Introducing the cast of “Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living,” Tyler Perry’s latest comedy for BET.
The series stars Na’im Lynn, J. Anthony Brown, Courtney Nichole, Tayler Buck and Alex Henderson, while longtime Tyler Perry collaborators David and Tamela Mann reprise their roles as Mr. Brown and Cora.
In an exclusive behind the scenes clip, David Mann shares why he’s excited to play Mr. Brown again.
“Having Mr. Brown on a new project is kind of a breath of fresh air for me because it’s somebody new for me to fight with, some new friends,” David Mann says. “And, of course, bringing Cora along is that added bonus. … Mr. Brown was crazy before, but now that he has someone else to take him to the next crazy level, it’s gonna be fun.”
Tamela Mann adds: “Cora is the peacemaker, I’m always – even with Madea and Mr. Brown – I’ve always been the pacemaker. And on ‘Assisted Living,’ I’m the peacemaker between Mr. Brown and Mr. Vinny.”
The show centers on Jeremy (Lynn), a man who moves his wife and two kids from Chicago to Georgia to collect his inheritance from his grandmother, only to find that his grandfather Vinny (Brown) has used the money to purchase an assisted living facility.
Still from BET’s “Assisted Living” episode 101. (Photo: Charles Bergmann/BET/Tyler Vision, LLC)
“Vinny is trouble from the word ‘Go’,” Brown says, describing his character as an “over-the top Fred Sanford” of “Sanford and Son.” “Working with David Mann again is incredible, he’s so quick and he doesn’t curse at all. My character curses on and off stage.”
Fortunately, the Manns already knew what they were getting themselves into with the veteran actor and comedian having previously appeared on their series “Mann and Wife,” as well as in Tyler Perry’s “Madea Goes to Jail.”
But Brown says even he was surprised at some of the lines Perry would suggest from off-camera. “I was like ‘Are we gonna be able to say that?’” he recalls.
Though the show plays with the concept of getting older, David Mann says, “It’s not all sad, cause some of the stuff we do, you think ‘Did they really go there? That’s a little on the edge.’ But some of the stuff we just simply have to laugh at, it’s funny.”
“It’s the grumpy old men,” Tamela Mann jokes. “Old Black, grumpy old men.”
Production on the series began in February at Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, Georgia, with Perry as executive producer, writer and director. Michelle Sneed serves as executive producer of the series for Tyler Perry Studios.
“Tyler Perry’s Assisted Living” premieres Wednesday, Sept. 2 at 9pm ET/PT on BET, following the seventh season premiere of “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne.”