While speaking about his role in the action-packed comic book film, 'Kick-Ass,' Omari Hardwick told Black Voices about his casting in Tyler Perry's next film, 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf,' which pairs him with Janet Jackson.

He also has a role in the forthcoming action film 'A-Team,' with Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper.

Hardwick is currently starring in the TNT cable series 'Dark Blue,' opposite Dylan McDermott. His character is part of an undercover team of LAPD officers.

In speaking exclusively with Black Voices, the 36-year-old actor talked about his good fortunes as of late.

Let's start off with 'Kick-Ass,' which is doing well at the box office. What's the character you play?

Omari Hardwick: Marcus is a do-right cop who is the ex-partner and best friend of Nicolas Cage's character, Big Daddy. Marcus is simply trying to exist in this world with wannabe superheroes around him. He's extremely confused about what's going on with his ex-partner's involvement. He's served as a father figure for his daughter, raises her, and Marcus goes back into that father figure role toward the end of the movie.

How much did you know about the fanfare on the Internet and the comic book before the release?

OH: I have never experienced Comic Con. Last year, I wanted to go because of 'Kick-Ass,' but I didn't get an opportunity to go. I definitely will go sometime in the future, even if I'm not in anything. I wasn't surprised about the following because if you're a James Bond fan, you might be fair weather depending on who's playing the character, but if you're really into comic books and Mark Millar, who's a great writer, you're truly a die-hard fan. The previous frenzy wasn't such a surprise because I knew we'd get those geeky nerds who I love and include myself in that category, but the response after the movie has come out has been a surprise for me.

What did you learn from Matthew Vaughn, who will be directing the next 'X-Men' film?

OH: He's just a regular cat. But there was a big kid in him. What I learned is he's not different from any great director I've worked with, from Spike Lee, Andrew Davis, Phil Joanou, and even in the TV world with Danny Cannon, who's the creator of 'Dark Blue.' I've worked with very astute and talented directors. If they're a good director, they work in a similar way, it's collaborative. Any artist on the set, be it the DP or the brand-new actor to the environment, they ask a lot of questions. He surprised me at how normal and basic he was, all packaged in this brainiac, very gifted director.

From there you've got a day job with 'Dark Blue.' Are you shooting season 2 now?

OH: Yeah, we're on episode 7.

What's changed with your character from the first season?

OH: He's a lot dirtier. His professionalism is still the same, but it's at question a lot more this season. I'm not married on the show anymore. Last season everybody was so happy. They could relate to my character the most because I came home to a wife then went and battled bad guys in the streets. This year we are not together-together, but we are not divorced. His home life has changed and he's trying to get back to where he was at the beginning.

What's your role in 'The A-Team,' which comes out this summer?

OH: It's a really fun character, and it's cool to be able to throw your hair back and find the kid inside. I play a character who runs a chop shop, and he is the childhood best friend of B.A. Baracus, originally played by Mr. T. My role is more of a cameo. Joe Carnahan and the producers Tony and Ridley Scott created it for me. I had met Joe Carnahan for B.A. Baracus if they decided to go against type, and I read for 'Smokin' Aces,' which he did prior to this. The character is a little different from the character from the '80s, but I get to work with Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper and Jessica Biel, which is incredible.

When you auditioned for the role of B.A Baracus, were you prepared to go with the Mohawk?

OH: I was on episode six of 'Dark Blue' and I had the audition on a morning I didn't have to work, so I went into the makeup department and they used their skills to make a last-minute Mohawk, and they patched together a really distasteful beard which is maybe why I didn't get the part.

Would you say this would be your biggest summer film to date in terms of exposure?

OH: Yeah, and you asked it in a really appropriate way, because I'm still waiting to play a meaty character on screen as long as Bradley Cooper or Rampage are in this film. The exposure, nonetheless, is humongous. This is giving me a lot of love.

If you haven't been exposed by then, you've got a Tyler Perry film coming, 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.'

OH: A Tyler Perry film is a different kind of exposure but tremendous. It's a Broadway play that's being adapted to fit the screen. I so enjoyed it as a young male going to see a play centering on these phenomenal female stories. The throughline of all of their stories is the men who have hurt them, the joys and pains that have come from loving or not receiving love from men. In the play, the men are never seen; they are talked about, but now these men are being brought to real life. It's an unbelievable experience.

Will your character be portrayed in a positive or negative light?

OH: I wouldn't say positive or negative; it's a real light.

Are you given a name?

OH: Oh yeah, his name is Carl, I'm playing opposite Janet Jackson, who's playing my wife. I would say he's a real character and half the theater will have empathy for and the other half will want to take his head off. When you play a bad guy you have to find empathy for him.

Now is Tyler going off in another direction or is it similar to the play?

OH: It's not totally different. The writer was still involved, and Tyler has not strayed at all from the original blueprint.

There's another actor in the film, Isaiah Mustafa, which is interesting since both of you played football during college.

OH: That is interesting, and I didn't know him until I saw him on a commercial where he was riding on horseback and he's blown up from that. We were both, ironically, on 'Gridiron Gang,' and I did meet someone who knew Isaiah personally and he said, "you two remind me of each other," and lo and behold we're on the same set a few weeks later.

Do you know Richard Lawson, who's also in the film?

OH: Yeah, Richard is known from the soap world, 'All My Children.' He's definitely a familiar face. I don't know the other actors who have signed on yet. I just got the script maybe two weeks ago. I don't know if it's 10 to 12 females and four or five men. We'll find out soon.

How did the role come about for you?

OH: I've read for Tyler in the past. I met with him for 'Why Did I Get Married?,' the first one. He came at me, interestingly enough, a day before I boarded the plane to go make 'A-Team.' That was last September. The project was shelved for awhile and there were people who were rumored to be on it and then they weren't, that was Hollywood. By the time it came back to me I read for it the day after the Oscars, they all came in pretty sleepy. It all worked out! He's doing a really good job of bridging the "black Hollywood" to the bigger Hollywood. We don't need to give it a name, but he's done a good job that other directors have not been able to accomplish.

How have you been able to balance working on the big and small screen?

OH: You're blessed because it takes you a minute to realize you're lucky and you meet with producers, and you look to your left and right and see actors you came up with who aren't being blessed, and it is a rarity to make people a believer of your talent on the big and small screen. Denzel and George Clooney had success on TV with 'ER' and 'St. Elsewhere,' and it's a unique thing to juggle both. I'm waiting for people to tell me I was fooled and bamboozled (laugh) but for now it's pretty amazing for me.

Do you see yourself being in another comic book movie?

OH: Hopefully, you'll see me again in the sequel to 'Kick-Ass,' which I am more than confident has a really good shot at happening. I've always wanted to play 'Shazam!' That's the one character I grew up really liking. Everything's being done from 'Thor' to 'Green Lantern,' but I'd love to play Shazam. I don't know if they'd go African American for it, eliminating the race of character.

There's talk about Marvel about doing a Luke Cage and Iron Fist film!

OH: Aww man, that'd be crazy! I went to see 'Iron Man 2' the other day. Obviously, Don Cheadle is one of my acting heroes, and I think he did a great job, and I supported Terrence Howard in the first one. When you come from sports you don't consider your physical presence different from other actors because you want to be taken seriously as not just another body. Physically, I'm very different from most of the actors on the set.