5 questions for … Allen Payne

After having taken a small break from the acting world, veteran actor Allen Payne, is back on the scene this summer in the new TBS comedy Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Many may remember the New York native from The Cosby Show or through his film credits that include Jason's Lyric and New Jack City. Payne took some time to chat with EBONY about the state of TV, the importance of all-Black casts and who Allen Payne is behind the lights, camera and action.

EBONY: Your new project, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, seems like a show that the entire family can watch. Do you think there is a need for more clean, wholesome shows on television?

AP: I think there should be more wholesome fun on TV, but I think the problem is that they have skewed the lines and taken the boundaries much further, and once you do that, there's only a specific kind of way to reel it all back in.

EBONY: Do you think all-Black casts are important?

AP: I think to show life as a reality is important. I don't think any of us live in an all-anything world anymore. I think it's important that art reflects life.

EBONY: As an actor, is there any part of the job that you dislike?

AP: I love all parts of acting ... hut the business itself sometimes creates obstacles that you have to overcome. After my mother died, I stepped away from acting. I chose to look inward and find myself, and I think that's important when you're an actor ... you spend so much time trying to work and being interpreted by fans, executives and people in Hollywood that you can lose a sense of yourself.

EBONY: Who is Allen Payne away from the cameras and lights?

AP: He's the guy who knows how important it is to discover your true self ...

EBONY: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

AP: Peaceful and happy, hopefully, but working more ... I'm going to do my part and just try to leave a legacy of a Brother who worked hard, who understood who he was and spent a lot of time trying to help others reach that same point in their lives.

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning