A new behind-the-scenes footage of Whitney Houston filming her forthcoming movie Sparkle shows the singer, who passed away age of 48, looking happy and healthy.
In a new clip featured on U.S. network Entertainment Tonight, presenter Mark Steins also said he had heard Whitney Houston’s voice was “100% back” as he went on set of the film last October and November.
Mark Steins gave his thoughts on interviewing Whitney Houston, who is shown on set performing and interacting with the crew.
He revealed that Whitney Houston didn’t want to be interviewed alone, instead opting to sit side by side with director Salim Akil and co-star Jordin Sparks.
Whitney Houston is shown filming a scene in curlers, but Mark Steins said the singer insisted on changing into a patterned shift dress and putting on make-up.
Wearing a purple dress, Whitney Houston looked fresh and youthful as she chatted with the presenter, who said she looked “healthier and heavier” then he could recall.
And in an eerie foretelling, Whitney Houston animatedly discussed a connection between the movie and the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, where her funeral was held last week.
The legendary singer revealed that in the movie, the church is called the New Hope Baptist Church, where her character sings in the choir.
Whitney Houston added the film’s writers “had no idea” that it was the same name as her own childhood church “I grew up with in New Jersey”.
She was laid to rest in the church last weekend in a moving service.
In between filming scenes in a church, singing the gospel hymn Eyes On The Sparrow, Whitney Houston revealed her distaste for cursing.
Whitney Houston said of refusing to listen to a rap song with explicit lyrics: “I did that with my own daughter. I said, <<We’re not listening to that, no.>>”
Jordin Sparks, the former American Idol winner, who is four years older than Whitney Houston’s own daughter, Bobbi Kristina, recalled her favorite on-set memory of the superstar.
The 22-year-old singer told Access Hollywood: “[Whitney] had an iPod and she’d be blasting gospel, and I’d put on Teach Me How To Dougie or something. She’d say, <<You listen to this?>> and I’d say, <<Yes, I do>>.
“One night we were waiting for the camera change and we all stood up and starting Dougie-ing. It was this crazy moment.
“It was so funny and such an out of body experience. I’m going, <<This is Whitney Houston, regal Whitney Houston>> and there she was, just getting down. It was awesome.”
Whitney Houston’s last performance hits the big screen on August 17 of this year, though it was originally slated for an August 10 release.
The film was inspired by the story of 1960’s girl group The Supremes and is a remake of the 1976 film of the same name starring Aretha Franklin.
The 2012 version of Sparkle takes place in Detroit and is set in the Motown era.
Musical prodigy Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) has to deal with the hardships of becoming a star and keeping her family together, while Whitney Houston plays her struggling mother Emma.
The film also stars Derek Luke, Mike Epps and The Voice judge Cee Lo Green.
It is Jordin Sparks’ début performance as an actress, and it was meant to be the role that re-launched Whitney Houston’s career.
The film will be dedicated to Whitney Houston’s memory.
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