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"Why Do Fools Fall in Love," the rise-and-fall story of young doo-wopper Frankie Lymon and his three gorgeous wives, opens today with a knockout starring lineup: Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, Lela Rochon, and Larenz Tate. Even though the film's leads are all African American, Berry and Fox tell EW Online that "Fools" is a color-blind film, not just for black audiences.

"I don't want people to see African-American faces on the billboard and think that it's only a black film," says Fox. "It's not." Berry agrees: "This story is colorless. It's about characters and the humanity in people. And the music is clearly colorless. I mean, Frankie Lymon's fans in his heyday were white teenage girls."

The casting of four African-American leads in a mainstream (Warner Bros.) Hollywood movie demonstrates the growing box office draw of black actors. "Vivica, Lela, and I started in the industry at about the same time. We used to sit in rooms reading for the same one job," recalls Berry. "This time we each had our own jobs. The industry is changing, and we each can have a place in it now."


Posted Aug 28, 1998 | Order Article Reprints