Why Sherri Shepherd wanted to play a hooker
Sherri Shepherd, of "The View" fame, plays a prostitute in the new Katherine Heigl movie, "One for the Money," which is based on the Janet Evanovich story of the same name.
When asked by "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King why she wanted the role, Shepherd said, "This character, Lula, she is a hooker with a heart of gold. It's based on a series of books by Janet Evanovich. ... Evanovich wrote 18 books, and this character is in them. Now, I loved her evolution because she starts out as a hooker, she becomes friends with Stephanie Plum, who is Katherine Heigl's character. And (my character) ends up becoming a bounty hunter. It shows this evolution of the character and she's got -- she's compassionate, yet she's firm. She's not afraid to shoot a gun. She's not afraid to fight a man. And that's what I loved about her. She wasn't a stereotypical hooker. But in the first book, she's introduced, and that's what her occupation is."
Shepherd said she was permitted to improvise her character for much of the film's shooting.
"I'm a big fan of Janet Evanovich, so I was reading the books and I knew this character. When somebody, a fan tweeted me and said, 'They're auditioning,' and I put on my little -- I went in there and found one of Elisabeth Hasselbeck's tight mini-skirts and an electric blue tube top. And I had my long wig on and I had my heels and Barbara Walters says, 'Where are you going, dear?' And I said, 'I'm going to play a hooker.' And when I went to the audition, I said to the directors, 'I know this character, I know her. I love her so much. I have read these books.' ... Did you think I just wanted to be a hooker?"
King replied, joking, "I was a little worried."
Shepherd also discussed Spike Lee and his move to self-promote his film at the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the bigger issue of difficulties surrounding race in Hollywood. She also discussed the joys of her recent, second marriage. Watch her full interview in the video above for all that and more.