Everything going through my head was like, "Just last month or so, I was just flying into L.A. and things were just getting started with recording my album, and then here it is, wow, boom, here I am in a movie." And then with Leonardo DiCaprio! The whole experience was cool and that moment was so epic for me.
Quindon Tarver[Baz Luhrmann] is very serious - he wants it done and he wants it done accurately. He was in the studio actually when I recorded "Everybody's Free." I remember meeting him and him being amazed by my voice.
Quindon TarverI had to perform in Dallas at the W Hotel. I was with my best friend, and I had walked on in to the area where I was meeting the crew. Then my best friend came in, and he's like, "This girl at the front desk asked, 'Is his name Quindon? I know him, he's that guy from Romeo + Juliet, I'm one of his big fans.'" I was just like, how does she recognize me from then to now? I was wowed by that because here I am 34, it was 20 years ago, and how does she recognize me?
Quindon TarverI was really excited because I had never ever in my life done anything like this [Romeo + Juliette], and at such a young age it was like, "Wow, my dreams are coming true, I'm already in a movie at the age of 12."
Quindon Tarver[Leonardo DiCaprio] invited me into his dressing room, and then we went into his hotel room where we stayed. We shared caramel popcorn. I think that was the coolest thing, sharing popcorn with this movie star. And then we wrestled! I always share that story with people.
Quindon TarverI had met a lady there by the name of Laura Ziffren.She heard that I got signed to Virgin and reached out to my management company. They needed a kid to sing that part in the movie, and she remembered me, and her people reached out to my people, and I went and auditioned, and I got the part [in Romeo + Juliet].
Quindon Tarver