Black stars bring faith into the open Religion a key part for Franklin, Perry, others

By STEFFIE NELSON

Throughout the industry, where many white entertainers hide their light under a bushel, their African-American equivalents are more than happy to let it shine. For instance, at this year's Oscars, Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker were the only two winners to thank God in their acceptance speeches.

It's a cultural thing, says Reuben Cannon, who produced Bishop T.D. Jakes' "Woman Thou Art Loosed" and the Tyler Perry features for Lionsgate: "The open expression of faith and belief in God among African-Americans has always been there. It is simply embracing that which most African-Americans were raised with, which is the black church. We know we've come this far by faith, and our success will be in direct proportion to our faith."

While Hollywood sometimes fears that religion will drive away auds, the opposite often proves true with black entertainment. Many of the arena's biggest stars manage to be devout without coming across preachy or square.

Kirk Franklin, the biggest crossover gospel star in the world, is sick and tired of "the corny Christian image." That includes the extremists with picket signs on the corner as well as the Moses movies with bad wigs. There is a whole world of people like him, he says: Christian, married, "trying to raise kids, trying to be good citizens," but also wearing "hot jeans" and Timberland boots, who have millions -- if not billions -- of dollars to spend on quality, faith-based entertainment.

But Franklin has a word of warning for any Jesus-come-latelies: "When you try to jump in just to make a dollar and you don't understand the culture, then it comes across offensive. It comes across as blackface."

For his first starring film role, Franklin couldn't get any closer to the material: Like a gospel version of 50 Cent biopic "Get Rich or Die Trying," "Church Boy" is based on Franklin's life story. The singer is developing the film with Lionsgate; his team of producers includes casting director Robi Reed, who got her start with Spike Lee.

Reed is no stranger to big-time, faith-based success. She also executive produced "The Bible Experience," an audio version of the New Testament featuring the voices of an all-black cast, including Cuba Gooding Jr. and Samuel L. Jackson (as God). The project has already sold 250,000 copies since its October release.

As a member of the same Los Angeles church as Angela Bassett and Denzel Washington, two of the biggest stars in "The Bible Experience," Reed has a friendship with the actors that goes beyond Hollywood (she also cast Washington's directorial debut, "Antwone Fisher"). But nothing could have prepared her for the overwhelming response people would have to the project.

"It was just like a hunger," she recalls. "Basically, all I had to say to them was, 'We're doing a project and using the Bible as the script,' and the response was, 'When? How can I be a part of it?'"

Where Hollywood is predominantly secular, black-produced films often celebrate religion openly as a part of everyday life. Perry's work, for example, hinges on mutual respect: Shows like "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" honor the church, and in return, the church audience comes out to support them.

"There's like an unspoken pact," explains Cannon. "Tyler says, 'I'll do plays that will deal with some of the hard facts of life in our community -- whatever tragedies may befall, crime, drugs -- and put them in an entertainment form where you have comedy, romance, drama, spirituality, all in one context, but we will not let the evening go by without embracing that which has brought us this far, which is our faith."