Raleigh's Timmy Richardson (aka Sho'Time Timmy) has got a lot going on. The youngster is a junior drum major in the Shaw University Band, he won a talent competition hosted by the legendary Apollo Theater -- and he's just landed a role in an upcoming TV series by Tyler Perry.
Richardson will play a character named "Justice" in Perry's "If Loving You is Wrong". The series is set to air on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network this fall.
Timmy's mom Tanika says she knew her son was destined for great things.
"I knew because he told me he was going to be a movie star when he was two," Tanika said. "I said 'Who told you that?' And he said 'God.' You can't argue with that," Tanika chuckles.
The family has spent each week in Atlanta shooting the series, coming home to Raleigh on the weekends. Timmy won the role on the third call-back audition. All the child actors under consideration were waiting in the lobby of the building.
"They called me in first and that meant I could set the bar high," Timmy remembers. "So I went in there and I did a good job, and I went back out, and then they called me in again, and when I walked in Tyler Perry was sitting right there. I was in total shock. I said a few lines, and when I walked out my mom said 'What is wrong?'"
Timmy remembers the moment he found out that he got the role. He was at school. (Richardson is a third grade student at Powell Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, NC.)
"It was right after lunch. We were going back to the classroom. My mom came in with balloons and said 'Guess what?' and I said, 'I don't know, what?' And when she told us I freaked out and so did all of my friends."
Timmy finished shooting the first season of the series earlier this week. http://youtu.be/P_Skba8Mh3s