Eva Marcille is returning for the fifth and final season of “All the Queen’s Men.
After portraying Marilyn “Madame” DeVille throughout all five seasons, following her stint on Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne,” Marcille has become a seasoned pro in Perry’s television universe.
Now, she’s opening up about how the cast stayed “locked in” while bringing the dramatic series to a close.
Perry’s rapid-fire production style often draws criticism for its story direction and the short time spent on set.
Marcille views his approach as an efficient way to keep actors on their toes and push them to deliver their best performances.
“I think the way Tyler shoots is efficient,” Marcille tells Atlanta Black Star in an interview.
For actors working within Perry’s fast-paced production process, preparation is essential.
As Marcille explains, “You have to know your story. You have to be very off-book. The story has to live in you.”
That level of preparation leaves little room for cutting corners. “I think the trade-off is that you’re not allowed to be lazy,” she adds. “You’re not allowed to cut corners.”
However, Perry’s production style hasn’t been the only topic surrounding “All the Queen’s Men.”
The series made headlines in January after its star and creator, Christian Keyes, publicly criticized Perry, accusing the media mogul and Tyler Perry Studios of attempting to remove his creator credit and change the show’s original vision.
During a series of viral Instagram Live sessions, Keyes described Perry’s alleged behind-the-scenes behavior as “shady” and “corny.”
However, Marcille says the public fallout didn’t disrupt the atmosphere on set, with the cast and crew remaining focused on their work.
“You know, on set for us, we’re all… we’re locked in,” she said. “The proper actor leaves who they are in the dressing room or their car, so when you come to set, you are prepared for character.”
Marcille also praised her fellow cast members and crew for their commitment throughout the final season.
“And my cast, oh my cast, they are so amazing, every single one of them, every woman, every man, the cast and crew, they’re so locked in, so intentional,” she added.
As Marcille prepares to close the chapter on “All the Queen’s Men,” she’s already looking ahead to her next television venture, teasing a quick return to the screen in an unnamed project.
The “America’s Next Top Model” alum and “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” veteran is also open to joining “The Traitors,” though she may be better suited to playing a Faithful than a Traitor.
“I have been asked about The Traitors. I love the show,” she shared, praising the reality competition for what she sees as a revealing look at human behavior. “I absolutely love the show. I love this new season too, because I think that it’s like a social experiment on how the world works, on how we prejudge people.”
Still, Marcille isn’t convinced she has what it takes to deceive her fellow contestants.
“However, I think I will be such a bad Traitor,” she declared. “I’m very just, like, warm and bubbly and honest and, like, a little flower. I live in my own little garden, so I don’t know how I could be like, devious murder.”
Catch Eva Marcille in the fifth and final season of “All the Queen’s Men,” premiering Oct. 21 on Paramount+.
