Michael Ealy On The Intruder: 'I Get To Go At Dennis Quaid'

(CBS Local)--Michael Ealy has worked with many big names in Hollywood, but he was extremely excited to find out he'd be working with Dennis Quaid on "The Intruder."

This is the first time that Quaid is taking on a darker role and Ealy knew he would be learning a lot from one of the best actors in the game.

"In sports, they saw you get better by playing people that are better than you," said Ealy in an interview with CBS Local. "When I read the script, I had the luxury of knowing that Meagan Good was attached and Dennis was attached. When I read the script and found out Dennis was attached, I said 'oh I get to go at Dennis Quaid.' For me, it was a no-brainer. I knew I'd get better and I'd be challenged."

"The Intruder" tells the story of a newly married couple that buys an old house with an owner that refuses to leave. While Ealy was once known for his scenes in romantic comedies, this thriller represents another move in the conscious effort to explore different types of roles.

"After 'Think Like A Man,' I had this reputation about being the romantic comedy guy," said Ealy. "I was like how can I change that? I was able to executive produce a film called 'The Perfect Guy.' That was the first time I went to the dark side. Interestingly enough, I did that and then I got the offer for 'The Following.' When I talked to the creators, I realized that I got to go to a different place with this one. Carter is a sociopath and Theo is a killer."

Ealy is in a position today to take different kinds of roles thanks to his big break on "Barbershop." He will always be grateful to Ice Cube, who vouched for him to get into the movie.

"Barbershop will always be a turning point in my life, not my career. It changed my life," said Ealy. "It came out in 2002 and my life changed after that weekend. Before that, I was able to go places and nobody knew who I was. Ironically, I flew down to Miami to start shooting '2 Fast 2 Furious.' Miami was my first exposure. I had been to South Beach before, but I hadn't been to South Beach like this. It was bananas. I was down there with Martin Lawrence and Michael Bay at some club called Bed and everyone wanted to take our picture."

"The Intruder hits theaters on May 2.