Lamman Rucker is one of the greatest actors of this generation. He’s dominated our screens for decades including in hit films like Why Did I Get Married? and its sequel. He also starred in one of the most iconic Christian dramas of all time, Greenleaf. He was a panelist at a conference hosted by Fulton County last week, and after the panel, Rucker stepped into the Star Studio.
Why Did I Get Married? orWhy Did I Get Married 2??
No comparison, no preference. I mean, nothing ever beats the first one at the same time the second one is also a favorite, because at least personally, you got to see a lot more of who Troy really is. He got to see more of his heart, his vulnerability, him working through being newly married, becoming a father, being unemployed, grieving death of his parents, moving to a new city, trying to start a new life. And so those are things that we don’t often get to see a man transparently trying to work through so it was very valuable for me to do that for the men out there who are dealing with a similar circumstance.
Is Greenleaf the greatest Christian drama of all time?
Of course. I’ll go as far as to say I think it’s going to a legendary series that’s going to stand the test of time, that’s multi-generational and can stand the test of time. That’s a multi-generational asset and multi-generational artifact that’s going to be here for years to come. In the long term, I think everyone will appreciate the brilliance that was happening at that time.
Was it easy or hard to play the role of Jacob Greenleaf?
Easy. The reason why that character is also so beloved, even though some people like to say, I hated Jacob, I think most people appreciate the fact that he wasn’t perfect, trying to find himself, finding himself, finding his voice, get his legs underneath him. Who am I? What am I doing here? How is God going to work through me? And again, for me, that’s part of the joy of this work was to be vulnerable myself and be willing to show the imperfections, vulnerabilities, and insecurities of the character. Show his journey, his process of trying to become the man, not only that he wants to be, but that God destined him to be. That’s tough to do in any family, whether you’re wealthy or not, whether your parents are pastors or faith leaders of some massive congregation or not, it really is an inner journey. I loved playing Jacob and loved that show. I loved every opportunity of trying to bring Jacob to life. I loved showing all 5-6-7-8-9-10 dimensions of Jacob.
How was it working with Lynn Whitfield?
It was a joy working with Lynn Whitfield. We’ve known each other for years prior; we worked together before, same with Keith David. Once I found out who my parents were going to be I was overjoyed. They were great models to follow and they were excellent examples of Black excellence.
One more question: are we getting the Greenleaf spin-off?
No, not that I’m aware of.
