Darius McCrary

Darius McCrary is best known for being a regular on the popular, long-running TV series "Family Matters." McCrary has also starred in feature films like "Big Shots" and "Mississippi Burning." In the World Wide Pictures' film "Something to Sing About," he plays Tommy - a person who wants a better life, but who's checkered past makes for a cloudy future. Editor Susan Brill caught up with Darius on the set to discuss his role in the film.

SB: Darius, we didn't know that you could sing! How do you feel about making your musical debut in this movie?

DM: I haven't released anything, but I was raised in a godly family and I was raised to sing. I mean, I didn't think I would act. I never wanted to act.

SB: Really?

DM: It was totally God saying, "Here, I'll give you this." I never wanted to act, and sometimes I still don't.

SB: How did you get into it, if you never wanted to act?

DM: My dad was doing a play which has an apropos title, "Don't Get God Started." He was doing the music for it, and I would go to rehearsal with him. Chip Fields saw me and said, "This boy has so much energy. Let me just take him, let me just try." I was just like, "Whatever." My mom said, "No, you're not going to have my baby out there. No, no, no, no. He's a preacher." That's what everybody prophesied ever since I was little. "You're going to be a preacher." I went on the call, and, sure enough, I got it and it all worked out.

SB: How old were you then?

DM: I was nine at the time, and I got the role by the time I was about 10. Chip Fields, she's the reason I'm in this business. She started so many people in this business.

SB: Do you have mixed feelings about it now? Would you rather be singing?

DM: Yes and no. I'm not going to fight it. I figure, everything in God's perfect timing. He knows all, and there may be a reason why I'm acting and not singing. I feel that they are both - for lack of a better word - they're both evil. But acting is the lesser of the evil, I feel.

SB: Why do you think that is?

DM: Well, because I feel there is a lot that comes with this business whether you're acting or singing. Greed, jealousy. There are just a whole lot of things that come with it. I've just seen people so jaded and changed, and you know they have to lose everything to come back to God. It's like, "Why man? Just do it right the first time."

I've been so blessed. But this business to me has a lot of responsibility with it. I feel that singing is the one that's more evil because it has a lot of underlying tones. There's a lot more you are responsible for. You have to go with what's kind of "in" if you want to be successful.

I mean gospel projects aren't "in" right now...but the cool thing about this project is that it's a gospel project, and it's real.

I can honestly be happy doing this project, and I don't have to sell myself. Nine times out of ten, to get a hit record, you have to go out there half-naked and have naked girls in your video. I mean it's the truth.

Kirk Franklin is a very blessed individual to be able to do what he does, to go speak his testimony. God gave him directly what he has, and God usually does that to people. God gives you what He wants you to have, which is why I say that I'm very happy that I was able to do both [acting and singing] and in this order.

©2000 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.