Meet Mr. Brown: David Mann Talks Transition Into TV

David Mann has come a long way since his days of singing with Kirk Franklin & The Family.
The 42-year-old singer/actor made a name for himself touring the country as "Downtown" Leroy Brown on the touring play circuit in various Tyler Perry productions like 'I Can Do Bad All By Myself,' 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman,' 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman' and 'What's Done In The Dark.'
Now Mann, along with his wife, gospel superstar Tamela Mann, is fronting a television series based off his infamous character Mr. Brown on the Perry-produced TBS sitcom, 'Meet the Browns.'
"First thing, all you can say is, wow! I think it's a wonderful thing," Mann offered, when I asked about the evolution of his career.
The Fort Worth, Texas-bred funnyman said the best part about doing this TV series is that Perry allows him and his wife to be true to their faith.
"Tyler allows us on the set to be who we are," he explained. "Everybody knows who we are, we're Christian. Sometimes they'll be like, 'Awe, they're saved.' But that's just who we are!"
The television series is the third medium for the 'Meet the Browns' franchise, which after the touring play was adapted into a feature film starring Angela Bassett and Rick Fox.
Mann, who has played this character since 1999, confessed that he's had to soften Mr. Brown's antics for the small screen, as his over-the-top nature on the theater stage doesn't always play well with TV viewers.
"I'm usually the one he has to pull to the side and he has to say, 'Okay, this is TV. Tone it down a little bit.' I'm grateful for the opportunity that we've have right here at this point. For me, I'm the southern church guy and I would have never thought I would have gotten these opportunities. I enjoy the freedom that Tyler gives us," he said.

The actor, who is featured alongside his wife on the new cover of Precious Times magazine, admitted that though he often performs comedic routines and appears to be a comedian while hosting shows as Mr. Brown; he isn't a standup comic and never performed any unscripted comedy prior to playing this role.
"I kind of had to do it because people started asking me to do it," he confessed. "I don't do standup comedy. Slowly hosting things, I developed a set. I would add a piece onto it and then I had a whole routine."
Mann has a musical parody CD out called 'Mr. Brown's Good Ol Time Church.'
'Meet the Browns' airs every Wed. at 10pm on TBS.

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