‘Boo! A Madea Halloween’ Star Yousef Erakat on His YouTube Roots, Improv-ing With Tyler Perry (Exclusive Video)

“He works very fast, so there were times on set when I didn’t feel comfortable,” actor tells TheWrap

YouTube star Yousef Erakat is just starting to dip his toes in the world of feature films, most notably working with Tyler Perry on this week’s “Boo! A Madea Halloween.”

“I liked it,” Erakat said about being in a film directed by someone else. “I had to definitely trust whatever he thought it was right. The way he works, he works very fast, so there were times on set when I didn’t feel comfortable in my performance and he was like, ‘We’re moving on,’ meaning he got it. I had the trust from early on.”

But Erakat got to stay true to his roots, being able to do some improv with Perry — who reprises his cross-dressing role as the sassy Madea — that actually made it into the movie.

“The actual scene at the party between me and Madea was improv, and there was a scene on the bus that was also improv,” he told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell.

But Erakat, who was just crowned Entertainer of the Year at the 2016 Streamy Awards and has over 9 million subscribers on his YouTube channel fouseyTube, is nowhere near being done with feature films.

“I’m so appreciative of Tyler and he knows that, and I will forever be grateful but like, it’s not a even a bit satisfying to me yet,” he said. “I haven’t even quenched my thirst at all yet … I just want more.”

“Boo! A Madea Halloween” is written and directed by Perry. Bella Thorne, Cassi Davis and Andre Hall also star in the film that follows Madea as Halloween mayhem unfolds while she tries to keep an eye on a group of teenagers.

“The movie is just funny,” added Erakat. “It’s just a good laugh for everybody.”

“Boo! A Madea Halloween” opens in theaters on Friday.

Watch the video above.

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