What My Husband Doesn’t KnowAn Interview with Brian White
By Wilson Morales
March 6, 2011
After appearing in numerous films, and currently starring in TNT’s ‘Men of a Certain Age’ alongside Ray Romano, Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula, Brian White is doing something for a change, theater.
Acting opposite Michelle Williams, Ann Nesby, Clifton Davis and KeKe Wyatt, White is starring in David E. Talbert’s stage play, ‘What My Husband Doesn’t Know,’ which is doing a 28-city tour.
The new play celebrates Talbert’s 20th year in theater.
To her friends, the stunning Lena Summer (Williams) has it all—big house, loving daughter, wealthy husband. But her husband, Franklin, is so wrapped up in his construction business that the other side of Lena’s bed is too cold too often. When temptation comes along in the form of a handsome man named Paul (White), Lena gives in to her desires and a torrid affair ensues. But when she tries to break things off with Paul, things take a dark and surprising turn, eventually facing her with a difficult dilemma. Before the night is over, things grow even darker—but help may be much closer than Lena could have ever dared to imagine.
In speaking with Blackfilm.com, White spoke about doing his first play and working with Talbert and Williams.
So you’ve got your first stage show happening. How does that feel to do your stage show on a thirty-city tour?
Brian White: It’s very similar to shooting a sitcom because there’s a live audience and you can feel the energy and it’s a collective experience. So that part’s fantastic. But from the stage point of view it’s a lot like doing a sitcom and working with a live audience. From an audience point of view it’s definitely unique. My wife had the opportunity to come last night so we were talking about how much different it is than going to a movie or watching a DVD at home or a TV show because it is that collective experience. The audience enjoys and rides the show, but also the show has its own heartbeat. So each moment you can hear the collective sighs or laughs or applause or feedback from the audience. And so that part is tremendous. It’s been great.
And like you said, you’re used to doing films and a TV show and being on one location. Now you have to do a thirty-city tour. Are you ready for that?
Brian White: Yeah, well, my wife’s got me listening Operation Fitness. So we’ve been hitting the gym. So I’ve stayed in a routine so it’s really helped me on the road. Because it is a grind. It’s thirty cities. It is something I’m definitely not used to even as an athlete. As a football player, we’ll travel once a week, you know. Fifteen weeks and that’s it. This is every other day in and out of hotels and out of airports. Four shows on weekends. Trying to figure out when you can eat. When there’s time to sleep. And it’s definitely all about meeting the people that are supporting you on a grass roots level and the work. It’s a lot of work, so luckily I have a great cast around me and David’s written a great script and a lot of support from home. And it’s been a fantastic experience. And the fans have been absolutely great.
How would you describe your character?
Brian White: In this particular story, I always look at the overall story as far as why I’m going to do anything. And Paul is the catalyst to make sure that this story has sizzle to it. And David’s layered the story with a great message. Paul is a plumber. He’s a contractor who comes to town. He’s new in town. It takes place in Chicago. He arrives and he’s hired by Franklin, played by Clifton Davis’s company. And charged to come to his house and fix his plumbing. Fix his pipes. And come to find out he has a younger wife who befriends my character, Paul.
How’s working with Michelle, so far?
Brian White: It’s fantastic. She’s been an extreme professional. Everybody in this cast is fantastic. And the best- David’s play has one of the best casts he’s ever had a chance to work with. And I can see why. Michelle is a tireless worker, extreme professional. And I don’t know really how singers do it. As an actor, like I said, it is a grind. You have to keep your energy up to be able to do this all the time. And on top of that her and Ann are singing during rehearsals thirty, forty times a day these songs. And I mean her work ethic is amazing. She’s never without a smile. She’s never without energy. She’s always on point and always bringing her A-game.
And how are you balancing this between this and a TV show? Is the TV show on a hiatus?
Brian White: We are right between seasons right now. They’re re-airing season one on TNT and we come back on with new episodes in June and July. So we’re between. We shoot usually in the fall. So we have off until September when we start season three. So this fit right in. So it’s been a real perfect fit and a blessing.
So what was the selling point for you to do your first show?
Brian White: David E. Talbert. That’s pretty much it. For me, it’s always about who I’m working with. I always work on anything for one of three reasons because one, it just pays so much that I have to take care of my family and can’t say no. Two, the role or the director- the role is something I’ve never done before. Number two, the role is something I’ve never tried before so I get to try something new. And number three is if the director and the cast are people that I want to work with. And in this case it was all three, but primarily, David is steering the ship. And I’ve been a big fan of his for a long, long time. And he is one of the most promised voices in all of theatre and African American theatre. And I really wanted to challenge myself and take on the opportunity to work with him and hopefully develop a working relationship with him for many years to come.
Now you’ve got the TV show and you’ve got the stage show, when are you going to get back on the big screen?
Brian White: I’ve got two more films coming out this year. ‘The Heart Specialist’ I think is still in a few theatres around the country. That’s myself and Wood Harris and Zoe Saldana and Mya. Next up is ‘Politics of Love’. It stars myself, Ruby Dee, Loretta Devine, Gerry Bednob, and Mallika Sherawat. That’s based on a true story where an Obama campaign coordinator had an affair with a McCain campaign coordinator. That’s ‘Politics of Love’. Speaking to the state of politics and a lot of what the conversation is in American homes about, ‘Are you Republican? Are you Democrat? Who’d you support? What happened inside families when differentiating political ideals?’ And it’s interesting. I’ve never seen a Black Republican portrayed on film. I’ve never seen one who’s portrayed as upscale and likable. And this film speaks to that. And then the second film is ‘The Cabin in the Woods’ which is a thirty million dollar horror thriller, comedy, action extravaganza written by Joss Whedon who people know from ‘Buffy’ and ‘Angel’. It’s directed by Drew Goddard. ‘Cloverfield’ was his last film. And it’s a really good one. Tom Cruise is actually one of the executive producers and the film. I’m in the film with Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Jesse L. Williams, who the ladies love on ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, and Chris Hensworth who is the new ‘Thor’ in that big movie coming out. It’s a great cast, great film and it’s something new. I’ve never done a horror, thriller genre film at all. So those two films are next. And they’ll be out 2011. My book ‘Black Carpenter’ will also be out. You can get information at blackcarpenter.org, a youth empowerment brand. And the TV show, we go back to work as soon as we finish the play.
Would you ever consider doing Broadway?
Brian White: Of course. If the opportunity ever presents itself I’d love to do Broadway. It’s just about finding the right opportunity. Broadway would be fun. So, yeah, I welcome that opportunity.
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