'Megachurch Murder' Exclusive: Actress Tamala Jones Explains Hamlet-Inspired Church Suspense Film
Countless actors have performed in Shakespeare's story of Hamlet in big and small productions for centuries, but now the story is getting a twist in a modern re-telling that takes place in a black church.
Lifetime Network's production of "Megachurch Murder," inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet, is not the average church film. While familiar church tunes such as "Oh Happy Day" take place in the televised film, so does murder, mayhem and suspense in the story centered around a girl named Hannah, portrayed by Shanica Knowles, who is struggling to deal with the death of her father Hamilton Spears, played by Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
When Hannah starts to believe that her father was threatened before his untimely passing, she uncovers clues about a church conspiracy and the possibility that her mother Martha and boyfriend Oliver's father may have played a role in her own father's death. Tamala Jones, the Christian actress who portrays Hannah's mother Martha, spoke to The Christian Post about the film delving deeper than what its title portrays it to be.
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"This film is really about the test of your faith more than anything. More than the murder, it's really about how strongly you believe in the right thing to do," Jones told CP. "We are all human and we have trials and tribulations. We all have tests where we will be tested throughout life, and this movie about the church has so many references to, 'are you going to do the right thing?'"
Jones, the 40-year-old "Castle" actress, says the theme of the movie centers around faith and choices. While the title may deter some viewers from giving the film a chance, the actress said it was created to send a message that "this isn't your average church movie."
Aside from using a black church as the backdrop for a suspenseful murder drama, Jones was pleased that the film was inspired by legendary Shakespearean literature.
"There's so much going on with the youth now and they're probably not into Shakespeare like I was growing up. In New York, they have Shakespeare in the park, they don't do those things all over the world," Jones told CP. "So for us to be able to tell the story of Hamlet in this way, I think is brilliant. I love that they incorporated Hamlet in this, but I also love the acting and how serious everyone took it."
Other than Tamala Jones, Shanica Knowles and Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the film includes Romeo Miller portraying Hannah's boyfriend Oliver, and his father Clay, portrayed by actor Michael Beach. More acting contributions were made by Corbin Bleu and Dawnn Lewis who also star in the film.
Jones is proud of the film and her fellow actors that contributed to it, but admits that she once shied away from doing church movies.
"I've never done a church movie, really. I've always been kind of afraid of them because a lot of them they're a little cliche," Jones admitted. "There's really the same kind of storyline which I don't mind at all, but I'm always as an artist looking for something different and off-the-cuff to do that I haven't done."
With the suspense, drama and mayhem mixed together with giving God glory, Jones could not turn the role of Martha down.
"It has everything to do with the church movement and the glory of God but it also shows you the side that we're taught not to show in church ... and that's the side of greed," Jones told CP. "It really has a great interpretation of how easily greed can come into play when there's money involved, and we all know the love of money is the root of all evil. That, [combined] with the story and the characters, it grabbed me and I had to do it."
More than being in love with the story, Jones believes that her own personal testimony made her a great fit for the film. At the age of 23, she had a brain aneurysm that left her in fear of dying. Years later, she is living proof that with faith anything is possible, which ties into the themes of "Megachurch Murder."
"I was just an instrument in this movie to allow people to understand you cannot lose your faith," Jones said. "You have to be strong, and I have a testimony myself of why your faith must be strong."
Tamela Jones will star in "Megachurch Murder" on Lifetime TV Saturday, Feb. 7, at 8pm ET.
