About Me
Early life
Perry was one of four children. His childhood in New Orleans was marked by poverty and physical abuse. Perry once blamed his lack of success on his parents and others; as a result, he was homeless and lived in his car for eight years.After years of intense anger and deep resentment, Perry experienced an awakening. One day while he was watching The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1992, he took some timeless advice—it can be cathartic to put feelings down on paper. So Perry began writing letters to deal with his painful childhood—letters that eventually turned into his plays.When his shows failed at the box office and he was left penniless, Perry blamed everyone else—a habit he had acquired from his past. Perry found that because he had allowed so much anger from his turbulent past to build inside of him, he always found a way to self-sabotage his ventures.Perry took back his power by confronting his abusers and taking responsibility for his failures. His perception of his own writing changed, and he came to terms with his past.CareerTheater
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 was inspired to begin a journal after watching The Oprah Winfrey Show.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 saved $12,000, moved to Atlanta in 1992, and tried to stage the play. It was not a success and over the next six years, he struggled living in Atlanta and he was homeless, but he persevered until the play finally had a successful run in 1998, first at the House of Blues and later at the Fox Theater.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. [1] A film version was later created starring Kimberly Elise and Loretta Devine, was released in theaters on October 4, 2004.Perry, whose work is aimed at the African-American audience, ultimately created a successful touring theater company. Recordings of some of the plays were subsequently sold on video and DVD. As of March 2005, the plays had grossed over $75 million in ticket sales and DVD sales. Perry's success is notable as his theater company did not have substantial publicity or corporate backing, and most of his patrons were from the underserved urban theater audience.Perry stated in a January 2004 interview in Ebony magazine that his theater productions were designed to be a bridge between the traditional urban theater circuit - pejoratively referred to as the "chitlin' circuit" - and a more traditional theater format.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 Cheryl Pepsii Riley and Meet the Browns (Perry did not appear in either production). In 2005, Perry returned to the stage with another successful hit, Madea Goes to Jail.Film
His first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, produced on a budget of under $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.On opening weekend, February 24, 2006 Perry's film version of Madea's Family Reunion opened at number one with $30 million, more than triple the amount it cost to make.His next project for Lionsgate Entertainment, Daddy's Little Girl, starring Gabrielle Union, is currently in production.Books
Perry's first novel, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Her Earrings Off: Madea's Commentaries on Love and Life, hit bookstores on 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 to send it up The Book Standard's Nielsen BookScan charts. 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.Television
Currently, he has created a new series entitled, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which in now being shown in first-run syndication.Perry's themes
Several recurring narrative themes surface in Perry's work. In nearly all of his plays and films, the male antagonist is always a wealthy man, while the lead male hero is usually a man of modest means. In several of the works, the female protagonist is torn between the "good guy" and the "bad guy".He also shares with his viewers the theme of forgiveness. "While you're losing sleep being mad at them... they are sleeping peacefully". Tyler continues to share the word of God with everyone who comes to see him. He believes God blessed him and wants to share the faith.The recurring character of Mabel "Madea" Simmons, referred to as "Madea", surfaces in many of Perry's work. Perry portrays Madea in his plays and films. Perry based Madea on an aunt who lives in Houston, 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.
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