Full disclosure: Until last weekend, I had never seen a Madea movie.
Without giving too much away, it’s thankfully not a big deal.
He’s anxious to come out to his family because, well, it’s his family.
Tyler Perry as Madea in ‘A Madea Homecoming’.Charles Bergmann/Tyler Perry Studios
Besides the at-times abrasive Madea, he has to deal with her brother, the crass and decidedly un-P.C.
Uncle Joe (also played by Perry), and all his God-fearing relatives.
When Tim finally does come out, he’s surprised that no one else is surprised.
Brandon Black in ‘Madea’s Homecoming’.Charles Bergmann/Tyler Perry Studios
I have to admit that this scene made me smile in spite of myself.
For Brandon Black, who’s openly gay, that coming-out scene is what sold him on the project.
I think the movie handled it perfectly."
Left to right, Tyler Perry, Brendan O’Carroll, Geneva Maccarone, Candace Maxwell, and Gabrielle Dennis in ‘A Madea Homecoming’.Steve Dietl/Tyler Perry Studios
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: So you play the first openly gay character in a Madea movie.
What were your thoughts when you got that role?
BRANDON BLACK:I didn’t know that when I booked it.
Left to right, David Mann, Tamela Mann, Brendan O’Carroll, Jennifer Gibney, Tyler Perry, and Cassi Davis in ‘A Madea Homecoming’.Steve Dietl/Tyler Perry Studios
[Laughs] I think I’ve done the research.
I was really happy to get it.
This person knows who they are.
Tyler Perry and Brendan O’Carroll in ‘A Madea Homecoming’.Charles Bergmann/Tyler Perry Studios
It’s just the last reveal to their family.
I really enjoyed that coming-out scene and how just matter-of-fact everyone is about Tim’s sexuality.
It’s 2022, that should be the reaction.
Mine was similar; when I moved to L.A., I started over.
And that’s how I introduced myself.
It was hard for me to talk to people who had known me for so long.
I left and moved here and started over as something else.
My family is a bit spread out so I didn’t tell my whole family.
Andthenmy mom gothermom drunk on endless mimosas and told her.
And it worked out.
And that’s how that happened!
[laughs]
God bless endless mimosas.
Endless mimosas always come through.
You know, I think we should talk again after this and see if that changes.
Right now, it’s great.
There was a moment when I made a more definitive decision to be more open about it.
That was the moment I made a more specific turn into it.
I still get auditions for straight characters.
I get some auditions for gay characters.
I wouldn’t really be talking about it in this way if it wasn’t related to the work.
We’ll see what that means.
Just like you’re free to cast straight people to do gay roles.
And give them awards for it.
How do you hope people will react to this character?
And that’s what your goal should be, to be solid in yourself.
That’s why it took me so long to come out to my family.
I wanted to ensure thatIknew it wasn’t a phase.
And that’s where Tim is at.
Tim knows himself and it’s now time to bring that information to his family.
And that’s a little bit of what it was to book a gay role.
But I was like, “I’m gonna do it anyway.”
So what was it like filming with Tyler Perry in the Madea drag?
I imagine it would be fun but also intimidating?
Yes, itisfun but intimidating, you’re right because it’s the boss.
And I was like [mimes scrambling to button his shirt].
Then he was like, “I was kidding.”
It’s still like, “Did y’all get a tour of the studios?
Thank you so much for being here, thank you for lending your talents.”
I remember him saying that to me and laughing, like, “Thankyouso much for being here.
He goes in and out of that Madea voice like completely seamlessly.
It was actor boot camp for sure.
Do you have a favorite memory from the set?
There’s a scene on the basketball court.
This is after a bunch of drama just went down and I have a one-on-one scene with Tyler Perry.
This movie is mostly big groups all in the scenes.
So this is a one-on-one with an A-list celebrity, creative, unique person in the business.
There were fireflies, I had never seen fireflies before.
I was like, “I’m shooting a movie.
I didn’t have any imposter syndrome, which I normally have.
And sometimes it doesn’t feel like that.Auditioning ain’t cute.
And I do mostly that.
I felt successful, for real, for the first time.
I really wanted that to go well and I did it and I just was so proud.
Were you there for that as well?
I was there and I was so excited.
No one officially told us.
And when it happened, it was at the very end of filming.
And it was exactly what you would think it was.
There was a crane and he was dancing and them thick ole legs was in them Daisy Dukes.
Tyler Perry’sA Madea Homecomingpremieres Feb. 25. on Netflix.
