Tyler Perry Doesnt Want Your Thirsty Billboards

Please, if you are thinking of getting Tyler Perrys attention via billboard, dont. If youre an actor and you find yourself looking for some way to separate yourself from the hordes of talent going in to audition for Perry projects and you think to yourself, Hm…maybe I oughta…buy an entire billboard, then stop. Perry has had enough.

Apparently not one, not two, but three actors have tried to get the multi-hyphenates attention by commissioning custom billboards printed with their headshots and info, directing them at Perry—and hes tired of it. On Wednesday, Perry addressed the truly singular issue once and for all, sharing a photo on his Facebook of the latest billboard, from actress Racquel Bailey, and explaining his very relatable problem.

“Auhhh…. soooooo…… heres the deal,” he began, clearly pained. “This is not the way to get my attention if youre looking for a role in one of my shows. Please DONT DO THIS, SAVE YOUR MONEY!! This is the third time that someone has done this. PLEASE STOP! To audition is FREE!! Im sure you can use that money for a better purpose.”

The billboard in question, near Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, features Baileys headshot and the line, “Attention Mr. Perry. Racquel Bailey is your next leading lady.” The billboard also shows her website link and her Twitter handle. Gotta cross-promote, you know? Bailey, for what its worth, has previously appeared on The Night Of and The Jim Gaffigan Show.

Perry, who has penned several hit movies and created long-running shows like The Paynes and The Haves and the Have Nots, continued, explaining that the billboard comes across as troublesome. “When you do things like this it puts my team on high alert and makes me look at you sideways,” he said. “I know the message that you want to send is a positive one, but this comes across as the opposite.”

He also kindly noted that he actually saw Bailey on The Night Of. She was Seen! And he wanted to let her know that in all-caps: “I ALREADY SAW YOU!! So just audition and keep your money!!” he urged. “Again, I appreciate your effort, but thats not the way to work for me. God bless you dreamer. I have no doubt you will make it one day!!”

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bailey actually bought two billboards near Tyler Perry Studios, costing $2,000. One went up on May 6, the other on May 7. She posted about them on Twitter, calling the billboards her leap of faith. “Im just a mother wanting to show my children that I went for it all, that I chased my dreams,” she said. “So one day, theyll be able to do the same.”

Though Perrys Facebook post would imply the whole billboard thing doesnt work, Bailey said that a casting agent did call her in to audition for the pilot of a new Perry show after the billboards went up. AJC confirmed this with a contact at Tyler Perry Studios. Bailey has not yet heard back about the part. “Im patiently waiting,” she said.

This is also apparently not the first time the 32-year-old actor has pulled a stunt like this. In 2012, she rented a $1,400 billboard near Perrys old studio. She got the idea from Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, the HBO biopic starring Halle Berry as the famous entertainer. In one scene Dandridge is told that in order to get an agents attention, she has to get her face plastered on billboards. Dandridge doesnt do this, but still—an idea was born. Regardless, let us all pay our respects to the original thirsty billboard.

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