Emmitt Perry Jr
Tyler Perry is an American actor, director, producer and screenwriter. He is popularly known for his role in Madea in which he plays the main character, Madea. He devised the film series and has made a name in the Hollywood industry as a result of his impressive output of plays, films and tv shows. He is the second African American after Tim and Daphne Reid to own a major film studio, the Tyler Perry Studio, which is the largest in the USA.
1969
New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Black African
1998 – his first play I Know I’ve Been Changed was performed in Atlanta and became successful after several performances and script rewrites
2006 – he established his own studio in Atlanta, and launched his first televisionseries, House of Payne, on the TBS network
October 2019 – he announced the opening of the $250 million Tyler Perry Studios on the site of a former 330acre Confederate military base in Atlanta
2000 – the characterMadea, which he created and played , first appeared in I Can Do Bad All by Myself
Perry was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He was physically abused as a child by his father who he once described as a man “whose answer to everything was to beat it out of you.” He was also sexually abused by other adults and at a point in his childhood he attempted suicide. His mother, however, provided him with support, taking him to church each week, where he found refuge and contentment. He legally changed his first name from Emmitt to Tyler at the age of 16 in an effort to distance himself from his father. He dropped out from high school, but eventually got his GED (General Educational Development tests – American education certificate)
Perry heard someone describe the therapeutic effect of writing while he was watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and he decided to try this. He wrote a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musical I Know I’ve Been Changed (1998), which he directed, produced, and played the role of Joe
The initial performance of the musical in 1990 was a financial failure but he remained persistent and rewrote the script over the years, with guidance from others. Eight years later when he was aged 28 it was restaged in Atlanta and other parts of the USA. Over the years he was able to establish a niche African American audience
In 2005 Forbes reported that the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week
He created the character Madea, who first appeared in his 2000 play I Can Do Bad All by Myself. Madea also appeared in Madea’s Family Reunion (2002) and Madea’s Class Reunion (2003), and lately in A Madea Homecoming (2022)
He funded his movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2001), in which Madea once again featured through his revenue from the plays he performed. The movie made a return of over $50.6millon
In 2006 he established his own studio in Atlanta, and launched his first television series, House of Payne, on the TBS network
He has produced, directed, written, and acted in several very successful films
His film I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009) , which he wrote, directed, and starred, in was structured around his Madea character and was number one at the box office
In October 2012 Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The main purpose of the partnership is to bring scripted television to OWN
In October 2019 he announced the opening of the $250 million Tyler Perry Studios on the site of a former 330 acre Confederate military base in Atlanta
Tyler Perry Studios is one of the largest film studios in the United States and established Perry as the second African American after Tim and Daphne Reid to own a major film studio
He won an award in 2014 for Best Supporting Actor in Gone Girl
In 2019 he won a BET Best Movie Award for Ultimate Icon Award
His movie Diary of a Black Woman won several awards and was nominated for many more
In 2006 in addition to his successful career in the film industry, Perry published his first book, Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life. The book was a bestseller and went on to win two Quill Awards—Book of the Year and Best in Humour
In 2017 he published his second book Higher Is Waiting, which touched on spiritual issues and the importance of family
Perry is a Christian, and this is reflected in his work, most of which has a theme of theology and African American church culture. He is a philanthropist. He lives and works in Southwest Atlanta where he operates the Tyler Perry film and TV studios. His partner Gelila Bekele gave birth to their son on 30 November 2014, but they separated in 2020. He is a close friend of Janet Jackson, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey
“Tyler Perry Biography – Inspired by Oprah, Perseverance Paid Off, Concentrated on Madea Character”
A&E Networks Television. (2021, January 19). Tyler Perry. Biography.com. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://www.biography.com/actor/tyler-perry
Pulley, Brett (September 15, 2005). “A Showbiz Whiz”. Forbes
Television Academy. (2020, October 22). Tyler Perry and the Perry Foundation to receive 2020 governors award. Television Academy. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://www.emmys.com/news/awards-news/perry-200818
Tyler Perry’s story. Tyler Perry. (n.d.). Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://tylerperry.com/tyler/story/
