Michael Ealy starred in the film ‘For Colored Girls’ over a decade ago, but it remains the “toughest” role of her career. Speaking to entertainment media SpringHillEaly recently opened up about the lasting impact of his Beau Willie character.
If you’ve never seen the Tyler Perry movie, here’s a spoiler update. Beau was the boyfriend of the character Crystal Wallace, played by actress Kimberly Elise. During the two-hour film, Beau kills his and Crystal’s two children, throwing them out the window of their high-rise apartment. Until the double homicide, Beau appeared to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and was physically abusive to Crystal. Moments before killing the children, Crystal refused Beau’s marriage proposal.
@pixeladox0 film for colored girls abandoning the consequences of the children’s scene #for you #film #fyp fyp≥
Here’s what Michael Ealy shared about his role as Beau Willie
The ‘SpringHill’ interview host brought up the topic of the “hardest” role with a question. Ealy wasted no time in mentioning her role in ‘For Colored Girls’. The actor said that Beau is still with him “to this day”, despite the film’s release year being 2010.
“People still hold it against me personally, which is not something you expect as an actor when you start out. You feel like people can distinguish you from your character. People see pictures of me and my kids and say, ‘Girl, take those kids away from him.'”
Michael Ealy labeled the phenomenon “crazy” but said he also considers it a compliment to his acting skills. “To some extent, from an artistic point of view, that’s a compliment…,” the actor said, adding, “Either that or they just think I’m crazy,” when the host suggested he’s good at what he does.
“Certain functions are limited to people. I’m still called Ricky from ‘Barbershop,’ and that was over 20 years ago,” he said.
As he mentioned, Michael is a real-life father to two children with his wife, Khatira Rafiqzada. They welcomed their first child, a son named Elijah Rakim, in September 2013, and their second child, a daughter named Harlem Quest, in April 2016.
According to PEOPLEMichael and Khatira went on their first date three days after meeting, and the outing lasted more than 12 hours, from morning until about 2am. The couple tied the knot on October 20, 2012, and continue to celebrate their first meeting anniversary every year on February 16.
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What do you think, roommates?