Schelle Purcell Overcame Homelessness, Divorce and Cheated Death to Become Tyler Perry’s Star: ‘I Know the Power of Second Chances’ (EXCLUSIVE)
The single mom opens up about hardship, survival and her new Netflix role
Every time Schelle Purcell felt like she got knocked down, she made it her mission to get back up, plant both feet on the ground and keep pressing forward to achieve her dream of becoming an actress.
The single mom of two didn’t have any Hollywood connections or famous friends to open doors and make introductions…and no one knew her name. Schelle knew if she wanted to be first on a movie call sheet, she would have to stay fiercely determined to show the industry what she was made of.
Before landing the role of Gloria—a tough, no-nonsense landlord whose cold, unyielding demeanor masks little empathy for those she evicts—in Tyler Perry’s new Netflix film, Straw, Schelle faced incredible hardships, such as financial and health setbacks that left her without a place to live, but she never gave up. In this exclusive interview for Woman’s World, Schelle says, “Crawling under the covers and accepting defeat was never an option, because I knew the universe had a plan for me. I just had to keep going to see what it was.”
Woman’s World: You star as Gloria in Tyler Perry’s film, Straw, which is currently streaming on Netflix. What drew you to the role?
Schelle Purcell: I had been auditioning and living in Atlanta for 10 years when I got the opportunity to audition for Gloria. I was able to relate to her because she was relatable to what I was going through. As an actress, I was able to take those real-life experiences and put it into my toolbox, which helped me channel everything into this character.
WW: What do you and Gloria have in common?
Schelle Purcell: She was exactly like the lady who was responsible for evicting me from my home. Trust me, when I read the script, I was like, “I got this.”
WW: What was your reaction when you found out you got the part?
Schelle Purcell: I just sat in it and was like, “This is what God has been saving for me. This is the role he wanted me for because I am Gloria.”
WW: The movie touches upon the impact of poverty and the lengths people will go to protect their children. For you, this was your real-life playing out right on the screen.
SP: When this happened to me, I had booked four episodes on the TV show, Walker as Keesha Barnett. I was in Texas recording the show when my neighbor back home called me and said, “I don’t know where you are, but they are putting your stuff on the street.” This was shortly after COVID and there were some programs in the county where I was living, helping tenants get caught up on bills who had gotten behind because they were not working.
One of the things they were doing was paying rent. When I got into the program, I looped in the leasing office so we could all stay on the same page. For whatever reason, there was a misstep in communication about the payment—and it wasn’t received. So while I was out of state trying to make money, my stuff was being put out on the curb.
WW: What was going through your mind when you got that call?
SP: I have never felt so helpless, embarrassed, defeated and so many other emotions. I immediately tried to call the leasing office to find out what was going on and then I reached out to a friend to say I needed help.
My friend even offered to write a check on my behalf, but the leasing office declined. After I was able to get someone from the leasing office on the phone, I was told where my stuff was and since they could not guarantee people wouldn’t go through my belongings, I should get a truck to pick it up. Then they hung up on me.
WW: You were on a crowded production set. How did you stay calm under tremendous pressure?
Schelle Purcell: I was in full make-up and when no one was looking, I felt the tears going down my face. It was a nightmare. My youngest daughter, who was in college over three hours away, was blowing up my phone to alert me as she was driving home.
I did not know what to do. My heart was breaking, beating at a rapid pace and I was needed back on the set. Because I was at work, I had to keep it together. Ironically, I had to film an emotional scene and for me, I was already there. It was truly my best work because I had all these emotions to unleash and I kept thinking, when I am done and fly home, I am going to be homeless.
WW: Sounds like you handled it like a pro.
SP: I could not wait to get back to the hotel where I was staying because I needed to release this monster inside of me. Thank goodness I had good friends who assured me they would help, and I should just focus on my job.
When I played Gloria, I remembered how that woman showed me no compassion and refused to give me more time. She was just so mean to me. She treated me like I did not want to carry my weight and pay my obligations. I wanted to—I just needed a few days to sort out the issue.
WW: Most people hang onto the anger. You chose a different path?
SP: I had to let it go and not let it consume me. I started apologizing to my daughter and told her how embarrassed I was. I also promised her I would turn things around for us. I knew I had to fix this; I just did not have a plan yet.
WW: Did being a trained actress help you mask your emotions so no one would know what was going on?
SP: If I had to verbalize and tell the story, that would bring more embarrassment and shame to me. I could not take telling the story and having it circulate onset. Being a single mom helped because many times you must wear your poker face and let kids know everything is okay, even if it is not. I did not want my children to worry or my job to be at risk because I needed that check.
WW: Getting back to your belongings, where were they?
SP: When I was evicted, these men just came in, took their arms and just threw everything into thick black trash bags. Like one big swoop and then tossed it off the balcony! There was no care or concern that I worked for everything. In fact, when I opened the bags, many things were broken, such as plates, glasses, make-up and picture frames of my kids and their graduation certificates. The process of going through my stuff when I was able to find a new place to live was a hurtful reminder of what had happened.
WW: How did this change you?
SP: It makes you work even harder, so this never happens again. I mean, sugar, spices, pasta boxes, all just thrown together. It was so bad. When I saw the broken frames of my kids’ graduation certificates, I cried because I never graduated from college and that was a goal of mine, to see my kids graduate and to me, this was so disrespectful.
WW: Your character Gloria is described as cold, non-empathetic, tough as nails landlord who evicts Taraji Henderson’s character Janiyah and tosses her belongings to the street in the pouring rain. How did it feel to play a person like this and do this to someone else, even though it was for a movie?
SP: I did not like it and yet I knew I had to own it. The beauty about this was when I was welcomed to the set, I learned Tyler Perry has a rule that when you make eye contact with someone, you talk to that person. The first time I made eye contact with him, he said, “Great audition.” When he gave me that acknowledgement, saw me and I think he understood why Gloria affected me the way she did.
WW: Can you elaborate?
SP: I got nastier and nastier as I became more comfortable with Gloria being a part of my life. After the scene was wrapped, everyone erupted in laughter, and I knew Gloria was in the building.
WW: When you were evicted, you had family members living with you who were also experiencing homelessness.
SP: My youngest daughter was in her 3rd year of college, but my nephew from Mississippi came to live with me in Georgia to start over. He was also beginning a new job and was about to take Uber to work when everything happened. When this all went down, a Sheriff stood outside my front door because you are not allowed back into the residence, so my nephew was forced to watch and do nothing.
WW: What did you say to yourself during this challenging and dark time?
SP: I had to raise my head up, get a plan and say the words, “this too shall pass.” It has and I have never been in that situation again.
WW: Where did you go after you were evicted without warning?
SP: We stayed in a hotel for about a week. Then one of my acting friends offered us a place to stay and taught me how to find a new apartment. Unfortunately, my nephew had to go home due to my circumstances. I also stayed with a relative for six months while I was applying for a new place. When I got a second chance at having my own home, I started teaching classes and bartending if I had nothing to do because I had to make money so I would never be in that situation again!
WW: How did this experience impact you psychologically?
SP: I was messed up for a while. I wanted to blame the system, the apartment people, but in the end, I realized it was a part of my story. It was traumatizing going through those bags because my entire life was in these bags and now most everything is broken. I could not let those broken things define me. Instead, I said to myself, “Okay, we will get a new frame for the diploma,” and we are just starting over.
WW: You haven’t talked about being homeless before.
SP: No, and I must tell you it feels liberating. I know now what I overcame, and it was necessary for this moment. I had to go through this so I can connect to who Gloria is.
WW: This was not the only obstacle you overcame.
SP: No, it was not. I went through a divorce. I had to move from Mississippi, where I was living with my family after Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed my mom’s house and blew the roof off the home I was renting.
Years later, when I had to have a hysterectomy, the doctors discovered severe bleeding and had they not done the procedure, I probably would not be here to become a grandmother, watch my daughter be accepted to nursing school or to play Gloria. I remember looking down where they did the surgery and saw like 100 staples in my body and being told by the doctor I had to wear an ostomy bag.
WW: What did you learn from your journey, which is far from over?
SP: People think because I am on television, I have it all. I am here to tell you people who are on TV have setbacks and no one had any idea of what I was going through.
WW: You credit your two daughters for helping you get to this great place?
SP: Yes! There were times I thought I was going to lose my mind from all the pressure and yet, my girls never left my side. They were always cheering me on, saying encouraging words and being supportive.
WW: In addition to Straw, you have another film coming out?
SP: Yes, I do. It’s coming out in the Spring of 2026. It is called A Rose Through Cancer. It’s about a husband and wife who are having a baby when the wife discovers she has ovarian cancer and the couple must decide if they are going to terminate her pregnancy because if they don’t, she will not live. Did I mention I am number one on this call sheet? First time too.
WW: Congratulations! Do you consider yourself the ultimate survivor?
SP: I have been through a lot! I mean, my confidence was at an all-time low when I had to wear the ostomy bag, which leaked many times. Then, of course, there was the period when I was homeless but I made it.
WW: You sound like you are in a good place.
SP: I tell people all the time, my attitude is gratitude. I know the power of healing. I know the power of second chances and being happy for what I have.
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