We Got This Covered: You were a very believable badass in this movie. Do you think you might take on more roles of that ilk in the future?
Tyler Perry: It depends. I really committed to being this character and I spent a lot of time with the Atlanta Police Department and their homicide cold case division and being involved in some things that I don’t do in my day to day life. So after it was over I had to check in with myself to see how I feel about it because when you take on something that dark you really have to commit to going to some dark places. I would consider it based on how far I have to take my body and spirit into that type of world before I do it again.
We Got This Covered: As a director you don’t usually have the opportunity to work with other directors, but here you got to watch Rob do his thing. Was it easy to take off the director’s hat and just focus on your job as an actor on this?
Tyler Perry: I made a 100% commitment to let go and I had no issues. I’m good at giving up control to people who know where they’re going and what they want to do. Rob was that kind of director because he knew what he wanted and how to get there so I just followed along and that was easy for me. It would have been a tedious process had it been a director who was unsure of every situation.
We Got This Covered: Did you watch the previous Alex Cross movies starring Morgan Freeman, and was there anything you took from Freeman’s performance which added to your own?
Tyler Perry: I did watch both movies when they first came out. But let me tell you something, that’s Morgan frickin’ Freeman! You don’t try to do anything that Morgan Freeman does because he was the voice of God in a movie (Bruce Almighty). I knew going in that I could not try to be Morgan Freeman playing Alex Cross. I had to be the best Tyler Perry I could be playing Alex Cross.
We Got This Covered: Did you talk to Freeman about this project?
Tyler Perry: I did not speak to him about it. Now that it’s all over and after he sees it maybe I will.
We Got This Covered: Can you tell us about the fight sequences and of accidently hitting poor Matthew Fox?
Tyler Perry: Yeah, poor Matthew. It was a really bad moment. We practiced and rehearsed the fight sequences with the stunt people and went over it and over it and over it. We were on the catwalk of the Michigan Theater (which is beautiful by the way) doing the fight and I kept feeling within myself that he was too close. So I wouldn’t commit all the way to the turn, and Rob is saying “I just really need for you to go in there and just do it.” I was afraid to completely let go because this Krav Maga training is really amazing and I had major issues because I didn’t want to hurt Matthew.
Rob keeps pushing and pushing me so I just finally let go, and Matthew turns around and he’s too close and my elbow ends up hitting him in the temple. That was it for me. I had to leave the set after that because I didn’t want to be that committed to it. But Matthew was a good sport about and he didn’t turn around and kick me or anything.
We Got This Covered: Your own films have a very strong moral code to them, and Alex Cross is a family man but he goes to very dark places within himself. Do you feel your core audience will see this film as being in the same universe as your personal ones?
Tyler Perry: No, I think the audience will be clear that this is different from anything I’ve done before. In talking to them, they understand that this is an acting role for me and something that I wanted to do and not write, produce or direct. I think they’ll take it for what it is. I may lose some of the grandmothers who come out after church, but I’ll do something for them a little later on.
We Got This Covered: James Patterson said he created the character of Alex Cross because he wanted to do an anti-stereotypical role for an African-American. Did you think about that at all when you took this part?
Tyler Perry: I didn’t think about it as a black lead or anything other than that. I just thought about it as a great role and a great opportunity to do it.
We Got This Covered: Do you find that Madea informed your role of Alex Cross in any way?
Tyler Perry: Madea doesn’t live with me all the time. She and Alex Cross are two very different, very specific characters, and I don’t think there’s any part of her in him and vice versa. It’s just me being a character actor and taking on both roles as best I can.
We Got This Covered: Do you ever see a day where, as you picked up the baton for Alex Cross, you pass the baton for Madea to another actor?
Tyler Perry: That old broad is gonna die a slow, quick death before that happens (laughs). She’s going to be buried with that dress!
That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Tyler very much for talking with us. Be sure to check out Alex Cross, in theatres this weekend.
