Shuvrajit Das Biswas
Tyler Perry has worked tirelessly to provide us with great content and has rarely disappointed. Yet, many of his fans believe that ‘House of Payne‘ is Perry’s best work. The premise follows patriarch Curtis Payne and his wife Ella – who live under the same roof in Atlanta. It is primarily a slapstick comedy, occasionally combating serious issues like addiction and substance abuse. The show initially ran for eight seasons and even inspired a short-lived spin-off, titled ‘The Paynes.’
While fans were almost sure that ‘House of Payne’ would not return to the screens, the series has pleasantly surprised everyone with a ninth installment. It’s the cause of celebration among many, but some detractors are worried about the appearance of one of the cast members. Yes, we are talking about Malik, played by Larramie Cortez “Doc” Shaw.
When we are introduced to Malik Payne, CJ and Janine’s son, we learn that he’s desperate for sex. Malik resorts to some humorous measures, like trying out for the cheer squad, to be close to girls. There’s some character depth regarding Malik facing bullying due to his mother’s drug problems. The last we see of Malik is when he gets an annulment with his college girlfriend, Summer, whom he’d married to have sex. Now, Malik is back, but Doc Shaw looks remarkably different. So, what has happened to him?
Malik’s New Look in House of Payne, Explained:
Although Malik is back, the character seems to have lost a lot of weight. Several fans have taken the opportunity to comment on Doc Shaw’s weight loss, in the process, even critiquing him for looking sick. It has drawn the ire of another group of netizens, who have rightly pointed out that we shouldn’t make fun of a person’s body image without knowing what they are going through. You can see one fan defending Doc Shaw, below.
People are talking about the appearance of the actor who plays Malik from house of Payne and I’m just like did we learn nothing from Chadwick passing and not knowing what ppl are going through
— The Last Black Avatar (@YoungKingNegro) September 3, 2020
Naturally, the flurry of tweets has fans worried whether Doc Shaw is suffering from some ailment. His last post is also from October 2019 and doesn’t offer much help.
However, we can assure you that Doc Shaw, and by extension, Malik, is absolutely fine. The actor spoke to NBC, in an interview, saying that he lost sixty to sixty-five pounds under two years, by just drinking fresh juice for breakfast and dinner. Doc admitted that he used to be extremely overweight, which was very unhealthy. When he started struggling with weight-related illnesses, he decided to start losing weight. The actor’s noted that diabetes runs in his family, increasing his risk of contracting the ailment.
Thus, for fans wondering whether Doc Shaw is sick, you can be at peace. His weight loss is due to exercise and a regimented diet. You can see Doc’s positive attitude along his journey.
The actor who plays Malik has noted that going outside and engaging in exercise is essential to losing weight – since no mere diet can compensate for the lack of activity. He also pointed out how he’d often been bullied because of his weight, which is, ironically, what’s happening now, again, after he’s come along in his weight loss journey. Speaking harshly about someone’s body severely affects their self-esteem, and we’d urge netizens to be sensitive in such matters.
It is a thrill to see Shaw back as Malik, and we cannot wait to watch what antics the character gets up to. As far as Malik’s difference in appearance is concerned, we have to tip our hat to Doc Shaw for his dedication to losing weight.
Read More: Where to Stream House of Payne?
