Q&A with Toni Braxton of FAITH UNDER FIRE. Moderated by Gail Mitchell, Billboard Magazine.
Seven time Grammy® Award winner Toni Braxton stars as Antoinette Tuff, a struggling single mom from Georgia who heroically averted a tragedy, saving hundreds of lives when she convinced a deranged gunman who stormed an elementary school to surrender. On August 20, 2013, shortly after arriving to work at the Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia, Antoinette the school’s bookkeeper, was in the front office when Michael Hill (Trevor Morgan, “Abducted”), a young man with a history of mental illness, snuck in, armed with an AK-47 and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. As the school went into lockdown, Antoinette was left alone with Michael, who repeatedly threatened to kill everyone. Showing enormous courage and empathy, along with nerves of steel, Antoinette convinced Michael to surrender by using her own life struggles to connect with him. Antoinette’s faith in God guided her through the toughest moments of her life, ultimately preparing her for that fateful day. The film also stars Yaya DaCosta (“Whitney”) as 911 operator Kendra McCray and Malik Yoba (“Empire”) as Sergeant Franklin. Antoinette Tuff’s son Derrick, who was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, is portrayed in the film by Shalaby Omar (“Doubt”), a young actor with Spina Bifida.
“Faith Under Fire: The Antoinette Tuff Story ” is produced by Sony Pictures Television and based on the book “Prepared for a Purpose: An Inspiring True Story of Faith, Courage and Compassion in Crisis” by Tuff and Alex Tresniowski. Executive producers are T.D. Jakes (“Heaven is for Real”), Judith Verno (“Masters of Sex”), Derrick Williams (“Miracles from Heaven”), Toni Braxton and Craig Baumgarten (“Toni Braxton: Unbreak My Heart”). Emmy nominee Vondie Curtis Hall (“Abducted: The Carlina White Story”) directs from a script written by Laura Harrington and Stephen Kay.