For years it was reported that the titular role had been written with Aaliyah in mind and that she had accepted the part, but she died in August 2001 before filming began. In 2020, however, director Bille Woodruff quashed the rumour, revealing the role had actually been conceived for Beyoncé, though Knowles was unable to take the project on because she was touring.
Romeo Miller (Benny) experienced a two-inch growth spurt and his voice deepened before filming had finished. In the scene where Benny and Raymond go to class and Honey mentions she has to head off to a video shoot, Romeo had to stand with his legs well apart to appear shorter, because he was the same height as Jessica Alba.
Honey's on-screen dog was Jessica Alba's pet, Sid. For reshoots the part was doubled by Alba's other dog, Nancy, because Sid had become overweight.
In preparation for her dancer role in the 2003 film Honey, Jessica Alba undertook ballet, jazz and hip-hop training for six hours a day, maintaining that routine for over three months.
The film draws on the life of choreographer Laurieann Gibson; she also appears on screen as the protagonist's rival, Katrina, and served as the picture's choreographer. She returned to the part in the sequel Honey 2 (2011), although, for some reason, she is credited as Rebecca.
Although the picture is depicted as taking place in New York City, it was, in fact, filmed in Toronto, Canada.
The filmmakers initially wanted Jennifer Beals to take the banker role, but the studio were unable to secure her and instead opted for a Canadian actress, as there were already enough American actors.
The film's tagline was revised from 'Her Dream, Her Terms' to 'Her Dreams, Her Terms.'
This picture marked the first time music-video director Billie Woodruff took on the role of a film director.
At 94 minutes, Honey (2003) is the trilogy's briefest instalment; its sequels, Honey 2 (2011) and Honey 3 (2016), run for 110 and 97 minutes respectively.
Jessica Alba undertook a short intensive course in bartending to prepare for the film's opening sequence.
Jessica Alba grew rather shy in Missy Elliott's presence because she was a huge fan of hers.
Jessica Alba returned to the role of Honey Daniels in Blaque's music video "I'm Good".
The second nightclub scene was filmed with no music playing: the crowd danced to whatever's in their heads. During the take Jessica Alba went to the loo, and twelve women there asked her, "Who are you supposed to be, Britney Spears?"
Honey Daniels' flat isn't a real residence — it was constructed as a set on a sound stage.
The filmmakers collaborated closely with the hip-hop community on fashion, ensuring the production featured the styles the community were enthusiastic about.
The initial dance featuring Lil Romeo was the very first dance sequence to be filmed.
For the film, Jessica Alba was keen to perform the majority of the dance routines herself.
Mekhi Phifer and Joy Bryant previously appeared in Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001), but they did not appear in any scenes together.
As a youngster, Jessica Alba admired the film 'Flashdance' and hoped to recapture its magic for this 2003 picture.
Initially Honey uttered 'K', and Alba subsequently overdubbed 'ma' after the film-makers judged that Honey came across as unduly harsh towards her mother.
Jessica Alba was reluctant to film the exotic-dance sequence until Billie Woodruff got her drunk by her trailer. In the original script, the scene was intended to portray Honey performing in a scandalous music video.
Jessica Alba regards the music as being every bit as important as the dialogue.
The lights alongside the Jadakiss scene had originally been intended to spell out his name, but they were never programmed.
Jessica Alba suggested that Honey should slightly lose her footing on the stairs to indicate that Honey isn't flawless.
At the 54-minute mark, Honey Daniels was to have performed a striptease at the barber's, but Jessica Alba did not like the idea.
At the 44-minute point, the rain was generated by rain machines. Jessica Alba felt sorry for Zachary Isaiah Williams, as he was soaked to the skin.
Jessica Alba was required to coordinate the scene in which Honey Daniels is tethered to a rope, because the film-makers were jostling the dancers into one another and into her.
Jessica Alba's brother Joshua was cast as an extra, but his scene was omitted from the final cut.
Hairdresser Melissa Forney accidentally burned Jessica Alba on two occasions — on her arm and on her forehead. The burn on Alba's arm left her with a scar.
Evans Johnson made his debut.
A Puerto Rican flag was originally intended to be displayed in the shop, but the film-makers couldn't source one and instead put up a flag of the United States.
Throughout much of the filming, Jessica Alba would often doze off; the film crew would wake her for scenes by placing ice on her.
While filming Honey (2003), in a flat used for a scene Jessica Alba needed to use the bathroom and found two pit bulls and a Rottweiler locked in a cage. She let them out, and the bathroom had no shower curtains or any toilet roll.
Jessica Alba took up Taebo, the fitness programme, to refine her dancing skills. She was trained by Laurieann Gibson.
The filmmakers reached out to Rodney Jerkins, who became enamoured with the character, the project and the ideas behind it. He composed the film's theme tune, "I Believe", before filming commenced.
Jessica Alba had watched Ginuwine's actual music videos and found it disconcerting that children were featured dancing in them. She experienced something similar when she visited a dance hall in Jamaica and observed children dancing there.
Jessica Alba had longed to dance since childhood, and the 2003 film Honey realised that dream.
When Jessica Alba first read the script, she hoped Mekhi Phifer would be cast as the principal male character.
The costume designers attended a strip club and hired two male exotic dancers for the sequence in which Tweet dances.
After the flat door had been shut, Honey originally uttered "Damn", but the film-makers excised it.
Jessica Alba was suffering from bronchitis while filming during a rainy day.
In Honey, the scene in which the title character uses a megaphone to choreograph a video featuring 3rd Storee was shot on a cold, wet day.
During the scene set in a Chinese restaurant, Jessica Alba had lost her voice and had to gargle to clear her throat before every take.
The film-makers held wide-ranging dance auditions in both New York and Los Angeles.
Jessica Alba appreciated collaborating with Tweet because of the singer's positive outlook.
At the 42‑minute point during the premiere of Antwone Fisher, Joy Bryant was spotted wearing the same outfit.
The film's makers wanted Jessica Alba to wear knickers, but she said she'd wear boxers instead.
While Jessica Alba sat in a taxi during filming, she wondered when the film-makers would finish that take.
At the barber's, a poster of Marvin Gaye can be seen in the background.
Lil Romeo was keen to play Benny because the character was very different from him.
Jessica Castro, who served as Jessica Alba's dance double, made many shirts for Honey, and Alba cut up one of them.
On set, the props assistant irritated Jessica Alba by insisting the catering was the best, yet she refused to eat the unappetising food.
Hamish Linklater was under consideration for a part in this film.
At the 48-minute mark of the film Honey (2003) is the first on-screen scene shared by Jessica Alba and David Moscow.
Jessica Alba has long been an admirer of music.
