The busiest man in Hollywood returns with his latest movie.
Tyler Perry recruits Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict for the thrilling Drama, ‘Divorce in the Black.’
Perry has been a permanent fixture on our screens since the early 2000s with his portrayal of the iconic character Madea, a tough elderly woman.
A lot has changed since then as Perry has built his empire in Atlanta, becoming the first African-American to outright own a major film production studio.
However, despite all of the success, his motivations and filmmaking ambitions have remained the same, which is to empower women.
Many of his movies have been about his mother and his subconscious desire to empower her and take her from a vulnerable state into a position of power.
This is encapsulated through his latest movie, ‘Divorce in the Black’, a film which follows Ava [Good], a young bank professional who is heartbroken when her abusive husband, Dallas, demands a divorce. Dallas’ malicious actions unravel as Ava gets a chance to find true love with her destined soulmate.
Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict sit down with TGJ to discuss ‘Divorce in the Black’, how the movie will empower its audience, and advice from Tyler Perry.
That Grape Juice (Adam Davison): Typically, Hollywood love stories are Rom-Coms but Divorce in the Black is gritty and real… How was it to explore this side of movie romance?
Meagan Good: It was real life. Ultimately, people go on so many different types of journeys and sometimes our journeys are similar or they can be completely different. [It was important] for it not to be a Rom-Com and to have these honest moments. People [may] see themselves in it and hopefully, they can be empowered and it brings healing and a different perspective on a second act of life. For me, it was a wonderful thing to explore. Then obviously getting a chance to work with Tyler Perry and each other [Cory]
Cory Hardrict: The movie is honest, raw, real, suspenseful, and entertaining! What beats that? Those are ingredients for a special film, and this was special. So shout out to Mr. Tyler Perry for allowing us to be great and do what we love and get paid and live our dreams.
That Grape Juice: For Cory, when you get to play an evil character with so much backstory like Dallas- this must be a goldmine as an actor?
Cory: I look at him as a human being rather than being evil. I never made that connection because I rebuked the evil side of him. I feel like he’s a flawed human being and that’s a part of who we all are, flawed. You’ve got to tell the truth sometimes when you’re doing films and this was honest. That’s what made me gravitate towards him as well because he was totally different from Cory Hardrict the person.
That Grape Juice: For Meagan, how important was it to not portray Ava as a victim?
Meagan: It was super important because I do believe that everything in life is about perception and attitude. There is what my character is experiencing and what I’m exploring as an actor, to tell the truth of her story.
But then there’s also the part of me who wants to make sure when I play a character like this that when women and men see themselves they don’t feel like the victim and they feel empowered. [I want them to feel that] even though they’ve been through something horrible, they feel stronger, more refined and feel like they have more authority to speak life over someone else and tell them that they’re going to make it through and come out better than they went in. I wanted to make sure that Ava had all of that so people can get a lot from the journey.
That Grape Juice: What was the best piece of advice that Tyler Perry gave you that informed your performance?
Cory: Just be you. Mr Perry allows us to be us. Move off instinct, move from your gut, what do you think about the character? That was a beautiful and amazing experience in cinema to get someone that powerful to tell you to go for it. You don’t have to tell me twice! That’s what I will always remember about Mr Perry.
Meagan: To take apart your instrument and put it together in different ways. As someone that’s grown up in the business, you learn certain things that are part of your real journey but also a part of you as an actor. Tyler really challenged me to take down the wall of protection and take away any ego and lay bare completely and even at that place don’t just lay there and just exist but attack it.
It brought out something different in a performance that I haven’t seen. I was really proud of it and it’s exciting to keep reminding yourself that no matter how long you’ve been in the business, you can not only surprise people but you can surprise yourself.
*******************
‘Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black’ is Streaming Now on Prime Video
