Writer, actor, producer, and director Tyler Perry has built an entertainment empire that consists of successful films, plays, and a best-selling book. Named one of Most Influential Black Americans, Top 25 Entertainers of Year, 50 Smartest People in Hollywood, The 100 Most Influential People in the World, The 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, named to Power 150.
Background
Tyler Perry was born on September 14, 1969 in New Orleans. Son of Emmett R. and Willie Maxine Perry.
His mother was a church-goer and took Perry along with her once a week. His father was a carpenter and they had a very strained and abusive relationship, which led Perry to suffer from depression as a teenager.
Education
Perry grew up in poverty and did not complete high school, although he did later earn his General Education Development (GED) degree.
Career
In 1991, Tyler Perry was working a regular office job, while he saw a single episode of the 1986’s The Oprah Winfrey Show, conferring the therapeutic act of writing, which inspired the 18 years old Tyler to relate himself towards a writing career. Soon he started working through his dreadful experiences by writing bulks of letters to oneself, which later in 1992 became the important basis for the theatrical play “I Know I’ve Been Changed”, which was firstly performed at a local theater after 2 years from his movement to Atlanta. Unfortunately, he was unable to attract the huge audiences. Then, he acquired on varieties of odd works & found himself driving his own car. But, in the year 1998, he was provided a second option to stage his musical play & this time, Tyler was extra business- savvy regarding his marketing. This time, his play was really sold- out & drew wide attention from different investors. Tyler has then moved on to establish a winning career as an actor, writer, producer & director for stage, film as well as television, including his television programs like “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne” & “The haves and the Have Nots” & films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005), Meet the Browns (2008), Star trek (2009), Good Deeds (2012), Alex Cross (2012), A Madea Christmas (2013), The Single Moms Club (2014), etc.
Achievements
Works
book
Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, Riverhead, forthcoming.
film
Diary of a Mad Black Woman, 2005
Religion
Perry is a devout Christian and it shows in all of his work. As he has said, he’s not afraid to have a character say, "I am Christian" or "I believe in God." And that’s the truth. Most of Perry’s films, theater productions, and TV shows are Christian family-oriented.
Perry’s childhood was a perfect example of horrific, from his father beating him senseless on a regular basis to cases of being molested by neighbors. It was probably accompanying his mother to church on Sundays that provided Perry with a refuge, and subsequently his strong faith. He said:
" I am a Christian, I am a believer, and I know had I not been a person of faith, I couldn’t be here in this place, and I wouldn’t be walking the path that I’m on now."
Politics
Perry is a Democrat with some liberal leanings.
He’s an Obama supporter. He never gave money to a political candidate or cause until Obama came along, then he splurged: throwing $35,000 to Democrats and the Democratic National Committee.
Then, in support of Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, Perry threw a high-priced fundraiser at his house in Atlanta for the president, charging $35,800 per person to get in.
Views
He funded a camp for 65 children from Philadelphia to visit ‘Walt Disney World’, on July 20, 2009. He calls himself a Christian and is very dedicated to the Black church.
Quotations:
Everyone can relate to love, hurt, pain, learning how to forgive, needing to get over, needing the power of God in their life.
Happiness for me is totally just being at peace knowing that, everything I'm doing, God is pleased with that. It's complete peace for me.
My biggest success is getting over the things that have tried to destroy and take me out of this life. Those are my biggest successes. It has nothing to do with work.
Personality
This star has an athletic build body in a tall impressive height of 6 feet & 5 inches. Previously, Tyler seemed bulky in his 225 pounds but later with his regular workouts he was able to cut off a total of 30 pounds from his body & resulted to 195, i.e. 88 kg.
African-American Film Critics Association
2014
Won AAFCA Award
category Best Supporting Actor for Gone Girl (2014)
BET Comedy Awards
2005
Won BET Comedy Award
category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Theatrical Film for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
2005
Got nomination for BET Comedy Award
category Outstanding Writing for a Theatrical Film for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Black Reel Awards
2015
Got nomination for Black Reel Award
category Outstanding Supporting Actor for Gone Girl (2014)
CinemaCon Convention, USA
2011
Won Visionary Award
MTV Movie Awards
2006
Got nomination for MTV Movie Award
category Best Comedic Performance for Madea's Family Reunion (2006)
2005
Got nomination for MTV Movie Award
category Breakthrough Male for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
NAACP Image Awards
2013
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Actor in a Motion Picture for Alex Cross (2012)
2011
Won NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for For Colored Girls (2010)
2011
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
2010
Won NAACP Chairman's Award
2010
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009)
2009
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie for The Family That Preys (2008)
2008
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
2010
Got nomination for Blimp Award
category Favorite Movie Actor
2014
Won Razzie Award
category Worst Actress for A Madea Christmas (2013) (in drag)
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screen Combo for A Madea Christmas (2013)
shared with Larry the Cable Guy
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Director for A Madea Christmas (2013), Tyler Perry's Temptation (2013)
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screenplay for A Madea Christmas (2013)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Director for Madea's Witness Protection (2012), Good Deeds (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Actor for Good Deeds (2012), Alex Cross (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Ensemble for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
shared with Denise Richards; Tom Arnold
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screen Couple for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Actress for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
African-American Film Critics Association
2014
Won AAFCA Award
category Best Supporting Actor for Gone Girl (2014)
BET Comedy Awards
2005
Won BET Comedy Award
category Outstanding Lead Actor in a Theatrical Film for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
2005
Got nomination for BET Comedy Award
category Outstanding Writing for a Theatrical Film for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
Black Reel Awards
2015
Got nomination for Black Reel Award
category Outstanding Supporting Actor for Gone Girl (2014)
CinemaCon Convention, USA
2011
Won Visionary Award
MTV Movie Awards
2006
Got nomination for MTV Movie Award
category Best Comedic Performance for Madea's Family Reunion (2006)
2005
Got nomination for MTV Movie Award
category Breakthrough Male for Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005)
NAACP Image Awards
2013
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Actor in a Motion Picture for Alex Cross (2012)
2011
Won NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for For Colored Girls (2010)
2011
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for Why Did I Get Married Too? (2010)
2010
Won NAACP Chairman's Award
2010
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television) for I Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009)
2009
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Directing in a Feature Film/Television Movie for The Family That Preys (2008)
2008
Got nomination for NAACP Image Award
category Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture for Why Did I Get Married? (2007)
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
2010
Got nomination for Blimp Award
category Favorite Movie Actor
2014
Won Razzie Award
category Worst Actress for A Madea Christmas (2013) (in drag)
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screen Combo for A Madea Christmas (2013)
shared with Larry the Cable Guy
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Director for A Madea Christmas (2013), Tyler Perry's Temptation (2013)
2014
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screenplay for A Madea Christmas (2013)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Director for Madea's Witness Protection (2012), Good Deeds (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Actor for Good Deeds (2012), Alex Cross (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Ensemble for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
shared with Denise Richards; Tom Arnold
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Screen Couple for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)
2013
Got nomination for Razzie Award
category Worst Actress for Madea's Witness Protection (2012)