Pointing out that Racquel Bailey is the third actress to have spent thousands of dollars for the advertisement, the 'Nobody's Fool' director urges dreamers to take part in a free audition.
- June 6, 2019
AceShowbiz - Director Tyler Perry was left unimpressed after an aspiring actress paid $2,000 (£1,580) for a giant billboard to plead with him to give her a job.
Racquel Bailey splashed out thousands of dollars for the billboard advertisement in Atlanta, Georgia, which featured her headshot alongside the words: "Attention Mr. Perry, Racquel Bailey is your next leading lady." The poster also featured Racquel's website and Twitter handle.
But the billboard didn't have quite the desired effect, with "Tyler Perry's a Madea Family Funeral" star Tyler taking to Instagram to urge others not to follow Racquel's lead.
Sharing a snap of the billboard, Tyler wrote: "Auhhh... soooooo...... here's the deal. This is not the way to get my attention if you're looking for a role in one of my shows. Please DON'T DO THIS, SAVE YOUR MONEY!! This is the third time that someone has done this. PLEASE STOP! To audition is FREE!! I'm sure you can use that money for a better purpose."
"I love that you want to work with me, and I love that you invest in yourself. But when you do things like this it puts my team on high alert and makes me look at you sideways. I know the message that you want to send is a positive one, but this comes across as the opposite."
Once again urging anyone who wants to work with him to take part in a free audition, Tyler concluded: "God bless you dreamer. I have no doubt you will make it one day!!"
Racquel has received a generally positive response to her billboard on social media, and explained her decision in a pinned post on her Twitter page, which read: "My #LeapOfFaith. I'm just a mother wanting to show my children that I went for it all, that I chased my dreams. So one day, they'll be able to do the same."
On Wednesday, June 05, as news of the billboard swept the world, Racquel posted a smiling selfie on Instagram and wrote: "Today is a day I'll never forget. All this love and support I'm getting is definitely something I wasn't expecting. So overwhelming and exciting at the sametime. I hope I'm making my mommy proud up in heaven. #RacquelBailey #FaithJumper #LeapOfFaith."
