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Tyler Perry Bio

Tyler Perry is a writer, actor, producer, and who knows what he might do next! You may know him from his TV show Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, or from some of his movies like Madea’s Family Reunion. With another Madea movie about to be released, Madea’s Big Happy Family, it’s time to get to know this unstoppable Hollywood force!

Tyler is one of the richest men in Hollywood!

Tyler playing "Madea"

Tyler discovered he loved writing at the age of 20

Tyler and Oprah are good friends!

Southern Man

Tyler Perry comes from New Orleans, Louisiana. He came from a troubled home with a very strict father but found stability in going to church regularly with his mother, Willie. Although he was named Emmitt after his father, he legally changed his name to Tyler to start fresh at the age of 16.

I Was Meant for the Stage

When he was 20 Tyler saw an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show where they talked about how writing helped people with their emotional trouble. Tyler decided to try his hand at it, and wouldn’t you know it, he was a natural! Churning out plays and musicals like his award-winning I Know I’ve Been Changed, Tyler was soon a big hit on the urban theatre circuit, selling out shows he had written across the States. !

Getting Madea

being a huge success writing and producing for live audiences, Tyler decided to try his hand at writing movies, starting withDiary of a Mad Black Woman, and eventually using the character he is most known for—Madea! The character Madea is actually partly based on his mother and partly on a grandmother, and Tyler tapped into his Southern heritage to come up with her. Madea is actually based on the Southern way of addressing ladies as “my dear,” which with that unforgettable southern accent sounds like Madea! Tyler himself dresses up as the old lady Madea to make us all laugh, and his performances are unforgettable. The popularity of Madea has inspired Madea’s Family Reunion, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and his upcoming movie Madea’s Big Happy Family!

House of Payne

Tyler isn’t just known for his films, but also for his TV show Tyler Perry’s House of Payne on TBS. The show follows three generations of the same family, and was an instant hit, and Tyler produced them in overdrive to keep up with the demand. One of the characters from the show, Floyd, may even get his own movie sometime in the future.