‘BMF’: Russell Hornsby Wasn’t Sure About Appearing on the Show
In BMF, Russell Hornsby portrays Charles Flenory the stern father to Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory (Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory Jr.) and Terry “Southwest Tee” Flenory (Da’Vinchi). Charles has been a thunderous presence in the series, especially as he and his wife Lucille (Michole Briana White) have tried to steer their children down the right path.
However, when he first got the call about BMF, Hornsby hesitated about joining the cast.
Lucille and Charles’ marriage is on the rocks in ‘BMF’ Season 2
Charles and Lucille’s marriage has been strained for some time. At first, the tension in their household was about money. However, now that Charles has had an affair with their mutual friend Mabel (Christine Horn), things appear beyond repair.
“What does Wu-Tang say? C.R.E.A.M. — ‘Cash rules everything around me,’ right?” Hornsby told Detroit Metro Times. “And so when you don’t have it, it can make for an unstable, unhappy at times, unhappy home or unhappy environment. … When you’re constantly looking for the money to pay the bills, to get the things in the house fixed, you have no time for each other. You have no time for your spouse.”
It turns out that Charles is more like his oldest son Meech than he would have liked to admit.
Russell Hornsby wasn’t sure about starring in ‘BMF’
Hornsby is an acclaimed actor who has starred in everything from Broadway to critically acclaimed TV shows and films. However, when BMF came down the pipeline, he was hesitant to take on the role of Charles Flenory.
“I initially didn’t want to do it because, you know, my dear friend Tasha Smith is phenomenal,” he explained on The Tamron Hall Show. “She called me up, and she said, Brother, you’re the first call making need you to play the patriarch of this show. I was like, ‘I don’t want to play another father… I’m Mr. Dad.’ And she said, ‘but that’s what we need. We need your strength. We need your presence, we need your insight, you know what I mean? We need your grounding.’”
The series has catapulted the actor’s fame into a different stratosphere.
Russell Hornsby understands Charles on ‘BMF’
Though he certainly doesn’t condone Charles’ actions, Hornsby does understand the character. Charles and men like him worked tirelessly to make ends meet barely. Moreover, despite the foundation in the Flenory home, Meech and Terry still turned to the drug world to step outside of their impoverished state.
“[Those] men worked hard, they raised their children with a certain tone, and they loved hard as well,” Hornsby told Detroit Metro Times. “And that was the time, and that was the kind of men that were needed, and that’s reflected in Charles. It was very important that audiences feel that. I wanted audiences to know that there were fathers that were present.”
Fans don’t know where Charles and Lucille will go now that his relationship with Mabel has come to light, but things are looking shaky.
