Actor Brian White relishes a challenge and his new film role, co-starring in the Tyler Perry flick “Good Deeds” alongside Perry and an amazing mostly African-American cast, provides the prolific actor the stretch he craves.
“There’s no art in playing characters that are like me. But when you work with Tyler Perry, he always has a crystal clear answer and his movies always have a clear message,” says White, who portrays Perry’s brother, Walter, in the film, which hit theaters Feb. 24.
 |
| BRIAN WHITE in a scene from one of his many movies, showing his abs.
|
“In his movies, Tyler offers me the opportunity to challenge myself as an actor and it’s always a good challenge and I like the fact that I get to work with others in the ensemble to deliver the message of the movie.”
A moving story centering around chance, courage and the choices we make that define our lives and ultimately our happiness, “Good Deeds” centers around Wesley Deeds.
Wesley is a successful businessman who has always done what is expected of him whether it be taking over his father’s business, overlooking his brother, Walter’s behavior at the office or marrying his fiancée Natalie.
Wesley’s predicable life takes an unpredictable turn when he meets Lindsey, a single mother who works on the cleaning crew at his office. He offers to help the beautiful struggling mother get back on her feet and in turn finds the courage to go after the life he has always wanted.
“Walter is the person who always blames stuff on everyone else instead of taking the blame. He and Wesley are opposite sides of the coin,” says White of his character. “People need to take responsibility for their own lives. You never know how doing a small act of kindness can impact others.”
In addition to White and Perry, “Good Deeds” boasts an all-star cast including Phylicia Rashad, Eddie Cibrian, Thandie Newton, Gabrielle Union and Rebecca Romijn.
“Tyler really stepped it up this time. Phylicia Rashad is phenomenal and Thandie is amazing,” explained White, who grew up outside of Boston and went to Dartmouth College to study theater arts, Psychology and Political Science before moving to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career.
While in college, White co-founded a dance and professional theater company, Phunk Phenomenon Urban Dance Theater Company.
“The mission of Phunk Phenomenon has always been to use the art of dance as a catalyst for youth outreach. Over the past several years, Phunk has visited over 200 private and public schools, performing and sharing the collective life experiences of the ensemble on a variety of socially relevant topics.”
Phunk has collaborated with numerous organizations including MTV, the NBA, WNBA and Disney World. The group has performed with such superstars as TLC, Britney Spears, Run DMC, Jessica Simpson and Alvin Ailey.
Although White began acting 12 years ago, his body of work on the silver and small screens is broad. He got his start in television sitcoms including “Moesha,” “The Parkers,” MTV’s “Spyder Games” and the UPN’s “Second Time Around.”
He quickly parlayed that into film roles including “Stomp The Yard,” “The Game Plan,” “12 Rounds” and Tyler Perry’s “I Can Do Bad All By Myself.”
White followed his role in Perry’s movie with a recurring role in the Emmy-nominated TNT series, “Men of A Certain Age.”
The versatile actor came on to the acting scene after having careers in sports—he played in both the NFL for the New England Patriots and the NLL for the Boston Blazers Lacrosse teams, until an injury sidelined him. He then became a certified stock broker.
Even though working as a stock broker wasn’t his choice profession, he used his time to learn the ends and outs of how movies are financed and what factors drive the entertainment business and market.
“I left the NFL with a 450 credit score. I was broke and I realized I needed to fill in that gap so I took a stock broking job. I wasn’t passionate about it, but I used it as a stepping stone to help me get into acting,” he said.
He said his time in the sports and finance fields have helped him in his acting and entertainment endeavors.
“Sports and entertainment are one in the same. You are only as good as your last play or movie and that keeps you striving to do better,” White said.
Working hard to achieve your dreams and follow your passions is what White tries to instill in today’s youth, as this year’s co-host of the UNCF national “Empower Me” tour.
Each weekend, White is on the road talking to kids about literacy, fitness and other issues alongside Tatiyana Ali, Lamman Rucker and Kenny Lattimore.
“I’m doing this because we were there at one point and someone reached out and helped us. We partner with the NAACP, the National Urban League and Wells Fargo. We provide on-going support. I’m like a cheerleader for these kids,” White said. He has already signed up to co-host the event next year.
When asked if he had any advice for aspiring actors, White was quick to answer: “If you can bring humanity to a character, you’ll be considered for the role. If you don’t have that you won’t be chosen,” he said.
In addition to his role in “Good Deeds,” White will be playing Alex Truman in the Joss Wheadon/Drew Goddard horror film, “The Cabin in the Woods.”
About Post Author
