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Tyler Perry is back with another tale that explores the hardships of marriage and divorce with his latest film, Divorce in the Black , starring Meagan Good and Cory Hardrict. Good plays Ava, a bank professional determined to fight for her marriage to Dallas, played by Hardrict, the menacing husband who abandoned his relationship.
Like most women, Ava works overtime to revive her marriage, but when she realizes that things won’t change, she decides to choose herself and move on. Unfortunately, moving on ignites an inner turmoil lingering in Dallas, causing him to act out in harmful ways to himself and others. Divorce can be ugly, and this film explores the extremes of what can happen when you’re unequally yoked.
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Good and Hardict promoted the film during Essence Fest with a panel discussion that did a deep dive into the intricate parts of marriage and its hardships. The actors, who have both experienced divorces from their partners in recent years, leaned into the roles, resulting in a drama-filled storyline that will have you on the edge of your seats.
Following the panel, I sat down with Good and Hardict to dish about the film, the parts of their characters that felt familiar to their personal life experience, and what it was like working with Tyler Perry.
Meagan Good says she can relate to her character in Divorce in the Black
Good’s character mirrors the experience of many women who take their vows seriously. Often, women will go above and beyond to save their marriage for the sake of the promises made under oath to God, their partner, and themselves. But when a woman has tried all she could to no avail, its time to move on.
“I love that she (Ava) wants to take care of him, unconditionally loves him, and wants to help him figure it out, but ultimately, that’s work his character has to do” Good tells me. “There’s a lesson in that for a lot of women—at the end of the day, they got to do their work and vice versa. I also enjoyed playing the character because I understood the divorce aspect. Your life is going one way and then suddenly changing and being something completely different,” she continues.
Once Ava decides to choose herself and walk away from a relationship that is no longer serving her, life begins to change. Good says divorce is not easy, but having a positive outlook will determine how you navigate your new normal.
“They say divorce is the second highest pain after death. Because divorce is a death. I think that, to some degree, you are always healing from it, and the healing experience is ongoing, no matter how much time has passed,” she says. “But I think it’s up to you to decide if it’s going to make you bitter. Is it going to make you better? Are you going to grow from it? Are you going to have joy in this next season? Are you going to take the things that you learned, be grateful for the things you were able to give, and be grateful for the things you got? It’s about having the right attitude and the right perception.”
Playing this role is part of Good’s healing journey. Although she’s moved on, she says Ava’s character allowed her to be an instrument in someone else’s road to self discovery.
“And even with this film, for me, it was very therapeutic to be able to let a lot of that pain go, but also for it to be used for something bigger than myself. People can see themselves in my experience and in this character. I want them to know that they will get through. And it doesn’t have to be that you’re in a crazy abusive relationship. It can just be that your marriage ended. Just to know that you’ll get through, there’s life, and there’s more life on the other side,” she says.
Cory Hardrict shares his process for channeling such a dark character
Hardrict’s character Dallas is easily unlikeable, so if you walk away hating him, he’s done his job. Preparing for the role meant tapping into a part of himself that channels darker energy—something the actor achieved with research and help from an acting coach.
“ I channeled 30 years of work and experience in business. I put in all my passion and emotions. I like to come from an authentic place with whatever I’m feeling and put it on the screen and the camera. So when I read the script, it was all on the page. He’s a human being who is flawed. I studied different films like What’s Love Got To Do With It? I studied a lot of different things on YouTube, including the character work I got with my acting coach. That’s how I was able to ground the character and make him real so he would resonate with the people,” he tells me.
Divorce in the Black is written and directed by Tyler Perry, who often explores the complexities of relationships in his films. Many actors praise him for his work, particularly the instrumental part he plays in them finally being paid their worth. In a recent interview on Today with Hoda & Jenna , Good praised the director for being the first person in her 30-year career to agree to her salary expectations, which she was reluctant to ask for.
“What I love about Tyler is not only is he an angel, not only is he a genius, not only is he an unapologetic leader, he also makes you feel valued, seen, and appreciated,” she tells the hosts.
Hardrict echoed her sentiments stating, “Mr. Tyler the greatest, he’s a genius. Like Meg said earlier, he’s an angel, he’s a gift from God from so many people like me.”
“I give him the most utmost respect and gratitude for taking a chance on me, and giving me the opportunity,” he concludes.
Divorce in the Black hits Amazon Prime on Thursday, July 11.
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