After starring in the action-packed comic book film, 'Kick-Ass,' co-starring with Dylan McDermott in the TNT drama series, 'Dark Blue,' followed by a cameo appearance in 'The A-Team,' Omari Hardwick is having the best year of his acting career.

The Georgia native was chosen by Tyler Perry to star opposite Janet Jackson in his latest film, 'For Colored Girls,' which Perry has adapted from Ntozake Shange's legendary stage play.

Perry is playing Carl, a stockbroker and husband of Jo (played by Jackson), whose marriage is on the rocks when his indiscretions come into play.

Black Voices caught up with the 36-year old as he spoke about his work with Perry, Jackson, and his character that will spark debate once audiences have seen the much buzzed about film.

When you heard you got the part, what was your reaction?

Omari Hardwick: As soon as I came out of the audition I remember doing something different than they had probably seen from the 10-to-30 guys who had auditioned for my specific role. I tend to do something different, not necessarily to stand out, but if I find it to be more truthful to the character I'll do it. It can be a unique choice, and maybe I only know that 'cause I've gotten so much feedback from auditions. I remember walking out and thinking, "Well, I left everything in that room." I couldn't have done it any better in terms of telling the truth about the character. Within the first hour of me walking out I was told there was a pin in me. In Hollywood terms that meant I was their first choice. They put a pin in me, put me on hold. Basically were telling my agent and my manager that they wanted me. Aside for some minor details the part was probably going to go my way. That was within the first hour. I was extremely excited because it was a play that had been, at its inception, 30-something years old at this point. I've seen the play three times and I never thought it would ever be on the big screen, and if it were that the men would be invisible, just spoken about and not a palpable, tangible piece of the story. Seven-months prior I had auditioned for it, but another role, then I auditioned for the role of Carl, which I wound up getting, seven months afterwards. Once I knew that men would be brought to the screen and we would actually be able to bring these characters to life, all I kept thinking was how important and how special it was that I would be one of five men who would be able to tell the men's side of it concretely for the first time ever. I was on cloud 9. Once I found out it was going my way a week later I didn't care about the negotiations, at that point I was just extremely excited about doing it.

How would you describe your character, and what do you think of your storyline considering it wasn't a part of the original source material?

OH: That's a great question. I would describe Carl as a man who is still dealing with a lot of child issues. I'm coming into this interview having just watched the documentary "Waiting For Superman" for the third time, and it doesn't get old to me. At the inception of us all, all our insecurities and things we're confused about are childhood fears. I think that Carl, in keeping with that concept, is someone who's really messed up, all the way back from his childhood. I think he's sexually, not necessarily as confused as the cliché down-low man who's living with a woman but carrying on an affair with a man would be, I think it's a little bit deeper than that. In a heterosexual way he's trying his hardest to be everything he can be to this woman as a husband, but because of a lot of things he went through in his past it's just impossible. He keeps falling back into being dark and devious, not that being homosexual is dark or deviant, but the fact that he is lying and living that double life is deviant, and he finds it quite impossible to shake it. As a couple, they just fall to the ground and it's all due to the man, who perhaps deep inside is just a child at heart. That's how I tried to play him, that he's a man who is henpecked and wears the pants, controls the finances for a reason. A lot of it is because he doesn't know how to graduate past those child fears. It was not in the original nature of the story, as you said, so maybe it makes me feel even more special that I was one of the five men given this opportunity, and I was playing a character who was not seen in the play version of this story. I was asked to bring the new character, the new bad guy in, and Tyler asked me to show who he is, but he's new.

How was working alongside Janet (Jackson)?

OH: In the beginning it was one of those things because I wasn't able to be at the set in Atlanta as quickly as I would have liked because I was still dealing with the filming schedule for the TV show "Dark Blue". It was one of those things where I was overly anxious to find out who she is as a person, just because of the way I am as an actor. I want to really sit down and find out who Janet is before Carl gets to know who Joe is, which is the character she's playing. I was thwarted in that mission because of scheduling conflicts. I kind of went in not knowing what to expect, because weeks prior I would have had time with her, but I didn't get that. So I went in really anxious, and when I got there it was just perfect. She was extremely generous and open, she had obviously lost a huge figure in her life in her big brother a year prior. I had almost lost my father a year before that. We were actually able to connect on that. We came to the story with major loss, major pain. There were a lot of things that happened that made me a little apprehensive thinking I wouldn't get Janet, that I would just get the character, but she was ultimately perfect. Playing tennis back-and-forth with me as an actor in the scenes, open to whatever direction I thought the scene should go, the nature of who these guys as characters were. Just an absolute gem to work with. I gave her a parting gift of a painting I found in New York that was my idea of who she is. It was received just as graciously as I was received when I got there. It was all that and then some.

How was working with Tyler?

OH: Equally as powerful. Seven months prior he had brought me in to read, obviously a vote of confidence to let me know his eye was on me. Not knowing what was going on with the project I went on with my life and he went on with his, but even before that I had actually done the table read for another one of his movies in the past. Slowly but surely we built up a rapport. He's truly an actor's director; I went in not necessarily knowing that. I came out knowing it. He described me more as an artist than an actor. I think that was his words. I left learning that about him as well. We obviously deem him this iconic businessman with considerable favor upon him, obviously, in the things he's been able to accomplish. More importantly at the base he's really just another artist who has been trying to get that voice out the best he can. Maybe it doesn't come out the way mine has been able to come out, but in this movie I think the two entities, in terms of Omar Hardwick and Tyler Perry, as artists I think the two entities cross perfectly. I don't know what capacity we'll work with each other in the future, under or in, but I definitely think we'll meet up again in some sort of project, just because the work was so good.

What do you think this body of work will do for your career?

OH: I guess first and foremost give me a volume. Maybe at this point I tend to not think I'm in a career yet, but my work can be analogous to a level on a volume key on a radio. Maybe if the volume key goes to twenty I was at a five, and I think this immediately carries me up to at least a twelve, in terms of visibility, in terms of adding to my plate of work or range that I've been able to display. I'm a former football player who still looks physically athletic. Who's been able to play everything from a cop, to a guard I played in 'The Guardian' with Kevin Costner, the military movie 'Miracle At St. Anna,' all the way over to playing a very sexually confused husband, which is definitely the furthest from Omari that there could ever be. I think it would just add this range I've been blessed to be able to show. My life has been able to be a life where I've grabbed a lot of different experiences and I'm now in my work able to use them, and people are able to go, "Wow, I can't really pinpoint where I know this cat from but I definitely know him." I think it's because it's been the gift of having range but it's also been the curse of having range as well. More than anything just a volume where you know who I am now. Hopefully the range will be celebrated, see if I can tell stories I'm passionate about telling. Hopefully they vary in the nature of the characters I play. There has been that side of the fans pointing at me on the streets of New York, knowing they know me but not really knowing how they know me for my pubescent career. Healthy amount of work, maybe it'll give more of a volume to the person they're pointing at.

Are you coming back for 'Kick-Ass 2?'

OH: (laughs) Well I hope I'm coming back, man. I hope I can talk to you a year-and-a-half from now, two-years from now, and I'm able to say, "I guess I came back!" I've heard through the grapevine that my services are being solicited, and that would be awesome because obviously that is an extremely fun film, and one of those big films you don't get to do often in life where the bigness doesn't outweigh the story. It's big, but there's still a great story, it's fun, it's well-written. It really speaks to a lot of people. It speaks not only to a genre of people agewise and racewise, but also to people who are 8-year-old who have to get their parents to plug their ears because of the harsh language and extreme violence. It still speaks to them because everybody knows the kid at school who is the "loser", so-to-speak, rejected and dreams of being a superhero, and it speaks all the way to the 60-year-old grandmother bringing 'em to a movie who can also enjoy a movie of such nature. It's good for me to be a part of that, where the bigness doesn't outweigh the content. In Hollywood a lot of big movies fall short in terms of content. It's a cool thing and could definitely set up a side of my career for a very long time and allow me to do some big things I would like to do from a production standpoint; either as an aspiring director or producer. Hopefully I'll get to come back in a few years and kick some of the ass, I didn't kick enough ass, but hopefully I will in the next one.