October 10, 2007 @ 2:35 pm

Out the Box Office: Tasha Smith

by: Clay Cane

The star of Why Did I Get Married? on Tyler Perry, being a Black woman in Hollywood, and why TIVO helps her keep her clothes on.

Some performers just glow. But from Tasha Smith's opening scene in Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?, she illuminates.  Even next to her co-stars, an icon like Janet Jackson and a soul diva like Jill Scott, she triumphs as a crowd favorite.  In a performance that matches the vigor of Angela Bassett in Waiting to Exhale, Tasha Smith has proved she was made for the movies.  

Smith is far from an overnight sensation. She's been acting since 1994, appearing in films like Playas Ball, ATL and Daddy's Little Girls. But it's the role of the ballsy and unruly Angela in Why Did I Get Married? that's finally giving her the shine she deserves. Tasha says, "You know how you wait for that thing that's going to be your opportunity for people to really see you and know you? I would say that this would be considered that thing to really be a break for me."

Energetic and joyful, Tasha opened up to Vibe.com about the new film, being a black woman in Hollywood and how she has no plans to strip for the camera - TIVO is a demon!

You were excellent in Why Did I Get Married? You were also in Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls, but how did this specific role come about?
Tyler and I are really good friends. He's like my brother. I knew he was working on the script that he was very, very excited about. I have an acting school called Tasha Smith's Actors Workshop, and he'll have me come and work with some of the actors that he would hire for a show. He had flown me out to Atlanta to work with an actress on his TV show he was doing. While I was there he was like, I want you to just check out the script and tell me what you think. While I was reading it… [click] Oh! That's Tyler calling me right now. I won't click over! I'll let him know I was speaking to Vibe Online!

Exactly! [Laughs]
Well, while I was reading the script one of the young ladies who was already in the movie was telling him Tasha needs to play this role of Angela. After I read the script, I didn't know that and, "I'm like Tyler, who is Angela? Am I Angela?" I just felt so connected and felt like this was a part I could really have a great time with. He ended up giving me the role, and here we are today. Man, I had so much fun; I fell in love with that cast. Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Tyler, Malik, Michael Jai White - who I absolutely adore. They were all awesome! We had the best time, the most wonderful camaraderie. It was such a dream.

Your character had a quick mouth. What was the most shocking thing you had to say?
There was a moment at the dinner table. . . it was something I told Tyler that I really didn't know if I wanted her to say…I was a little appalled. [Laughs] Tyler said, Stop judging her and just trust me. I was like, okay, fine… but I just felt like it was wrong! After I reread it, we talked and had a collaboration on where he wanted to take the character. He convinced me this is who she is, so I did my work as an actor. It ended up being one of the best moments in the script, but it was the most shocking thing when I first read it.

Halle Berry and Whoopi Goldberg have said it's still hard for them to get roles. What's been your biggest challenge being a black woman in Hollywood?
I just think it is what it is. We understand this industry is what it is. My whole thought is that it's like playing baseball. You have a guy on first base, second base, third base, and their base is important. As long as they stay on their base eventually a ball is going to come their way. I think as black women in Hollywood we should stay on your base, stay focused on our passion and what we believe our purpose is as artists.

Just to be a bit more specific, I have several actor friends and a lot of them say it's even more challenging if you're not a light-skinned woman in Hollywood.  Have you had that experience?
I gotta tell you, there are some roles when they are just looking for a look. Sometimes it's sad that they may not embrace the beauty of the darker-skinned woman and I don't think it's just white Hollywood, I think sometimes as black people, we still deal with that color thing. It hasn't been a bother to me personally - I mean, I've had people say, "She's not pretty." It just is what it is. Whenever I'm the one they're looking for, I'll get the role. I just don't want to get caught up in the negative. We all have a purpose. Kimberley Elise has a purpose, Angela Basset has a purpose, Latifah has a purpose and that is what's so beautiful about our uniqueness as black women. I just feel we should be supportive with all of us and all of who we are as black women. 

You revealed on BET's Meet the Faith that you once had a drug addiction. How has those experiences helped you as an actor?
It's helped me because I identify with so many parts of humanity. There was a time I was ashamed of it, but now I appreciate it and thank God for it, because it's given me a level of compassion even for the most difficult characters. It gives me more compassion through the human stories we're able to tell through the arts.

Are there any roles you would not play or would be in conflict with your belief system?
I'm an artist, I believe in creating art and I believe in telling human stories through the arts as an actor. I love people and I understand that there are a lot of people in this world who may not necessarily have the belief system that I may have, but that's not why I became an actor. I became an actor because I love people and I always wanted to tell their stories. My religious beliefs will not tell me to say no to human stories. The only thing... that's not necessarily religious reasons... I don't know that I'd be butt naked in a movie because I speak to a lot of kids. I do a lot of youth-oriented events, motivational speaking and my teaching is a strong passion. I just don't know if I'm at an event with a bunch of young people that I want to know they have my titties on pause at home on the TIVO!

[Laughs] See, you know what -
I don't want them to be like, yeah, let me show you what the crack of her butt look like! You know? I mean, come on, because you know how the pause on the TIVO is!

Yes, I do know! [Laughs]
On some televisions they can blow up the screen, zoom in on the nipple - I don't want that! [Laughs]

I hear that. [Laughs] Was there a role you really wanted, auditioned for and didn't get?
Probably Baby Boy. I really fell in love with the script to play Tyrese's young, hot mother. I was very excited to work with John Singleton and I think that we'll probably get an opportunity to work together soon because I love his work. He and Spike Lee, I love their work.

What advice would you give young women of color who want to get involved in acting?
Don't ever lose who you are because of your circumstances in life. Sometimes we have circumstances that may try and paint a different image, but remember who you are and what your passions are. Don't let the obstacles that you're dealing with right now deter you from that first vision and that first dream.

Why Did I Get Married? opens this Friday, October 12th. 

Article tags: Tasha Smith, Tyler Perry 

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