Tyler Perry (bornEmmitt Perry Jr.; September 13, 1969)[1] is an American actor, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer ofMabel "Madea" Simmons, a tough elderly woman, and also portrays her brother Joe Simmons and her nephew Brian Simmons.[2][3][4] Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmaking techniques to filmed productions of live stage plays, many of which have been subsequently adapted into feature films. Madea's first appearance was inI Can Do Bad All by Myself (1999) staged in Chicago.
Perry wrote and produced many stage plays, which were at their successful peak in the 1990s and the 2000s. His breakthrough performance came in 2005 with the filmDiary of a Mad Black Woman, which he wrote and produced as an adaptation of hisstage play of the same name. He also developed numerous television series, most notablyTyler Perry's House of Payne, which ran for eight seasons onTBS from 2006 to 2012, before being renewed in 2020. In 2011,Forbes listed him as the highest-paid man in entertainment, earning $130 million between May 2010 and May 2011.[5] In 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership withOprah Winfrey and herOprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The deal featured scripted projects such asThe Haves and the Have Nots.[6] In 2019, he produced the political drama seriesThe Oval forBET.
Tyler Perry was born Emmitt Perry Jr. inNew Orleans, Louisiana, to Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell) and Emmitt Perry Sr., a carpenter.[13] He has three siblings.[14] Perry has described his childhood as a "living hell".[15] In contrast to his abusive father, his mother took him to church each week, where he sensed a certain refuge and contentment.[15] At age 16, he had his first name legally changed from Emmitt to Tyler in an effort to distance himself from his father.[1]
Many years later, after seeing the filmPrecious, Perry was moved to reveal for the first time that he had beenmolested by a friend's mother at age 10.[16] He was also molested by three men prior to this and later learned his own father had molested his friend.[17] A DNA test taken by Perry indicated that Emmitt Sr. was not Perry's biological father.[18]
While Perry did not complete high school, he earned aGeneral Educational Development (GED).[19] In his early 20s, watching an episode ofThe Oprah Winfrey Show, he heard someone describe that sometimes the act of writing can have a therapeutic effect, enabling the author to work out his or her own problems. This comment inspired him to apply himself to a career in writing. He soon started writing a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musicalI Know I've Been Changed.[20]
Around 1990, Perry moved toAtlanta, where two years laterI Know I've Been Changed was first performed at a community theater, financed by the 22-year-old Perry's life savings of US$12,000 (equivalent to $28,881 in 2024).[21] The play included Christian themes of forgiveness, dignity, and self-worth, while addressing issues such as child abuse anddysfunctional families. The musical initially received a "less than stellar" reception and was a financial failure.[22]
Perry persisted, and over the next six years he rewrote the musical repeatedly, though lackluster reviews continued. In 1998, at age 28, he succeeded in retooling the play and restaging it in Atlanta, first at theHouse of Blues, then at theFox Theatre. Perry continued to create new stage productions, touring with them on the so-called "Chitlin' Circuit", now also known as the "urban theater circuit"[1] and developing a large, devoted following among African-American audiences. In 2005,Forbes reported that he had sold "more than $100 million in tickets, $30 million in videos of his shows and an estimated $20 million in merchandise", and "the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week".[21]
Perry raised a US$5.5 million budget in part from the ticket sales of his stage productions to fund his first movie,Diary of a Mad Black Woman,[23] which went on to gross US$50.6 million domestically, while scoring a 16% approval rating at the film review web siteRotten Tomatoes.[24] Perry made his directorial debut on his next film, an adaptation ofMadea's Family Reunion, and has directed all of his subsequent Madea films. On its opening weekend, February 24–26, 2006,Madea's Family Reunion opened at number one at the box office with $30.3 million. The film eventually grossed $65 million. Perry and his co-stars promoted the film onThe Oprah Winfrey Show. As withDiary, almost all of theMadea's earnings have been generated in the United States.[25]
Perry's nextLionsgate project,Daddy's Little Girls, starredGabrielle Union andIdris Elba and was released in the United States on February 14, 2007. It grossed over US$31 million.[26] Perry wrote, directed, produced and starred in his next film,Why Did I Get Married?, released on October 12, 2007. It opened at number one, grossing US$21.4 million that weekend. It is loosely based on his play of the same name. Filming began March 5, 2007, inWhistler, British Columbia, a resort town north ofVancouver, then moved to Atlanta, where Perry had opened his own studio.Janet Jackson,Sharon Leal,Jill Scott, andTasha Smith appeared in the film. Perry's 2008 film,Meet the Browns, released on March 21, opened at number 2 with a US$20.1 million weekend gross.[27]The Family That Preys opened on September 12, 2008, and grossed over US$37.1 million.[28]
Madea Goes to Jail opened at number one on February 20, 2009, grossing US$41 million and becoming his largest opening to date. This was Perry's seventh film with Lionsgate Entertainment. At the request of directorJ. J. Abrams,[29] also in 2009, Perry had a small role as theStarfleet Academy commandant Admiral Barnett inStar Trek, which opened on May 8. This was his first film appearance outside of his own projects.Perry next wrote, directed, and starred inI Can Do Bad All by Myself (2009), named after the known stage play. This was Perry's eighth film and it also made number one at the box office.[30] In 2009, Perry teamed with Oprah Winfrey to presentPrecious, a film based on the novelPush bySapphire.[31]Why Did I Get Married Too?, the sequel toWhy Did I Get Married?, opened in theaters on April 2, 2010. It featuredJanet Jackson,Tasha Smith,Jill Scott, andMalik Yoba. The film grossed US$60 million domestically, with US$29 million made the opening weekend.[32]
Perry's next film with Lionsgate wasGood Deeds, in which Perry plays lead character Wesley Deeds.Good Deeds is a romantic drama film written, directed by, and starring Perry. The film was released on February 24, 2012. It is the tenth of eleven films that Perry directed and appears in. The film received a 29% rating by review aggregatorRotten Tomatoes and opened with a box office US$15.5 million gross.[35] The movie also starsThandiwe Newton,Rebecca Romijn,Gabrielle Union,Eddie Cibrian,Jamie Kennedy,Phylicia Rashad, and others.[36]
As of June 2011[update], Perry's films had grossed over US$500 million worldwide.[37] Perry'sMadea's Witness Protection, his seventh film within the Madea franchise, was released on June 29, 2012.
In mid-January 2016, Perry started filming his seventeenth film, and ninth within the Madea franchise,Boo! A Madea Halloween. The film was released on October 21, 2016. A sequel,Boo 2! A Madea Halloween, was released in October 2017. Perry, alongsideOprah Winfrey, lent his voice in his first animated film, calledThe Star, which is based on theNativity of Jesus. Developed bySony Pictures Animation, the film was released on November 17, 2017.[43]
Perry's films are co-produced and distributed byLions Gate Entertainment; he retains full copyright ownership under the corporate name Tyler Perry Films, and places his name in front of all titles.[44] Perry's movies have seen very limited release outside North America, but in May 2010, Lionsgate announced plans to begin releasing his films in the United Kingdom.[45]
Perry produced the long-running sitcomTyler Perry's House of Payne, which initially ran for 6 seasons from June 21, 2006, to August 10, 2012, before being revived in 2020 and, as of September 2025, running for 12 seasons,[46] the most any show with a predominately African American cast. The series followed anAfrican-American household of three generations. The show demonstrated the family members' serious, true-to-life struggles with faith and love. The show ran in the spring of 2006 as a 10-show pilot. After the successful pilot run, Perry signed a US$200 million, 100-episode deal withTBS. On June 6, 2007, the first two episodes ofTyler Perry's House of Payne ran on TBS. After receiving high ratings,House of Payne enteredbroadcast syndication. Reruns were played through December 2007 before the second season began. Perry also wrote, directed and produced the sitcomMeet the Browns, which premiered on TBS on January 7, 2009, and ended on November 18, 2011.[47]
In 2009, Perry co-producedPrecious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire alongsideOprah Winfrey andLee Daniels. The film was directed by Daniels and starredGabourey Sidibe andMo'Nique. While promoting the film Oprah told an interviewer, "I think [Perry] grew up being raised by strong, black women. And so much of what he does is really in celebration of that. I think that's what Madea really is: a compilation of all those strong black women that I know and maybe you do too? And so the reason it works is because people see themselves."[48]
On October 2, 2012, Perry struck an exclusive multi-year partnership withOprah Winfrey and herOprah Winfrey Network (OWN). The partnership was largely for the purposes of bringingscripted television to OWN, Perry having had previous success in this department.[6]
Perry had two other television series featured on OWN: the hour-longsoap opera/drama seriesThe Haves and the Have Nots and the sitcomLove Thy Neighbor.The Haves and the Have Nots premiered on May 28, 2013, and completed its series run after 8 seasons on July 20, 2021.[51] The program was credited by Oprah Winfrey as bringing success to her network and opened the door for a host of other highly rated dramas to OWN. During its series run,The Haves and the Have Nots had numerousNielsen rating highs for the OWN broadcasting station: it was reported on May 29, 2013, thatThe Haves and the Have Nots set a new record for OWN, scoring the highest ratings ever for a series premiere on the network.[52][53]Love Thy Neighbor scored the second highest ratings ever for a series premiere on OWN, behindThe Haves and the Have Nots.[54]The Haves and the Have Nots gave OWN some of its highest ratings during its 8-year series run,[55] the program hailed as "one of OWN's biggest success stories with its weekly dose of soapy fun, filled with the typical betrayals, affairs and manipulations."[56]
Contrastingly,Love Thy Neighbor had struggled in ratings.The Have and the Have Nots remained the network's highest rated program for most of its run.[57][58] On February 4, 2014,The Haves and the Have Nots came in asthe most watched program in all of cable television for the night.[59] On March 11, 2014, aHaves and the Have Nots season 2 episode set an OWN record when it scored the highest ratings in the network's history. The record-breaking episode brought in 3.6 million viewers, surpassing the 3.5 million that tuned in for theOprah's Next Chapter interview with Bobbi Kristina which was the network's previous highest rated viewing.[55]
On January 9, 2014, as part of Perry's continued partnership with OWN, the network ordered its fourth scripted series (and fourth series by Perry) based on the feature film,The Single Moms Club, calledIf Loving You Is Wrong. The hour-long drama series premiered on September 9, 2014.
In 2015, Perry acquired the 330-acre (130 ha) former military baseFort McPherson located inAtlanta, which he converted to studios.[60] The studios were used to film the HBO Films/OWN film version ofThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and later for the television seriesThe Walking Dead.[60][61] 50,000 square feet (4,600 m2) of the site are dedicated to standing permanent sets, including a replica of a luxury-hotel lobby, aWhite House replica, a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) mansion, a mock cheap hotel, a trailer-park set, and a real 1950s-style diner that was relocated from a town 100 miles (160 km) away. It also hosts 12 sound stages named after highly accomplished African Americans in the entertainment industry.[61] The blockbuster Marvel film,Black Panther, was the first to be filmed on one of the new stages at Tyler Perry Studios as announced personally by Perry on his Instagram account on February 19, 2018.[62]
Tyler Perry Studios is one of the largest film studios in the United States, and it established Perry as the second African American to own a major film studio outright, afterTim andDaphne Reid.[63][64]
On June 14, 2017, Perry signed a long-term deal with Viacom (nowViacomCBS) for 90 episodes/year of original drama and comedy series. Viacom will also have distribution rights to short video content and a first look at film concepts (the first film from this deal wasNobody’s Fool). The TV deal began fall 2019 withThe Oval,Sistas andBET+ (a brand new streaming service) premiering with strong ratings forBET.[65]
TheWriters Guild of America West filed unfair labor practice charges with theNational Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that Perry's production company, Tyler Perry Studios, unlawfully fired four writers in October 2008 in retaliation for them trying to get a union contract.[70] The dispute was settled a month later, when TPS agreed to be a WGA signatory.[71]
In early 2009, Perry threatened legal action against Mo' Money Taxes, a tax preparation company based inMemphis, Tennessee, for running aTV spot that he felt offensivelyparodied his work, in particularMadea Goes to Jail. The ad features a largewhite male (John Cowan) indrag, named "Ma'Madea". The offending ad was dropped from circulation.[72]
On June 13, 2025, Derek Dixon, an actor in some of Perry's productions includingThe Oval, filed a lawsuit against Perry that accused Perry of committing numerous acts ofsexual assault andsexual battery against him since 2021. According to the lawsuit which was filed against Perry in theLos Angeles County Superior Court, Dixon alleged that Perry had "been using his power and influence tomolest,abuse, andsexually assault impressionable and vulnerable employees and actors who look to him for guidance and mentorship while pursuing their dreams".[73] Dixon has requested Perry to pay $260 million in damages, and to have a trial by jury.[74] It was also revealed that Dixon had previously filed anEqual Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) sexual harassment complaint against Perry in 2024, and then departed fromThe Oval after the complaint failed to result in the show's producers taking any action.[75][76]
Tyler Perry's work has garnered both commercial success and critical discussion. While his films and television shows have achieved significant popularity, some critics have expressed concerns regarding the portrayal of African-American characters and reliance on certain stereotypes. AuthorDonald Bogle, in an interview withEntertainment Weekly, noted similarities between Perry'sMadea character and traditional "mammy" archetypes, suggesting that such representations might be viewed differently if presented by a white director.[77] JournalistJamilah Lemieux, in an open letter published byNPR, acknowledged Perry's contributions to Black employment in the entertainment industry but also criticized shows likeMeet the Browns andHouse of Payne for featuring what she described as "old stereotypes of buffoonish, emasculated black men and crass, sassy black women."[78]
FilmmakerSpike Lee has also commented on Perry's work. In 2009, Lee referred to certain portrayals in Perry's productions as "coonery buffoonery," expressing concern over the imaging in contemporary Black media.[79] Perry responded by emphasizing that his characters are designed to be relatable and to convey messages about faith and family, aiming to serve audiences he feels are often overlooked by mainstream media.[80]
Perry's productions have been parodied in popular media. For instance, the animated seriesThe Boondocks featured an episode titled "Pause," which satirized aspects of Perry's work, particularly his cross-dressing Madea character. Reports indicated that Perry was displeased with the portrayal, leading to the episode's removal from circulation.[81][82] Similarly, theFX seriesAtlanta aired an episode titled "Work Ethic!" that many interpreted as a commentary on Perry's production practices and creative control.[83][84][85]
In 2020, Perry revealed that he writes all of his scripts independently without awriters' room.[86] This approach drew criticism from some industry professionals who argued that it limits opportunities for emerging Black writers. Perry defended his method, citing past challenges with both union and non-union writers and emphasizing his desire to maintain a consistent creative voice.[87]
Despite these critiques, Perry has received support from various commentators.Goldie Taylor, writing forTheGrio and speaking on NPR, noted that while Perry's work may not resonate with everyone, it connects deeply with many African Americans.[88] Sociologist Shayne Lee, in an editorial forThe Huffington Post, described Perry as one of the most innovative filmmakers of his time, highlighting his unique ability to blend spiritual themes with popular entertainment.[89]
On December 8, 2009, Perry's mother, Willie Maxine Perry, died at age 64, following an illness.[90][91] He lives and works in Southwest Atlanta where he operates the Tyler Perry film and TV studios.[92] In August 2010, it was reported that he had purchasedDean Gardens, a 58-acre (23 ha) estate in the Atlanta suburb ofJohns Creek. He tore down the existing 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m2) mansion and planned, but never built, a new, environmentally-friendly home on the property.[93][94]
On November 30, 2014, Perry's partner Gelila Bekele gave birth to their son, Aman.[95][96] In December 2020, Perry announced that he was abachelor.[97]
Following the death ofStephen "tWitch" Boss, Perry uploaded a video to his Instagram account where he spoke about his own struggles with depression, and revealed he had attempted suicide several times before his career took off.[102]
In 2007, Perry bought a 17-acre (7 ha) estate[103] in thePaces neighborhood ofBuckhead,Atlanta.[104][105] In May 2016, he sold the house for $17.5 million, also closing the biggest deal ever for a private home in the Georgia capital.[106] In 2013, his company, ETPC LLC, purchased around 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) in the New Manchester,Georgia area ofDouglas County, Georgia.[107]
In September 2017, Perry purchased a house inMulholland Estates, a gated community in Los Angeles.[108] Nine months after buying the estate, Perry sold the property for $15.6 million.[109]
Perry owns vacation properties in both Wyoming and The Bahamas.[110]
Perry owns a 2,100-acre (8.5 km2) estate in Douglasville, Georgia, including a 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2)châteauesque house, and anairstrip.[111]
Perry is aChristian.[112] Many of the themes in his work reflect theology and social behavior indicative of the predominantlyblack church culture, such as the many scenes in both his stage and screen work that feature church settings and worship styles commonly found in predominantly African American churches, including showcases ofgospel music and artists.[113]
On July 20, 2009, Perry sponsored 65 children from aPhiladelphia day camp to visitWalt Disney World, after reading that a suburban swim club, the Valley Swim Club inHuntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania, had shunned them.[114] He wrote on his website, "I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them."[115]