*The mid-season finale of Tyler Perry’s guilty pleasure “If Loving You is Wrong” pulled out all the STOPS, and the pearl-clutching hour of chaos included a near lynching and racist white woman dangling a black baby over an alligator pond.
Damn, Tyler Perry!
The episode saw a culmination of events involving Alex, Randal, Rusty, Edward and Brad that left me speechless. So naturally when EUR/Electronic Urban Report caught up with the Eltony Williams (Randal), we wanted to know if filming the racially charged scenes left him just as emotional as it did the audience.
“On set, especially the day where we did the actual hanging, it was just… quiet on set,” Williams said. “Obviously we were just filming a scene but even when some of the castmates or crew would walk pass me it was awkward for everyone. People would just kind of look at me and say, “Wow…. that was an intense scene.” It really just affected everyone. And preparing for it, there’s a lot of research on actual events that have happened like that. It didn’t take much to put you in that place. You’ve seen these images and the history and obviously there’s strong emotion. So on set, it was pretty dour for a little while. But it was important and we had to do justice to the story.”
Check out the rest of our Q&A with Eltony about what viewers can expect from Randal as the remainder of the season plays out. He also shares what he has enjoyed most about exploring this world that Tyler Perry has created.
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Big thanks to @tylerperry. Another amazing season in the can. #iflovingyouiswrong #hahn #owntv… https://t.co/v9VSpJEa9c
— Eltony Williams (@eltonywilliams) February 18, 2017
What can you tell us about the ride Randal is going to take viewers on?
ELTONY: After this whole situation of last season, Randal definitely takes some time… the way his mind works… (laughs), revenge is always a big part of it. He takes the bull by the horn and figures out the best way to get revenge, and he doesn’t really stop at one person. Alex might have something to do with this revenge situation.
How would you describe Randal’s evolution since season 1, and what have you enjoyed about playing this dark character?
ELTONY: He’s a trip, right? He’s the most fun character that I’ve ever played. It’s funny, I was showing an episode from season 1 to a friend who hadn’t seen the show, and I almost didn’t recognize the character. He’s gotten so much crazier. Kind of a nice guy to begin with, just with some issues. And then slowly but surely (he) just went down this rabbit hole of depravity. He really went off the rails and continues to go off the rails. Some of the things that have happened to him are self-inflicted and some are not. But he definitely goes further and further, and I love it. I love that Tyler has chosen to keep going with it and see how crazy Randal can get.
Do you believe fans have got Randal figured out, in terms of his vindictiveness? Does he have more surprises in store?
ELTONY: 100%. I think Randal is going to keep changing and keep taking sharp turns. When you think he’s going to go right, he goes left. I think that’s the great thing about Tyler and his writing. You never quite know what’s going to happen next and how these characters might take a turn. I imagine Randal will stay on the crazy horse for a little while.
If they hurt my mama…!!!!! Get em Randal! #lyw #iflovingyouiswrong #owntv
— Eltony Williams (@eltonywilliams) March 29, 2017
How has this role been transformative for you, personally or professionally?
ELTONY: Playing this role is such a staple in a show that’s recognized and loved by so many people gives you a sense of confidence, just as far as an actor and your craft. And also it helps me to just know that you can really take control of your career and personally there’s no limits to what you can do. Randal is so far from me. I never really imagined myself playing a character like this, but to be able to get down to the depths of who you and your abilities and bring out something unique like this character is, it’s inspiring.
Last time we spoke you mentioned how many female fans have hard time separating Eltony from Randal. Are you still receiving a lot of hate from the ladies?
ELTONY: I still get a fair amount of hate. But I think a lot of the people have also realized that they love to hate Randal, and it won’t be the same without him. So as much hate as I get, this past season I wasn’t in a bunch of episodes. Randal just didn’t show up, and there was an okay amount of backlash to that, like “Where’s Randal? I wanna see Randal. What’s he doing?” So you feel the love in that way. We hate him but we miss him. We have the best fans. They’re passionate and they love to hate him and it’s cool to see. They might give me a little crap at first but then they’re always just like … how much they love the performance and they love to watch.
Yeah, my mom is a serious Randal fan. She even asked me to call Tyler Perry and ask him where’s Randal, and I had to remind her that I don’t have that type of power.
ELTONY: That’s hilarious!
Lastly, if Randal was your friend in real life, what kind of advice would you give him?
ELTONY: Sit down somewhere, you are in too much. Sit down, look at life. Apologize to your wife. Figure it out and get it together.
Tune in to “If Loving You Is Wrong” Tuesdays at 10/9c on OWN. Visit oprah.com to get caught up on past episodes.
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