Kimberly Elise On Playing Dr. Ben Carson's Mom In 'Gifted Hands'

From the minute she made her film debut alongside veteran co-stars (Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox and Jada Pinkett Smith) in 'Set It Off,' Kimberly Elise has landed one good role after another.

After her critically acclaimed performance in 'Beloved' with Oprah and then again with Denzel Washington in both 'John Q' and 'The Manchurian Candidate,' Elise took the lead in Tyler Perry's 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman,' for which she won an NAACP Image Award.

For her latest work, Elise once again dons on the supportive suit in her role as Sonya Carson, the fiercely strong mother to one of the most incredible men this world has seen, Dr. Ben Carson. Despite her fifth-grade education, it was Sonya's determination to get her two sons the best schooling she could provide so they could be the men they are today.

Starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. as the brilliant surgeon, 'Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story' will air this Saturday, Feb. 7th, at 8 p.m. (ET) on TNT.

Scenes From Gifted Hands

More On Dr. Ben Carson

In speaking with Black Voices, Elise talked about working on this film.

What attracted you to the project?

Kimberly Elise: I thought this was an amazing character and a great part to take. It's also a great story to share with people.

How much did you know about Dr. Ben Carson prior to taking the role?

Kimberly Elise: I actually was not aware of Dr. Carson before the script came to me. I started to do some research, and after speaking with some people, realized that I was one of the few people who was not familiar with him.

How much insight did you get from him to portray his mother?

Kimberly Elise: I talked to his mother, and I learned a lot about her and her personality and her love for her two boys.

Did you try to capture her mannerisms besides what was written on script?

Kimberly Elise: I just got her voice. She doesn't travel or fly. We would talk on the phone, and I would get a sense of her voice and the way she speaks.

What made playing this role special for you?

Kimberly Elise: I thought she was an amazing, strong woman and that was an attraction to me. A woman in that time period dealing with depression who had the courage to stand up for herself knowing that she was a single mom and her children are depending on her. She did a lot for her kids in spite of her own struggles. With limited schooling, she was able to instill her boys with so much confidence and strength. I thought she was remarkable.

As a mother yourself, did you find any similarities in your background?

Kimberly Elise: Well, I'm also a single mother, and I try to teach the same values that Sonya Carson gave to her children. She was able to free their brilliance and beauty so they could shine in life and make a difference.

How was working with the two boys who played your sons in the film?

Kimberly Elise: Really fun. They were really great. My youngest daughter was with me when we filmed, and she became good friends with the younger kid. It's funny that in all my movies where I had a child or children, they have all been males. Never had a daughter in films, but I have two daughters in real life.

How was working with Cuba?

Kimberly Elise: Working with Cuba was wonderful. Since most of my scenes are with the younger Ben Carson, we only got to do a few scenes together when Ben is an adult. He's a great actor, and it was interesting playing his mother. We had to make an attempt to make me look slightly older than him when he's an adult. I really hope we get to work together again.

What do you think people will get from watching this film?

Kimberly Elise: I think people got a lot from the book, and they would love to see it brought to life. It would do the same thing that the book did, which is educate people about him. It will inspire people and instill pride, especially African Americans. We need to see more stories like this, people who have excelled against all odds.

The Black Families On TV

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The Cosby Show
Seasons: Eight
Notable Cast Members: Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Keshia Knight Pulliam, Tempestt Bledsoe, Lisa Bonet, Raven-Symoné
Storyline: Popular comedy television series based on a happily married couple raising their children in Brooklyn, New York.
Sidenote: Throughout the course of eight seasons The Huxtable family helped set the stage for black families on prime time television. Bill Cosby's character, Cliff Huxtable was such a role model that he topped TV Guide's 2004 list of "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."

Everett Collection

'Family Matters'
Seasons: Nine
Notable Cast Members: Reginald Vel Johnson, Darius McCrary, Kellie Shanygne Williams, JoMarie Payton, Jaleel White, Telma Hopkins
Storyline: Based on middle-class suburban Chicago black family, the Winslows.
Sidenote: Spinning off it's sister show 'Perfect Strangers,' the hit sitcom spawned off one of the most popular characters in sitcom history, Steve Urkel. America's favorite nerd was so popular that he established a merchandising empire, which included a talking doll, trading cards, posters, books, lunchboxes and a limited edition cereal.

Warner Bros.

'Lincoln Heights'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Russell Hornsby, Nicki Micheaux, Erica Hubbard, Rhyon Nicole Brown, Mishon Ratliff, Michael Reilly Burke, Robert Adamson, William Stanford Davis
Storyline: A drama revolving around the life of LAPD officer Eddie Sutton, who is in pursuit of a better life for his family. Ironically, Sutton moves his family into his old neighborhood which is known for its violence.
Sidenote: In 2008 the series was nominated for four NAACP Image Awards including Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series, Outstanding Drama Series, and Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series.

ABC Family

'My Wife & Kids'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Damon Wayans, Tisha Campbell-Martin, George O. Gore II
Storyline: Damon Wayans portrays Michael Kyle, a loving husband who maintains his household by teaching his family some valuable wisdom and knowledge, and learning some himself.
Sidenote: The show's co-creator, Damon Wayans, may have regretted the original storyline of Claire Kyle following the loss of cast member Jazz Raycole. Raycole's mother disapproved of the actress' storyline for season two, which led to her being pulled from the show.

2000 ABC, INC.

The Jeffersons
Seasons: 11
Notable Cast Members: Sherman Hemsley, Isabel Sanford, Marla Gibbs, Roxie Roker, Franklin Cover, Paul Benedict
Storyline: Entrepreneur George Jefferson hits the ticket with his successful dry-cleaning business, which leads him to move into a ritzy New York City high-rise.
Sidenote: America can thank fellow 'Good Times' actress Ja'Net DuBois for helping George Jefferson's family move up to the east side. The Emmy Award-winner co-wrote and sang the show's opening and closing theme song 'Movin' On Up.'

CBS Photo Archive / Getty Images

'What's Happening!!'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Ernest Lee Thomas, Haywood Nelson, Fred Berry, Danielle Spencer, Mabel King, Shirley Hemphill, David Hollander, John Welsh, Earl Billings, Leland Smith
Storyline: Loosely based on the motion picture 'Cooley High' a trio of friends go through the trials and tribulations of young adulthood.
Sidenote: Fred Berry's character Rerun almost didn't turn out as we may remember him today. Originally the role was reportedly written to fit the description of a skinny white kid.

Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

'227'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Marla Gibbs, Alaina Reed Hall, Jackée Harry, Helen Martin, Hal Williams, Regina King, Curtis Baldwin, Kia Goodwin, Reynaldo Rey, Countess Vaughn
Storyline: Taking place in a Washington D.C. apartment building, numbered 227, the show's characters would be found sitting outside on a large set of stone stairs (aka the stoop), in which a discussion would lead into the weekly plot line.
Sidenote: Former 'Moesha' and 'Celebrity Fit Club' star Countess Vaughn received her big break in Hollywood by simply asking. Vaughn mentioned her dream of appearing on '227' following her 1988 appearance on the talent show series 'Star Search.'

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'Julia'
Seasons: Three
Notable Cast Members: Diahann Carroll, Lloyd Nolan, Paul Winfield, Fred Williamson
Storyline: Centering on a young widow working as a nurse, trying to make ends meet while raising her son as a single parent.
Sidenote: The 1960 NBC comedy is known for being one of the first weekly shows to depict African-American woman in the non stereotypical role of playing servants. The drama eventually lead to the show's star Diahann Carroll asking for a release from her contract due to the controversy surrounding the show from its inception.

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'The Wayans Bros'
Seasons: Five
Notable Cast Members: Shawn Wayans, Marlon Wayans, John Witherspoon, Anna Maria Horsford, Jermaine Hopkins, Ja'Net DuBois, Phill Lewis
Storyline: The show follows lives of two brothers, Shawn and Marlon Williams, who run their own newspaper stand from out of their father's diner.
Sidenote: Following their family's tradition of producing sitcoms, Shawn and Marlon Wayans debut 'The Wayans Bros' in 1995. Adding to the sitcom's hip-hop feel, the brothers used A Tribe Called Quest's hit single 'Electric Relaxation' as the show's opening theme for the first two seasons.

Warner Bros.