Kelly Rowland and Clifford ‘Method Man’ Smith hope their new movie opens the door for more Black rom-coms

By Lisa Respers France, CNN

(CNN) — As someone who came to fame as a member of the legendary Wu-Tang Clan rap group, it might seem jarring to see Clifford “Method Man” Smith singing in the new romantic comedy “Relationship Goals.”

What’s more, he is seen and heard crooning more than his costar in the film Kelly Rowland, who was one third of the legendary girl group Destiny’s Child, and has had a successful solo career since.

Did Smith ever imagine serenading Rowland in a movie scene instead of the other way around?

“Short answer? Absolutely,” he recently told CNN.

His response caused Rowland to giggle.

In “Relationship Goals,” the pair play exes and TV news producers who end up competing for the same job.

The movie hits on much more than romance. It covers themes of friendship, faith and the need for balance between a person’s work life and love life, something they both know something about as married parents in real life.

Rowland shares two sons with her husband Tim Weatherspoon, while Smith has three children with his wife Tamika Smith.

“I think that between being a mom, a wife, a friend, time for myself, career, like all of those, it depends on what day it is that something takes precedent over the other,” Rowland said. “I think that it takes a heck of a person to try to figure all that out, which we’re all trying to do.”

Smith – who over the years has transitioned from his rap career to acting in various film and TV projects including “Power Book II: Ghost” and “Poker Face” – was pragmatic in his view.

“Home is home, business is business and each one needs each other,” he said. “You can’t pay your bills without doing your business. And if you don’t have any place to sleep, you won’t be ready for work in the morning.”

Their new movie is based on the book “Relationship Goals: How to Win at Dating, Marriage, and Sex” by Pastor Michael Todd. Smith’s character in the movie reads Todd’s book and tries to convince Rowland’s character that it has caused him to become a different man from the one who cheated on her when they previously dated.

Todd told CNN he hopes that his book’s transition from page to screen helps it reach more people.

“So many people are hurting and so many people are going through really bad times, relationally, and it makes them feel isolated. And I don’t think that that’s how God intended for us to be.”

Author and motivational speaker DeVon Franklin, one of the producers of the film, sees it as invaluable at this time.

“We gotta bring hope into the world. Entertainment can do a lot of good,” he said. “It’s one of the most inspirational and important mediums in the world. And so to take a movie like this and put it in the world right now is to bring the world hope.”

Romantic comedy as a genre can of course be especially feel-good, and both Rowland and Smith are fans. She pointed to Eddie Murphy’s 1992 hit film “Boomerang” as one of her favorites, while Smith went further old school with “Claudine,” the 1974 rom-com starring James Earl Jones and Diahann Carroll as one he loves.

The stars as well as Franklin would like to see more rom-coms starring people of color.

“At times in Hollywood it’s almost like as Black filmmakers telling Black stories we have to always kind of remind the powers that be that we’re here, that we have stories, that there’s a major audience that wants our stories,” Franklin said. “And so my hope is that a movie like ‘Relationship Goals’ and its success can usher in more.”

“Can I piggyback off of that and say that we also have to see each other’s stories, whether we are Black and Brown or White or any other race,” Rowland added.

Smith and Rowland are hopeful that their new movie will attract a diverse audience with its universal romantic tale.

Not to mention, viewers may be curious as to whether Smith is as good a singer as he is a rapper.

“I picked some of the songs and I couldn’t wait to show Kelly what I could do,” he said, smiling. “I mean, I might rap a little bit, but you know, if Destiny’s Child needs a fourth member, I’m here.”

“Relationship Goals” starts streaming on Prime Video on Wednesday.

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