Entertainment

A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Filming of ‘Get Hard’

Published

11 years ago

March 31, 2015

Oakland Post

Kevin Hart in “Get Hard”

By Dwight Brown
NNPA Film Critic

NEW ORLEANS (NNPA) – The comedy Get Hard, scheduled for release March 27, co-stars Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. The shoot took place in New Orleans. A visit to the film’s production studios in there found Ferrell and Hart deep in their craft of making comedy mountains out of molehills.

The plot centers on a millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) who has been convicted of a crime and is being sent to prison. Scared to death, he looks for someone, his car detail guy Darnell (Kevin Hart), to show him the ropes. To his utter misjudgment, James pays his teacher for a crash course not knowing that his would-be mentor has never spent a day in prison and is as middle class as the Brady Bunch.

In real life, the two actors have had two different experiences dealing with the law. Hart bluntly says, with not a hint of embarrassment, and not using it as a badge of street cred, “I’ve been to jail. I was in jail three times: DUI, parking tickets…” On the other hand Farrell has not been behind bars. After a run-in with campus police during college, he has been a model citizen: “I was scared straight.”

On location in New Orleans, during a scene in which Darnell prepares James to withstand a prison riot, Hart and Farrell ham it up, polishing shtick and punching up lines. As the actors improvise, director Etan Cohen gives them free reign.

Shooting day 39 of a 44-day shoot Darnell (Hart) tries to teach James (Ferrell) how to survive in prison during a riot. Wearing what looks like a fireman’s uniform, with a megaphone in his mouth, Darnell, cues the extras who will stage a prison riot. He bellows, “We are about to simulate a prison riot. … The key to surviving is to not panic…” James, “Do I get body armor?” Darnell, “No! We do not have that kind of time!” James turns pallid; his facial expressions say very loudly, “I’m scared to death.” Darnell warns: “Do not freak out!”

When the camera stops for a break, Farrell and Hart brainstorm about how they can pump up the scene. The two comic actors mine the material and the moment like pros.

Always looking for a laugh, and setting the crew at ease, Hart makes a joke, a

Derogatory – but funny – remark about the lighting. Offstage, a camerawoman deadpans: “Rule number one: Never insult the one who lights your face!” The whole set erupts in laughter.

When producer Chris Henchy is asked how you manage comedic talents, he has a simple answer: “You don’t. You let them run free. Let them do what they do best.”

Sitting offset with earphones and a monitor and watching the making of the prison riot scene with Hart and Farrell in full comic spasm, you see how a film breaks down. You see the mechanics of building a movie, scene-by-scene, take-by-take, brick-by-brick.

Hart has his own cadence, a rhythm to his speech pattern that is distinctly his. He will be known for years for his antics and high, heavily caffeinated-like persona. But his vocal pattern is classic, too.

The title Get Hard, with its funny connotation, was a calculated marketing/creative strategy. Farrell and his producing partner Chris Henchy take the credit. They and the writers Jay Martel and Ian Roberts and director/co-writer Etan Cohen created the storyline for the comedy with echoes of Trading Places and 48 Hours, humorous movies that defied racial stereotypes.

The film shot for three days in the 9th Ward, where Hurricane Katrina did most of its damage on the six-feet below sea level neighborhood. In this heavily African American district, the locals, who turned out to watch the filming, knew Hart and rapper TI, who plays Hart’s brother. But Ferrell had his fans, too. Hart: “They didn’t call him Will, they called him ‘Ricky Bobby,’” the character Ferrell played in the popular comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby has left an indelible impression on the American psyche.

Will Ferrell patterned his hedge fund character on the stiffest White person you are ever going to meet. “Perfect posture,” says Ferrell. “I patterned him on a snobby Harvard guy.” Hart has his character all figured out, too. “Darnell is basically a good guy but he‘s the kind of guy that always loses. He wants to do the right thing. This is the one chance that he can get a do-over,” he says.

Hart swears he stays focused and doesn’t burn the midnight oil when he’s filming. When asked if they have favorite places to eat out in NOLA, Hart deadpans, “Brothers Chicken, you can get it at a gas station. I don’t want to see it being cooked, but I’ll eat it.” Ferrell, being true to his character, recommends Willy Mae’s Scotch House (2401 St Ann St. New Orleans), a lauded family-owned spot since 1957, famous for fried chicken and other soul food in a humble setting; and the highbrow Le Petite Grocery (4238 Magazine St.), where the menu offerings run from Turtle Bolognese to Gulf Shrimp & Grits.

Hart and Ferrell have never worked together before. Ferrell is astounded that Hart is so media savvy. “He sends something out in the morning and he has 300,000 likes by the afternoon,” says Ferrell. “And, he reads everyone’s comment.”

Hart wades into ironic humor when talking about the film’s targeted demographics. “Will’s Black fans will come. My White fans will come,” he says laughing. “This is a universal movie. Everyone the world over should see the film. Let’s make a comedy that everyone wants to see.”

Audiences will decide on March 27. And after seeing the film they may just be tempted to take a trip down to NOLA to see where Hart and Farrell filmed the movie and visit their favorite restaurants.

Visit NNPA Film Critic Dwight Brown at DwightBrownInk.com.

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Arts and Culture

Book Review: Books on Black History and Black Life for Kids

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

Published

2 days ago

February 10, 2026

Oakland Post

Photo of Black History Month book covers by Terri Schlichenmeyer.

By Terri Schlichenmeyer

Authors: Various, Copyright: c. 2025, 2026, Publishers: Various, SRPs: $17.99-$18.99, Page Counts: Various,

Everybody in your family has stories to share.

Your parents have told you some, no doubt. Your grandparents have offered a few, too, and aunties and uncles have spun some good tales. But there’s so much more to know, so grab one of these great books and learn about Black History and Black life.

For the youngest reader, “As You Are: A Hope for Black Sons” by Kimberly A. Gordon Biddle, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Magination Press, $18.99) is a book for young Black boys and for their mothers. It’s a hope inside a prayer that the world treats a child gently, and it could make a great baby shower gift.

If someone said you couldn’t do something that you were clearly able to do, would you fight to do it anyhow? In the new book, “Remember Her Name! Debbie Allen’s Rise to Fame” by Tami Charles, illustrated by Meredith Lucius (Charlesbridge, $17.99), a young girl in the Jim Crow South is told that she can’t dance because of the color of her skin.

She didn’t listen, though, and neither did her mother, who took her daughter to Mexico, where the girl soared! This is an inspiration for any 5-to-7-year-old; be sure to check out the back-of-the-book information, if you’re an adult fan.

Do you often hear your elders say things that sound like lessons? They might be, so “Where There is Love: A Story of African Proverbs” by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Leticia Moreno (Penguin Workshop, $18.99) is a book you’ll like. It’s a quick-to-read collection of short proverbs that you can say every day. Kids ages 4-to-6 will easily remember what they find in this book; again, look in the back for more information.

Surely, you love your neighborhood, which is why the tale inside “Main Street: A Community Story about Redlining” by Britt Hawthorne and Tiffany Jewell, illustrated by David Wilkerson (Penguin Kokila, $18.99) is a book for you.

Olivia’s neighborhood is having a block party, but she’s sad when no one shows up. That’s when she learns that “the government” is discriminating against the people and businesses near where she lives. So, what can she and her neighbors do? The answer might inspire 6-to-8-year-old kids to stand up to wrongs they see, and to help make their neighborhoods stronger and safer.

And finally, if a kid wants a book, where can they go to find it? In “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy” by Mychal Threets, illustrated by Lorraine Nam (Random House, $18.99) is a good introduction to the best of what a library has to offer. The freedom to walk into a library and borrow a book is the theme here, as is the sheer happiness of being welcomed, no matter who you are. This is an easy book for kids as young as two and as old as five to enjoy.

On that note, if you want more, head to that library, or a nearby bookstore. They’ll be glad to see you. They’ve got stories to share.

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Activism

Art of the African Diaspora Celebrates Legacy and Community at Richmond Art Center

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

‘Be Still...’ by Virginia Jourdan is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC), in Richmond, CA. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The 2026 Art of the African Diaspora exhibition is on display at the Richmond Art Center (RAC) through March 14. The one-room gallery bursts with more than 100 works – paintings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed-media pieces – each affirming the power, beauty, and vitality of cultural expression across the African diaspora.

Now in its 29th year, Art of the African Diaspora is the Bay Area’s longest-running exhibition of its kind. Its roots stretch back to 1989, when artist and educator Marie Johnson Calloway founded Colors of Black, a salon for African American artists. That gathering inspired artists Jan Hart-Schuyers and Rae Louise Hayward to establish The Art of Living Black at the Richmond Art Center in 1996. Their vision was to showcase the creativity of emerging and established Black artists, bridging communities and widening access to audiences historically excluded from mainstream art spaces.

Over the decades, that founding vision has expanded and evolved, carried forward by artists, family members, and the Richmond Art Center after the loss of Hart-Schuyers and Hayward. In 2018, a new generation of artists formed a steering committee to organize the event; a year later, the exhibition was renamed Art of the African Diaspora to embrace the broader global connections of people of African descent.

The new name reflects not only a broader cultural lens but also an empowered community network that supports artists across the Bay Area. As part of this year’s programming, RAC will host ‘Art of the African Diaspora: Public Art in Our Communities,’ a free panel on Sat., Feb. 21, from 12 to 1:30 p.m. Artists Kristine Mays, James Moore, and Malik Seneferu will join arts administrator Denise Pate for a conversation on the impact and process of public art. The discussion will be moderated by longtime arts advocate and producer Flo Wiley.

Each panelist brings a distinctive voice to the conversation. Mays, known for her ethereal wire sculptures that capture movement and spirit, has exhibited internationally and is represented in collections ranging from the Smithsonian to the Crocker Art Museum.

Sculptor and painter James Moore creates abstract metal works and colorful field paintings that explore movement, balance, and emotion. His recent public art installations include large-scale pieces in Richmond’s Shields-Reid Park. Malik Seneferu, a self-taught San Francisco native, has built a large body of work celebrating African American life through vibrant murals and expressive figurative art.

Representing the institutional side, Denise Pate oversees public arts investments as director of Community Investments at the San Francisco Arts Commission, advancing racial and cultural equity through funding and advocacy. Together, these artists and administrators will trace how public art emerges, from concept to community collaboration, and why it matters.

The Art of the African Diaspora exhibition runs through March 14 at the Richmond Art Center, 2540 Barrett Ave., Richmond. The center is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and programs are free and open to the public.

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Alameda County

Black History Events in the East Bay

What began as Negro History Week in 1926 by author and journalist Carter G. Woodson as a way to celebrate the achievements of African Americans, the observance is now a month-long event

Published

3 days ago

February 9, 2026

Oakland Post

The Oakland Black Cowboys Association will hold an event to teach children the love of riding at Fairyland on Feb. 14. Here, a member of the OBCA high-fives a young rider at an event in 2021. Facebook photo.

By Post Staff

What began as Negro History Week in 1926 by author and journalist Carter G. Woodson as a way to celebrate the achievements of African Americans, the observance is now a month-long event, and nearly every day in the Bay Area, there is somewhere to honor the ancestors, our living thought leaders, artists, and activists, and prepare children for the future. Below are just a few places to go.

Lunar New Year X Black History Month 2026: Celebrating Asian & African American Solidarity

Now in its fourth year, the Oakland Asian Cultural Center rolls out its biggest event, featuring lion dancers, drummers, performers, arts & crafts, a Kids + Teens Zone curated by Storyland Collective, a marketplace of local artisans, and free admission for all ages! This event is part of OACC’s ongoing Open E.A.R.S. for Change initiative, launched in 2020 to build stronger relationships between local APIA and Black communities. SambaFunk closes out the day at 3:15 and the Bantaba Drum Call and Comrade Lover Lion Dancers perform shortly after story time for young children at noon. Register for free tickets. https://oacc.liveimpact.org/li/8737/sevent/evt/home/294475/69

Oakland Asian Cultural Center
388 Ninth St. Suite 290
Oakland, CA
Feb. 7, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.

DIY: Black Culture Bookmark Making

Go to the Golden Gate Branch of the Oakland Public Library for small-scale collaging at this Black-themed make-your-own-bookmarks session.

Bring: Your vision, creativity, and, if you like, wallet-sized photos or images of your favorite Black heroes or family members.

We’ll supply the cardstock paper, African diaspora designs, artwork, images, lettering, glue, scissors, and laminating. This session is suitable for adults and seniors.

Golden Gate Library
5609 San Pablo Ave.
Oakland, CA,
Feb. 11, 5:30-7 p.m.

Oakland Black Cowboy Association Shares Love of the Ride

Celebrate the history, culture, and living legacy of Black cowboys at the Black Cowboy Academy. It will be an interactive day of lasso lessons, pony grooming with real live ponies, and meet and greets with actual cowboys! Fairyland joins hands and hearts with the Oakland Black Cowboy Association and the Metropolitan Horsemen’s Association this Valentine’s Day for an immersive event of learning and love. Included with general admission.

Children’s Fairyland
699 Bellevue Ave.
Sat., Feb. 14, 10 a.m.- 1 p.m.

Love Stories for Black History Month

At the Berkeley Public Library, a children’s book fair “Valentine to Black Stories” will feature some of your favorite Black authors of children’s books!

Come celebrate love, Black authors, and Black stories at this special children’s book fair. They will have free books, crafts and special presentations from Bay Area Black authors.Festivities will feature a collage workshop led by Oakland artist Chanel London of Hella Artsy. Participants will be invited to make collage portraits inspired by artist Derrick Barnes.

Berkeley Central Public Library
2090 Kittredge St. Berkeley, CA
Sat. Feb. 14, 1- 4 p.m.

The Black Child Book Fair (BCBF) from Chicago to Oakland, CA- Book Signing Event

BCBF began in Chicago in 2009 through the vision and experience of author and poet Darryl Harvey. Harvey’s vision brings extraordinary children’s book authors together to close the great need for black representation in children’s books. Engage with authors, participate in story time and fun activities.

Oakland African American Museum and Library
859 14^th St., Oakland CA
Sat. Feb. 21, 12-5 p.m.