BlackTree TV Producer Jamaal Finkley sits down with Donny Osmond to discuss his new movie, College Road Trip, his career, and the possibility of covering a Hip Hop Album.
It is a family tradition underlying the roots of the American Dream—the "college road trip"—when high school seniors tour the nation trying to figure out where they are going to spend the most formative years of their lives. For 17-year-old Melanie Porter, it's an exhilarating moment of rocking her independence...except for one thing: her dear old dad—who also happens to be the no-nonsense local police chief, the man who says he puts "the S in safety"—wants to be her chaperone in his police cruiser.
Now, her COLLEGE ROAD TRIP is about to veer off into uproarious comedy, as her father's accident-prone plans to protect and serve his daughter go awry at every turn, causing them to careen down ravines, literally crash a wedding, and even jump out of a plane, not to mention carpool with an impossibly cheerful father-and-daughter team (featuring one-time teen heartthrob Donny Osmond in his first film role in decades). Yet, somewhere between Dad trying to hold on for dear life and Melanie hoping to break away from his embarrassing maneuvers, they start to trust each other and realize they're speeding headlong into a new family future.
At the heart of the film's mix of slapstick hijinks and downright real family relations are its two talented co-stars: popular comedy veteran and real-life father Martin Lawrence and vivacious young comic star Raven-Symoné, who's been honing her comedy skills since early childhood and knows what it's like to break out on your own at 18. It is Martin and Raven's hilarious rapport—whether they're driving each other crazy, driving right off the road, or revealing their love for one another between the mayhem—that makes the film a true Disney comedy, as filled with hilarity as with an underlying sense of heart.
DONNY OSMOND (Doug) began his illustrious career in entertainment at the age of 5, and by 13, he had already collected 18 gold records, eventually earning a grand total of 33 throughout his career, with sales of over 80 million albums. He recently released his 55th record, "Love Songs of the '70s," which shipped gold in the U.K. His starring role in Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" broke records during its 6-year run of 2,000 performances. During his 40+ year career, Donny has been a singer, actor, triple-threat television series host (talk show, game show, variety show), best-selling author (his autobiography entered the U.K. bestseller chart at #1 last year), commercial spokesman, motivational speaker, and even a race car driver. Reflecting his multigenerational worldwide fan base, his Web site, donny.com, receives a staggering 120-million-plus hits annually. Last year, he starred on Broadway as Gaston in "Beauty & the Beast," hosted two television series on British television, performed at "The Concert for Diana" (seen worldwide by 2 billion viewers), served as special correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight" to "Dancing With the Stars," and, along with his siblings, appeared on a special episode of "Oprah" to celebrate his family's 50th anniversary in show business. Currently he is on "ET" again nightly reporting on "American Idol," is about to embark on a sold-out 50th anniversary tour of the U.K., Australia and Asia with his siblings, and his upcoming summer series of reunion concerts with his sister Marie at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas has been sold out since last Thanksgiving. Donny and Debbie, his wife of 28 years, have five children and two grandchildren.
Tags: Donny Osmond Osmonds College Road Trip Walt Disney DMX trailer filmmaker reel interview hip-hop Marie
