Columbus Short was a virtual unknown heading into 2006. Then, he played Hands in the wonderful teen comedy, Accepted, a movie that earned a respectable $36.3 million. Soon afterward, he gained more credibility as an actor when no less a talent scout than Aaron Sorkin cast him to play failed comedian and fledgling sketch writer Darius in Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Finally, he exploded into the public consciousness or, at least, the awareness of the MySpace crowd when he played DJ in 2007’s Stomp the Yard, one of the biggest surprises of the year thus far. Being the lead actor in a $61.4 million movie will do wonders for one’s career. The proof is in the fact that Short is now getting to star in a Christmas holiday drama.
This Christmas tells the story of the Whitfield family and their first attempt to spend the holiday season together in four years. As is oftentimes the case in yuletide dramas, there are reasons why the family has split apart. There has been a schism among some of the members while others are harboring secrets that will inevitably be revealed after too much eggnog.
While not attempting to sport the most novel of holiday-related concepts, This Christmas makes up for it with a fantastic cast. Delroy Lindo (Get Shorty), Mekhi Phifer (Dawn of the Dead), Regina King (Jerry Maguire), Idris Elba (28 Weeks Later), Laz Alonso (also from Stomp the Yard), and Nia Long (Are We Done Yet?) are all featured players in the Whitfield family’s story. (David Mumpower/BOP)
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