Tyler Perry (born
September 13,
1969) is an
American playwright,
actor and
film director. His best-known character is
Mabel Simmons, more commonly known as "Madea," an overbearing but well-intentioned woman who serves both as
comic relief and as the loud voice of conscience to the protagonists of Perry's plays.
Personal life
Tyler was born
Emmitt R. Perry, Jr. in
New Orleans,
[Tyler Perry Biography - Inspired by Oprah, Perseverance Paid Off, Concentrated on Madea Character] one of four children. Perry changed his first name to Tyler because of his troubled relationship with his father. His father, Emmitt, Sr., was a
carpenter and construction worker, and his mother, Maxine, was a pre-school teacher and worked at the New Orleans
Jewish Community Center for most of her life.
[Tyler Perry Discusses Tyler Perry's Daddy Little Girls Movie][Frankly, Madea, Tyler Perry's appeal is universal | AccessAtlanta][Tyler Perry's Aha! moment][AT HOME WITH: Tyler Perry; God Must Love Gilt - New York Times] His childhood in New Orleans was marked by poverty and
physical abuse from his father.
[Interview with Tyler Perry - Beliefnet.com] Perry dropped out of school when he was 16, but later went back to school to obtain his
GED. Perry is a
Christian. Rumors that Perry is gay linger, but he continues to deny it by saying "If you can't separate the character from the man I am that's your problem."
