Tyler Perry's House of Payne on TBS

Keshia Knight Pulliam wants you to know: She's not Rudy Huxtable anymore.

The 30-year-old actress may forever be remembered for her adorable character on The Cosby Show, but the work she's churning out now is a far cry from days past. In Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail (now on DVD), Pulliam plays Candie, a young woman whose choices land her in the slammer.

See photos from Madea Goes to Jail

"She's a girl who's made some bad decisions," Pulliam tells TVGuide.com. "Due to some unfortunate circumstances, she dropped out [of college] and that's where her life took a downward spiral. She got into drug abuse and prostitution, and it's just a story about choices — and how you rebound from those choices."

That story resonated with moviegoers who poured into theaters to make the film Perry's biggest box-office success to date. Pulliam first worked ... read more 1 Comment

Networks' spring presentations to advertisers are scripted affairs. At TNT and TBS' announcements last week, known as "upfronts," stars major and minor walked onstage in a hall filled with advertising executives to deliver carefully worded talks about their shows. Almost all read from prompters.

Until Tyler Perry took the stage.

The playwright, filmmaker and actor spoke with no notes about his two series on TBS: House of Payne and Meet the Browns. read more 3 Comments

Marlene Forte says she feels like "Alice in Wonderland" after getting some time in the spotlight on Tyler Perry's House of Payne.

Forte's made a name for herself as a talented character actor, playing cops and victims on shows like Lost, CSI, Cold Case and ER. Now, she's changing to comedy by entering the Atlanta-based world of the Payne family. Forte's also excited about representing the Latino community with the introduction of the Hernandez clan to the TBS sitcom.

"I've played lots of moms in my career, but they're always weepy or crying over their dead husbands... but, [my character is] witty, smart and nothing really rattles her. She's the boss. Really just like every Latin wife."

Forte plays Rosie Hernandez, a police officer's wife and mother of three who befriends the show's matriarch, Ella Payne (Cassi Davis). Because both of their kids are older or have already left the nest, Rosie and Ella will get into all kinds of trouble together... read more 1 Comment