\n\tThe film Perry was promoting follows an aspiring New York-based fashion designer named Joy who is toiling away in the shadow of an unscrupulous boss whose creative well has dried up. Her love life, like her work life, according to her most outspoken friend, Littia (singer Inayah), is in shambles, and an invitation to spend the holidays with love interest Colton (Aaron O\u2019Connell) challenges her perspectives on romance.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tPerry officially kicked off the screening by praising his star Shannon Thornton, best known for her role as Miss Mississippi on Katori Hall\u2019s hit Starz show P-Valley. \u201cWhen I was writing this movie, I thought, \u2018Who do I want to get to play this role?,\u2019 and I immediately thought about her,\u201d he recalled. \u201cShe\u2019s incredible,\u201d he said directly to Thornton, who expressed her appreciation of that life-changing call from \u201cMr. Perry\u201d: \u201cTo give me a chance, to give me a shot \u2014 this is my first time starring in a film,\u201d she said, as the crowd erupted into applause. \u201cI come from the TV world, so this is so exciting for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tPerry also invited onstage Brittany S. Hall, who plays Ashley, and Amber Rasberry, the Amazon MGM exec with whom he\u2019s worked for more than 20 years, and asked his Tyler Perry Studios crew to stand. While expressing his gratitude for their work \u2014 and encouraging those in attendance to spread the word of the movie\u2019s Nov. 5 global premiere date on Prime Video \u2014 Perry broke slightly from the script.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cI know we\u2019re about to watch a fun movie. I just want to shift gears for just a minute,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m very, very concerned about this SNAP benefits for so many people who need them. And I just want you to know if you know somebody who is on SNAP, what I\u2019m hearing is that if you have money left on your SNAP, WIC card or however that works, if you do not spend it by the fifth, it could be gone.\u201d (The New York Times\u00a0recently reported<\/a> that millions of Americans will see massive cuts and delays to food stamps despite the White House choosing to pay partial benefits.)<\/p>\n \n\tAs Perry continued, he became more somber. \u201cI just feel sad that there are so many people, children and elderly people who are not getting these benefits when they need to. \u2026 Please, please just, just try and help whoever you can because I\u2019m doing a lot to see what I can do. Now I\u2019m going to switch gears back to Finding Joy.\u201d<\/p>\n
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