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RELATED LINKS

• Article on Ms. Tyson
• Because of Winn-Dixie
• Diary of a Mad Black Woman
• Madea's Family Reunion
• Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts
• Ms. Tyson's bio

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Tavis: I am pleased to be joined by the talented cast of "Madea's Family Reunion.' Tyler Perry, of course, the writer, director, and star of this sequel to the surprise hit, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." He's joined tonight by three terrific actors who make up his all star cast. Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield, and Cicely Tyson.

Too bad he couldn't get anybody that knew what they were doing. (laugh) The movie opens this weekend, followed in April by the release of Tyler's first book, "Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life."

Cicely Tyson: Oh, lord. (laugh)

Tavis: I can't keep my face straight even saying that.

Tyler Perry: Say it, say it.

Tavis: I can't keep a straight face even saying that. Madea on love and life. All right. (laugh) Anyway. First up, here now a scene from Tyler Perry's "Madea's Family Reunion."

[Film Clip]

Tavis: (laugh) Tyler, nice to have you here.

Perry: It's good to be here. (laugh)

Tavis: I'm so far away, and to all the rest of you, I can't get to you down there. Nice to have you here. Where did this idea for Madea come from? One person, the amalgamation of 25 people, or what?

Perry: (laugh) Yeah, no, it's actually my cross between my mother and my aunt. Who are here in town. My mother and my aunt, they are the NC-17 version of Madea. (laugh) Oh yeah, I'm telling you. I'm telling you. You looking at the PG version right there. Yes. Yes.

Tavis: How, for you, 'cause in that particular scene, we saw you, of course, playing two characters. How difficult to bounce back and forth for you?

Tyson: You know what, it wasn't as difficult because I had such a great team. Reuben Cannon, who produced the movie with me, and Roger Bob, producer on the movie. And Lion's Gate, and all these wonderful people. They made it. To try to direct and do all of that stuff, they made it absolutely just a joy for me. They really did.

Tavis: Too bad you couldn't find no talent, as I said.

Perry: Yeah, yeah, it was tough. It was tough.

Tavis: We'll talk about that in just a second. I referenced earlier, Tyler, in this introduction "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" as a surprise hit. You getting tired of hearing that? Is that an accurate statement? Inaccurate? Or is it a surprise to the rest of us, and you knew it all along?

Perry: Yeah, I think it was a surprise to everyone. Everybody else was surprised. I was just grateful. Because I seat 30 to 35,000 a week, and when they all showed up to go to the movie theaters, and then some, it really made me feel just grateful. It really did. It really did.

Tavis: What kind of, how do I wanna phrase this? How important was it for you to have had that base from the plays that you've done for years as the driving force to fill theaters when the movie came out?

Perry: It's very important, because what I found about this base, what's affectionately called by some and criticized by others, the chitlin circuit. What I found out about this is here is this incredible group of African-American people who were colored when Jim Crow and segregation, and they weren't allowed to, when we, as Black people, were not allowed to perform in White venues or establishments, we went on this circuit.

And there is so much love and support, and this circuit is still around today. And what I've tried to do is elevate it, and raise it as much as I could, as a person. But it's still around, and to have that kind of loyalty and those kind of people in your corner, my people, our people, and to love and appreciate you, it's unbelievable.

Tavis: When you said you tried to raise the game of the chitlin circuit, I'm looking at Blair and Lynn and Ms. Tyson. All three have been on the stage. There are a lot of folk, as you well know, who say that ain't legitimate theater. That it really is a chitlin circuit. Your thoughts?

Perry: Well my thoughts about it are this. Because those very same people who say it's not legitimate theater would not have been allowed into what was legitimate theater during Jim Crow and segregation. So, I've often wondered, who told you that what we do is not legitimate? Who legitimized what you do, and did not legitimize this?

So, I think it's very important, and I think it is legitimate, when you're being supported by your own. And even now in Hollywood, where a lot of people can't get jobs, can go on this circuit and work. What's not legitimate about that?

Tavis: All right, we'll call this character call. We'll go down the row here, and let everybody describe their character in "Madea's Family Reunion." We'll start with the legend herself, Ms. Tyson. Nice to have you here again.

Tyson: (unintelligible)

Tavis: You reprise your role from the first film. So for those who didn't see the first film, all three of them, (laugh) let's talk about your character that is back in this second film.

Tyson: Myrtle.

Tavis: Mm hmm.

Tyson: Myrtle, as you well know, having seen "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," was in a home for a while. Ostracized by her son-in-law. And deeply religious, deeply spiritual. She found a way out of it, and is invited by Madea to attend the family reunion, of course. But she has a very special purpose in being there.

It has come to her during her time away that the present generation has lost its way. And she hopes that she will be able, in some way, to help them find their way back. That's as simply as I can put it.

Tavis: To that particular point, I referred to this particular project from Tyler, and even the first one, and to much of his work, but certainly this project I refer to as conscious comedy. It's funny, it's comedy, but there is a point here. There's a message here.

Tyson: Absolutely.

Tavis: How important for you, because so many people associate you, obviously, with these larger than life film projects that weren't funny, but made some, "Miss Jane Pittman," (unintelligible) and the list goes on and on and on. We associate you with this groundbreaking work. So when you choose to be in a comedy like this, does it have to have a message to it? does it have to be conscious comedy for you to do it?

Tyson: Well, I'm not in it because it's a comedy.

Tavis: Yeah.

Tyson: (laugh) Because I don't think of myself as being comedic. Although my family tells me all the time...

Tavis: That you are. (laugh)

Tyson: ...that I am funny.

Perry: And, and I'll tell you, and I'll say it, too.

Tyson: And when I am dead serious...

Tyson: When they decide they wanna laugh at me. (laugh) All right? I am dead serious.

Tavis: Sister Tyson got jokes, ya'll.

Perry: Yes, she does.

Tyson: (unintelligible)

Lynn Whitfield: (unintelligible) (laugh)

Tyson: I don't enter it thinking that it is a comedic role or that it is a comedic piece. I deal with what is given to me, and more often than not, it's very serious. And if you know anything about life, is that comedians, what they play on is the truth. And so, when Myrtle begins to talk about these things in her fashion, they seem comedic, but they are very serious.

Tavis: Lynn, I was saying to somebody before we started talking today that if had you a dime for every time I watched you just in the 'Josephine Baker Story,' you'd be independently wealthy. Not that you doing bad anyway. (laugh) You doing all right. But first of all, I loved you in that project.

Perry: Yes.

Whitfield: Thank you.

Tavis: Speaking of pieces that tell stories and that speak to our history. Brilliant job in that piece. Tell me about your character in "Madea's Family Reunion."

Whitfield: Well, I play a woman named Victoria. And she is a very ambitious, very conniving, immoral.

Tavis: So nothing like you, in other words?

Whitfield: Nothing like me. (laugh)

Tavis: Just checking. (laugh)

Whitfield: It was such an amazing stretch for me to reach for this character. (laugh) In fact, when time...

Tavis: It was such a stretch. (laugh)

Tyson: Speaking of comedy. (laugh)

Whitfield: When Tyler...

Perry: Speaking of comedy. (laugh)

Whitfield: You're not listening. Because Ms. Tyson I met when she was in Louisiana doing 'Sounder.' I've known her so long, and it's just, I love her. I went go on (unintelligible), 'cause actresses will kill you if you start talking about when. But so when Tyler told me that he wrote this character and he had my voice in mind, and then I read it, I said oh, my God.

Perry: What does he think of me?

Whitfield: What is he thinking about me? But anyway, this woman happens to be a mother. And she has two daughters. One she adores and wants to live through, because she's beautiful and thin. And the other she'd like to hide in a closet and never see, for reasons we find out later in the movie. But also because she has two children out of wedlock.

And she's just not a person who makes her feel good. And everything for Victoria is about feeling good. Every thing that she reaches for is to validate that she is okay. And it's an interesting woman to look at. And it was interesting that Tyler chose her. It is definitely not comedic.

But because she mirrors a kind of materialism that I think is rampant in many communities. Of wanting to gain wealth through marrying your daughter off, that kind of thing. No matter at what expense. And so often, I hear mothers say well, if you just can be quiet and just be nice. Do you know how hard it is out there?

One of those women with very misplaced values, and a very interesting character. 'Cause everything she's doing is out of a fear of not existing anymore. Out of a fear of a lack of security. And she's made very, very bad choices. She never grew up. And it's that kind of a villainous woman that is so much fun and splashy and spicy to play. I had a great time. (laugh)

Perry: She had fun. She really had fun, yeah.

Tavis: Let me confess something to you Lynn Whitfield. You were joking earlier about what Tyler thought of you, or what he might have thought of you when he called to offer you this role, and had written this role with you in mind. I recall, I'm not going to call any of my boys' names, 'cause I know they all watching right now.

But some of my boys, who shall remain nameless, (laugh) we were having dinner one night.

Whitfield: Are you about to scare me right now?

Tavis: No, I'm not gonna scare you, I'm not gonna scare you. My boys and I are having dinner one night. This is after 'A Thin Line' came out.

Whitfield: Mm hmm.

Tavis: So (unintelligible) raise this, but to get back to your point of what happens when you play a character, and it makes you wonder what other people think of you? So we were at dinner one night for, like, three hours. Me and, like, eight of my boys, talking about is Lynn Whitfield really like that character? (laugh)

Perry: She was too good.

Tavis: Everybody said, she's fine. And I would date her if I had the opportunity. Everybody was, like, loving on Lynn, being, like, what if Lynn is really like. (laugh)

Whitfield: Well, you know (unintelligible) ...

Tavis: You played it too well. You played it too well.

Whitfield: Do you know what? After 'Thin Line,' it was very difficult for me to get a date after that. (laugh) And it annoyed me. And when I got one, it might be the most romantic dinner, flowers. The kind of thing you like to set up all the time. Gorgeous, romantic, and in the middle of it, they'd be, like, so, yo. You not really like that, are you? (laugh) And it's like...

Perry: Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. He said, so yo?

Whitfield: Well. (laugh) They tried.

Tavis: That's a sign right there. That's a sign right there.

Whitfield: (unintelligible) to be comedic, and they're trying to be earthy and kind of smooth it over before.

Perry: So yo.

Tavis: So yo.

Perry: So yo.

Whitfield: Or - well, I just wanted to ask you this one thing. But the thing is is that's what we do. We act. And we look for the guts of a character. And it's so wonderful to have complex characters to play. Now, the 'Thin Line' woman was slightly unbalanced, but she was hurt and disappointed.

Tavis: Slightly?

Perry: Slightly unbalanced?

Tavis: Slightly. That is, like, the understatement of all. (laugh)

Perry: She was slightly, slightly.

Tavis: Slightly unbalanced? (laugh)

Whitfield: Well, now, you know how many crimes of passion there are.

Tavis: Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what? This conversation is scaring me. I gotta move off of this. I'm scared by my own question. (laugh) So let me move now to Blair Underwood. Blair, it's always nice to see you, my friend.

Blair Underwood: Oh, man, good to see you, brother.

Tavis: So Tyler let you stay your handsome self, 'cause you can't do much about that, can you? Blair is a handsome brother. So he let you stay your handsome self in the movie, but you played a character that I was not expecting. I wasn't expecting this.

Underwood: Lynn spoke of a villainous woman. My character would definitely be a villainous man. My character's name is Carlos, who is to marry her daughter, which is hard to believe. But basically, he's somebody who we find out, just as a glimpse inside of him when he says, everyone I ever loved left me.

But he beats his woman. He slaps her around. And from a creative standpoint, it's always great to play those complexities. It's a double-edged sword, because there's the social commentary on what it really is. And this happens way too often. I'm talking about abusive relationships. And what I love about what Tyler did was to present this type of relationship in such a manner where you can laugh and have fun and watch this movie.

But you also find yourself rooting for this particular character, that her daughter, my fiancE, to get out, no matter what. By any means necessary, get out of this situation.

Tavis: Where what do you dig, knowing you as I do, where do you dig to even play a character like that? 'Cause that is as foreign to Blair Underwood as anything I can imagine.

Perry: Truly, truly.

Underwood: Yeah, well, I've had a chance to play some crazy characters in the past. So...

Whitfield: You've played a lot of sinister kinds of, mm hmm.

Underwood: Yeah, and it's become like a pattern, actually. But from doing research on certain people, knowing friends in situations like that, one in particular right now, as a matter of fact, is going through that right now, an abusive relationship. And seeing it up close, and seeing how these people are really very manipulative.

And this character in particular, my character Carlos, he's very charming, he can say all the right things, he can do all the right things. But behind closed doors, he's a whole different animal.

Tavis: Lynn, when you walked on the set, I'm going to tell on everybody, so Blair and Ms. Tyson, Mr. Perry, were the last ones to get in their seats before we went live on the air here. So Lynn came out here early and got in her seat. And I was, like, so, is it always like this, Lynn? Are you always, like, the first one on the set? And she just said, very simply, I don't believe in keeping Ms. Tyson waiting.

Perry: That's real.

Tavis: So I raise that only because I wanted to ask you, Lynn, on a serious note, what is it like to work with a legend on a project like this? Cicely Tyson's sitting here.

Whitfield: Well, it is such an honor and such a pleasure because of what Ms. Tyson did. And I can feel comfortable to call her Cicely, but when I saw her run down that hill in 'Sounder,' when I saw her take that walk as Jane Pittman, and everything she's done, there are two things. I saw an artist who wasn't afraid to communicate her way.

And someone with longevity in this business. So it continues. So, from the time that I met her in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and then again at Carnegie Hall, remember, when she had the -(laugh) I feel like I'm working with someone in my tribe, and at the same time, an icon that I could ever dare to touch. And it's just wonderful. The day, the scene that we had where we were sitting with Mr. Tyson and Dr. Angelou, it was just fantastic.

Tavis: That's right, Dr. Angelou's in this project.

Perry: Yes. Yes. Yes, and she did an amazing p...m for the movie that I was, I was blown away when I heard it. I was, like, wow.

Tavis: What does it mean to you, Tyler, as I sit here, it's not lost to me in this conversation that you have the opportunity to not just employ people who are obviously talented and gifted and skilled at what they do. But you get a chance to put together a project that is for people, by Black people, about Black people, empowering Black people, making money for and with Black people.

This thing is Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, all the way through. I gotta imagine that there must be something special about being blessed with the opportunity to do something like that.

Perry: Yeah, and you know what, that's exactly what it is. It's a blessing to be able to, first of all, to come up with this character and have it speak across generations. I was in Colombia, and I asked the youngest person to stand up, and they were eight years old. Then I asked the oldest person, there was a woman in the balcony who was 91.

So to speak across generations like that to Black people, or people in general, is absolutely amazing. For any one person to be able to do it. And it's a heavy calling and responsibility, and I truly, truly take it seriously. And it is a wonderful, wonderful gift to be able to ask people to do it like Ms. Cicely Tyson, and Lynn, and Blair, and Dr. Angelou, and they say yes. People I have admired since I was a child just say yes to be a part of the project? That's wonderful.

Tavis: How do you get Hollywood, I'm coming. One second, Ms. Tyson, I promise I'm coming. How do you get Hollywood, though, to understand what this dynamic represents, and to take it seriously? 'Cause you didn't have success when you first started knocking on doors here.

Perry: Yeah, yeah, no, I can't do it alone. But I think the people themselves can get them to take it seriously by showing up the first weekend. By the numbers. Because when it boils down to it, that's what Hollywood understands. How well did the movie do? So we have the power as people to do it, but I don't think one individual can do it alone. It takes everybody to make it happen.

Tavis: Ms. Tyson, you were going to say something?

Tyson: Well, I wonder. I find myself wondering from time to time, when I think about Tyler, and we talk from time to time. And I wonder if he has any idea of what he has done. And what he will continue to do. I don't think he has.

Tavis: Why do you think that is?

Tyson: Because I think if he had, he would be probably totally immobilized.

Tavis: Be scared.

Tyson: If he had any idea. (laugh) He'd be scared. He would be frightened to death.

Whitfield: I don't think so.

Tyson: No. He would be, if he had any idea. I think it is possible for him to continue to do what he's doing, because he truly does not have any idea about the monumental task that he has taken on, and what he will do.

Tavis: All right, so let's assume for the moment that Tyler isn't listening. 'Cause we don't want to scare him. (laugh)

Tyson: No, he isn't listening. (laugh) I'm not talking to him, I'm talking to you and everybody else here.

Tavis: We don't want to scare Tyler, so we'll assume he ain't listening for the moment. So what has he done?

Tyson: Sometimes, you don't have what it takes to deal with the fear of it. So, as far as you're concerned, there is no fear.

Tavis: Right.

Tyson: You just go along like an innocent child. Going along, doing what they can do naturally.

Perry: Wow. Wow!

Tyson: Really.

Perry: Wow.

Tyson: And I'm grateful for that. And I hope it never changes.

Perry: Wow.

Tyson: So there. (laugh)

Perry: Wow, wow.

Whitfield: I am so amazed at, I think what Tyler has done, what I can see, that is so helpful for all of us and all of our stories, is he has actually helped America to fall in love with the Black culture.

Underwood: That's right.

Whitfield: Our icons. Our characters. Our aunts and our uncles. Our naughty, the naughty girl, the player guy. I think that he loves...

Tyson: They do.

Whitfield: ...loves Black people so much in his own way, with affection and humor, and he's irreverent as hell about who we are, that the charm of it is coming back. For a while, I wasn't seeing so much charm in our basic communities. And so he's helped, going through each of these cities, and doing the plays, Black people have fallen in love with themselves.

When I went to his play and they would go, you go from oldies but goodies into actual praise and worship. When I looked up and I was, like, all right, hallelujah, I was, like, wait a minute. This is a play. But that's what plays were meant to be.

In the Greek times, talking about whether it's legitimate or not, and Shakespearean theater. It was about audiences participating. So, Tyler has back in what they call the chitlin circuit, which the titles, what minorities, don't you hate that word?

Tavis: I like chitlins, though. I hate that word, but I love chitlins.

Whitfield: Until my mother cooks some, and they turn to mush. But I just think (laugh) that he's actually, really, made the country of these people fall in love with themselves again and support. We're now supporting our own stories. And ourselves. And say, yeah, we're all right. And it's so entertaining.

Tavis: Let me ask you finally, Tyler, it's a silly question on a certain level, but I'm curious as to your answer. How important is it, in telling these kinds of stories for, about, and by our people, to Lynn's point, to include humor? Could you do what you do if the humor weren't at the center of it?

Perry: I couldn't do it. Humor is very important, because it acts as some sort of anesthetic to get to the root of what you want to say. And being on stage, again, when you're in front of people, they let you know how far you're going, if you're going too far. If you're taking them too deep. And just with years of experience, I've learned that when I go into something serious and there is something that I want to say and I feel like I have a message, there's gotta to be comedy around it so it has a full effect.

Tavis: So Blair, you wanna to make a prediction how well this is gonna do this weekend?

Underwood: Ooh. Three hundred million. (laugh) This weekend. Alone.

Whitfield: This weekend. This weekend. (laugh)

Underwood: This weekend.

Tavis: Blair Underwood said it, I accept it. Let me thank Blair Underwood, Lynn Whitfield, Cicely Tyson, and Tyler Perry for coming to see us. "Madea's Family Reunion" opens tomorrow and bam, as if you hadn't already seen this, 'Essence' magazine, on stands now. Nice to see you.

Tyson: Thank you.

Whitfield: Nice to see you. Thank you.

Tavis: That's our show for tonight.