From the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Milian dollar baby

With looks, talent and a new movie with John Travolta, Christina Milian is sitting pretty.

by Barbara Lester

March 2 2005

Singer-actress Christina Milian is on the verge of something big. A star of the new movie Be Cool, the stunningly beautiful performer desires to make a strong impression in the entertainment world. As she enters a hotel room at the Mandarin Oriental in Miami, the 23-year-old is so attractively dressed, she could stop traffic on I-95. Her tiered, ankle-length, muted-yellow skirt and sheer, yellow, floral-print blouse accentuate her creamy, cocoa complexion. The petite Milian is becoming known in Hollywood for her fashion sense. After the Grammy Awards, not one but two TV shows -- Entertainment Tonight and Access Hollywood -- named her best dressed for the gorgeous, sea-blue Versace dress she wore to the event.

Milian is quite proud of that designation, as well she should be, since many glitzy dresses were on display that night. "It was exciting for me because I've never gotten that before. It was such an honor, actually. I'm trying to keep up the good rep," she says as she twirls in her yellow ensemble, which her mother bought for her.

But don't think Milian is all about appearances. In certain circles, she is better-known as a composer than a performer. She wrote "Play" for Jennifer Lopez, "Same Ol' Same Ol' " for PYT and the theme song for the Disney Channel's Kim Possible. She has recorded two CDs -- a self-titled disc released outside the United States and last year's It's About Time -- and scored hits with "Dip It Low," "Whatever You Want" and "A.M. to P.M."

Back when she was trying to establish herself as a singer, people would send her songs to record. "The lyrics were just disgusting, things I could never relate to at 16 or 17 years old," she recalls. "That was when I knew I had to learn how to write music. I knew I wanted to grow with my music, so I had to move to another level."

Milian got into songwriting with the encouragement of her mother, who is also her manager and mentor, following the pattern of pop artists such as Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson, whose parents mold their careers. "My mom was the one who helped me believe that I could write," Milian recalls. "She'd say, 'If you can read, you can write.' So I studied all the music I loved, and I learned to write a hook. The people I admired the most were Diana Ross, Janet Jackson and Michael Jackson. So I just paid attention to their music."

Her mother had no show-business experience. "Not until me," Milian says, admitting that managing her is a full-time job. Unlike the cliché of the stage mother pushing her children into performing, the young star says she never felt pressured. It was quite the opposite: She lobbied her mother to help take over certain aspects of her career. "There are a lot of sharks in the music industry," she explains, "so you need someone you can trust who has your back. But we're still mother and daughter; we are still best friends. We have our agreements and our disagreements, but it's still great to have each other."

Trying to avoid sharks in the music business is a theme of Be Cool. Milian plays Linda Moon, an up-and-coming singer whom producer Chili Palmer (John Travolta) takes on as a client, after one of the owners of her original label is murdered. Chili is trying to buy out Moon's contract to an unctuous manager, played by Harvey Keitel.

Nearly every young singer-actress in Hollywood sought the part of Linda. "When I heard who was auditioning for the role, I was so surprised that I got it," Milian says, though she's not naming names.

The film's director and producer, F. Gary Gray, hired Milian. "I think he wanted someone who was up-and-coming, someone who was going to be there someday and somebody who would give meaning to why Chili Palmer was fighting so much for this girl," she explains.

The role allowed Milian to push herself musically and attempt some new things. In the movie, she plays the piano and performs with Aerosmith in concert. The scene was filmed in Boston during a show on the band's most recent tour. "We didn't rehearse much. We had a sound check one day and went over the song once, because it was supposed to be a live concert," Milian recalls. "I know how to perform and [singer Steven Tyler] does his thing, and I think I definitely went beyond their expectations of what they thought I'd do. But I think because of the chemistry that we had and that amazing band playing behind us, you feel immediately like a rock star. I said to myself, 'When am I ever going to get this opportunity again? I might as well go all the way.' "

Even though Milian has been in front of a camera since childhood, when she served as a junior journalist on the Disney Channel's Movie Surfers, nothing quite prepared her for the Be Cool experience. "This was so different," she says. "I admire all of these people, and especially John Travolta and Steven Tyler. That was really hard, just standing next to them alone."

Milian is establishing a reputation as a versatile performer. "I just love to entertain. To me, there's no separation between acting and singing, because I have been doing both my entire life," she says. "And now, they just happen to be coinciding with each other, and it's the right time for me to do both."

Born in New Jersey and raised in Maryland, the Cuban-American actress also appears in Man of the House with Tommy Lee Jones and Cedric the Entertainer. She says that comedy, in which she plays a cheerleader, was quite a different experience from Be Cool.

"Be Cool was very laid-back. John makes everyone feel very comfortable. Everyone could joke and have fun," she explains. "Honestly, with Man of the House, people were so intimidated by Tommy Lee Jones, it got so quiet you couldn't breathe in there."

As for future roles, Milian is currently reading scripts and waiting to see how audiences react to Be Cool. "A lot of people are waiting for this film to come out to see what it does and see how I did," she notes. "We're being strategic in picking our next film. I just don't want to take anything."

Even though Milian is something of a veteran in the entertainment industry, everything still feels new to her. She hopes to land a drama someday, and she wants her next CD to have a live, instrumental sound. "On my next album, I don't want just a bunch of beats from a music producer. I want to go out with a band; I want to do what Linda Moon gets to do," she says. "I want to go back and maybe work with Quincy Jones. I want that kind of base."

With her mom at her side, Milian doesn't worry much about being exploited by outsiders. And as her celebrity increases, she keeps her private life private. "I won't put myself and my personal life out there if I reach that level," she says. "It's better off to be in two great magazines than 50 bad magazines. I'd rather be praised for my work than for being out clubbing or at a party."

Her ultimate goal is to win both an Oscar and a Grammy. "I appreciate every moment of where my career is building and that it will lead to longevity," she says. "Sometimes, it's here, and sometimes, it's gone the next day. You never know. I would like to maintain a steady pace in my career and continually build to the success that I was dreaming of since I was a little girl."