Cory Hardrict Calls Himself A 'Baby Denzel' After Tyler Perry's 'Divorce In The Black' Release
![Tyler Perry's "Divorce In The Black" New York Premiere](https://d.enstarz.com/en/full/220516/tyler-perrys-divorce-black-new-york-premiere.jpg?w=936&f=4cef872bc47cd85f044890534143e05d)
Cory Hardrict is starting a new chapter in his Hollywood career.
Hardrict played Dallas in Tyler Perry's 'Divorce in the Black' on Prime Video which quickly hit number one on the streaming platform.
RELATED: Tyler Perry's 'Divorce In The Black' Receives Rare 0% On Rotten Tomatoes: 'Easily [His] Worst Film To Date'
In a recent interview with 'BET,' Hardrict referred to himself as "Baby Denzel." Through this moniker, he likens himself to Denzel Washington, one of the most critically acclaimed actors of our generation.
A clip shared by Hardrict, 44, showed him accepting his increased fame and attention with open arms.
"I'm stepping into my purpose. I've been walking in it, but I'm really stepping into it right now, and it feels good," he said.
![Tyler Perry's "Divorce In The Black" Exclusive First Look - 2024 American Black Film Festival](https://d.enstarz.com/en/full/219396/tyler-perrys-divorce-black-exclusive-first-look-2024-american-black-film-festival.jpg?w=612&f=9678413553b067dca8f13515db076260)
"I'm just back to dreaming for a living. Not that I ever stopped, but I'm really back to dreaming, and I feel like I can do anything," he continued. "As long as you put that 'I Am' in front of it, if I am this, I am that, you can do it, and then you put that in Jesus' name. Amen."
When it comes to his recent success, Hardrict credits Perry, 54, and the movie wholeheartedly.
"Tyler Perry just called me, boom, I can't believe it. I read the script, and it was amazing. It was intense, but it was nuanced, with a lot of layers in the characters," he said. "It showed vulnerability, masculinity, everything I want to be as an actor. Leading man, yeah, like Denzel vibes. That's what I'm on right now."
![Friday NightVibes Goes Off The Field With All American And All American: Homecoming - 2024 American Black Film Festival](https://d.enstarz.com/en/full/219796/friday-nightvibes-goes-off-field-all-american-all-american-homecoming-2024-american-black.jpg?w=936&f=f4ca237976f3842198f3f86c46435f32)
RELATED: Tyler Perry Reveals Thoughts On Rotten Tomatoes In Resurfaced Clip Amid 0% Rating
Now, Hardrict is living a life where he is seeing his face on billboards — a surreal experience for the Chicago native.
When asked about seeing his face on a large billboard on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, he answered "it was amazing to see."
"I'm excited for the world to see this film. God is truly real, and I got the role. I did an amazing job, and I believe my billboard is just the beginning," he said.
Despite the father of two's optimisim about his latest project, critics on 'Rotten Tomatoes' thought otherwise.
The highly-anticipated film received a rare and jaw-dropping 0% rating.
Listed as the "Top Critic," Andrew Lawrence boldly called the flick "easily [Tyler Perry's] worst film to date" — followed by a sour score of one out of five stars.