Michael Jai White Brings 1970s Cool to Modern Cinema in 'Trouble Man'
Actor, martial artist, and director Michael Jai White is channeling the spirit of blaxploitation classics with his latest film, Trouble Man . In a recent interview, White revealed how he's updating the 1972 Robert Hooks original for today's audiences. 'It's a movie that's about somebody who was, you know, this badass that was about his community and his people,' he said. 'That's what I want to do in this movie.'
White credits co-star Method Man as essential to the project's vision. 'I wouldn't have done the movie if it wasn't for him,' White explained. Drawing inspiration from legendary partnerships, he positioned himself as Jim Brown while casting Method Man as his Fred Williamson counterpart. 'If I was Jim Brown in this, I needed my Fred Williamson. And that was Meth,' he shared. Their on-screen chemistry promises to capture the magic of classic buddy films.
The cast also features LaLa Anthony, who impressed White so much during filming that he claimed every take was usable. 'As the director of the movie, I don't have one take of her that wasn't good. I could have used any take,' he said. Mike Epps and Orlando Jones round out the ensemble in this contemporary take on community-focused storytelling.
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Unlike a period piece, Trouble Man transplants classic themes into modern settings. White's character maintains throwback styling while addressing contemporary issues. The film echoes beloved comedies like Uptown Saturday Night and Piece of the Action – movies that entertained while uplifting audiences.
'It's like movies that we haven't seen in a long time,' White noted, emphasizing the film's feel-good nature with meaningful messages woven throughout. 'I'm trying to bring a modern-day twist on an old school type of film,' he added. 'That's the alchemy that I'm trying to bring with myself and Method Man.'
White's martial arts expertise extends beyond screen fighting. He's trained with champion boxers like Tommy Hearns and undefeated fighters, approaching combat sports with genuine passion. 'I just enjoy learning and training and applying what I know,' he said. 'For years, I trained with the best fighters I knew, and I would go and I'd get the best fights out of them because I'd go to where they trained.' This authenticity translates into his filmmaking, where he maintains creative control and refuses to compromise his integrity for financial gain. 'If it's not in line with who I am as a person, my integrity and everything else, it doesn't matter the dollar amount,' White emphasized.
As director and editor, White won most creative battles with studio executives, employing clever tactics like including 'mascot fight scenes' – deliberately questionable content that gives executives something to cut while preserving his true vision. 'You put a mascot fight scene that you don't want in the movie so the executives can say, I don't know about this mascot fight scene. And you go, you know what? Yeah, I'll take it out. Thank you,' he laughed.
During the interview, White also teased an exciting future project: the return of the popular film series Why Did I Get Married? He confirmed that creator Tyler Perry recently announced Why Did I Get Married Again and shared that he had read the script the night before the interview. 'I think you just might [see Marcus return],' he teased, clearly excited about the prospect. While details remain under wraps, White hinted that fans may indeed see the return of his beloved character, Marcus. His enthusiasm suggests that the next chapter in the Why Did I Get Married? series is on the horizon, much to the delight of longtime followers.
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Michael Jai White Brings 1970s Cool to Modern Cinema in 'Trouble Man' was originally published on majicatl.com
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