Words: Amir Shaw
Tyler Perry understands that timing is everything. Throughout his career as a playwright, actor and director, much of his work has achieved surprising success because it was presented to the right audience at the right time.
So with the value of time being an important credo for Perry, it wasn’t surprising that he arrived 30 minutes early for our scheduled one-on-one interview in Beverly Hills, Calif. He’s always done things his way. Even if that meant carrying himself as the antithesis of the typical Hollywood star and filmmaker.
With his latest film, Temptation, Perry finds a new way to tell the age-old story of love that is compromised by unbridled lust, infidelity and the consequences of submitting to desire. Perry firmly identifies the complexities that nearly every married couple will face at some point in their marriage.
The outcome is shocking, but, arguably, Temptation provokes thought in a way that no other Tyler Perry film has done thus far.
Perry enlisted actress Jurnee Smollett-Bell to star as his conflicted lead. In her first leading role in a major motion picture since Eve’s Bayou, Smollett-Bell gives a riveting performance that proves she is one of the brightest young actresses in Tinseltown.
Perry also took on the challenge of giving an opportunity to America’s most loved and hated reality TV star, Kim Kardashian. In a role that seems tailor-made for her, Kardashian provides a bit of comic relief just before the movie explores several serious issues.
But the casting of Smollett-Bell and Kardashian proves, once again, that Perry has a keen sense of perfect timing.
During our interview, Perry discussed why Smollett-Bell and Kardashian were perfect for Temptation; he provided his psychological analysis on why married couples cheat; and revealed his next multimillion-dollar move.
For Perry, there’s no better time than now.
