Tyler Perry Biography
Tyler Perry is an American filmmaker, actor, playwright, author, songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist of African descent. Further, he’s famed for generating and performing the tough elderly woman, Madea. He began his career in 1992.
Tyler Perry Age
Perry was born on September 13, 1969, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He is 53 years old as of 2022.
Tyler Perry Height
Perry stands at an approximate height of 6 feet and 5 inches.
Tyler Perry Family
Perry was born to Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell) and Emmitt Perry Sr. Emmitt served as a carpenter. Perry has three siblings. While he was a child, he tried killing himself so as to avoid his father’s beatings. His abusive father, Emmitt’s answer to everything was to beat it out of him. On the other hand, his mother took him to church every week where he attained a sense of a certain refuge and contentment. When he turned 16, he legally changed his name from Emmitt to Tyler so as to distance himself from his father.
After watching the film, Precious he attained the motivation to let his mother know of his molestation by a friend’s mother when he was 10. Also, he revealed that three men had molested him before that. Later, he discovered that his own father molested his friend. Further, a DNA test done by him exposed that Emmitt Sr. was not his biological father. In his early 20s, while watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, he heard someone explain the periodic therapeutic effect writing can have thus equipping the author to work out his or her own problems.
This influenced him to a writing career. Soon, he began writing a chain of letters to himself which served as the foundation for the musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed. Moreover, his mother passed away at age 64 after an illness on December 8th, 2009.
Tyler Perry Wife
Perry is very private about his personal life therefore it is not known if he is in any relationship. Prior to this, he was in a relationship with Gelila Bekele in 2009 but later split in 2020. Before their split, the couple has a son who was born on November 30th, 2014. He is 8 years old as of 2022.
Tyler Perry Net Worth
Perry has an estimated net worth of between $1B which he has earned through his successful career.
Tyler Perry Education
Even though Perry didn’t finish his high school education, he attained a General Educational Development (GED).
Tyler Perry Career
Perry is a filmmaker, actor, playwright, author, songwriter, entrepreneur, and philanthropist famed for generating and performing the tough elderly woman, Madea. After watching an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, he heard someone explain the periodic therapeutic effect writing can have thus equipping the author to work out his or her own problems. This influenced him to a writing career. Soon, he began writing a chain of letters to himself which served as the foundation for the musical, I Know I’ve Been Changed.
His films range in styles such as orthodox filmmaking techniques and filmed productions of live stage plays. Numerous of his stage-play films have been eventually adapted as feature films. During the 1990s and early 2000s, he wrote and produced many stage plays. Also, he created a number of TV series, primarily Tyler Perry’s House of Payne. The series ran for eight seasons on TBS from 2006 to 2012. With earnings of US$130 million between May 2010 and May 2011, Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment in 2011.
Additionally, he realized an exclusive multi-year affiliation with Oprah Winfrey and her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). Largely, the association worked to bring scripted television to OWN, based on Perry’s prior success in the region. Moreover, he’s generated a number of scripted series for the network. For instance, The Haves and the Have Nots crime drama is the most successful. OWN realized its highest ratings during the drama’s 8-year series run. Further, Perry has starred as an actor in films that he didn’t write, produce, or direct.
For instance, he starred as Admiral Barnett in Star Trek (2009), the titular character in Alex Cross (2012), Tanner Bolt in Gone Girl (2014), Baxter Stockman in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016). Moreover, he starred as Colin Powell in Vice (2018), Arthur in Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021), and Jack Bremmer in Don’t Look Up (2021). In addition, he starred as a voice actor for animated films such as The Star (2017) and PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021).
In 2020, Time’s counted him in its list of the 100 most influential people. Primetime Emmy Awards granted him the Governor’s Award in 2020. Academy awards granted him the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award in 2021. Since 2022, he serves as an inductee of the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
Tyler Perry-I Know I’ve Been Changed
Around 1990, Perry migrated to Atlanta where he initially performed the musical play, I Know I’ve Been Changed at a community theater. His 22-year-old $12,000 life savings financed the musical. The play comprised themes of dignity, forgiveness, and self-worth while tackling problems like child abuse and dysfunctional families. Initially, the play attained a “less than stellar” reception and served as a financial failure. Even so, Perry didn’t let up and repeatedly rewrote the musical over the next 6 years.
In 1998, when he was 28, he retooled the play and restaged it in Atlanta, initially at the House of Blues, then at the Fox Theatre. Moreover, he progressed into creating new stage productions, touring with them, and gaining a large, dedicated following among African-American audiences. In 2005, Forbes reported that he sold over $100 million in tickets, $30 million in videos of his shows, and an estimated $20 million in merchandise. Also, they reported that an average of 35,000 people a week attend the 300 live shows he produces annually.
Tyler Perry- Madea
Perry attained his debut as a director through his adaptation film, Madea’s Family Reunion. During the opening week of February (24th, 25th, and 26th), 2006, the film opened at number one at the box office with $30.3 million. Ultimately, it attained a gross of $65 million. He alongside his co-stars endorsed the film on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Same as Diary, almost all of Madea’s earnings attained its earnings from the United States.
Madea Goes to Jail opened at number one on February 20, 2009, with a gross of US$41 million. Further, it served as his largest opening to date and his seventh film with Lionsgate Entertainment. During the stage show, Madea’s Big Happy Family, he made an appearance. The film toured the U.S. with him serving as its writer, director, and actor released as a movie in 2011. Further, it garnered US$25.8 million at the box office and claimed second place. His Madea’s Witness Protection served as the 7th film within the Madea franchise released on June 29, 2012.
On December 13th, 2013, A Madea Christmas was released while his initial animated movie, Madea’s Tough Love released on DVD on January 20th, 2015. During mid-January 2016, he began filming his 17th film, and ninth within the Madea franchise, Boo! A Madea Halloween. The film was released on October 21, 2016, with its sequel, Boo 2! A Madea Halloween releasing in October 2017. In total, his “Madea” franchise, has grossed over $660 million as per Forbes.
Lemieux repudiated his famed Madea character and claimed that the film brought more ridicule to one of the most important members of the black community i.e. the mothers and grandmothers. Also, pushed him to stop ignoring critics as haters and acknowledged that black people need new stories and new storytellers.
During an hour interview in October 2009, Perry stated that the characters serve as bait that he uses to convey important messages in a charming and comedic way. Further, his work was praised by Oprah Winfrey who told an interviewer, that Perry grew up alongside strong, black women and that the character, Madea serves as a compilation of them.
Tyler Perry-Tyler Perry’s House of Payne
Perry serves as the producer of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, a long-running sitcom running for 8 seasons from June 21, 2006, to August 10, 2012. The series followed an African-American household of three generations. Further, it showcased the family members’ serious, true-to-life struggles with faith and love. Additionally, the show ran during the spring of 2006 as a 10-show pilot. Following its successful pilot run, Perry signed a US$200 million, 100-episode deal with TBS. On June 6, 2007, the initial two episodes of Tyler Perry’s House of Payne ran on TBS. Succeeding its realization of high ratings, House of Payne entered broadcast syndication. Reruns played through December 2007 before its second season.
Tyler Perry-Tyler Perry Studios
In 2015, Perry obtained the 330-acre previous military base Fort McPherson located in Atlanta, which he transformed into studios. The studios were utilized to film the HBO Films/OWN film version of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Currently, it’s being used in ongoing use for the television series, The Walking Dead. 50,000 square feet of the site are devoted to standing permanent sets, counting a White House copy, a copy of a luxury hotel lobby, a mock cheap hotel, a 16,000-square-foot mansion, a trailer park set, and a real 1950s-style diner that was moved from a town 100 miles away.
Also, it hosts 12 sound stages dubbed after highly accomplished African-Americans in the entertainment industry. On February 19th, 2018, Perry personally declared that the blockbuster Marvel film, Black Panther, served as the initial film filmed on one of the new stages at Tyler Perry Studio. Tyler Perry Studios serves as one of the largest film studios in the nation and established Perry as the second African-American to outright own a big film studio, after Tim and Daphne Reid.
Tyler Perry-Lions Gate Entertainment and Viacom(ViacomCBS)
Lions Gate Entertainment serves as the distributor and co-producer of Perry’s film. Even so, he keeps full copyright ownership under the corporate name Tyler Perry Films. Further, puts his name in front of all titles. His movies have seen very minimal release outside North America. However, in May 2010, Lionsgate declared its plans to start releasing Perry’s films in the United Kingdom.
On June 14, 2017, he signed a long-term deal with ViacomCBS for 90 episodes/year of original comedy and drama series. Further, ViacomCBS will have distribution rights to short video content and a first look at film concepts. The TV deal started during the fall of 2019 with The Oval, Sistas, and BET+ (a brand new streaming service) premiering with strong ratings for BET. From the deal, Nobody’s Fool served as the initial film. Also, he attains 25% of streaming service BET+ as per Forbes.
Tyler Perry Books
Throughout his career, Perry authored Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life(April 11, 2006) and Higher Is Waiting(November 14, 2017). His 2006 book sold 30, 000 copies with its cover hitting number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Moreover, it remained on the list for 12 weeks. At the 2006 Quill Awards, the book attained Book of the Year, and Best Humor Book. On the other hand, his 2017 book debuted at number 5 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Tyler Perry Sexual Orientation(Gay or Straight)
Perry was in a relationship with Gelila Bekele in 2009 but later split in 2020. Before their split, the couple has a son who was born on November 30th, 2014. Rumors and speculation of Perry being Gay/ Homosexual stem from his performance of Madea. However, he denied these claims citing that the rumors initially bothered him but affirmed his seating in his manhood. Further, he voiced that if people couldn’t differentiate between his career and him it’s not his issue but rather theirs. Further, he’s a Christian whose work reflects theology. Hence, he is not gay but straight.
Tyler Perry House and Properties
In 2007, Perry purchased a 17-acre estate in the Paces neighborhood of Buckhead, Atlanta. Later, in May 2016, he traded the house for $17.5 million and closed the biggest deal ever for a private home in the Georgia capital. In 2013, his company, ETPC LLC, bought around 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) in the New Manchester, Georgia area of Douglas County, Georgia. Moreover, he purchased a 58-acre estate in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek, Dean Gardens in August 2010.
Further, he took down the existing 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) mansion. He had planned to build a new, environmentally-friendly home on the property but it never came to fruition. in September 2017, he bought a house in Mulholland Estates, a gated community in Los Angeles. Nine months after its purchase, he traded the property for $15.6 million. Also, he owns vacation properties in both Wyoming and the Bahamas. Additionally, he resides and works in Southwest Atlanta where he operates the Tyler Perry film and TV studios.
On March 7, 2021, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex publicly exposed in a TV interview Oprah with Meghan and Harry that Perry supplied initial security and housing for three months. This allowed the couple to safely move from Canada to California in March 2020 after the removal of their British royal protection. Else, he serves as the godfather of their daughter, Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor.
Tyler Perry Other TV Shows and Films
Throughout his career, Perry has written, produced, directed, and acted in numerous films and Tv shows such as;
- Diary of a Mad Black Woman
- Daddy’s Little Girls
- Meet the Browns
- The Family That Preys
- Why Did I Get Married Too?
- The Oval
- Ruthless
- Bruh
- A Jazzman’s Blues
- Good Deeds
Tyler Perry Social Media Platforms
He is active on his social media accounts and is often seen posting on his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He has over 7M followers on Instagram.
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