Old Spice Guy Somehow 'Unclear' Why Tyler Perry Would Give Him Bigger Madea Part

Actor and body-wash pitchman Isaiah Mustafa last week scored what was believed to be his second role in as many upcoming Tyler Perry films, supplementing his small part in For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf with more work in Madea's Big Happy Family. According to Mustafa, however, it's a full upgrade: Perry offered him his first-ever lead in Madea. The strapping, velvet-voiced sex symbol says he doesn't know what motivated the change. Ha. As Madea herself is always fond of yelping in disbelief: "Helllurrr!?"

Nothing against Mustafa or his acting chops, which hardly get the credit they're due from those visually-arresting, location-jumping, horse-sitting Old Spice spots. But there would have to be something cosmically wrong for Perry's multi-film meat parade -- which may have peaked with this year's ripped (and rip-roaring) island getaway Why Did I Get Married Too? -- to leave out Mustafa's float when it's never looked better.

Not that he copped to knowing in an interview with THR, and I guess you can't blame him:

"I got a call from my manager a week and a half ago who told me that I was no longer in Colored Girls and said I would be in Madea's Big Happy Family instead," Mustafa said. "It was confirmed last Monday, and I left on Friday to begin filming."

Alongside stars Loretta Devine (as his mother-in-law) and Bow Wow (as his brother-in-law), the man branded as the Old Spice Guy plays Calvin, who is struggling with his marriage and family relationships. It has not been announced who will play his opposite.

Mustafa is unclear why the switch was made but remains grateful for the opportunity.

"I don't know why Mr. Perry made the swap," said Mustafa, who was not contracted to Colored Girls. "I didn't ask him his reasoning. I'm just really happy to have gotten this role. It's one of the leads, where in Colored Girls, I would have been just been in one or two scenes."

"Mr. Perry"! Adorable. Anyway, it's surely for the best, and I really have nothing more to say about this perfectly happy arrangement or Mustafa's comments. Other than, like, keep waxing, fella.

· Old Spice Guy switches Tyler Perry films [THR]