House of Payne’s Denise Burse chats up the 2011 NAACP Image Awards and Season 7

Photo by Lia Chang

Fresh from the Atlanta set of House of Payne, the award-winning actress was a vision in a cream colored tuxedo when we attended a concert performance by Marva Hicks in Pat Holley’s Me and Caesar Lee at the Triad Theatre in New York earlier this month.

(l-r) Lia Chang, Peter Jay Fernandez, Denise Burse and Marva Hicks after the concert presentation of Pat Holley's Me and Caesar Lee at The Triad Theatre in New York on April 3, 2011.

“It’s been really hair raising,” said Burse. “I can’t give too much away until they start the new season. She’s in a very interesting storyline. I can only urge you to tune in because many eyebrows will be raised.”

Click here to watch “Payneful Visit,” the episode where Claretha reveals she has leukemia.

About Claretha, Burse shared, “She’s funny, she’s sassy, very sensitive. She is a woman who likes being in love, and has been hurt many times as a result. She has a great big heart. She loves her friends deeply and loyally. She has a sense of flair. I wear outrageous gear and change my hair to fit my outfit. From head to toe. She is always dolled up.”

In March, Tyler Perry and House of Payne won a host of awards at the 2011 NAACP Image Awards, including the 2011 NAACP Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. The Image Awards, first presented in 1967, were launched by the NAACP to celebrate “outstanding achievements by people of color in film, television, music and literature, as well as individuals or groups who promote social justice.”

It was a first for Ms. Burse at the NAACP Images Awards which were held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, to share the glory with her castmates and good friend Samuel L. Jackson, with whom she walked the red carpet. Click here for photo coverage.

“I stayed at my friend LaTayna Richardson Jackson’s and Samuel L. Jackson’s house. I walked the red carpet with Sam, said Burse. “We were going to the same event. He was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor for “Mother and Child” (Sony Pictures Classics). He won. We walked the red carpet together and were photographed-which was a delight. It was a delight to be there with him. We’ve been friends for many, many years. He has always has been very supportive and encouraging. I was just glad to be able to celebrate him as well.”

“House of Payne was nominated again this year for several NAACP Awards, and we won again this year for Outstanding Comedy in a Series,” said Burse. I didn’t know the show won until the day of the actual event. We had a strong sense that we might win. It was nice because a lot of the cast was nominated and my castmembers were there. It was great to be able to rally and support and enjoy each other.”

After the awards ceremony, Burse headed off to Tyler Perry’s First Annual “Rise Above” Celebration held at Boulevard3 in Hollywood. “The party was really fun because I got to see Mary J. Blige, who was named Outstanding Female Artist, perform,” said Burse. “She was off the charts!”

Watch Ms. Burse as Claretha in “Shout Out,” the new episode of House of Payne, which airs on Wednesday, April 20th at 10:30pm on TBS.

Related articles:
Video: Denise Burse as Claretha Jenkins in House of Payne Episode “Payneful Visit”
Wikipedia List of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne Episodes

Other Articles by this Author:
Denise Burse & Peter Jay Fernandez Featured in INTAR Reading of Andrew Dolan’s The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King
Multimedia: The 52nd Street Project Benefit Photos: Michael Cerveris, James Monroe Inglehart, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Matthew Morrison, Greg Naughton and Kelli O’Hara
Michael Cerveris, Matthew Morrison & Kelli O’Hara sing for 52nd Street Project’s Benefit
Eisa Davis Tells Story of Activist Angela Davis in Angela’s Mixtape
Multimedia: Zooman and The Sign Opening Night Party
Denise Burse, Rocky Carroll, Anthony Chisholm, John Earl Jelks and James A. Williams in Radio Golf by August Wilson at The Pearlstone Theater in Baltimore
Slideshow – On October 16, 2005, The Virginia Theatre was renamed the August Wilson Theatre