He had a two-word answer: "I'm ready!"

In "Browns," Gross plays the son of Angela Bassett's character, a single mom who takes her family to Georgia for the funeral of her father - a man she had never met.

"Angela Bassett is my mother!" Gross said, as if still trying to believe it himself. "It was a dream come true. I've always looked up to Angela Bassett and wow! I want to work with her again. That's how good she is."

He describes his character of Michael as "a kid who's desperate to become a man and take care of his family. My mother is a single parent, and I have little sisters, so I'm a good guy. I want to take care of my family."

Gross, who is 26, is having a breakthrough year. He won an NAACP Image Award last month for his performances as Calvin in the TBS series "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."

"I (was) shocked and excited to be nominated," Gross said. "Tyler Perry is such a wonderful guy and director and friend. He made history with ("Payne"); we've finished 100 episodes. TBS actually bought 100 episodes, so we're already ready for syndication. It's great to be a part of history."

On the show, Calvin always seems to be finding a way to wash his clothes and eat at his parents' house for free. He changes his college schedule so often that his parents wonder whether he ever goes to class. He also works with his father, reluctantly, as a volunteer firefighter. "House of Payne" also won the NAACP award for outstanding comedy series, which made Gross and the rest of the cast very proud.

"We're being honored for our portrayal in the media," he said. "In this day and time, you've got so many kids looking up to what they see on TV, and I'm proud to be a part of that and just being a positive image on television."

Tyler Perry discovered Gross - who grew up in Las Vegas and graduated with a degree in film production from Howard University - in a post-college acting class and cast him in "Payne." Lance has also starred in several music videos, including Tyra Bolling's "Get No Ooh Wee" and Mary J. Blige's "Take Me As I Am."