Timeless Talent: RonReaco Lee Discusses Latest Roles, Tyler Perry’s ‘Duplicity’ and ‘Survival of the Thickest’

RonReaco Lee continues to prove himself as one of Hollywood’s most multifaceted actors as he transitions seamlessly between comedy and drama.

Recently, Lee has been shining even brighter with his dynamic performances in Tyler Perry’s Duplicity and the return of Netflix’s second season of Survival of The Thickest. In Duplicity, Lee portrays an experienced police officer who finds himself entangled in a deadly shooting investigation. In SOTT, Lee plays a high-end fashion designer who upholds an unrealistic beauty standard by tailoring his designs to runway model proportions.

In a one-on-one interview, Lee explains how Tyler Perry’s director style has pushed his acting skills to new levels and why the latest Netflix series has a special place in his heart. In a tenure lasting more than 40 years, Lee also reflects on a defining moment of his acting career as well as his secrets to aging like fine wine.

THE KNOCKTURNAL: What makes Duplicity stand out from other suspenseful thrillers?

RonReaco Lee: Mr. Perry’s definitely got some twists and turns in there for the audience but it’s a really unique film where he’s kind of looking at things that are going on around him socially. He’s found this unique way to blend that into this unique story of what you see on the surface is not always what you get.

This is my third film with Mr. Perry. I think one of the things that sets this film apart from other movies is that we have a lot of beautiful black faces in it from top to bottom.

One thing he does is he builds tension exceptionally well and I think he’s only gotten better. I remember doing Mea Culpa with him and one of the notes I got from him regularly was to slow down. I was starting to wonder why I kept getting this same note and I had to realize that he was really keying in on the pacing of this film. And very similar to Duplicity, it has that same feel. He builds tension in these really dramatic beats and for an actor, you have to get used to it because he moves at a very rapid pace in terms of how he shoots. 

Courtesy of Amazon Prime

How has Tyler Perry’s director-vision pushed you to explore new aspects of your acting skills?

There’s something about just being in his presence. There’s this glow, this aura about him that he inspires you to dig deep and I think a lot of that comes from him trusting you as an actor. It’s very easy to get to that emotional state and I see how he’s able to get performances out of these amazing actors and actresses over the years because he really connects with them. He doesn’t box you in. He gives you that freedom within the scene.

What was filming Survival of the Thickest like? 

When you go to the Survival of the Thickest set, there’s a sign that reads ‘no asshole policy’. When I say they don’t want anybody there to mess up the vibe, I mean it. That show is a whole vibe. 

Michelle Buteau has done a phenomenal job of empowering women, black women, and all types of people on her set. That set is New York through and through. It was just a joy to see such inclusion, especially in this day and age because Hollywood didn’t always look like this. It takes people like Michelle to sit up and say, “No, I’m going to use what I have to bless others,” and that’s what she’s doing. I love her to death, she’s amazing.

Courtesy of Netflix

Without spoiling or giving too much away about the show this season, if Charles Renee had to give Mavis one piece of advice about life or love this season, what would it be?

Charles is an absolute nut. If Charles Renee is giving Mavis any kind of advice, Mavis shouldn’t take it. He’s the wrong person to give out advice. This is one of the most self centered, egotistical characters I’ve ever played but it was an absolute joy. I think he would look Mavis dead in her eye and tell her to always put herself first and f everybody around her, that’s just how his character is.

Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist won the NAACP Image Award. How does it feel to be a part of a project that won such a prestigious award?

That project just kind of fell into my lap. I’m so thankful that I didn’t fumble the ball and that I was able to pick it up and do what needed to be done.

I think something that doesn’t get talked about a lot is that you don’t have that many powerful Hollywood stars in one show/film. There wasn’t an ounce of drama on that show. Everybody just enjoyed being in each other’s presence. You have to be careful because you can get sucked in real easily and become a spectator and forget that you have a line coming up because you’re sitting there watching Sam Jackson or Don Cheadle or Kevin Hart or Terrence Howard or David Banner and just countless other talented people work. So it was an absolute honor. 

We knew we were doing something special when we were filming and I’ll forever be grateful to Will Packer and everybody at Peacock that ok-ed me being that choice for Senator Leroy Johnson because I had a ball playing that character. 

If you could swap roles with any other character in Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist, who would it be with and why?

It would probably have to be Sam Jackson’s character. I loved his hair and he always had this wooden stick thing in his mouth. That was his thing. I don’t know what that piece of wood is but I just feel like that’s two great qualities. I also liked Don Cheadle’s character. I really resonated with him and his journey. Maybe I’d do one day as Don Cheadle’s character and the other day as Sam Jackson’s character.

Looking back on your career, what do you consider to be a defining moment in your acting journey?

I think there’s been a lot of little ones but I would say my role in Survivor’s Remorse was a defining moment for me. I’m okay with people knowing my face and me having to tell them my name, that’s fine. I think that’s something to still be thankful for.

Survivor’s Remorse did a few things, but one of the biggest things it did was show me that I can handle a certain level of work that I didn’t know I could have done. Sometimes stuff just has to fall in our lap and then we have to respond and react and then figure it out. It was a lot of work but I figured it out.

What’s your secret to aging like fine wine while maintaining the passion for your craft?

I gotta give my parents their props. A lot of it is genetics, but also doing things in moderation. I’m not a big drinker. I’ve been blessed to be around some amazing makeup artists that have put me on to some really good product,s but I’m not the dude that has this special regimen. 

I do watch what I eat because my wife is very healthy. I’m drinking mushroom tea with homemade cashew milk and just a teaspoon of raw sugar. As a man, you just get to that place where you’re like, alright, I’ll try it. I’ll taste that. And I’m surprised by how many things I’m open to and end up enjoying. I eat very little meat. I’m probably eating fish five or six days a week. Now, if you put me around Welch’s flavored fruit snacks, they will be gone. There’s absolutely no disciplinary regard for Welch’s fruit snacks. 

Tyler Perry’s Duplicity is now streaming #1 on Amazon Prime Video. Survival of The Thickest is available on Netflix.