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Jada Pinkett Smith Announces 'Magic Mike XXL' Role Originally Written For A Man

Jada Pinkett Smith's 'Magic Mike XXL' Role Was Originally Written For A Man
Jessica Goodman
By 

Entertainment Editor, The Huffington Post

Jada Pinkett Smith speaks on stage during the "Gotham" panel at the The FOX 2014 Summer TCA held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, July 20, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)
Jada Pinkett Smith speaks on stage during the "Gotham" panel at the The FOX 2014 Summer TCA held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on Sunday, July 20, 2014, in Beverly Hills, Calif. (Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)

In an unexpected announcement during a visit to "The Queen Latifah Show," Jada Pinkett Smith confirmed she'll have a role in "Magic Mike XXL."

"It was a character written for a male that they wanted to turn into a female," Pinkett Smith said. She won't be dancing, but the actress said that filming has been a lot of fun (duh, it's "Magic Mike"). "I'm used to being around beefcake because you know who I live with!" she joked. (Pinkett Smith is married to Will Smith.)

Reports of her role in the sequel had been circulating for a few days. Deadline.com reported last week that she would possibly play the owner of a strip club, and also noted that the role had originally been written for a man.

Pinkett Smith currently co-stars on the new television series "Gotham" as a nightclub owner, Fish Mooney. "Magic Mike XXL" is set for release on July 1, 2015.

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