Horace was supposed to die at the end of Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black‘s first season.
During an interview with Shirley’s Temple host Shirley Ju, Ricco Ross explained the moment that the fate of his character switched for the better.
“It was written that Horace was supposed to die at the end of the first season,” Ross shared. “When he’s in the hospital, that’s supposed to be the last time you see him.”
So, what changed?
Ross revealed the moment that creator Tyler Perry told him he wasn’t able to kill the character from the Netflix series, which has captured the attention of the culture due to its over-the-top moments.
“He goes, ‘Ricco, I’m watching this scene, and I can’t focus, because the only thing that’s going through my mind is I can’t kill you off, and I love killing off characters,'” Ross recalled.
The actor said that Perry had to go back to the drawing board and rewrite the script, noting that the show needs Horace.
How Ross used the exchange as a moment of inspiration
Before Tyler Perry’s Beauty in Black, Ross was probably best known for his portrayal of Private Frost in the 1986 sci-fi film Aliens, but he’s also been in projects such as P-Valley, Bobbi Kristina, Hill Street Blues and more.
“It was a hell of a compliment,” he said of Perry’s decision not to kill his character. “And I think it’s a message that should be out there for people, that if you put the work in, that often, [there are] unexpected gifts that come with it.”
Although we see Ross’s character Horace away, receiving medical treatment throughout the second season, he hits the Bellarie family with an unexpected pop-up in the final episode of this installment of the season, leaving those watching wondering what his next move is.
Watch the full interview below: