Exclusive: Michael Jai White talks ‘For Better or Worse’ and ‘Arrow’by Wilson Morales
September 18, 2013
Coming back today for a third season is Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, which is now being shown on Oprah Winfrey’s OWN network after moving from TBS. Starring Tasha Smith and Michael Jai White, For Better or Worse follows three couples at various stages of their relationships as they tackle the ups and downs of married life and dating.
For White, the sitcom is just one of the many projects he’s doing concurrently. The Brooklyn, NY native has will also appearing on CW’s Arrow as Ben Turner/Bronze Tiger for a number of episodes, and he continues to voice the title character Black Dynamite on the an animated television series based on the 2009 film of the same name.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, White talks about the upcoming season as well as his role on Arrow.
Are you ready for the new season?
Michael Jai White: It’s great. I’m working with really good friends. I’m so lucky to be in that kind of atmosphere. What you’re seeing on the show are real relationships. Wr get together separate from the show almost consistently. If any this is going on in our lives, we all know about it. There are a lot bof these Hollywood connections that have that; where people are friends only for the run of the movie, television show, or whatever. This is not that. Our friendships are beyond that. When we get together, it’s real caring and love that you see on the screen.
What can we expect this season from your character?
MJW: I think there’s an evolution this season. The comedy has got much better. Our timing with each other. The plotlines and the layers have improved. We’re doing more abstract humor as well. The cast is diverse and Tyler (Perry) has written stuff that works with our strentghs and I’m very happy with the writing this season.
Has the change from TBS to OWN affected production?
MJW: It never affected anything as far as our production because once we complete our episodes, the choice to go to OWN happened afterwards. It’s something that we are excited about and we feel that it’s a milestone. We’re part of something that will be around for a long time. For us to be a significant piece of that puzzle is very exciting.
For anyone who hasn’t caught any of the previous seasons, should they watch ‘Why Did I Get Married?’ to know where the main characters came from?
MJW: They don’t need to watch ‘Why Did I Get Married?’ or the sequel at all to get into the show. In fact, even if you missed the few seasons, you can still get into it. That’s one aspect of this season that’s a bit different. There are episodes that stand on their own which you don’t need to know any background at all. There will be certain storylines that will continue through, but it also have storylines that are completely different than anything that’s ongoing.
Having worked with Tasha Smith for a long time, has anything changed?
MJW: The one thing about Tasha and myself that’s different is that for the majority of this season, when you see us in a scene, it’s the first time we actually did it. We would prepare separately, get together, and have that energy be very real because it’s the first time we are actually hearing it with each other. For a larger portion of our scenes, we did rehearse. It provided an extra reality and we let it be organic in the moment. Just like most married couples, even when you hear something for the first time, your first response is the truth. That’s one aspect of our working relationship that has evolved.
You’re also doing a recurring role on CW’s Arrow as Bronze Tiger. What was the attraction to being a part of that series?
MJW: It’s about playing diverse characters and that gives you a longevity in this business. My character is Bronze Tiger, and I didn’t have to consult the comic books on this one. It’s pretty much a straight forward character and how they try to get him in Arrow is from a realistic perspective. You can play a comic book character in many ways. There’s the traditional way like ‘Superman’ and then there’s ‘Man of Steel. There’s a big difference. ‘Batman’ of 10 years ago is different from ‘The Dark Knight.’
How are you able to maintain flexibility to do 3 series at the same time and continue to do films?
MJW: It’s really not that difficult. Tyler (Perry) has showed me that you can do a lot with time and he does a herculean amount of stuff. He writes, produces, directs, and acts. It’s not that difficult when jobs are few and far between.
For Better Or Worse on Wednesday, September 18th at 9/8c on OWN
