Grammy-winning gospel singer Erica Campbell is stepping into her biggest acting role yet in Lifetime’s Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery, a faith-based drama Campbell says fulfills a longtime dream.
“This is something I always wanted, and I had just resolved, like, maybe it won’t happen,” she recently told Urban Hollywood 411 on the red carpet at the film’s Los Angeles premiere.
The drama, which premieres tonight, stars Campbell as “Cassie,” a Christian influencer and bestselling author, who feels ignored by her business-manager husband. She seeks comfort in the arms of another man, setting off a dangerous blackmail scheme.
CJ Williams (All the Queen’s Men) plays Cassie’s husband and manager “Daniel.” Trai Byers (Empire) portrays “Troy,” the other man.
On the red carpet, Campbell discussed the emotional struggles that led her character to seek affection outside her marriage.
“You see how she covers and she rationalizes, but you also see that she really was trying to get her husband’s attention, and while he was so focused on building her as an entity, as a brand, she just wanted him to care about her heart,” she explained.
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Dawn Halfkenny, Jasmine Guy, and former NBA player Matt Barnes also have roles in the film. Dr. Holly Carter, who is CEO of Beverly Hills-based Relevé Entertainment, executive produced the film.
Carter’s past credits include Lifetime’s The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel and BET’s faith-based Kingdom Business.
At the premiere, Carter said she wanted to bring Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery to audiences because of its themes about faith, redemption, and love.
“This is a project that is based on the Ten Commandments. I kind of flipped them into modern-day stories and we are telling them about everyday life. My hope is that people will take away from this, the fact that we as married couples need to pay attention to our relationships,” she said.
After topping the gospel charts, both as a solo artist and alongside her sister Tina Campbell in the duo Mary Mary, Erica has been building her acting resume.
The singer-songwriter previously had supporting roles in Bounce TV’s Saints & Sinners, OWN’s Greenleaf, and the 2023 Lifetime movie Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story.
Campbell said she nearly gave up on acting before she received the script for Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery.
“And then this lead role comes and so I always tell myself, ‘I’ll walk through the door God opens for me,'” she shared.
Thou Shall Not Commit Adultery premieres Saturday, June 6 on Lifetime at 8/7c. Watch the interviews below:
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