Michael Jai White Talks We The Party, For Better or Worseby Wilson Morales
April 3, 2012
While he’s lately been seen on TV playing a husband and a dad on Tyler Perry’s For Better or Worse, for Michael Jai White, the opportunity has rarely presented itself for him to play that role (of being a dad) on the big screen.
Although the Brooklyn, NY native is also known for his action films such as Spawn, Black Dynamite, and most recently, Never Back Down 2: The Beatdown, White has appeared in some dramatic films such as The Dark Knight, and in the Tyler Perry films Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?
His latest film, the teen dramedy We The Party, has him playing a dad looking out for his daughter’s best interests.
Directed by his good friend, Mario Van Peebles and starring his son Mandela in a lead role, We The Party is a colorful, cutting-edge comedy set in an ethnically diverse Los Angeles high school during America’s first black president. The film focuses on five friends as they deal with romance, money, prom, college, sex, bullies, facebook, fitting in, standing out, and finding themselves.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, White spoke about playing a dad on the big screen, working with Mario Van Peebles and his Black Dynamite co-star Salli Richardson-Whitfield, and the new season of For Better or Worse.
How would you describe your character?
Michael Jai White: I play a protective father, the one who knows what teenage girls are up against in this day of age. My character is also a cop so you can imagine that he’s privy to the worst things going on. He has to make sure his daughter doesn’t wind up like the folks he sees at work.
Although you play one on TV, is this the first time you playing a dad on the big screen?
MJW: No, it’s weird but I played a dad on ‘Spawn.’ Spawn was doing more things than responding as a dad.
There’s a difference between your character being a dad and playing a dad.
MJW: Absolutely. This is definitely the first.
What was the attraction to joining Mario in this film?
MJW: The film’s content and also as a real dad and someone who cares these folks and their education and who cares about how we are seen in the media. I could not in any good consciousness turn my back on something like this. I thought that Mario as a person, I feel his taste is impeccable and he’s one of the best fathers I know. If this film has his mark on it, I’m going to be there wholeheartedly.
How was working with his kids in the film?
MJW: Great. Like I said, he’s a fabulous father. I’ve known the family for quite some time. I’ve talked with Mario for years on parenting. We share information and compare notes.
This film deals with so many issues that you get a lot more than you bargained for.
MJW: Absolutely. It’s a sad case of events that we are not seen as good parents who care for their children in movies. I don’t feel that I have the right to talk about it unless I do something about it.
How was working with Salli Richardson-Whitfield again?
MJW: Clearly, Salli Richardson is one of the best actresses out there and one of the non-actressy actresses I’ve ever met. She’s just so cool. She has pin-up looks and she’s like one of the guys. When you have that in a woman, it’s outstanding. It’s always great to see her and work with her again because you know you are going to get great results.
How’s For Better or Worse going?
MJW: It’s great. We have 45 episodes for the new season. The show will be funnier by far and it’s not going to be serial nature like the first 10 were. If you were a new viewer and you started watching from episode four, you might be lost to what’s going on. Each episode has its own situation. It’s not necessarily a two-parter or a six-parter. This is one of the positive changes coming up and you don’t know what you are going to see with each show.
Have you seen any good action films when you’re not working?
We The Party opens on April 6.
MJW: Yes. There is a very good film from Sony called The Raid: Redemption and it’s one of the best action films in a decade. It’s just non-stop action. It’s going to be a game changer and Sony acquired the rights to make an American version that I hope to be a part of.
Would you want to be the hero or villain?
MJW: I like the good guy role personally or be a very interesting bad guy. If you play the good guy you have more fight scenes. If you play the bad guy you might have one and probably at the end of a film.
