Tyrese Gibson Interview

Tyrese Gibson has done it all. Whether singing syrupy melodies on a city bus for Coca-Cola, modeling for Tommy Hilfiger or doing his thing on the big screen, he's a tour de force. The Watts, Los Angeles, native's street edge has not diminished his mass appeal and even caught the attention of "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" masterminds Michael Bey and Steven Spielberg, who always had him in mind for the role. "I thought I'd have to wait another ten years before I ever received a call for a move like that," admits Tyrese. "But here I am." ESSENCE.com caught up with the single father to talk about his obsession with tattoos, how he really feels about his ex-wife, and why he's that brother who's going to cause mayhem while saving the day.

ESSENCE.COM: So you play tough guy USAF Tech Sargeant Epps and go toe-to-toe with the autobots in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." Were you rough with the toys as a child?
TYRESE: Well, you'll definitely see more of my character's serious side. There are less comedic moments between Josh and I. In regards to playing with toys as a child, I absolutely was a fan of "Transformers," watched the cartoons and had my collection of toys. Shoot, a few of those toys weren't even mine; I sort of borrowed them but never gave them back (laughs). I'm so much of a fan I just got my 75th tattoo of an autobot.

ESSENCE.COM: Whoa! So when do you plan to stop with the body art, after you're completely covered or when you stop making "Transformer" sequels?
TYRESE: (Laughs.) I'm done for awhile. But I tell you, I've never in my life seen a movie with so much action and drama or bonded with the cast in a way where we all look out for one another. It's been a fun ride.

ESSENCE.COM: And just to switch gears a bit, you went through a rollercoaster ride of your own as a recent divorcee. What has been the most difficult love lesson you've had to learn?
TYRESE: My ex-wife and I were together for six or seven years before we married. I learned that sometimes marriage doesn't work. When you get married you vow to share your life experiences with someone else. If you happen to be as busy as I am, your mind and spirit is all you have and if anything is taking away from that on any level then it might be time to re-evaluate that situation. At the end of the day, you have to love and value yourself and your happiness to walk away sometimes, even if you love that person.

ESSENCE.COM: Have you two remained amicable?
TYRESE: I don't have anything negative to say about my daughter's mom. She's an amazing mother and I wouldn't have married her if I didn't think so. I know that I contributed to some of the conflicts that we had. I wish nothing but the best for her and I am focused on being a responsible father to our beautiful daughter.

ESSENCE.COM: Well, your baby girl will always have fond memories of you because you've been immortalized on the big screen and causing "Mayhem" in the comic book world.
TYRESE: Yes, my comic book "Mayhem" has already pre-sold 10,000 copies already in one story and it has the comic book world going crazy because if a comic sells 15,000 worldwide that's consider huge. The energy and momentum is crazy among comic enthusiasts.

Read the rest of the interview here.

PCM Review: Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen

One word to describe this film: Amazing! For once I can actually say that I found the sequel to an action film to be just a good or a bit better than the original. If you thought that director Michael Bay used a ton of special effects in the first Transformers film back in 2007, wait till you get a load of the visual spectacle that embodies Revenge of the Fallen. Bay is blowing things to smithereens within the first few moments of the film, and the action barely settles down throughout the rest of the nearly two and half hour film.

The film picks right up where the original left off, with lead character Sam Witwicky (Shia La Beouf) heading off to college. However things could never be that simple as Sam is leaving behind girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox), best autobot friend Bumblebee, and did I mention he holds the pertinent info necessary for Decepticon survival.....all in a days work for poor Sam. No worries as Optimus Prime always has Sam's back, along with a colorful array of new autobots, that will stop at nothing to destroy the Decepticons and restore peace on the planet earth.

The CGI robots cleanly interacted with their human co-stars and the fight scenes between the AutoBots and the Decepticons were visually stunning. My only nit-picky complaint is at times it felt that the battle scenes dragged out for a little longer than necessary, but hey, Michael Bay, you've got the budget and you certainly put it to good use! The comedic aspects of this film were amped up a bit more than the previous, and the writers did a superb job of dropping a comedic moment in just when the action was getting a bit too tense. Revenge of the Fallen is definitely going to make it's mark as this summer's big action blockbuster!