(C) 2013 by Rych McCain, All Rights Reserved. No part of this column may
be reprinted, re-posted or duplicated without written permission from
Rych McCain Media/Syndication. Violation is subject to applicable laws.
Ella Joyce - Movie
By Rych McCain International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
Ella Joyce
Viewpoints From The For
Real Side!
Photos Courtesy of Lionsgate
From the moment you enter her presence,
you can detect a since of fun, laughter and free spirit but you also pick up a
no nonsense demeanor that keeps it all balanced and real. Ella Joyce is a
veteran actress who has been there – done that in showbiz which has made her a
solid beacon of an example to the younger generations of actors coming behind
her.
 |
| Ella Joyce as Sarah |
The Chicago native works extensively in Regional Theatre and is the
recipient of the Jefferson Award and the Black Theatre Alliance Award (BTAA)
from the Goodman Theatre for Lynne Nottage’s “Crumbs From Table Of Joy.” Joyce is an in-demand Voiceover artist
and has spent the last five years touring her own one-woman play “A Rose Among
Thorns,” a tribute to the late civil rights icon Rosa Parks.
 |
| Ella Joyce |
In her latest TV series, she plays Gladys
Crawford on TV One’s “Belle’s.” She was also a regular as Jasmine
Scott on ABC-TV’s “My Wife and Kids,”
but may best be known as Eleanor Emerson on the very popular Fox-TV show “Roc.”
In her latest film, Tyler Perry’s “Temptation:
Confessions Of A Marriage Counselor,” Joyce portrays Sarah, the super
religious mom of Judith, played by Jurnee Smollett-Bell. In discussing her
views on various subjects, Joyce is solidly opinionated about the film’s
message and how it should help people.
+Judith.jpg) |
| Brice (Lance Gross) Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) |
When Joyce got the script for Temptation,
the role of Sarah was very typical of super religious moms from the South, so
was that a no-brainer for her to play?
Joyce laughs, “I really related to her character because as
African-Americans, we are heavy into the church. I love the fact that she was
using the foundation of her convictions and her beliefs to try to rear her
child.
 |
| Judith (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) Harley (Robbie Jones) |
There’s some sort of inference in there that perhaps momma may have
lived the kind of life where she’s talking from experience. We kind of think
Where did Judith come from? There’s no father there. And like so many people,
they grab into the church. So that was her foundation in trying to help her
daughter. And I think it all works out good in the end because in the very end
we’ve go a “Ah-Ha” moment. I think what happens is that it’s easy to go over
one’s head. But if I had a chance to re-name the movie, I would call it “Saved” instead of confession because in
the very end, we think it is a bad ending but after everything she went
through, where is she going? She’s going to church.”
.jpg) |
| Brice (Lance Gross) Melinda (Brandy Norwood) |
When looking at the affect that Judith’s
testimony had on her client, Joyce observed, “She’s saving souls. That little
girl walked out of that office and didn’t have that affair. You never know how
the Lord is going to use you, how he’s is going to use you through the mistakes
that you’ve made in life. And now she is a marriage councilor but she’s a
marriage councilor maybe not the way she thought she was going to get there,
she’s there with the Lord using her. In the very end, she helped that other
child. And she’s helping a whole lot of people; stopping them from making the
mistake that she made and she didn’t have to choose to do that. That’s because
of her religious understanding and the spirituality of knowing that we are here
to serve.”
©
2013 Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm
(You
DID Hear It From Me!)
Twitter@rychmccain and Facebook
