 Mary J. Blige on Spirituality, Music and Movie Roles Multiple Grammy® award winner Mary J. Blige's voice has been heard in many films and television shows, but rarely does she have an acting role. When Tyler Perry cast for his latest film I Can Do Bad All By Myself, he was determined to have her in the role of Tanya, a friend of the main character, who confronts her about her selfishness and lifestyle. During a busy press outing in New York, she made the time to talk with us by phone about the film and the experience of acting. This film conveys the message of hope and faith in a time of crisis. How does this compare to what music can do?
Mary J.: To me it's the same because the message is the same; it all reaches where it needs to reach to bring healing to you. With the movie, it's saying that it's OK to ask for help because you can get to a place where you don't love or like yourself, and no one else will. A song can do the same thing, have the same effect.
How has your personal faith helped you?
Mary J.: It's all about my faith. My personal faith is everything to me. I can't walk, live, breathe, do anything without it. Without it I'm nothing in this world, and I'm not going to live without it.
It seems like you really connected with the song you perform in the film. I know you wrote it, and you reference your own hard times in the film. Are there personal stories behind that song?
Mary J.: Absolutely. There are stories in my past like April's. I lived the life she did. I was April. My whole story has been recovering from trials and tribulations and wanting to do and be better for myself.
 Your character has a strong confrontation with April and makes her look at the truth about herself. Have you done that yourself with your own friends?
Mary J.: Yes, I have, and I feel an obligation to do that. But I don't do it as something that's a consistent thing. I'll wait until it's close to out of control, and I'll probably be less rigid and abrasive than Tanya would be, but my words would be exactly the same words so they can cut through and help the person.
Given your busy music career, what spoke to you about this story and compelled you to sign on for it?
Mary J.: I guess it was April's story. When I read the script, it was my identification with April's story that made me want to jump onboard with the film. Being April's friend Tanya made me say, "No problem, I'm in!"
You mentioned a couple of times that April's story is very much like your own. That had to make it a very personal story for you. Did it make it hard to work on the film?
Mary J.: I didn't get it working on the film. I wasn't there for the whole time with Taraji and Gladys and the whole cast, so when I saw the film last night at the premiere for the first time, it really hit me. When I read the script, it didn't click completely until I saw it last night and thought it was really my life story.
Was there some point in your life that you had to realize you couldn't do it on your own and you had to go outside yourself for spiritual help?
Mary J.: That was the point when I said, "Enough is enough. I'm tired of being my own worst enemy and I've got to stop." I realized that I needed help to get to a spiritual place where I was whole again.
First I fell to my knees and asked God to direct me where to go, or to give me the patience to wait. My husband (Kendu Isaacs) was already a born-again Christian, and he's the one who introduced me to the concept of having your own relationship to the Lord. Photo courtesy Quantrell Colbert and LionsGate™ Entertainment. | 
