Native Orleanian stars in latest T.D. Jakes ‘Woman Thou Art Loosed’ film

2nd April 2012   ·   0 Comments

By Kelly Parker
Contributing Writer

Now more than ever, the Big Easy has become a hotbed for not only film production, but also film stars. Along with native sons Wendell Pierce, Tyler Perry and Anthony Mackie, actor/producer Nicoye Banks is quickly becoming a household name and familiar face on the big screen.

The De La Salle and Loyola grad can be seen in the upcoming T.D. Jakes’ film, Woman Thou Art Loosed—On the Seventh Day, a dramatic thriller which was shot on location in New Orleans.

Banks stars alongside Blair Un­derwood, Sharon Leal and Pam Grier in the story that journeys into the secrets of a husband and wife as they fight to find their missing daughter. The cast also includes local Jaqueline Fleming (HBO’s “Treme”) and native Zoë Carter, who makes her debut in the film.

“It was very fulfilling to be working here at home,” Banks said. “I play the role in the movie of special Agent Will Bennett who is called to assist in solving the case of the missing girl.”

Before returning home, Banks has developed an impressive resume; from studying under theater director and acting teacher Gene Frankel in New York, to co-starring with the likes of Don Cheadle, Mark Wahlberg and Colin Farrell-a long way from his rendition of James Weldon Johnson’s poem, “The Creation,” as a sixth-grader.

“By winning that competition, I qualified to compete against other area students in the poetry reading category at Xavier University where I won first place,” Banks told The Louisiana Weekly. “What a great experience! Through that experience, every year I competed in various speech and debate forensics competitions which began my journey with the craft. I have been in love with acting ever since.”

Though Banks lists Billy Dee Williams, James Earl Jones, Lou Gossett, Jr. and Cicely Tyson among his acting heroes, much of his inspiration came from his sixth-grade teacher from Our Lady of Lourdes School, along with his mother and grandmother.

“Through the direction of my parents I was always a people person who dreamed big and pursued my aspirations through hard work and determination,” he says. “They taught me valuable lessons about hard work and what it means to follow your passion.”

Banks is now looking to help local youth follow their passion, by way of his It Takes Heart foundation. The non-profit organization partners with several area schools to use arts programs to encourage and inspire students to pursue their dreams.

“I wanted to use my organization to share experiences that really get to the core of who we are as people and honestly, it all centers around the heart,” Banks adds. “In your heart lies passion, endurance, courage which is needed to continue your journey in life. It took heart for me to leave New Orleans and move to New York to pursue my dream. That took a whole lot of courage when others thought I was crazy. So I developed this foundation. I hope to impact the lives of our youth and motivate them to dare to dream. This foundation was also created to award graduating high school students a scholarship for those interested in pursuing acting in the future.”

Banks, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, believes it’s even more important for area youth to see that success can come from the same neighborhoods from which they came.

“This platform enables the youth in our community to see a real person living their dreams right in front of their eyes,” Banks states. “It’s important for them to actually see and hear one of their own that managed to go beyond the front yard to pursue their dream and actually make it happen. They see the real person in front of them and can see that the road was not easy, but it is possible. It encourages them to say, ‘I can do that too.’ “

For more on Nicoye Banks and his foundation, visit www.ni­coye­banks.com. On the Se­ven­th Day opens in theaters on April 13.

This article was originally published in the April 2, 2012 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper