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WAMG At The TYLER PERRY’S TEMPTATION Press Conference
An explosive romance about forbidden desires, TYLER PERRY’S TEMPTATION tells the provocative story of Judith, an ambitious married woman whose temptation by a handsome billionaire leads to betrayal, recklessness and forever alters the course of her life. This past week, WAMG participated in a press conference for the film with Tyler Perry, and stars Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Lance Gross, Robbie Jones, Renée Taylor, Ella Joyce, and Brandy Norwood . Check it out below.
So, Tyler we’ve got obsession and passion for the lord vs obsession and passion of flesh. Can you talk about how you developed those thematic elements found in the film
Tyler Perry: Well what was more important to me in this film was that I knew there were a lot of people going through things in relationships and I wanted to just raise a flag and say “what happens when you’re tempted?” One choice, ne bad decision can change your entire future and destiny. That’s why I wanted to tell this story and that why I took the play version to this version and really extended it and really went into all of those different areas because I really wanted it have a grounded feel and look and feel more like reality than anything that I’ve done. And I also wanted this cast, I wanted a younger cast because not only is this message for everyone but its in particular for younger people as well. One decision can change your whole life.
Mr. Perry, for you, I wanted to ask can you talk about casting Kim Kardashian in the film? What were your expectations working with her and what surprised you the most about working with her?
Tyler Perry: I think the expectation I had for her was to come in and do her best and she did but also more than anything that goes back to the younger cast. I wanted to have a younger cast, younger beautiful people who are very influential and have their own following and people who pay attention to everything they’re doing because this message was so important to me and I think and it was very responsible for her and everyone else here to take part in this film. It’s a big message to carry. I think she did a great job and Im very happy with what she did.
This is for Tyler, you talked about decisions that change your life, can you and the cast members talk about decisions that you now regret and go “Oooo”…
Tyler Perry: I have one but I really have no regrets in my life. I don’t wanna take you down a sad road but I have one and that’s when my mom was dying she was trying to tell me something and she said she was tired and I tried to talk her out of it rather than listen to her and what she had to say because what I found about people especially in those moments is that they have so much they want to say-that is my one regret in life. That is the decision I regret the most. Other than that I am in a place where I am very careful about what I do, how I speak to people, how I treat people because I am very careful about the energy I put out because I want it to come back to me because that’s my only one.
In the end both women live tragically, HIV positive and partner-less. Bringing upon a theme of damaged goods. The male leads however end up happy and wealthy. Was it just to magnify the moral? How did you come up and what was your creative process to build that type of ending?
Tyler Perry: Here’s what I love about when people see my films. A lot of times they get so much out of it than I was thinking. In those moments it wasn’t about the female being HIV positive and having HIV and being downtrodden as much as it was about I made a choice and there is not going to be a happy bow at the end of this. The choices that you make are the choices that you have to live with in life. I’m dealing with that right now with a really close friend of mine who made a really bad decision and it’s going to affect this person for the rest of their lives so that’s what it’s about. It’s not about trying to make the men more powerful, they’re great and moving on and happy and the women aren’t. No-it’s about the choices that we make and to tell you the truth, I’ve known some of these women, I know some of these men. I’ve known a lot of people in my lifetime, in my career and I’ve seen a lot of these situations and it is pretty sad.
Ella Joyce: May I add to that? It’s interesting to hear someone say they get the “damaged goods” in the end but I felt there was a more subtle, more powerful message underneath that and that is redemption because she may have been damaged to the point where she didn’t have the life that she thought she was gonna have but if you were paying attention in the very end she was on her way to church. That young girl she was talking to at the beginning of the movie walked out, made a serious decision that could have affected her life because someone was generous enough to share their mistakes from her. You never know how the lord is gonna use you. The lord use a great mistake and a great tragedy to raise this girl high in his estimation. Her reward is in another place. It’s not here on this earth. That’s the message I got when I read the script and when I saw the film I saw the subtle direction in the way he leaves that with you. What does she say? “I’m on my way to meet my momma at church” She found her way back to her foundation and she’s doing god’s work and that woman walked out and decided to not have that affair.
Tyler Perry: Scratch my essay… add me to that.
Over the years you’ve had such a great partnership with Lionsgate. How has it evolved over the years and are you at a point where you can pretty much make what you want and they distribute it?
Tyler Perry: The relationship with Lionsgate has been one of the greatest gifts and blessings that have come to my life because they completely 100 percent understand the independent spirit they understand the artist and the kind of artist that I am stating with Diary of a Mad Black woman, this being the 13th movie and we’re 15 movies in right now. It’s a really good situation and I would say this to anybody who is in business with someone is it all boils down to how good are you at working together? Gimme what I need and I’ll give you what you need and we’ll have a great partnership and it has been that way and will continue to be that way as long as I’m there.
Question, three part question for Brandy. Brandy it seems like your character is meek in this movie and it’s such a departure from your public persona. Where did you get some of the ideas for this character from?
Brandy Norwood: I’ve been through a lot in my own life and I was able to pull from the struggles in my life and bring a truth to the character to Melinda. It was difficult because I’m at a great place in my life, its difficult when you have to go back to your past and pull from those painful, you know vulnerable moments you don’t really have to but I did to bring honesty to Melinda.
You’ve known your co-star Kim K for a long time. What was it like being a part of the same project with her?
Brandy Norwood: I love Kim! I can’t wait to see her work in the film.
Last of course, you’re planning a wedding. Congratulations! How is it going? I know you’ve got your daughter as the Maid of Honor. How excited is she?
Brandy Norwood: She’s really excited!
This question is for Jurnee. We’re so used to you playing like good innocent roles, this one you actually get to go to bad girl you get to work with Kim K. how was it? What was the most fun?
Jurnee Smollett-Bell: I think the most fun part about playing Judith was the challenge. It was definitely a challenge for me to stretch and go there emotionally-all the different colors in her arc. She goes from point a to point c and luckily I had Tyler to help me steer that because sometimes it was hard to keep track of where I was at. I had to keep remembering where I was coming from because we shot out of order. So one day I was playing myself at 14, the next day I was playing a cocaine addict. I think that’s what you look for as an artist you look for that kind of challenge. It’s funny to say it was fun but it was.
For Robbie and Lance, How did you guys see yourselves as dueling roles for Judith’s heart? How’d you tackle that love triangle?
Robbie Jones: I didn’t think about Lance’s character too much because Harley was so focused on Judith he could care less about anyone else in her life. As far as a love triangle is concerned I don’t think Harley ever considered it that.
Lance Gross: Just like Robbie said I mean approaching Bryce he was that small time guy he didn’t know the life that Harley had. I wanted him to be real as possible, that average guy who works hard and loves his wife.
For Tyler and Renée. Renée what did you like about working in a Tyler Perry movie and Tyler why did you cast Renee? What did you like about her character?
Renée Taylor: I liked how real it was. How real my part was. I loved working with Tyler because he has this tremendous openness and humility that is very inspiring.
Tyler Perry: Working with her, I remember the last night. I went to her and I said “I know it’s been 12 hrs but if we push through 2-3 more hours we can really wrap the movie early, how do you feel?” “What do you mean how do I feel? Let’s do it!” She was right there with us and she brought so much comic relief that was needed in the film. Her timing was perfect, there couldn’t have been a more perfect situation. Super excited to have the opportunity, super excited.
I’m a big believer in you get married, you stay married. What is your stance with how the characters take marriage? Lightly or not?
Tyler Perry: I want this movie to speak to marriage to the right decisions to the wrong decisions how there is 80-20 thing in marriage and relationships you’re only gonna get 80 percent of what you need. 80 from anybody most of the time 80 percent. Here comes somebody offering 20 percent and 20 percent looks like a whole lot when you’re not getting it so you end up leaving 80 percent to get 20 percent. You don’t realize it till you in the 20 what you gave up. So what I’m hoping will speak to making the right choices. The danger of what she experienced was exposure and the thing that happens to a lot of people is they get exposed to the world, they get exposed to all these different things before they know it they find themselves trapped by them. What is important to me and what I want them to walk away with is “its ok to be exposed as long as the exposure doesn’t have you”
Mr Perry, do you ever go back and forth about whether or not to place yourself in your movies?
Tyler Perry: No I don’t actually if I didn’t do any of them I’d be fine. If I just directed, did behind the camera I’d be 100 percent ok with that because what I found is what I found is the audience wants me to do something you know Medea most of the time and that ok it’s all a part of it. I don’t struggle though because the minute I sit down and I write the characters I see them. If they don’t look like me I don’t force myself to be them.
A lot of your temptations in the film are implied. You don’t get over graphic with the sex scenes, also with the cocaine use… you don’t actually show it. Can you talk a little bit about your editing choices.
Tyler Perry: It changes the rating of the film. No really. I can do a movie and go shot 30,000 people in that movie and it could be rated PG or maybe I shouldn’t say this. But just know that if you had seen her actually take the cocaine it would have changed the rating, it would have been a rated R film.
So that was the sole reason for not showing it?
Tyler Perry: Absolutely. But the sex there was another reason for not showing the sex. I wanted to keep it in good taste.
Your movies cover a lot of ground, what would have been another story to tell with the conversation about HIV within women of color and the pharmaceutical world?
Tyler Perry: When I initially wrote it there was some resistance to me telling the HIV, does she have to have HIV cause the story stands on its own? Is that necessary? What is important to me is that people get it. As you said within African American women there are new rising cases within them and to have an audience of women who have loved what I’ve done for a long time and not bring that message would be irresponsible. So it would then become about something else, it would then become about let’s make this movie in a certain way instead of the truth and what it’s intention is.
Will you do more in terms of health care and health disparities in your work down the road?
Tyler Perry: I’m gonna go wherever I go, man. I don’t sit down and say “This is what I’m doing next”. I really don’t. It’s truly what I feel, how I feel… What is the next moment that comes to me in an inspiration, in passing… I’ll talk to someone. I’ll have a conversation. I’ll shake somebody’s hand. I was talking to someone last night. They were on a bike, and almost had a wreck on the bike. From that conversation, I came up with 10 pages… just from that moment. That’s how it works with me. I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true.
There was a brief mention of Judith’s father, but you chose not to give Judith a father. I wanted to know if you were speaking to what happens to her life because there’s no present father figure? Why did you choose not to have a father figure present?
Tyler Perry: Let me ask you this… Why did you key in on that?
I have a father. I was raised with a father. My parents are still married after 47 years. I know that there are a lot of single mothers raising daughters without daddy’s, and I know that some of my friends have tried to find their fathers in their mate… So, I was just curious.
Tyler Perry: See, that’s what I love about the art, because that meant something to you that it didn’t necessarily mean to me as I was writing it. What I find is that as audiences see it, they will find things that land for them. So, yeah. Now that you brought that up, that makes sense to me, that she would have daddy issues because her husband wouldn’t be enough. She would need another man who was stronger, who was phenomenal, as she said in the film. That makes sense to me. What I love about what you just said is that is resonated with you. That’s what I wanted to do. However it speaks to you… Some people won’t be able to relate to any of it. Then, there will be other people who will be so moved that it will change their lives. Those are the ones that it’s for. It’s how it speaks to you. That’s the intent of it.
Casting is crucial for this movie. Robbie’s character has to work, or the movie doesn’t work… for me. Why did you cast Robbie in this film? What did you see in Robbie that made you say “this will work”? My second question is for you Tyler. Are there scenes that were left on the cutting room floor that we didn’t get to see? What were they, and why did you choose not to use them?
Tyler Perry: Why did I hire Robbie? I saw HURRICANE SEASON, right? Yeah, I saw HURRICANE SEASON, and I was like “Who is that kid? That kid has something and I want to work with him.”, and that was years between that, and doing this. The minute I saw him, I knew I wanted to work with him. When I start writing, about 10-15 lines in, I’ll start seeing people. I’ll start seeing their faces. I’ll start hearing their voices as an actor. I saw Lance. I saw Jurnee. When I can see them, when I can visualize them it helps the story go along a little better for me. Seeing what a great job he did in that, I knew I wanted to work with him.
As for your second question, I shoot very, very efficiently. The worst thing in the world is for me to sit in the edit and realize that I have 45 minutes more than I needed. That means that I wasted days, time and money. So, what is on the page… I’m very efficient. I’m editing as I go. So, I’ll go “No. No. No. We don’t need to shoot this because I’ve got this.” or “If you say this I can jump this page”. As a writer, I’m editing as I go. There’s not much left on the floor.
Studies show that men tend to cheat more than women, but that women are closing the gap. (Laughs throughout the panel)
Brandy Norwood: Damn.
Tyler Perry: Well, listen. I didn’t know they were closing the gap! I’ll tell you what it means for me… is that this whole world of ours has changed, and it’s changing every day. It’s going to take very drastic steps to raise awareness, to raise consciousness, to raise the flag, so to speak, so that people can realize that it’s not just men that are doing it. Everybody’s doing it. Whether it be men, women… it’s all wrong. If you’re going to be committed, you should stay committed. How do you keep a person honest, and… and…
Brandy Norwood: I was just looking at my fiance, cause you were saying something… and wanted to tell him “You’re gonna stay faithful… I’m gonna stay faithful”… (Laughs)
Tyler Perry: There are too many recorders here! What I was saying was (laughs) I done forgot what I was saying. But it was a good point, whatever I was saying. (Laughs)
Some of us in this room have been talking to you since your first movie. I can only imagine what a wonderful journey it’s been. It might even be too early to ask for some sort of lookback, or a report…
Tyler Perry: Am I dying?
When you look back on the body of what you’ve worked on, what you’ve accomplished, and how you’ve infiltrated yourself into this business on your own terms, is it still to early to look back at the impact of what you’ve accomplished?
Tyler Perry: You know, I try not to. I have these great moments though, like last night I was in a restaurant, and this guy came up to me. First of all, he was working on my nerves because I was trying to eat. He just kept talking, and kept talking. I finally had to tell myself “Just hold up. There’s something coming here.” and as he got halfway through, probably 15-20 minutes into what he was saying (laughs) he said “because you have, I feel like I can”. That was such a moment for me. So, sometimes you have to wait to get to the moment. He said “because you have done what you’ve done, I feel like I can too”, and when people tell you that… the body of work, and everything you’ve done, and how it’s being received… it makes me know, that in some kind of way, God has blessed me to represent hope for some people. To have that kind of responsibility, or gift, because that’s truly what it is… for God to give it to you. It’s not something you can earn. It makes me feel great. It makes me feel really wonderful. So, that’s what I’m focused on more than the totality of the work. How it’s affected people and how does it move them.
Do you see yourself as a role model?
Tyler Perry: I see myself as human. I make a lot of mistakes, but I also see myself as a person that, because of what I’ve done, I can show people, or… I do show people, as he said, that it’s possible. If that’s a role model, then yeah. But don’t follow me at home when I’m tired, cause you might not like what you see.
At the end of the day, and the end of this journey making TEMPTATION, what have you personally taken away from this experience, this movie, and working with Tyler?
Tyler Perry: Well, I love him, myself. (Laughs)
Brandy Norwood: (To Tyler) I loved working with you. No, seriously. I loved working with you. He took care of all of us, and I’m just so thankful. I loved my character, and I had to work really hard.
Tyler Perry: (To Brandy) And you did really great.
Brandy Norwood: I really mean that.
Tyler Perry: I’ll close it with this. Just working with all of these people has been a joy. I was having a conversation with somebody when I started making this film, and I was like “Where is that next group? Where is that Howard Rollins, and Denzel, A SOLDIER’S STORY? Where are those people? Where’s Lynn Whitfield? Where is that generation? Cicely Tyson? Where are they?”
Ella Joyce: Judy Pace… I saw her the other day looking gorgeous… (Laughs)
Tyler Perry: … and I’ve found them. I found the next group of people who are coming up, and I’m super excited about it. I think they are all amazing. I think they are all wonderful. I wanted to do what I could to let them shine as bright as they could. I’m hoping, as this movie opens, that people not only get the messages that I want them to get of hope, redemption, faith, forgiveness, making the right choices, but also to realize that there’s another generation of stars that are coming up that are going to break this thing wide open. That’s what I want it to be about.
Official Facebook Page: www.fb.com/temptation
Official Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/TemptationMovie
TYLER PERRY’S TEMPTATION hits theaters March 29
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