Tyler Perry’s new Netflix thriller A Fall From Grace hits small screens this Friday, Knockturnal correspondent, Dorissa White got a chance to sit down with the cast and talk about the movie.
The Knockturnal: This movie had so many plot twists and twists and turns and I just wanted to know…when you first were writing the movie, were you writing for the plot twists or did it just come to you?
Tyler Perry: I don’t write that way. I’ll start off with the story and the characters are dictating me to me what’s going on. Sometimes they’ll say something like “well she did this” and I’m like whoa, what does that mean? and my chasing down the motivation of what they said the twists and turns come. And I just read a story about this mother and son grifting team that was traveling the country that I thought “whoa”so, yeah.
The Knockturnal: For you (Crystal), I felt like your character was powerless a bit how was it for you to play a vulnerable role like that?
Crystal Fox: Well cause I pride myself on being a strong woman so I don’t ever have a hard time with being “weak” is the word. And when someone says it in the movie I’m glad I get to respond to it the way I think I also would respond to it (laughs).
Tyler Perry: You certainly would respond to it like that if somebody said those words “low hanging fruit” yeah…yeah.
Crystal Fox: Your head kind of cocks one way..and before you know it, things happen.
The Knockturnal: Right!
Tyler Perry: At that moment, I think she took all her power back.
Crystal Fox: Yeah I do too, I do too.
The Knockturnal: I’m telling you, I’m not going to say too much about the film but everybody started clapping during that moment, everybody. And it was a moment…it was cathartic.
Tyler Perry: Fantastic… (laughs)
Crystal Fox: And I’m glad you said that, because I didn’t feel like she was weak. I just feel like some women don’t go through life having to be an aggressive type of person she was being who she was, a kind woman and was taken advantage of, not just in one marriage but in another circumstance. Yeah that kindness was taken for weakness yeah is what I feel like happened to her.
The Knockturnal: I definitely agree. I want to get this quote straight…your mother has always been a strong influence to your career and your movies you once said that your mother said if you don’t give your children something to follow they will turn to something in a time of crisis and I kept thinking about that quote the entire time I was watching the movie. I want to say it would Shannon be the ultimate example of not giving our children “something”
Tyler Perry: Wow. You know there’s a back story there I think she had him when he was two years old stealing things … she cultivated that, she raised that…
Crystal Fox: But everybody comes from someplace we just don’t know where everybody comes from.
The Knockturnal: Right and everybody is from a walk of life is different.
Tyler and Crystal: Right.
The Knockturnal: Could he have turned his life around? I don’t want to say too much…
Tyler Perry: When you have those voices and those influences in your ear all the time and who knows maybe he tried over time, but yeah you got me writing another script right now, the prequel.
The Knockturnal: I love it and then for you (Tyler) you played such a different role than what I’m used to seeing you play have you had any … “bosses” like the one that you were?
Tyler Perry: Oh for sure, yeah yeah.
The Knockturnal: Explain!
Tyler Perry: Didn’t last well. I ended up doing what she did in the jail to him saying those words yeah, that didn’t last long.
Crystal Fox: I have to say this, when I watch it yes, Roy is annoying and one of the things that is the most annoying is the fact that he tells her a hard truth you know it’s hard to hear because you just want to feel a certain kind of way about him, but it’s like it gnaws at you later and you’re like “WOW”
Tyler Perry: Yeah that’s a hard truth that she needed to hear.
Crystal Fox: And he stayed for some reason and he still gave her that information. So as much as he did what he did he’d still left her with something to grow from.
The Knockturnal: And it helped her with her career ultimately.
Tyler Perry: Yeah that’s right.
The Knockturnal: What did you think of the movie?
Bresha Webb: It’s the edge of your seat kind of ride. It’s fun, it’s compelling.
Phylicia Rashad: Enjoyed it because it begins … you don’t quite know where you’re going…
The Knockturnal: How did you get into this character? What did you do to prepare ?
Phylicia Rashad: I looked at material it had been sent to me because it’s based on a true story and I understood what that was and I let it roll.
The Knockturnal: I see you playing a lot of comedic roles and this was more of a serious role for you how did you get into yours?
Bresha Webb: You know again, I’m an actor and I’ve trained for this I’ve studied and so I love comedy and I love drama I love working and showing real characters real people and so when I read the script I was just pulled to Jasmine and I saw what she was going through I saw her obstacles and I wanted to fight for her and so I watched a documentary about public defenders that Tyler Perry showed me and he was like this is the style and this is what she’s going through and I just went into that and lost myself and Jasmine so it was it was a ride for me as well.
The Knockturnal: You’ve had such a long career and I just want to know your thoughts on what Tyler Perry’s doing and his influence on the media industry specifically for actors of color.
Phylicia Rashad: So I think what he’s doing is vast and so deep it is beyond what you see and that’s the truth of it … it’s inspirational … And I think it’s also important to acknowledge and I know he would do this himself….that he is not doing it alone. He’s doing it with good company. But this is his vision and he has held this vision for quite some time and the vision continues to expand.