Monica Calhoun's Appearance In Best Man Final Chapter

Actress Monica Calhoun, who played Mia in the first two instalments of The Best Man film series, made a surprise appearance at the premiere of the third instalment, The Best Man: The Final Chapters. Calhoun's character, Mia, had died in the 2013 sequel, The Best Man Holiday, and did not return as a regular cast member in the third instalment. However, she did reprise her role in The Best Man: The Final Chapters, appearing in a flashback scene and a dream sequence.

Monica Calhoun attends the premiere of 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters'

On December 7, 2022, Monica Calhoun attended the premiere of 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' at the Hollywood Athletic Club in Los Angeles. Calhoun, who played Mia in 'The Best Man' and 'The Best Man Holiday', joined her co-stars on the red carpet, including Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, Harold Perrineau, and Terrence Howard.

Calhoun's appearance at the premiere was a surprise to many, as her character, Mia, had died in the 2013 sequel to 'The Best Man'. Director and screenwriter Malcolm D. Lee shared that the decision to kill off Mia in the previous film was a necessary one, as he wanted to tell a story that would evoke strong emotions from Black audiences.

Despite Mia's death in the previous film, 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' found a way to bring back Calhoun's character while also paying homage to her. In the first episode, Lance, Mia's widowed husband, is still mourning his wife and having one-night stands to bury his feelings. As the friends gather to celebrate Quentin's impending nuptials, Lance can't help but think that Mia would have loved the view from the villa.

In the second episode, Lance dreams of him and Mia relaxing by the pool, expressing their love for each other. However, he soon wakes up and realizes it was just a dream, highlighting the grief he is still experiencing.

The premiere of 'The Best Man: The Final Chapters' brought the cast of the beloved film franchise back together, and the reunion on the red carpet was a special moment for fans and the cast alike.

Calhoun's character Mia dies in the 2013 sequel

In the 2013 sequel to The Best Man, Calhoun's character Mia dies. Mia, the wife of Morris Chestnut's character, passes away from cancer at the end of the film.

Writer and director Malcolm D. Lee has explained his reasoning for the character's death. He wanted to tell a story that would evoke emotion from Black audiences, and he felt that Mia's death was necessary to achieve this. Lee also shared that both Mia's parents had been affected by cancer in real life, which influenced his decision.

The sequel, titled The Best Man Holiday, sees the return of an all-star cast, including Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Regina Hall, Morris Chestnut, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, Monica Calhoun, Terrence Howard, and Harold Perrineau. Despite the sadness of Mia's death, audiences were eager to see the beloved friend group reunite in the 2022 limited series The Best Man: The Final Chapters.

Calhoun's performance as Mia in the original film The Best Man earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture in 2000. Her portrayal of the character, as well as her other notable roles, has left a lasting impression on fans.

Mia's death was a necessary choice according to director Malcolm D. Lee

In an interview, Malcolm D. Lee, the writer and director of "The Best Man" film franchise, revealed that Mia's death in "The Best Man Holiday" was a deliberate and necessary narrative choice. Lee shared that he wanted to tell a story that would evoke strong emotions from Black audiences, stating:

> "I wanted to really tell a story where Black folks got to emote at the movie theater. We don't get a chance to do that very often so I wanted it to happen and it wasn't going to happen with any other character as much as it would with Mia. That was the most meaningful one which is why I think it hurt so much."

Mia, played by Monica Calhoun, died from cancer at the end of the 2013 sequel, "The Best Man Holiday." Lee's decision to kill off Mia was influenced by his personal connection to cancer, as both her parents had been affected by the disease.

While some fans were shocked and devastated by Mia's death, Lee stands by his choice, acknowledging the impact it had on viewers. The narrative decision set the tone for the subsequent instalment, "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," where Mia's death continued to be a central theme, with her husband, Lance, grappling with grief and mourning.

Despite Mia's death in the film's narrative, Monica Calhoun made a surprise appearance at the red-carpet premiere of "The Best Man: The Final Chapters," reuniting with her co-stars and delighting fans.

Calhoun reprises her role in a fantasy sequence in Episode 2

In Episode 2 of *The Best Man: The Final Chapters*, Calhoun reprises her role as Mia in a fantasy sequence. In the sequence, Lance (Morris Chestnut) dreams of him and Mia relaxing in a cabana by the pool. Mia tells him, "This is so perfect," to which Lance replies, "It's paradise. There's no place I'd rather be than with you right now." As the pair express their love for each other and kiss, Lance suddenly wakes up and realises it was just a dream.

The fantasy sequence serves as a reminder of what Lance has lost, as his wife Mia passed away from cancer in the previous instalment, *The Best Man Holiday* (2013). Despite her character's death, Calhoun found a way to return to the screen in *The Best Man: The Final Chapters*, much to the delight of fans.

At the premiere of the series, Calhoun joined her co-stars on the red carpet, including Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, Harold Perrineau, and Terrence Howard. Although Calhoun's character Mia did not survive, director Malcolm D. Lee expressed his love for the actress and acknowledged the emotional impact her performance had on viewers.

Calhoun makes a special appearance at the red carpet premiere

On December 7, 2022, the entire cast of The Best Man stepped out for the red carpet premiere of their upcoming Peacock series The Best Man: The Final Chapters. While the expected actors and actresses who were confirmed to return for the streaming project were in attendance, there was one additional surprise guest: Monica Calhoun.

Calhoun, who played Mia in The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday, made a special appearance near the end of the pre-screening event, joining co-stars Nia Long, Taye Diggs, Morris Chestnut, Regina Hall, Sanaa Lathan, Melissa De Sousa, Harold Perrineau, and Terrence Howard for a sweet reunion moment on the carpet.

Calhoun's character, Mia, died in the 2013 sequel to The Best Man. Director and screenwriter Malcolm D. Lee told reporters that her death was a necessary choice: "I wanted to really tell a story where Black folks got to emote at the movie theater... We don't get a chance to do that very often, so I wanted it to happen and it wasn't going to happen with any other character as much as it would with Mia."

Despite Mia's death in the previous film, The Best Man: The Final Chapters found a way to bring back Calhoun while also paying homage to the character. In Episode 2, Lance (Morris Chestnut) dreams of him and Mia relaxing in a cabana by the pool. As the pair express their love for each other and kiss, Lance shoots up in bed and realizes it was just a dream.

The Best Man: The Final Chapters premiered on December 22, 2022, on the Peacock streaming app.

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