Pop-Culturalist.com

Cory Hardrict is an award-winning actor and producer celebrated for his dynamic performances and unwavering dedication to his craft. His extraordinary ability to bring diverse characters to life has made him one of Hollywood’s most compelling leading men. His impressive career includes critically acclaimed projects such as American Sniper, Brotherly Love, and The Chi.

This July, he has not one but two exciting projects premiering: Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black and the final season of All American: Homecoming.

Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Cory about Divorce in the Black, All American: Homecoming, his creative process, his film company, and more.

PC: You’ve got a new project coming out on July 11th. Can you tell us about Divorce in the Black and how this project came across your desk?
Cory: Yes! Mr. Tyler Perry’s Divorce in the Black comes out on July 11th on Prime Video. It’s an emotional roller coaster. You’re in for a nice ride here. It’s a film dealing with divorce. It’s about how two different families from both sides of the track juggle and deal with it and those family dynamics. But it’s also a film that shows that divorce is not the end all, be all. You still have a chance to get back on track, especially from the female lead’s perspective and my own as well. It shows you that the future’s bright and you can turn any situation around. That’s what the movie shows.

My character Dallas is a flawed human being. But it’s more than just his anger issues or his aggression; he has a heart as well. That’s what this character will show during the film. He comes from a childhood where he’s had some traumas in his life that he never healed.

When you don’t do that, it can carry on into your adult life and your relationships. He didn’t know how to process that. So it’s important that you do take the time to do that work. That’s important for anyone who’s watching this. But it just shows that he’s a real person. We don’t have it all figured out. He shouldn’t be stuck in the mistakes that he’s made in his life because you always have another chance. This movie shows you that you have another chance as long as you keep going.

PC: In addition to the incredible work you’ve done on screen, you’ve also produced in the past. How have those experiences behind the camera influenced the way you approach your work on screen and interpret scripts and characters like this?
Cory: I’m just getting into producing, but I’ve been more active lately. Before, I was more of an inactive producer. I would help put projects together and pick acting talent and cameras. It’s a lot. That’s producing—it’s making things happen. But I’ve been learning about behind the scenes for a long time. Knowing all of that has allowed me to be a better artist when the cameras are rolling. I use everything from experiences on past films, and as I build my company, Hardcor Films, I’m more prepared and know way more than I did then because of my experiences. I’m looking forward to putting that into my film company and building something great moving forward.

PC: You’ve said in the past that Dallas is so different from who you are as a person. As an actor, how did you find your way into this character and bring that rawness? When you’re playing somebody like Dallas, what is that decompression process like after a day of filming?
Cory: A lot of rest. [laughs] I get some sleep and study my lines. I have a process. I break down every scene when I’m done. I go straight to my room and I chill for a bit. Then I get with my acting coach and break down the next day, so I don’t have too much time to process what I just did. I put it behind me and start a new day. I make every day when I’m filming like an individual movie. That’s how I do it. If I have all these scenes, I make each individual scene a movie and make the most out of it. That’s how I prepare. I take it in pieces. I put all I have into it. I’m a passionate actor. I’m an emotional actor. I’m raw. I don’t have a big training style. I just want to tell the truth when I’m acting and put those raw emotions behind everything that I’m doing. Hopefully, people enjoy what I’m doing—so far so good. I’m doing my best.

PC: Definitely. There’s so much trust needed between you and Meagan [Good] and the place that your characters are in. How did you build that bond so quickly?
Cory: I’ve known Meagan for about twenty-plus years. We actually did a small independent film years ago. We didn’t have any scenes together, but I’ve known her and her family for a while. She’s always been someone that I’ve looked up to in this industry—her longevity and her body of work. For us to come together for this full-circle moment and work together, it felt right. We had a great shorthand. We’ve got great chemistry, even when we’re not working. So that bled into filming. She’s a supportive actress who’s there for you in a scene, so it makes it easier for me to give that back to her, which makes the work authentic.

PC: Community is such a running theme throughout this film. Who are the people in your own life who have held space for you in a similar way and impacted your journey as a storyteller and an artist?
Cory: My children. My son’s thirteen, and my daughter’s six. They give me a lot of inspiration and have impacted my life because how I move today is because of my kids—they need their father. I have to be a great example and a great role model. I need to be someone that they can model their own lives after. They have to look up to me. I would say my children, my dad, my cousins, my relatives, everybody. They keep me on track and tell me all the time how proud they are of me. That makes me want to continue what I’m doing.

PC: Tyler Perry has such a unique style of filming where you often only get one or two takes. How did that environment push you creatively? What was it like getting to collaborate with him on this project?
Cory: Wow. I would say that Mr. Tyler Perry’s process is intense for most actors because you can shoot a whole movie in a few days. But I love that process because I come from that guerrilla style of filming. You don’t have time to think; you just have to be and act. I was able to operate off of instinct. I love that because everything is natural and real. It’s authentic. You’re just giving your best. You’re not thinking about too much. That’s how it is. I love this type of directing style from Mr. Perry. I can adapt to either style because there are some films you do for like three, four, five months, and there’s a lot of downtime between scenes. Sometimes, you can lose the energy, and you may have more freedom creatively. You don’t know how that can translate into camera. But with Mr. Perry, it’s there, but it’s always moving. You’re shooting ten to twelve scenes a day. That’s a lot, but they’re still of quality and still look great. It keeps me on my toes, where I have to move. I’m used to moving and doing whatever’s needed. That process has been great. I loved it, and it showed on screen. I can’t wait for the world to see it.

PC: It’s one of the most highly anticipated films of the summer. It’s so funny. As actors, you’re doing so many repetitions, but often directors will use that first take. So credit to Tyler as well.
Cory: Yeah, one or two takes. I worked with Clint Eastwood multiple times. He was one take. Maybe we’d do a rehearsal. I come from knowing that process as well, dealing with great filmmakers. Tyler’s a great filmmaker. I was prepared for it. I loved it. I’d do it again for sure.

PC: Outside of this project, you’re also one of the stars of All American: Homecoming. The final season is airing this July. What can you tease about what’s ahead? When you look back at the experience, what do you remember the most?
Cory: The camaraderie between the cast and creators. We were a tight-knit family over there. You hear “final season,” but I feel like we had more to go. I don’t like saying that because you never know how it goes. People love the show. They’re asking me, “What’s happened?” I can only do and control what I can. But hopefully, who knows? If people watch and support on July 8th, maybe we can keep it going.

But I had a great time on the show. I was able to impact people’s lives. I get a lot of people and teenagers saying that Coach Marcus is like their father. When I hear that, I know that I’m doing my job and possibly impacting someone’s life in a great direction. I will cherish the time I had on All American: Homecoming because I know that the show will live on since it goes to Netflix. Shows grow when they’re not around anymore. They grow and get their own little following behind them. It was a great time. Shout out to my showrunner, Nkechi [Okoro Carroll], who hired me because she believed in me with this character.

To keep up with Cory, follow him on X and Instagram. The final season of All American: Homecoming airs July 8th. Stream Divorce in the Black on Prime Video on July 11th.