TERRICA HENDRIX
Reporter
LOS ANGELES, CALIF. – Comedienne, actress, and Tollette
native Luenell will be inducted into a Little Rock hall of fame
this weekend.
Luenell will be inducted into the Black Hall of Fame along
with six other inductees. HoF Co-Chair Charles Stewart
said that inductees are meant to inspire Arkansas’s African
American community.
“Well, I’m more than honored…shocked, actually,” the
Hollywood actress said in an exclusive interview. She added
that this is an honor not only for herself, but for her family as
well. Luenell is the last of eight children and credits that as the
reason she went into the entertainment business initially 25
years ago. “My whole family is funny…it’s a defense mechanism
and a coping mechanism.” She said that entertaining
her mass crowds on a weekly basis across the country is just “something I like to do.”
Luenell described herself
as “Hollyhood rather than
Hollywood.” One glance at
Luenell and you’ll never forget
her long, colorful nails,
her raspy voice and short
blonde hair. She is also
known for her breakthrough
role the blockbuster comedy
of 2006 “Borat.”
Luenell had an amazing
2012 with appearances
in three #1 feature films
– “Think Like A Man” with
Arielle Kebell and Meagan
Good, 3D animated hit
“Hotel Transylvania” with
Adam Sandler, and “Taken
2” with Liam Neeson. She
also starred in the hilarious
comedy “That’s My Boy” with
Adam Sandler and Leighton
Meester. “Hotel Transylvania
2” was the Number 1 movie
in America last month and
she said she is “very proud
of that.”
The induction ceremony
will be held Sat., Oct. 17 at
the Mosaic Templar’s Cultural
Center in Little Rock.
Luenell was born in her
grandfather’s house in Tollette
and often reminisces
on all of the gatherings and
listening to old school music
such as Johnnie Taylor and
the Isley Brothers while in
Tollette. “I enjoy being in
Tollette and not having good
phone service, and sharing
one house with all of my
family.”
“I have visions of a lot of
things that I want but being
acknowledged by my birth
state means more than anyone
will ever know. This is
my Oscar, my Tony’s and my
Emmy’s.”
Luenell offered some
advice to those seeking a
career in the entertainment
business: “You have to leave
[home] if what you want to
do is not being offered where
you are. I didn’t make it in
Tollette. I went to Hollywood
and came back to Tollette
and brought legendary singers
like Michel’le and Lenny
Williams to the Tollette
Homecoming. You can start
there but, ultimately, you’ll
have to get out. “
In her free time, Luenell
enjoys studying Dari – the
Western Persian language.
Her longtime bodyguard,
Alex, teaches her about his
Persian culture and the language.
Some of the films Luenell
has starred in include:
So I Married an Axe Murderer
(1993)
The Rock (1996)
Never Die Alone (2004)
So Fresh, So Clean… a
Down and Dirty Comedy
(2005)
Borat: Cultural Learnings
of America for Make Benefit
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
(2006)
Divine Intervention (2007)
American Hustle (2007)
The Hustle (2008)
Spring Breakdown (2009)
All About Steve (2009)
Head Case (2009)
35 and Ticking (2011)
Budz House (2011)
Think Like a Man (2012)
That’s My Boy (2012)
C’mon Man (2012)
Taken 2 (2012) – Driving
Instructor
Mac & Devin Go to High
School (2012)
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Think Like a Man Too
(2014)
School Dance (2014)
Hotel Transylvania 2
(2015)
The Comedian’s Guide to
Survival (2016)
Television
Nash Bridges (1996)
The Tracy Morgan Show
(2004)
Hey Luenell (2009); TV
film
The Tony Rock Project
(2009)
Californication (2009)
The Boondocks (2010)
Laugh Out Loud Comedy
Festival (2011)
Funny or Die Presents
(2011)
The Middle (2011)
Breaking In (2011)
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia
(2011)
Comedy Underground
(2012)
Snoop Dogg Presents: The
Bad Girls of Comedy (2012);
TV film
DTLA (2012)
