BRANDON JACKSON’S MAKEOVER IN “BIG MOMMA’S: LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON”

Big Momma is back and this time he has big backup: his teenage stepson Trent.  Martin Lawrence returns as FBI agent Malcolm Turner and as Turner’s deep-cover alter-ego Big Momma. Turner is joined by Trent (Jackson) as they go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder.  Posing as Big Momma and as hefty coed Charmaine, they must find the killer before he finds them.

            The Malcolm-Trent dynamic is central to the series’ new direction.  As the film opens, Malcolm is thrilled when graduating high school student Trent is accepted to Duke University.  But Trent has other ideas; he wants to pursue a career as a rapper.  That conflict ultimately leads Trent to take a detour into the family business: going undercover by dressing up as a woman.   Trent joining Malcolm as a Big Momma and their ensuing generational battles not only double the comedy, they add an emotional resonance because Malcolm must come to terms with Trent’s desire to follow his dreams, even as Malcolm goes to extreme lengths to keep Trent safe. “I love playing Big Momma,” says Lawrence, “but it was really the energy of the script and having Brandon as my partner in the story that brought me back.  Malcolm looks at Trent as a son but Trent is becoming a man and wants to do his own thing.  Everyone can relate to that.”

Jackson says being cast as Trent/Charmaine was a dream come true. “Martin Lawrence is one of my idols and it was exciting to work with him,” says the young star, who had standout roles in “Tropic Thunder” and “Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief.”  “And when it came to wearing the [weighty prosthetics, as Charmaine], Martin gave me some good advice: ‘Sit down whenever you can, chill out, and have a good time.’ It’s my nature to run around the set and talk to everybody, so the suit made me focus on my performance.”

Trent, says Jackson, is “your average teenager who knows exactly what he wants to be; in his case, it’s a successful rapper.  He also sees himself as a ladies’ man, but it’s tough to be a ladies’ man in a woman’s body! So he undergoes all these dynamics of learning about women – and about himself.”

Jackson adds that his biggest challenge was making sure Trent could “shine through” the formidable prosthetics that transform the character into Charmaine.  Trent’s learning curve in acting like a woman is a steep one, made exponentially more difficult because he’s also trying to woo one of his fellow students, Haley (Jessica Lucas), a beautiful singer and composer.  As himself, the cocky and clueless Trent struck out with Haley.  But as Charmaine, he’s getting a unique perspective on dealing with the opposite sex – and he becomes a better man in the process. 

            “Big Momma’s: Like Father, Like Son” opens April 13 in theaters from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.

MARTIN LAWRENCE’S BIGGIE UPDATE ON EVERYMAN’S MOMMA

Martin Lawrence is back as undercover agent Malcolm Turner aka Big Momma in the action-comedy “Big Momma’s: Like Father, Like Son” with Brandon T. Jackson who appeared in standout roles in “Tropic Thunder” and “Percy Jackson.”  This time, Turner is joined by his teenage stepson Trent (Jackson) as they go undercover at an all-girls performing arts school after Trent witnesses a murder.  Posing as Big Momma and as hefty coed Charmaine, they must find the killer before he finds them.

Lawrence talks about in the following Q&A his 3^rd time donning the fat suit as Big Momma and his upcoming projects.

Q:         What pulled you in to make a third Big Momma’s film?

A:         “Big Momma resonated with all audiences of all ages, no matter where they lived. I think everybody knows a Big Momma.  She might not look like the character I play, but everyone has a sister or aunt or grandma who keeps it honest and has a really loving heart.  And those are the things I love about Big Momma.   I love playing Big Momma, but it was really the energy of the script and having Brandon as my partner in the story that brought me back.  Malcolm looks at Trent as a son but Trent is becoming a man and wants to do his own thing.  Everyone can relate to that.”

Q:         Can you tell us about the movie’s latest plot?

A:         “The success of the first two “Big Momma” films led to this third offering, but we wanted the new film to reinvent the franchise, and not merely continue a successful formula.  So we opened the film up to an audience largely untapped by “Big Momma’s House” and “Big Momma’s House 2”: teens. Lawrence’s Malcolm/Big Momma now has an unexpected partner – his stepson Trent.  The action is set in an equally surprising setting: an all girls’ high school, and several music and dance sequences feature Lawrence, Jackson, and a talented ensemble of bright young stars.”

Q:         After all these years of playing Big Momma, what have you learned about women that you didn’t know before?

A:         There’s a lot of maintenance. It’s not as easy to get into all that stuff. Women love to impress and be their best, so its work, but it’s all worth it when it comes together.

Q:         How does it feel putting up the fat suit again and putting on the makeup?

A:         “I can’t say that I look forward to getting into it, but it’s my job. It’s what I do. When it used to take three hours, which used to just drive me crazy. But, we have a good make-up guy, who got it down to an hour and a half. Every morning, I was able to just calm myself and go through the process. But, when it took three hours, I just wanted to lose it”

Q:         After this, are there any other projects you’re into?

A:         Things are in the works. We’ve talked about Bad Boys 3. We’ve talked about me and Jamie Foxx doing a movie called The Skank Robbers, which takes the characters from Martin, Sheneneh and Wanda, and puts them together. They’re trying to work that script out.

            Martin Lawrence’s string of starring roles in hit movies such as “Big Momma's House”  “Big Momma’s House 2,” “Bad Boys” “Bad Boys 2,” “Blue Streak” and “National Security” made him one of America's most popular actor/comedians.  His other screen credits include “Do the Right Thing,” “Talkin' Dirty After Dark,” “House Party,” “House Party 2,” “Boomerang,” “A Thin Line Between Love and Hate” (which he also co-wrote and directed), “Nothing to Lose,” “Life,” “What's the Worst That Could Happen?” and “Black Knight,” among others.

Lawrence began his career as a stand-up comedian gaining major attention at Hollywood's legendary Improv, and shortly thereafter won a performance spot on the popular talent showcase “Star Search.” and continued to star in sitcoms "What's Happening Now!" and “Def Comedy Jam.” He further went on to co-create executive produce and star in Fox Television's "Martin." The hit sitcom, which ran from 1992-1997 and earned three NAACP Image Awards.

            “Big Momma’s: Like Father, Like Son” opens April 13 in theaters from 20^th Century Fox to be distributed by Warner Bros.