Tyler Perry as we all know him, was born Emmitt Perry Jr on September 13, 1969. He grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana with both parents Emmitt Perry Sr. and Willie Maxine Perry. His parents were hard working people who instilled the same ethics into Tyler in hopes that he would become a great man. Though in the process of becoming that man, Tyler suffered with an irregular and abusive relationship with his father. His childhood with his father was something Tyler did not enjoy to look back on. A beating, physical harm or emotional damage was the only way his father knew how to handle situations. The abuse Tyler endured was so harmful and hurtful that he attempted suicide in hopes to escape all of the pain. With such a forceful father, it was a blessing to have a mother who truly cared. As hard as his mother tried she could not protect him from everything. Tyler was molested by a friend’s mother and another friend’s father all while his father molested a friend of his. To keep him away from the danger of his father and fear of being hurt, she kept him in church to physically protect him and spiritually strengthen him. At the age of 16 Tyler change his name from Emmitt to Tyler in the an effort to distance himself from his father. To forget the pain he used writing as a means of relaxation and a temporary comfort.
Tyler began to write a series of letters to himself which later was the foundation of the musical I Know I’ve Been Changed. At the age of 22, Tyler lost $12,000 in premiering this musical at a local theater in his community for the first time. Tyler may suffered a financial failure but he hope that people gained self-worth, forgiveness and dignity from watching his musical. He decided to rewrite the musical several times but they all too ended in failure. Not giving up, Tyler finally hit it big in 1998 at the age of 28. The musical was finally recognized and from then on his work was known to many. Tyler Perry’s live productions on averaged were filled with 35,000 people a week.
His career had taken flight and there was no stopping it. He produced and directed his first movie Diary of a Mad Black Woman with a budget of $5.5 million and hit a net gross of $50.6 million. On the opening week of February 24-26,2006 Madea’s Family Reunion open number one in the box office selling $30.3 million. His next project with Lionsgate Entertainment was Daddy’s Little Girls which started Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba followed by Why Did I Get Married also opening at number one. Due to his gift in writing and the appearance of Janet Jackson, Tasha Smith, Sharon Leal and Jill Scott, Meet the Browns opening on March 21 had sold $20,082,809 in a weekend. His next production was grossed over $37.1 million on Sept. 12,2008 was entitled The Family That Preys. The funny Madea Goes To Jail unsurprisengly opened at number one grossing $41 million, making Feb. 20,2009 his largest opening date. Tyler also directed I Can Do Bad All By Myself, his eight film also selling number on in the box office. In 2009 Tyler Perry collaborated withOprah Winfrey in presenting the movie Precious which was based off of the novel Push by Sapphire. Showing great consistency Tyler’s Why Did I Get Married Too opened in theatre featuring Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett, Janet Jackson, Malik Yoba and Jill Scott. The most recent For Colored Girls realeased November 5, 2010 well on its way to becoming another successful movie by Tyler Perry himself.
Tyler Perry’s stage plays inlclude:
- I Know I’ve Been Changed (1998)
- I Can Do Bad All By Myself (1999)
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2001)
- Madea’s Family Reunion (2001)
- Madea’s Class Reunion (2003)
- Why Did I Get Married (2004)
- Meet the Browns (2004-2005)
- Madea Goes to Jail (2005-2006)
- What’s Done in the Dark (2006-2007)
- The Marriage Counselor (2008-2009)
- Laugh to Keep from Crying ( 2009)
- Madea’s Big Happy Family (2010)
Not only was Tyler a theatre producer, television director, film producer, screenwriter and actor, he was an author as well. His first novel was Don’t Make a Black Women Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life sold more than 25,000 copies. This voted book of the year reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 12 consecutive weeks. He was also granted Best Humor Book at the Quill Awards in 2006.
With consistent writing, the world is now very familiar with Tyler Perry as well as his work. He is well known for putting his name before his works such as Tyler Perry’s House of Pain. When you think of plays and movies he has written, the favored Madea comes to mind. Madea is a character in many of his films who is a combination of Tyler’s mother and grandmother. She is the symbol of strength and tuff love that most black families obtain. The name Madea means mother dear or is commonly referred to as great-grandmother. Many criticize this character, thinking that she is a symbol of a role that is vital to the black family and her role in Perry’s productions are unbecoming. Others embrace her and appreciate the message he is trying to portray. Overall Tyler always to get a positive message across to reach and teach those who choose to watch him.
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