Keshia Knight Pulliam Has a New Family

[Zoneboy]

Link

HOLLYWOOD - To the generation that grew up with "The Cosby Show," Keshia Knight Pulliam will always be the cute, adorable Rudy, the youngest Huxtable daughter. But little Rudy has grown up. She's now a beautiful, sophisticated young lady who has successfully transitioned from child star to accomplished film and TV actress.

Unlike some former child stars who've grown resentful of their early success (because they've been unable to repeat it), Pulliam embraces her years on the landmark TV series.

"I'm so grateful I had a role that was so impactful for a generation of people," she says. "People grew up with me, so it's understandable they still see me as their little sister, girlfriend or daughter."

Pulliam, 29, credits her TV mom and dad, Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, for instilling in her good work habits. She regards fondly the eight years she appeared on "The Cosby Show" - she was nominated for an Emmy award at the tender age of 6. She stays in touch with her former cast mates, particularly Tempestt Bledsoe and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played her siblings, Vanessa and Theo.

"We share a bond that's like family," she says, flashing a bright smile. "It might be months when we don't talk or see each other because we're all busy with our careers, but once we get together, we pick up right where we left off."

Pulliam has now joined another family, headed by Tyler Perry, who's created a mini-empire with film, TV and stage productions, based out of Atlanta.

She is a series regular on Perry's TBS series, "House of Payne," in which she plays a character named Miranda. Working on "House of Payne" is unlike anything Pulliam ever experienced in Hollywood. Rehearsal is minimal. Production is swift. And there's no room for divas.

"He will come pull you out of the hair and makeup trailer," she says of Perry, with a laugh. "We'll shoot roughly the same number of episodes in two months that a network show would shoot in six. It's a challenge, but I find it thrilling."

When Pulliam heard Perry was casting for his new movie, "Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail," she set her sights on a juicy part in the script that was unlike anything she'd played before: a heroin-addicted prostitute. Perry initially had another role in mind for the petite actress, but Pulliam was adamant.


"I was like, I know I can do it,' " she recalls telling the filmmaker. "He was like, I believe in you. If you say you can do it, I believe you can.' "


"When I look at Keshia, I don't see Rudy," Perry says. "I want people to have an opportunity to see how talented she is. What's fantastic about the position I've been put in is that I get the chance to give a lot of people chances they may not otherwise get."


In "Madea Goes to Jail," Perry's lovable yet boisterous grandma character is thrown in the slammer after leading police on a high-speed car chase and then resisting arrest. Once in jail, Madea runs into Candy (Pulliam), a young, drug-addicted prostitute, who long ago lost her way after a friend's betrayal. She takes the young woman under her wing, protecting her from the other inmates.


The film boasts several "Madea" regulars, as well as cameos by Dr. Phil McGraw, Whoopi Goldberg, Rev. Al Sharpton, Steve Harvey and others.

For her role as Candy, Pulliam spoke with experts on drug abuse. But mostly she relied on Perry's direction and advice on how to connect with the character's pain.

Having worked with Perry previously in his writer-producer capacity on "House of Payne," Pulliam knew what to expect. What she didn't count on was seeing him in full Madea makeup and costume for the first time.


"I screamed," recalls the actress, with a chuckle. "It was a shock and hilarious at the same time."


Born in Newark, N.J., Pulliam has been in the entertainment business since she was an infant. She landed the role of Rudy when she was five. In addition to her Emmy nomination, she earned an NAACP image award and Nickelodeon Kid's Choice award.


Growing up in front of the camera wasn't always easy, but it made Pulliam aware of the pitfalls of show business.


"Like anything, you have good days and bad days," she says. "This business is a lot about rejection. People are always telling you you're not pretty enough or tall enough or skinny enough, but you can't internalize those things."


Inspired by trailblazers like Cosby and Perry, Pulliam has co-founded a production company, PullPenn Productions, with a business partner.

"We have a few different projects in the works," she says of her startup. "We've got some straight-to-Web projects as well as some television shows in the pipeline."

What does she do in her down time?

Pulliam laughs. "I'm all about excelling in this business and meeting challenges head on," she explains. "I'm going to work hard now and play later."

[Furienna]

That was an interesting article. Thank you for sharing it with us!

[ThomasE]

I like it. I am a Keisha fan.