The Deadbolt News - From the House of Cos to House of Payne with Keshia Knight Pulliam

From the House of Cos to House of Payne with Keshia Knight Pulliam
by Troy Rogers

After growing up on the set of The Cosby Show in the '80s, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam has matured into lovely grounded young woman. Although Keshia has already left a lasting impression on the TV landscape from her Cosby role as Rudy, Pulliam is carving out her own unique path as an actress with her current role as sexy reformed con-artist wife of Calvin Payne, Miranda Lucas-Payne, on the TBS series, Tyler Perry's House of Payne.

Now coming into her own as an actress and as an industry creative with her own production company, Keshia also landed the challenging role of a drug addled prostitute in Tyler Perry's latest feature film, Madea Goes to Jail. At 30 years old, with an Emmy nomination under her belt as a Cosby kid, Keshia has already proven herself as an adult actress after winning an Image Award for her Best Supporting role in Tyler Perry's House of Pain.

With both Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail and House of Payne: Volume Four out on DVD as of June 16, 2009, we caught up with Keshia Knight Pulliam for an exclusive chat about the world of Tyler Perry, growing up Cosby, her work on House of Payne, and her plans for the future. Interestingly, it feels as though the best of Keshia Knight Pulliam is yet to come.

THE DEADBOLT: So what’s it like working with Tyler Perry?

KESHIA KNIGHT PULLIAM: You know, I really enjoy working with Tyler and his work ethic. Being around someone who’s such an innovator and has done so much in such a short period of time in terms of the film and television industry, I’ve enjoyed it.

THE DEADBOLT: It seems like he puts out a movie every two weeks.

PULLIAM: I don’t know how he does it. I swear, I don’t know when he sleeps.

THE DEADBOLT: Since you both live in Atlanta, do you get to hang out with him when you’re not working?

PULLIAM: We do, but he’s usually working. Honestly, I am, too. Even when I’m not working on The House of Payne, or we did do the movie last year together, I have a production company as well, so I’m definitely trying to work as much as possible.

THE DEADBOLT: From The Cosby Show as Rudy to now seeing you as Miranda, it’s like night and day. Did you take the role for that specific purpose?

PULLIAM: You really can’t compare The Cosby Show with this, because I was like 7 when I was on The Cosby Show [laughs], and now I’m a grown woman. I’m 30, so I think it’s very different. I don’t really see the comparison in terms of this, a woman who’s gotten married, who’s on the verge of having children and all of those things. So I think it’s different.

THE DEADBOLT: Since Miranda’s background is a con-artist, did you do any type of research for her, or did Tyler just let you come up with her on your own?

PULLIAM: He just kind of let me do it myself. I mean, Tyler is definitely able to give you direction and express his vision of the character, but he also gives you the freedom to make it your own.

THE DEADBOLT: In Madea Goes to Jail you played a prostitute and a drug addict. Is there something that he sees in you to play these parts, or does he just want to see you do something different?

PULLIAM: I mean, I’m an actress and that’s my job is to play different people, and I think sometimes people forget that’s what you do as an actress. Actually, he had wanted me to play Linda the assistant D.A. role and I convinced him that I needed to play Candy because that was the best role for me. So I just really wanted to take on the challenge and do something very different out of the box and I knew Candy was that.

THE DEADBOLT: With Miranda in House of Payne, she’s expecting a baby and seems to want to get away from Calvin. Where would you like to see her go in the future?

PULLIAM: I don’t know. I think it really mirrors a lot of challenges that young couples have. Either you get married and you realize all of the different habits this person has that you didn’t know, and vice versa, about you. It’s just kind of the growing pains of the first year you have together and it’s just kind of sifting through these uncharted territories, these uncharted waters. So, I mean, I think you’ll just have to tune in and see.

THE DEADBOLT: How about her personality? Do you see her slipping back into her old ways?

PULLIAM: No. I think she’s definitely reformed. I mean, like anybody, you make mistakes and there are different things you may have done when you were younger that you learn from and you grow from. So I think she’s definitely learned from her mistakes. But hey, you never know.

THE DEADBOLT: In terms of working as much as possible, are there any more music videos planned in your future?

PULLIAM: Right now I’m focused on my production company, Pullpenn Productions, and I’m very busy with going back to The House of Payne and working on other projects. I never say never, but I have a lot on my plate, other stuff I’m focused on right now.

THE DEADBOLT: Will we see you in any future Tyler Perry movies?

PULLIAM: Well, right now we’re going back to The House of Payne and we’re going to start filming the next episodes. So I’m definitely doing that and I’m always reading scripts and seeing what’s out there. That’s why I’ve gotten into the production end. Instead of waiting for other people to write and create, I can do that for myself.

THE DEADBOLT: Do you like one more than the other, acting versus producing?

PULLIAM: Yeah, I like it all. It’s very different. I really kind of like doing it in conjunction with each other, because as a producer you get to have a say-so in the direction of your character and you know how your vision can be clearly portrayed. So I definitely like doing both.

THE DEADBOLT: With this being the 25th anniversary of The Cosby Show, whenever I hear your name I always think of the Gordon Gartrell episode. Lately when I’m in Starbucks I've been hearing the song when Rudy belted out "Baby!" at the bottom of the stairs [Night Time Is The Right Time]. Do you have any lasting memories of your time on the show?

PULLIAM: [laughs] Yeah. For most people, that’s one of their favourite ones. Of course it comes on so many stations that - I mean, people and a new generation of children are experiencing it today as if it was the first time. I love the anniversary shows. Speaking of the lip-syncing you were talking about, I always enjoyed when I had other kids on the show, like when Peter [Costa] was there or Deon Richmond who played Bud [aka Kenny], those were always fun for me. There are so many memorable episodes that it’s hard to pick just one outside of the personal memories I have with the cast and riding my Big Wheel across the set and all of those different things. So I have very fond memories.

THE DEADBOLT: Do you still keep in contact with them?

PULLIAM: Yeah, I definitely stay in contact with Tempest [Bledsoe] and Malcolm [Jamal Warner] the most. But now, with the 25th anniversary, it was a pleasure to see Mr. Cosby and Phylicia [Rashad] and the rest of the cast, and do The Today Show and different press opportunities with them just a couple of weeks ago.

-- Troy Rogers