Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr.; September 13, 1969)[1] is an American actor, filmmaker,[2] and playwright. He is the creator and performer of Mabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her nephew Brian Simmons.[3][4][5] Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays, many of which have been subsequently adapted into feature films. Madea's first appearance was in Perry's play I Can Do Bad All by Myself (1999) staged in Chicago.

For the rock duo, see Toxic Twins.

Tyler Perry
Perry being interviewed for Boo! A Madea Halloween in 2016
Born
Emmitt Perry Jr.

(1969-09-13) September 13, 1969
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film producer
  • director
  • writer
  • playwright
  • entrepreneur
Years active1992–present
PartnerGelila Bekele (2009–2020)
Children1
Websitetylerperry.com

Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. His breakthrough performance came in 2005 with the film Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which he wrote and produced as an adaptation of his stage play of the same name. He also developed numerous television series, most notably Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which ran for eight seasons on TBS from 2006 to 2012. In 2011, Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment, earning US$130 million between May 2010 and May 2011.[6] In 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The deal featured scripted projects such as The Haves and the Have Nots.[7] In 2019, he produced the political drama series The Oval for BET.

Outside of his own productions, Perry has been cast in numerous Hollywood films including Star Trek (2009), Alex Cross (2012), Gone Girl (2014), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016), Vice (2018), Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021), and Don't Look Up (2021). Perry has also done voice acting for animated films such as The Star (2017) and PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021).

Perry's films and shows have cumulatively grossed over US$660 million, and his net worth is an estimated US$1 billion.[8] Despite commercial success, his productions have received criticism from scholars and critics who believe his films traffic or perpetuate negative and offensive portrayals of African-Americans, as well as the critical reception itself being largely negative.[9][10][11] In 2020, Perry was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people[12] and received Governor's Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. He additionally received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award from the Academy Awards in 2021, and was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame a year later.[13]

Early life

Tyler Perry was born Emmitt Perry Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell) and Emmitt Perry Sr., a carpenter.[14] He has three siblings.[15] Perry's childhood was described in retrospect as a "living hell".[16] In contrast to his father, his mother took him to church each week, where he sensed a certain refuge and contentment.[16] At age 16, he had his first name legally changed from Emmitt to Tyler in an effort to distance himself from his father.[1]

Many years later, after seeing the film Precious, Perry was moved to reveal for the first time that he had been molested by a friend's mother at age 10;[17] he was also molested by three men prior to this and later learned his own father had molested his friend.[18] A DNA test taken by Perry indicated that Emmitt Sr. was not Perry's biological father.[19]

While Perry did not complete high school, he earned a General Educational Development (GED).[20] In his early 20s, watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, he heard someone describe the sometimes therapeutic effect the act of writing can have, enabling the author to work out his or her own problems. This comment inspired him to apply himself to a career in writing. He soon started writing a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musical I Know I've Been Changed.[21]

Career

Stage

Around 1990, Perry moved to Atlanta, where two years later I Know I've Been Changed was first performed at a community theater, financed by the 22-year-old Perry's life savings of US$12,000 (equivalent to $26,879 in 2022).[22] The play included Christian themes of forgiveness, dignity, and self-worth, while addressing issues such as child abuse and dysfunctional families. The musical initially received a "less than stellar" reception and was a financial failure.[23] Perry persisted, and over the next six years he rewrote the musical repeatedly, though lackluster reviews continued. In 1998, at age 28, he succeeded in retooling the play and restaging it in Atlanta, first at the House of Blues, then at the Fox Theatre. Perry continued to create new stage productions, touring with them on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit" (now also known as the "urban theater circuit")[1] and developing a large, devoted following among African-American audiences. In 2005, Forbes reported that he had sold "more than $100 million in tickets, $30 million in videos of his shows and an estimated $20 million in merchandise", and "the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week".[22]

Film

Perry raised a US$5.5 million budget in part from the ticket sales of his stage productions to fund his first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman,[24] which went on to gross US$50.6 million domestically, while scoring a 16% approval rating at the film review web site Rotten Tomatoes.[25] Perry made his directorial debut on his next film, an adaptation of Madea's Family Reunion, and has directed all of his subsequent Madea films. On its opening weekend, February 24–26, 2006, Madea's Family Reunion opened at number one at the box office with $30.3 million. The film eventually grossed $65 million. Perry and his co-stars promoted the film on The Oprah Winfrey Show. As with Diary, almost all of the Madea's earnings have been generated in the United States.[26]

Perry's next Lionsgate project, Daddy's Little Girls, starred Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba and was released in the United States on February 14, 2007. It grossed over US$31 million.[27] Perry wrote, directed, produced and starred in his next film, Why Did I Get Married?, released on October 12, 2007. It opened at number one, grossing US$21.4 million that weekend. It is loosely based on his play of the same name. Filming began March 5, 2007, in Whistler, British Columbia, a resort town north of Vancouver, then moved to Atlanta, where Perry had opened his own studio. Janet Jackson, Sharon Leal, Jill Scott, and Tasha Smith appeared in the film. Perry's 2008 film, Meet the Browns, released on March 21, opened at number 2 with a US$20.1 million weekend gross.[28] The Family That Preys opened on September 12, 2008, and grossed over US$37.1 million.[29]

Madea Goes to Jail opened at number one on February 20, 2009, grossing US$41 million and becoming his largest opening to date. This was Perry's seventh film with Lionsgate Entertainment. At the request of director J. J. Abrams,[30] also in 2009, Perry had a small role as the Starfleet Academy commandant Admiral Barnett in Star Trek, which opened on May 8. This was his first film appearance outside of his own projects. Perry next wrote, directed, and starred in I Can Do Bad All By Myself (2009), a film structured around his Madea character. This was Perry's eighth film and it also made number one at the box office.[31] In 2009, Perry teamed with Oprah Winfrey to present Precious, a film based on the novel Push by Sapphire.[32] Why Did I Get Married Too?, the sequel to Why Did I Get Married?, opened in theaters on April 2, 2010. It featured Janet Jackson, Tasha Smith, Jill Scott, and Malik Yoba. The film grossed US$60 million domestically, with US$29 million made the opening weekend.[33]

Perry in 2010 at the 82nd Academy Awards ceremony

Perry directed a film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's 1975 choreopoem For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, which was released in theaters November 5, 2010.[34] He appeared in the stage show Madea's Big Happy Family, which toured the U.S. as a stage play and was released as a movie in 2011, written, directed by and starring Perry. The film version of Madea's Big Happy Family raked in US$25.8 million at the box office, taking second place.[35] Perry's next film with Lionsgate was Good Deeds, in which Perry plays lead character Wesley Deeds. Good Deeds is a romantic drama film written, directed by, and starring Perry. The film was released on February 24, 2012. It is the tenth of eleven films that Perry directed and appears in. The film received a 29% rating by review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes and opened with a box office US$15.5 million gross.[36] The movie also stars Thandie Newton, Rebecca Romijn, Gabrielle Union, Eddie Cibrian, Jamie Kennedy, Phylicia Rashad, and others.[37]

As of June 2011, Perry's films had grossed over US$500 million worldwide.[38] Perry's Madea's Witness Protection, his seventh film within the Madea franchise, was released on June 29, 2012.

Perry took over the role of James Patterson's Alex Cross from Morgan Freeman for a new film in the series, titled Alex Cross.[39] The film which opened on October 19, 2012, was panned by critics and audiences, with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 11% & 47% positive respectively, and became a box office bomb.[40] His performance gained the attention of director David Fincher, who subsequently cast Perry in his 2014 thriller Gone Girl, co-starring with Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, and Neil Patrick Harris.

Perry released his thirteenth film, Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor (based on his 2008 play of the same name) on March 29, 2013. The film stars Lance Gross, Jurnee Smollett, Brandy Norwood, Robbie Jones, Vanessa L. Williams, and Kim Kardashian. He produced Tyler Perry Presents Peeples, released on May 10, 2013.[41] He returned to the big screen with A Madea Christmas, released on December 13, 2013.[42] Perry directed the film The Single Moms Club, which opened on March 14, 2014. His first animated movie Madea's Tough Love was released on DVD January 20, 2015. In 2016, Perry played scientist Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows.[43] In mid-January 2016, Perry started filming his seventeenth film, and ninth within the Madea franchise, Boo! A Madea Halloween. The film was released on October 21, 2016. A sequel, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, was released in October 2017. Perry, alongside Oprah Winfrey, lent his voice in his first computer-animated film, called The Star, which is based on the Nativity of Jesus. Developed by Sony Pictures Animation, the film was released on November 17, 2017.[44]

Film partnerships and distribution

Perry's films are co-produced and distributed by Lions Gate Entertainment; he retains full copyright ownership under the corporate name Tyler Perry Films, and places his name in front of all titles.[45] Perry's movies have seen very limited release outside North America, but in May 2010, Lionsgate announced plans to begin releasing his films in the United Kingdom.[46]

Television programs

Perry produced the long-running sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which ran for 8 seasons from June 21, 2006, to August 10, 2012. The series followed an African-American household of three generations. The show demonstrated the family members' serious, true-to-life struggles with faith and love. The show ran in the spring of 2006 as a 10-show pilot. After the successful pilot run, Perry signed a US$200 million, 100-episode deal with TBS. On June 6, 2007, the first two episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne ran on TBS. After receiving high ratings, House of Payne entered broadcast syndication. Reruns were played through December 2007 before the second season began. Perry also wrote, directed and produced the sitcom Meet the Browns, which premiered on TBS on January 7, 2009, and ended on November 18, 2011.[47]

OWN and partnership with Oprah

In 2009, Perry co-produced Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire alongside Oprah Winfrey and Lee Daniels. The film was directed by Daniels and starred Gabourey Sidibe and Mo'Nique. While promoting the film Oprah told an interviewer, "I think [Perry] grew up being raised by strong, black women. And so much of what he does is really in celebration of that. I think that's what Madea really is: a compilation of all those strong black women that I know and maybe you do too? And so the reason it works is because people see themselves."[48]

On October 2, 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The partnership was largely for the purposes of bringing scripted television to OWN, Perry having had previous success in this department.[7]

Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse, based on his films Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, premiered on TBS on November 25, 2011. The series was cancelled by TBS in February 2013 but was revived by OWN for a third season, which began on September 18, 2013.[49][50]

Perry also had two other television series featured on OWN: the hour-long soap opera/drama series The Haves and the Have Nots and the sitcom Love Thy Neighbor. The Haves and the Have Nots premiered on May 28, 2013, and completed its series run after 8 seasons on July 20, 2021.[51] The program was credited by Oprah Winfrey as bringing success to her network and opened the door for a host of other highly rated dramas to OWN. During its series run, The Haves and the Have Nots had numerous Nielsen rating highs for the OWN broadcasting station: it was reported on May 29, 2013, that The Haves and the Have Nots set a new record for OWN, scoring the highest ratings ever for a series premiere on the network.[52][53] Love Thy Neighbor scored the second highest ratings ever for a series premiere on OWN, behind The Haves and the Have Nots.[54] The Haves and the Have Nots gave OWN some of its highest ratings during its 8-year series run,[55] the program hailed as "one of OWN's biggest success stories with its weekly dose of soapy fun, filled with the typical betrayals, affairs and manipulations."[56]

Contrastingly, however, Love Thy Neighbor had struggled in ratings. The Have and the Have Nots remained the network's highest rated program for most of its run.[57][58] On February 4, 2014, The Haves and the Have Nots came in as the most watched program in all of cable television for the night.[59] On March 11, 2014, a Haves and the Have Nots season 2 episode set an OWN record when it scored the highest ratings in the network's history. The record-breaking episode brought in 3.6 million viewers, surpassing the 3.5 million that tuned in for the Oprah's Next Chapter interview with Bobbi Kristina which was the network's previous highest rated viewing.[55]

On January 9, 2014, as part of Perry's continued partnership with OWN, the network ordered its fourth scripted series (and fourth series by Perry) based on the feature film, The Single Moms Club, called If Loving You Is Wrong. The hour-long drama series premiered on September 9, 2014.

Tyler Perry Studios
Main article: Tyler Perry Studios

In 2015, Perry acquired the 330-acre former military base Fort McPherson located in Atlanta, which he converted to studios.[60] The studios were used to film the HBO Films/OWN film version of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and is currently in ongoing use for the television series The Walking Dead.[60][61] 50,000 square feet of the site are dedicated to standing permanent sets, including a replica of a luxury hotel lobby, a White House replica, a 16,000-square-foot mansion, a mock cheap hotel, a trailer park set, and a real 1950s-style diner that was relocated from a town 100 miles away; it also hosts 12 sound stages named after highly accomplished African-Americans in the entertainment industry.[61] The blockbuster Marvel film, Black Panther, was the first to be filmed on one of the new stages at Tyler Perry Studios as announced personally by Perry on his Instagram account on February 19, 2018.[62]

Tyler Perry Studios is one of the largest film studios in the nation and established Perry as the second African-American to outright own a major film studio, after Tim and Daphne Reid.[63][64]

ViacomCBS

On June 14, 2017, Perry signed a long-term deal with Viacom (now ViacomCBS) for 90 episodes/year of original drama and comedy series. Viacom will also have distribution rights to short video content and a first look at film concepts (the first film from this deal was Nobody’s Fool). The TV deal began fall 2019 with The Oval, Sistas and BET+ (a brand new streaming service) premiering with strong ratings for BET.[65]

Books
Perry at a book signing in 2006

Perry's first book, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, appeared on April 11, 2006. The book sold 30,000 copies.[66] The hardcover reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list and remained on the list for 12 weeks. It was voted Book of the Year, Best Humor Book at the 2006 Quill Awards.[67]

His second book, Higher Is Waiting, was published on November 14, 2017. It debuted at number 5 on the New York Times Best Seller list.[68]

The Writers Guild of America, West

The Writers Guild of America, West filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that Perry's production company, Tyler Perry Studios, unlawfully fired four writers in October 2008 in retaliation for them trying to get a union contract.[69] The dispute was settled a month later, when Tyler Perry Studios agreed to be a WGA signatory.[70]

Mo' Money Taxes

In early 2009, Perry threatened legal action against Mo' Money Taxes, a tax preparation company based in Memphis, Tennessee, for running a TV spot that he felt offensively parodied his work, in particular Madea Goes to Jail. The ad features a large white male (John Cowan) in drag, named "Ma'Madea". The offending ad was dropped from circulation.[71]

Reception

Criticism

Tyler Perry's films have come under intense scrutiny with many claiming his films traffic in offensive and negative African-American stereotypes. Author Donald Bogle stated in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Madea does have connections to the old mammy type. She’s mammy-like. If a white director put out this product, the black audience would be appalled."[72]

In an open letter to Perry on National Public Radio, journalist Jamilah Lemieux, while thanking Perry for "giving black folks jobs in front of and behind the camera," also criticized his shows Meet the Browns and House of Payne. In her letter, she stated that "both your shows are marked by old stereotypes of buffoonish, emasculated black men and crass, sassy black women." While she noted his work for its humor and "positive messages of self-worth, love and respect," she later expressed frustration that African-Americans "have been fed the same images of ourselves over and over and over because they sell." Lemieux dismissed his famous Madea character, claiming that "Through her, the country has laughed at one of the most important members of the black community: Mother Dear, the beloved matriarch. ... Our mothers and grandmothers deserve much more than that." While she expressed appreciation toward Perry for dismissing critics' negative comments, Lemieux claimed that "many black folks have expressed some of the very same attitudes about your work that white critics have," and urged him to "stop dismissing the critics as haters and realize that black people need new stories and new storytellers."[73]

Spike Lee comments

Despite praising Perry in 2006, director Spike Lee criticized his work in 2009, stating "Each artist should be allowed to pursue their artistic endeavors but I still think there is a lot of stuff out today that is 'coonery buffoonery'" and highlighted the work and content of John Singleton as well as his own work including Miracle at St. Anna (2008), which depicts the heroism of African American soldiers known as the Buffalo Soldiers during World War II.[74] When asked if Perry's success among black audiences was a result of just giving black America what they wanted, Lee responded, "the imaging is troubling."

Response

In October 2009, during a 60 Minutes interview, Perry was read a quote of Spike Lee's comments about his work and responded, "I would love to read that [criticism] to my fan base. ... That pisses me off. It is so insulting. It's attitudes like that that make Hollywood think that these people do not exist, and that is why there is no material speaking to them, speaking to us." Perry also stated that "all these characters are bait – disarming, charming, make-you-laugh bait. I can slap Madea on something and talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness, family, any of those."[75] In an interview with Hip Hollywood, Perry responded to Spike Lee's comments by telling him to "go to hell."[76]

The Boondocks and Atlanta

Perry was spoofed in The Boondocks episode: "Pause". The character Winston Jerome is a parody Perry. In the episode Jerome's character Ma Dukes (whom he portrays by crossdressing) similar to Perry's Madea).[77] Greg Braxton of the Los Angeles Times cited "Pause" as one of the sharpest public criticisms of Perry. The episode reportedly angered Perry who threatened to re-evaluate his relationship Turner Broadcasting who had two series on the network TBS at the time, Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Meet the Browns. The episode was pulled from circulation.[78]

Donald Glover reportedly took aim at Perry in the FX series Atlanta. The episode title "Work Ethic!" comes from a tweet in which Perry posted a video of all the scripts he wrote for that season with the caption "WORK ETHIC! Come on. Let's go get 2020!". In the episode a woman and her daughter arrive at a TV studio run by a private and mysterious person known as "Mr. Chocolate". The mother is soon in fear of her daughter being exploited by Mr. Chocolate. Viewers and critics quickly deduced that the episode was satirizing Perry and the way in which he runs his studios in Atlanta.[79][80] Ile-Ife Okantah of Vulture wrote their review, "Like Perry’s own 330-acre studio in Atlanta, Mr. Chocolate Studios is a sprawling lot with multiple soundstages and office spaces" and added "Atlanta and many critics of Perry ask two questions of us: Do we as Black people have to support anything and everything that’s Black? And does Perry’s shallow depiction of us do more harm than good?".[81]

Lack of writers rooms

On January 6, 2020, Perry posted a video on Instagram in which he revealed that he doesn't use a writers room for his films and TV shows and prefers to write his work himself.[82] Perry received criticism from several outlets and figures in entertainment for denying opportunities to up-and-coming black writers. Later that month, Perry responded in an interview by stating that he had experienced issues when working with both WGA writers and nonunion writers. He claims that the WGA writers would submit "scripts that would need rewrites in order to get paid multiple times." He also said that nonunion writers struggled to meet his standards of quality and that he "was unhappy with every single script they wrote" because "they were not speaking to the voice."[83]

Support for Tyler Perry

Goldie Taylor, of The Grio and MSNBC, stated in an April 21, 2011 NPR All Things Considered interview regarding Perry's target audience: "I don't think Tyler Perry is talking to Touré. I don't think he's talking to me, but I know that he's speaking directly to my mother, my sister, my cousins and meeting them at their point of need, and that's what art and filmmaking is about."[84] In his Huffington Post editorial, sociologist Shayne Lee lists Perry among the pantheon of today's most innovative filmmakers.[85]

Personal life

Perry is good friends with Janet Jackson, Will Smith, and Oprah Winfrey.[86]

Perry is a Christian.[87] Many of the themes in his work reflect theology and social behavior indicative of the predominantly black church culture, such as the many scenes in both his stage and screen work that feature church settings and worship styles commonly found in predominantly African American churches, including showcases of gospel music and artists.[88]

In 2007, Perry bought a 17-acre estate[89] in the Paces neighborhood of Buckhead, Atlanta.[90][91] In May 2016, he sold the house for $17.5 million, also closing the biggest deal ever for a private home in the Georgia capital.[92] In 2013, his company, ETPC LLC, purchased around 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) in the New Manchester, Georgia area of Douglas County, Georgia.[93]

On July 20, 2009, Perry sponsored 65 children from a Philadelphia day camp to visit Walt Disney World, after reading that a suburban swim club, the Valley Swim Club in Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, had shunned them.[94] He wrote on his website, "I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them."[95]

On December 8, 2009, Perry's mother, Willie Maxine Perry, died at age 64, following an illness.[96][97] He lives and works in Southwest Atlanta where he operates the Tyler Perry film and TV studios.[98] In August 2010, it was reported that he had purchased Dean Gardens, a 58-acre estate in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek. He tore down the existing 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) mansion and planned, but never built, a new, environmentally-friendly home on the property.[99][100]

On November 30, 2014, Perry's partner Gelila Bekele gave birth to their son.[101][102] In December 2020, Perry announced that he was a single bachelor.[103]

In September 2017, Perry purchased a house in Mulholland Estates, a gated community in Los Angeles.[104] Nine months after buying the estate, Perry sold the property for $15.6 million.[105]

Perry owns vacation properties in both Wyoming and the Bahamas.[106]

On March 7, 2021, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex publicly revealed in the television interview Oprah with Meghan and Harry that Perry provided initial security and housing for three months that allowed the couple to safely relocate from Canada to California in March 2020, following the withdrawal of their British royal protection.[107][108] Perry is also godfather to their daughter, Princess Lilibet of Sussex.[109]

Following the death of Stephen "tWitch" Boss, Perry uploaded a video to his Instagram account where he spoke about his own struggles with depression, and revealed he had attempted suicide several times before his career took off.[110]

To overcome his fear of flying, Perry took flight training lessons and obtained a private pilot certificate. He flies a Cirrus SR22T aircraft.[111]

Filmography

Film work
Year Film Credited as
Director Writer Producer Actor Role
2005 Diary of a Mad Black Woman No Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
2006 Madea's Family Reunion Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
2007 Daddy's Little Girls Yes Yes Yes No
Why Did I Get Married? Yes Yes Yes Yes Terry Bob
2008 Meet the Browns Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe
The Family That Preys Yes Yes Yes Yes Ben
2009 Madea Goes to Jail Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
Star Trek No No No Yes Admiral Barnett
I Can Do Bad All By Myself Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe
Precious No No Yes No
2010 Why Did I Get Married Too? Yes Yes Yes Yes Terry Bob
For Colored Girls Yes Yes Yes No
2011 Madea's Big Happy Family Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe
2012 Good Deeds Yes Yes Yes Yes Wesley Deeds
Madea's Witness Protection Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
Alex Cross No No No Yes Alex Cross
2013 Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Yes Yes Yes No
Peeples No No Yes No
A Madea Christmas Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2014 The Single Moms Club Yes Yes Yes Yes TK
Gone Girl No No No Yes Tanner Bolt
2015 Madea's Tough Love No No Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian (voices)
2016 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows No No No Yes Dr. Baxter Stockman
Brain on Fire No No No Yes Richard
Boo! A Madea Halloween Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
2017 The Star No No No Yes Cyrus the Camel (voice)
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween[112] Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian
2018 Acrimony Yes Yes Yes No
Nobody's Fool[113][114] Yes Yes Executive No
Vice No No No Yes Colin Powell
2019 A Madea Family Funeral[115][116] Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea, Joe, Brian, Heathrow
2020 A Fall from Grace Yes Yes Executive Yes Rory Garraux
2021 Those Who Wish Me Dead No No No Yes Officer Arthur Phillip
PAW Patrol: The Movie No No No Yes Truck Driver (voice)
Don't Look Up No No No Yes Jack Bremmer
2022 A Madea Homecoming Yes Yes Executive Yes Madea, Joe
A Jazzman's Blues Yes Yes Yes No
TBA Six Triple Eight Yes Yes Yes No Post-production
TBA Mea Culpa[117] Yes Yes Yes No Post-production
TBA Black,White, and Blue[118] Yes Yes Yes No Post-production
TBA Divorce in the Black[119] Yes Yes Yes No Filming

Television work
Year Show Credited as
Director Writer Producer Actor Role
2007–2012; 2020–present House of Payne Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2009–2011 Meet the Browns Yes Yes Yes No
2011–2017 For Better or Worse Yes Yes Yes No
2013–2021 The Haves and the Have Nots Yes Yes Yes No
2013–2017 Love Thy Neighbor Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2014–2020 If Loving You Is Wrong Yes Yes Yes No
2016–2017 Too Close to Home Yes Yes Yes No
2016 The Passion: New Orleans No No No Yes Host/Narrator
2018 The Paynes Yes Yes Yes No
2019–present The Oval Yes Yes Yes No
2019–present Sistas Yes Yes Yes No
2020–present Young Dylan[120] Yes Yes Yes No
2020–present Ruthless Yes Yes Yes No
2020–present Bruh Yes Yes Yes No
2020–present Assisted Living Yes Yes Yes No
2021–present All the Queen's Men Yes Yes Yes No
2022–present Zatima Yes Yes Yes No

Stage work
Year Play Credited as
Director Writer Producer Actor Role
1993 I Know I've Been Changed Yes Yes No Yes Joe
1999 Woman, Thou Art Loosed! Yes Yes Yes Yes The Rent Man
1999 I Can Do Bad All by Myself Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2000 Behind Closed Doors Yes Yes Yes No
2001 Diary of a Mad Black Woman Yes Yes Yes Yes Daddy Charles / Madea
2002 Madea's Family Reunion Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2003 Madea's Class Reunion Yes Yes Yes Yes Dr. Willie Leroy Jones / Madea
2003 Why Did I Get Married? Yes Yes Yes No
2004 Meet the Browns Yes Yes Yes No Madea (voice only)
2004 Madea's Christmas Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2005 Madea Goes to Jail Yes Yes Yes Yes
2006 What's Done in the Dark Yes Yes Yes No
2008 The Marriage Counselor Yes Yes Yes No
2009 Laugh to Keep from Crying Yes Yes Yes No
2010 Madea's Big Happy Family Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2011 A Madea Christmas Yes Yes Yes Yes
2011 Aunt Bam's Place Yes Yes Yes No
2011 I Don't Want to Do Wrong Yes Yes Yes No
2012 The Haves and the Have Nots Yes Yes Yes No
2012 Madea Gets a Job Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2013 Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned Yes Yes Yes No
2013 Madea's Neighbors from Hell Yes Yes Yes Yes Madea
2017 Madea on the Run Yes Yes Yes Yes
2019 Madea's Farewell Play Yes Yes Yes Yes

Accolades
Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Tyler Perry

See also

References
  1. "Tyler Perry Biography: Film Actor, Filmmaker, Screenwriter, Playwright (1969–)". Biography.com (FYI/A&E Networks). Archived from the original on September 9, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  2. Fiza, Pirani (March 27, 2019). "Tyler Perry to end 'Madea' franchise". Celebrity Buzz Blog. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved May 11, 2021.
  3. Saul Austerlitz (2010). Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy. Chicago Review Press. p. 444. ISBN 9781556529511. Retrieved December 30, 2012.
  4. "10-movies". 10-movies. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  5. Sheri Parks (2010). Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture. Random House Publishing Group. p. 131. ISBN 9780345503145. Retrieved January 8, 2013.
  6. Aitken, Peter C. (September 13, 2011). "Tyler Perry tops Forbes' list of the highest-paid men in entertainment with $130 million made in a year". Daily News. New York. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  7. "Oprah Strikes Partnership with Tyler Perry". Oprah.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  8. "Tyler Perry's Net Worth Is Fully $1 Billion—Here's How He Made All His Money". Cosmopolitan. June 14, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  9. Costa, Cassie da (January 18, 2020). "Tyler Perry Built a Movie Empire by Selling Out Black Women". The Daily Beast. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  10. "Tyler Perry: Can Black Audiences Celebrate His Success Without Enjoying His Movies? Perry continues to be a divisive figure in black cinema". IndieWire. March 29, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  11. "Tyler Perry and the weight of Misrepresentation". Eastern Michigan University. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  12. "Tyler Perry: The 100 Most Influential People of 2020". Time. Retrieved September 23, 2020.
  13. Nazareno, Mia (December 17, 2021). "Smokey Robinson, Berry Gordy, Jr. & More to Be Inducted at 2022 Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame". Billboard. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  14. "Perry, Willie Maxine Campbell". The Advocate. December 11, 2009. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  15. "Willie Maxine Campbell Perry Obituary: View Willie Perry's Obituary by The Advocate". Legacy.com. December 8, 2009. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  16. "Tyler Perry's Traumatic Childhood".
  17. "Tyler Perry recounts childhood abuse on Web site". CNN. October 6, 2009.
  18. Park, Michael Y. (October 6, 2009). "Tyler Perry Reveals He Was Abused as a Child". People. Retrieved January 20, 2010.
  19. Hobdy, Dominique (March 18, 2014). "Tyler Perry: My Mother Lied About My Biological Father". Essence.
  20. "Oprah Talks to Tyler Perry".
  21. "Speaker Bio: Tyler Perry". natpe.org/. Archived from the original on May 20, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  22. Pulley, Brett (September 15, 2005). "A Showbiz Whiz". Forbes. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  23. Bowles, Scott (September 10, 2008). "Tyler Perry holds on to his past". USA Today. Retrieved March 25, 2010.
  24. Reid, Shaheem. "Tyler Perry's 'Mad Black Woman' Was No Overnight Success". MTV News.
  25. "Diary of Mad Black Woman". Rotten Tomatoes. February 25, 2005. Retrieved October 29, 2008.
  26. "Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion". Box Office Mojo. April 27, 2006. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  27. "Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls". Boxofficemojo.com. March 29, 2007. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  28. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns". Box office mojo. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  29. "Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys". boxofficemojo. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  30. Christian, Margena A. (October 2008). "Becoming Tyler". Ebony. p. 83.
  31. Stransky, Tanner (August 21, 2009). "Tyler Perry's I Can Do Bad All By Myself". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  32. "'Precious' trailer: Mo'Nique... potential Oscar nominee?". Entertainment Weekly. May 13, 2009. Retrieved September 3, 2009.
  33. "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too?". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  34. "More Than 'Madea': Tyler Perry Changes Course", All Things Considered, March 8, 2010.
  35. "Box Office: 'Rio' flies past 'Madea's Big Happy Family' to stay no. 1". Hitfix. April 24, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  36. Kilday, Gregg (April 4, 2011). "Tyler Perry to Direct, Star in 'Good Deeds' for Lionsgate". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  37. Caverley, Alyssa (April 20, 2011). "Rebecca Romijin Joins Tyler Perry's Good Deeds". Movie Fanatic.
  38. Segal, Andy (July 23, 2009). "Perry's greatest accomplishment has nothing to do with business". CNN. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  39. Fleming, Mike (January 31, 2011). "Tyler Perry As Alex Cross in James Patterson Franchise Reboot". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 17, 2012.
  40. Alex Cross, October 19, 2012, retrieved January 24, 2022
  41. "'Peeples' Trailer Makes Meeting the Parents More Awkward Than Usual". Screenrant.com. February 23, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2013.
  42. "Tyler Perry's Madea Gets A Job – Available on DVD February 5th". Urban Entertainment E-Zine. Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved January 5, 2013.
  43. "Tyler Perry joins Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 cast". Entertainment Weekly. April 23, 2015. Retrieved April 23, 2015.
  44. Masters, Kim (January 5, 2016). "Studios' 2017 Forecast: Big Bets, Franchise Fears and Executive Intrigue". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 6, 2017.
  45. Christian, Margena A. (October 2008). "Becoming Tyler". Ebony. p. 78.
  46. Lodderhose, Diana (May 26, 2010). "Lionsgate brings Perry to U.K. 'Married Too?' to be released on Sept. 3". Variety.
  47. "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns". Tbs. Archived from the original on April 25, 2013. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  48. Issie Lapowsky (October 26, 2009). "Tyler Perry responds to Spike Lee's claim that his work is comparable to 'Amos 'n' Andy'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  49. Bibel, Sara (July 25, 2013). "OWN Greenlights 'It's Primetime' Starring Deion Sanders, Announces Lindsay Lohan Interview to Air August 18". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on August 28, 2013.
  50. Andreeva, Nellie (February 20, 2013). "OWN Picks Up Tyler Perry's Sitcom 'For Better Or Worse', Orders Third Season". Deadline. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  51. Yvonne Villarreal, Greg Braxton (May 24, 2013). "Tyler Perry-Oprah alliance marks new turn for OWN". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  52. Michael O'Connell (May 29, 2013). "TV Ratings: Tyler Perry Premiere Gives OWN a Record Launch". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  53. Nellie Andreeva (May 29, 2013). "Solid Debut For Tyler Perry's 'The Haves And Have Nots' On OWN". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
  54. Rick Kissell @ratesrick. "TV Ratings – 'Love Thy Neighbor' Off to a Promising Start on OWN". Variety. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  55. Kissell, Rick (March 12, 2014). "'Haves and Have Nots' Sets OWN Ratings Record With Its Finale". Variety. Retrieved March 17, 2014.
  56. Halterman, Jim. "Aaron O'Connell & Gavin Houston On 'The Haves and the Have Nots' Gay Story". thebacklot.com. Retrieved August 21, 2013.
  57. "Tyler Perry's 'Haves and Have Nots' Rises to Series High on OWN". The Hollywood Reporter. July 31, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  58. Williams, Brennan (August 8, 2013). "Tyler Perry 'The Haves and the Have Nots' Sets Another Series High". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
  59. Rick Kissell @ratesrick. "OWN's 'Haves and the Have Nots' Surges to Series Highs". Variety. Retrieved February 6, 2014.
  60. Braxton, Greg (October 13, 2016). "Take a tour of Tyler Perry's massive new studio on a former Army base in Atlanta". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  61. Deggans, Eric (February 22, 2018). "Atlanta Is Experiencing A Film And TV Production Boom". NPR. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  62. "'Black Panther' was the first movie filmed at Tyler Perry Studios' new stages". Atlanta Journal Constitution. February 20, 2018.
  63. Buckley, Cara (October 14, 2019). "Tyler Perry Builds a New Kingdom, With Madea Behind Him". The New York Times. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  64. Shadow and Act Staff (May 9, 2015). "Tim and Daphne Maxwell Reid Sell Their New Millennium Studios (The End of a Dream)". Shadow and Act. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  65. Viacom poaches Perry Retrieved June 15, 2017.
  66. Exclusive: Tyler Perry's Madea Has Scored Again, This Time in Bookstores Archived September 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  67. "Quill Awards winners named". Los Angeles Times. October 12, 2006. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  68. "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous Books - Best Sellers - December 3, 2017". The New York Times.
  69. Mitchell, Gregg (2008). "Writers at Tyler Perry Studio to Take Strike Action – Will Picket Grand Opening and Ask Invited Guests Not To Attend". Archived from the original on October 10, 2008.
  70. Finke, Nikki (November 26, 2008). "TOLDJA! Tyler Perry Studios And WGA Reach Agreement Mediated By NAACP". Deadline Hollywood.
  71. Griffin, Dee. "Meet 'Mo'Money Taxes'." ABC24-WPTY Archived October 7, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, May 14, 2009.
  72. "'Madea': Bad for black America?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  73. "An Open Letter to Tyler Perry". National Public Radio. September 11, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  74. Our World with Black Enterprise. May 31, 2009. Archived from the original on January 6, 2010.
  75. "60 Minutes: Tyler Perry's Amazing Journey to the Top". CBS News. October 25, 2009.
  76. "Tyler Perry Tells Spike Lee to "Go To Hell!"". Hip Hollywood. April 20, 2011. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  77. "Aaron McGruder's Boondocks' lampoons Tyler Perry". The Los Angeles Times. June 22, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  78. "The Untold Truth Of The Boondocks". Looper. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  79. "Van gets pulled into show business in a biting Atlanta". AV Club. October 7, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  80. "'Atlanta' Recap: Donald Glover Takes Aim at Tyler Perry". Rolling Stone. October 7, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  81. "Atlanta Recap: Mr. Chocolate and the Black Movie Factory". Vulture. October 6, 2022. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  82. Bennett, Anita (January 7, 2020). "Tyler Perry Says He Writes All Of His Shows: "I Have No Writers Room"". Deadline. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  83. "Tyler Perry on Why He Doesn't Have a Writers' Room: 'My Audience Wants My Voice'". Complex. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  84. "All Things Considered "War of Words: Tyler Perry Vs. Spike Lee"". NPR. April 21, 2011. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  85. "Tyler Perry's Movie Milestone". The Huffington Post. February 4, 2015. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  86. "Paper: Entertainers named in steroid report". CNN. Archived from the original on March 23, 2008.
  87. Michael Kress. "Interview with Michael Kress: Tyler Perry, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, "Meet the Browns" Madea's Family Reunion, Daddy's Little Girls". Beliefnet.com. Retrieved November 13, 2011.
  88. Landrum, Jonathan Jr. (June 7, 2012). "Gospel artists flock to Atlanta to advance career". Associated press. Retrieved May 24, 2013.
  89. ""Tyler Perry's real house of pain"". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on January 25, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  90. "Fulton County, Georgia, Tax Records". City-data.com. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  91. "Tyler Perry Pays Massive Fine For Cutting Trees". www.wsbtv.com. February 27, 2007. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2012.
  92. "Tyler Perry Explains Why He Sold His Massive Mansion in Atlanta". eonline. May 23, 2016. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  93. Thomas, Amanda (September 18, 2013). "Tyler Perry apparently buys more land in Douglas County". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  94. "Tyler Perry sending day-care children to Disney World". CNN. July 20, 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2009. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  95. "Tyler Perry". Tyler Perry. Archived from the original on March 4, 2011.
  96. "Tyler Perry's mother dies at 64; Willie Maxine inspired Madea character". Los Angeles Times, December 9, 2009.
  97. "Tyler Perry: A Hollywood Bachelor's Take on Marriage". YouTube. 2008. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved January 16, 2010. CBN Lionsgate news interview with Perry re: marriage.
  98. "Tyler Perry Studios Opens in Atlanta". 2008. Retrieved January 16, 2010. Grand opening announcement for Tyler Perry Studios
  99. Katherine Q. Seelye, "In Georgia, a Megamansion is Finally Sold", The New York Times, August 22, 2010.
  100. Michelle E. Shaw, "Tyler Perry to build home in Johns Creek", The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, August 18, 2010. Retrieved January 3, 2023
  101. Webber, Stephanie (December 4, 2014). "Tyler Perry's Girlfriend Gelila Bekele Gives Birth, Couple Welcomes Baby Boy Aman." Us Weekly. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  102. Michaud, Sarah (December 4, 2014). "Tyler Perry Welcomes Son Aman Tyler" People. Retrieved July 7, 2015.
  103. "Tyler Perry and Longtime Girlfriend Gelila Bekele Split: 'Their Focus Is on Being the Best Parents'". People. December 17, 2020.
  104. Leitereg, Neal J. (September 5, 2017). "Tyler Perry lands a modern mansion in Mulholland Estates for $14.5 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  105. Leitereg, Neal J. (May 15, 2018). "Tyler Perry sells modern tour de force in Mulholland Estates for $15.6 million". Los Angeles Times.
  106. Kimmel, Jimmy. "Tyler Perry Interview". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 13, 2021.
  107. "Oprah with Meghan and Harry – Oprah with Meghan and Harry". ITV. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  108. "Tyler Perry let Harry and Meghan stay in his home and use his security when the royal family stripped theirs away". CBS News. March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
  109. "Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reveal Lilibet's godfather". The Independent. December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  110. Garvey, Marianne (December 16, 2022). "Tyler Perry opens up about his past suicide attempts as he mourns Stephen 'tWitch' Boss". CNN. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  111. "Fly Above Your Fear". YouTube. July 2012.
  112. "Boo! 2: A Madea Halloween (2017)". Movie Insider. March 9, 2017.
  113. McNary, Dave (March 5, 2018). "Tiffany Haddish to Star in Tyler Perry Comedy 'The List'".
  114. McNary, Dave (March 26, 2018). "Whoopi Goldberg Joins Tiffany Haddish in Tyler Perry's Comedy 'The List'".
  115. "Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral Gets a Release Date". ComingSoon.net. June 1, 2018.
  116. Busch, Anita (June 1, 2018). "'Madea Family Funeral' From Lionsgate Moves To 2019".
  117. Kelly Rowland, Trevante Rhodes & Others Set For New Tyler Perry Netflix Film ‘Mea Culpa’
  118. Tyler Perry Sets First Movie ‘Black, White & Blue’ Under His Four-Pic Pact At Amazon Studios
  119. Tyler Perry Sets Meagan Good, Cory Hardrict & Five Others To Star In Prime Video Pic ‘Divorce In The Black’
  120. Petski, Denise (January 23, 2020). "Tyler Perry's Young Dylan Nickelodeon Series Sets Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 15, 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.