Tyler Perry

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Tyler Perry

Born Emmitt R. Perry, Jr.
September 13, 1969 (age 38)
New Orleans, Louisiana
Official website

Tyler Perry (born September 13, 1969) is an American playwright, actor and film director. His best-known character is Mabel Simmons, more commonly known as "Madea," an overbearing but well-intentioned woman who serves both as comic relief and as the loud voice of conscience to the protagonists of Perry's plays.

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Tyler was born Emmitt R. Perry, Jr. in New Orleans,[1] one of four children. Perry changed his first name to Tyler because of his troubled relationship with his father. His father, Emmitt, Sr., was a carpenter and construction worker, and his mother, Maxine, was a pre-school teacher and worked at the New Orleans Jewish Community Center for most of her life.[2][3][4][5] His childhood in New Orleans was marked by poverty and physical abuse from his father.[6] Perry dropped out of school when he was 16, but later went back to school to obtain his GED. Perry is a Christian. Perry has repeatedly been caught up in rumors as to the nature of being gay, but he continues to deny it by saying "If you can't separate the character from the man I am that's your problem.


Perry was named in connection with an investigation into steroid abuse in 2007. Although Perry's publicist declined to comment it is noted that Perry has battled asthma all his life and uses steroids as a means of treatment.[7]

[edit] Career

[edit] Theatre

Main article: Tyler Perry Plays

One day while he was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992, Perry took the advice that it can be cathartic to put feelings down on paper, which inspired him to write letters of his painful childhood. These letters eventually became his plays. Perry's first foray into writing was in 1992, when he began writing a journal, in part to cope with the repercussions of abuse. He developed different characters to voice different ideas in the journal. This work eventually became the musical I Know I've Been Changed, about adult survivors of child abuse.

Perry moved to Atlanta in 1992 and worked in a restaurant and as a used car salesman. He managed to save up $12,000 to stage his first play. It was not a success and over the next six years, he struggled living in Atlanta but persevered until the play finally had a successful run in 1998, first at the House of Blues and later at the Fox Theatre. His following play, a staging of Bishop T. D. Jakes' book Woman Thou Art Loosed, was an immediate hit, grossing over $5 million in five months.[8]

Perry's other highly successful plays include Diary of a Mad Black Woman, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, Madea's Family Reunion and Madea's Class Reunion. He also wrote and created the hit plays Why Did I Get Married? featuring R&B singer Jill Scott and later the DVD version featured Cheryl Pepsii Riley and Tony Grant and Meet the Browns featuring Terrell Phillips, Terrell Carter, and David and Tamela Mann (Perry did not appear in either production). In 2005, Perry returned to the stage with another successful hit, Madea Goes to Jail. Another play, What's Done in the Dark, which Perry wrote and directed but does not appear in, went on tour beginning in September 2006. The tour of the play ended May 13, 2007 but returned for another run in September. The video was filmed in Charlotte, NC and was released February 12, 2008. Perry's most recent stage production is The Marriage Counselor which premiered in January 2008, touring through May 2009. This production features Tony Grant, Taimak Guarriello and Tamar Davis.

[edit] Films

His first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, produced on a budget of $5.5 million, became an unexpected hit, prompting widespread discussion among industry watchers about whether middle-class African Americans were simply not being addressed by mainstream Hollywood movies. Its final gross box office receipts were $50.6 million, although it was a critical flop, scoring only 16% overall on Rotten Tomatoes.[9] On opening weekend, February 24, 2006, Perry's film version of Madea's Family Reunion opened at number one with $22 million and a $14,770 per screen average. The film eventually grossed $65 million, and like Diary, almost all of it in the United States. The film was jump-started by an hour-long appearance by Perry and his co-stars on the influential Oprah Winfrey show.[10]

His next project for Lions Gate Entertainment, Daddy's Little Girls, starring Gabrielle Union, was released in the U.S. on February 14, 2007. It grossed over $31 million.[11] Perry wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his next movie, Why Did I Get Married, which was released on October 12, 2007. It opened as the #1 grossing $21.4 million dollars at the box office that weekend. It is loosely based on the play. Filming began March 5, 2007, in Whistler, British Columbia; Vancouver, then Atlanta, where Perry opened his own studio. Janet Jackson, Sharon Leal, Jill Scott and Tasha Smith appear in the film. Perry's 2008 film, Meet the Browns, which was released on March 21st, opened at number 2 with $20,082,809 weekend gross.[12]

Perry's upcoming films include: The Family That Preys which will open on September 12, 2008, Madea Goes to Jail in 2009, followed by A Jazz Man's Blues, which will open in February, 2009 and will star Perry as the Jazz singer. These will be Perry's sixth, seventh, and eight films with Lions Gate Entertainment. Perry will also star in the movie Star Trek, which will open on May 8, 2009. This will be his first movie outside that is not his own project.

[edit] Television

Perry produces a television show titled Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which follows a working-class, African-American household with three generations of family within it. The show seeks to illustrate struggles with faith and love, as well as showing how to coexist with the generation gap. The show ran briefly in Spring 2006 as a 10 show pilot. After a successful pilot run, Perry signed a $200 million dollar 100 episode deal with TBS. On June 6, 2007, Tyler Perry's first two episodes of House of Payne ran on TBS. Due to high ratings, House of Payne is now in syndication. Re-runs will play through December 2007 before the 2nd season begins. The 3rd season began March 5, 2008. House of Payne will air on FOX network beginning September 2008. After the 100 episodes air, House of Payne will be over. Re-runs will only air. Meet The Browns is Perry's next sitcom starring David Mann and Tamela Mann. Perry also has his own show called the The Tyler Perry Show. In February 2008 it was announced that Perry would soon be creating an animated TV show featuring Madea in a more "kid friendly" type of show.

[edit] Books

Perry's first novel, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, hit bookstores April 11, 2006. The book is written from Madea's point of view, and offers commentary about love, relationships, and family. In its first five days in stores, the book sold more than 25,000 copies.[13] The hardcover hit Number One on the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed on the list for twelve weeks. It was voted the Book of the Year and Best Humor Book at the 2006 Quill Awards. He is currently dating a young lady from Paulina,Louisiana.

[edit] Trademarks

Perry always uses possessory credit in his works' titles (e.g., Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?). Several recurring narrative themes surface in Perry's work. They feature a predominantly African American cast.

His films often tackle issues of physical and sexual abuse, and are often based in Atlanta.

The recurring character of Mabel "Madea" Simmons surfaces in many of Perry's work. Perry portrays Madea in his plays and films. Perry based Madea on an aunt who lives in Georgia, as well as his mother, according to Perry himself. In Madea's appearances, she dispenses wisdom in a "no-nonsense manner", and is usually involved in physical comedy and/or a sight gag. The nickname "Madea" comes from a Southern African American contraction of the words "mother dear", which is commonly used as a term of affection. It is also used as a reference to a great-grandmother.

Tyler often references Alice Walker's The Color Purple, which he notes as one of his favorite movies. Perry plays also make references to 1970s R&B and soul music, and the differences between that and the current state of rap/hip-hop music, and other music popular amongst the black community.

Other references include singer Patti Labelle, Ike and Tina Turner, the movie Forrest Gump, the television sitcom Good Times, rapper Missy Elliot, singer Tweet, and others.

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Awards/nominations

  • BET Comedy Awards
    • 2005: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Film (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Winner
    • 2005: Outstanding Writing for a Film (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Winner
  • Black Movie Awards
    • 2006: Outstanding Achievement in Writing (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
    • 2006: Outstanding Motion Picture (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
    • 2005: Outstanding Motion Picture (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Nominated
    • 2005: Outstanding Achievement in Writing (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Winner
  • Black Reel Awards
    • 2007: Outstanding Screenplay Adapted or Original (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
    • 2006: Outstanding Screenplay Adapted or Original (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Nominated
    • 2006: Best Breakthrough Performance (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Nominated
  • Image Awards
    • 2008: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Why Did I Get Married?), Nominated
    • 2007: Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
    • 2007: Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
  • MTV Movie Awards
    • 2006: Best Comedic Performance (Madea's Family Reunion), Nominated
    • 2005: Best Comedic Performance (Diary of a Mad Black Woman), Nominated

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tyler Perry Biography - Inspired by Oprah, Perseverance Paid Off, Concentrated on Madea Character
  2. ^ Tyler Perry Discusses Tyler Perry's Daddy Little Girls Movie
  3. ^ Frankly, Madea, Tyler Perry's appeal is universal | AccessAtlanta
  4. ^ Tyler Perry's Aha! moment
  5. ^ AT HOME WITH: Tyler Perry; God Must Love Gilt - New York Times
  6. ^ Interview with Tyler Perry - Beliefnet.com
  7. ^ Paper: Entertainers named in steroid report - CNN.com
  8. ^ Tyler Perry
  9. ^ Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
  10. ^ Tyler Perry's Madea's Family Reunion (2006)
  11. ^ Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007)
  12. ^ Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results
  13. ^ Exclusive: Tyler Perry's Madea Has Scored Again, This Time in Bookstores

[edit] External links

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Tyler Perry
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Films
Television Series
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