: Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life' Video: An Acting Coach Weighs In

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Nicki Minaj's 'Moment 4 Life' Video: An Acting Coach Weighs In

An acting coach weighs in on the MC's flair for the dramatic.
By Jocelyn Vena

Nicki Minaj in her "Moment 4 Life" music video
Photo: Young Money / Universal

Nicki Minaj is one of the hottest MCs in the game, but in her "Moment 4 Life" video, the singer also shows off her acting abilities, playing her fairy godmother, Martha, and a Roman-inspired, Cinderella-like version of herself. The New York native does have a background in drama, having attended New York's famous LaGuardia High School, and now it seems she's putting some of that training to good use.

So how do her skills rate? "I think she has a great personality that comes through; very vibrant. I love her energy. I love her rapping ability," said Roger Del Pozo, assistant director of admissions at New York Film Academy, who helps handle acting auditions for the school. "As an actress, probably not that subtle, but I don't think that subtlety is going to be her strong point anyways."

Nicki may be a skilled MC, sharpening her acting chops, and Del Pozo offered her some advice: "She should probably be trying to be a little more natural, a little more realistic; it's a little over-the-top," he said. "I'd like to see her a little more subtle, trusting the camera a little bit more."

Of the two characters she plays in the clip, Del Pozo has a favorite: "I think I like the Nicki Minaj character, 'cause she's cuter and you see her natural energy come through a little more," he said. "I think she's funny and she's very expressive. With the right material, she would do a good job. Her straight acting ability, I'd probably give her a 6, and as a just a performer in general, I'd probably give her a 9 or a 10."

In an exclusive interview following the premiere of "Moment 4 Life," Nicki called acting her "favorite part of the video" and explained why Roman is her favorite character to play. "I think I started liking Roman more because everybody else liked Roman," she said. "Everybody wanted to see what outlandish thing he would say next. And I think people are expecting him to do something real crazy on the next album, so I'm having fun prepping him for the sophomore album."

How would you rate Nicki's acting abilities? Let us know in the comments!

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