Tyler Perry
Born 1969 · Age 56
American actor, filmmaker, playwright and entrepreneur; creator/portrayer of Madea; founder of Tyler Perry Studios; prolific writer/director/producer of stage plays, films and TV series.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Emmitt Perry Jr. in New Orleans
Born to Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell) and Emmitt Perry Sr. in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Legally changes first name from Emmitt to Tyler
At age 16 he legally changed his first name to distance himself from his abusive father.
Moves to Atlanta to pursue writing and theater
Relocated to Atlanta; began developing stage material that became his early musicals and plays.
Stages first musical I Know I've Been Changed (initial failure)
Self-funded production debuted in Atlanta after saving $12,000; initial run drew very small audiences and was a financial failure.
Retools and restages I Know I've Been Changed to success
Restaged the musical in Atlanta at the House of Blues then Fox Theatre; this run launched sustained stage success.
Begins touring extensively on the 'urban theater circuit'
Expanded touring of stage plays across the Chitlin' Circuit with large African American audiences, building a devoted following.
Madea first appears in I Can Do Bad All by Myself (stage)
Created and performed Mabel 'Madea' Simmons in the stage production (Chicago staging cited in sources).
I Can Do Bad All by Myself appears in stage repertoire (Madea consolidated)
Madea becomes recurring centerpiece character across Perry's stage plays (sources cite 2000 as key stage date).
Diary of a Mad Black Woman (stage) produced
Stage version that would later be adapted into his breakthrough feature film.
Breakthrough film Diary of a Mad Black Woman (film)
Raised a $5.5 million budget (partly from stage ticket sales) to produce the film; domestic gross $50.6M.
Forbes reports Perry sold massive stage/movie merchandise & tickets
Forbes noted more than $100M in tickets sold, $30M in video sales and $20M in merchandise; 300 live shows per year drawing ~35,000/week.
Stage-to-film income reported by Forbes (cumulative revenues)
Forbes in 2005 reported cumulative stage, video and merchandise revenues that funded his early film projects.
House of Payne syndicated and hits record ratings
After pilot and TBS pick-up, House of Payne quickly entered syndication and became one of TBS's highest-rated first-run syndicated cable shows.
Quill Awards for Don’t Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings
Book won Quill Awards (Book of the Year and Best Humor) in 2006.
Creates Tyler Perry Studios (initial foundation)
Established his studio operations (sources cite founding/creation in 2006 prior to large-scale Fort McPherson acquisition).
Publishes first book Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings
Published April 11, 2006; hardcover sold ~30,000 copies; reached #1 on NYT Best Seller; won Quill Awards (Book of the Year, Best Humor).
Tyler Perry's House of Payne pilot and TBS deal
Spring 2006 10-show pilot led to a reported $200M/100-episode deal with TBS; first episodes aired June 2007.
Madea's Family Reunion opens #1 at box office
Opening weekend (Feb 24–26, 2006) grossed $30.3M; eventual gross about $65M.
Purchases 17-acre Paces estate in Buckhead, Atlanta
Bought a large estate in Buckhead; later sold in May 2016.
Daddy's Little Girls theatrical release
Released Feb 14, 2007 (Lionsgate); grossed over $31M domestically.
Why Did I Get Married? film released
Released Oct 12, 2007; opened #1 with $21.4M opening weekend; filmed beginning March 5, 2007.
Files WGA-related labor dispute; later resolves
WGA West filed unfair labor practice charges re: firings in Oct 2008; settlement reached Nov 2008 with TPS becoming WGA signatory.
Meet the Browns (film) released
Released Mar 21, 2008; opened at #2 with $20.1M weekend gross.
The Family That Preys (film) released
Released Sept 12, 2008; grossed approximately $37.1M.
Threatens legal action against a tax-prep ad parody
Said he would sue Mo' Money Taxes for a TV spot parodying his Madea character; the ad was pulled.
Co-presents Precious with Oprah and Lee Daniels
Teamed with Oprah and Lee Daniels to present the film Precious (adaptation of Push).
Madea Goes to Jail opens #1
Opening Feb 20, 2009 grossed $41M — Perry's largest opening to that date.
Acts in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek
Played Admiral Barnett; first major film appearance outside his own projects.
Sponsors 65 children to visit Walt Disney World
Sponsored 65 children from a Philadelphia day camp to visit Walt Disney World after reports they were shunned by a suburban swim club.
WGA unfair labor practice charges and settlement
Writers Guild filed NLRB charges alleging unlawful firing of writers in Oct 2008; dispute settled in Nov 2008 with TPS becoming a WGA signatory.
Death of mother Willie Maxine Perry
His mother died at age 64 after an illness; she had been a major influence on his life and work.
Why Did I Get Married Too? released
Sequel released Apr 2, 2010; grossed $60M domestically with $29M opening weekend.
Directs For Colored Girls (film adaptation)
Directed the 2010 film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf.
Madea's Big Happy Family (film) released
Film adaptation released 2011; box office ~ $25.8M.
Forbes lists Perry as highest-paid man in entertainment
Forbes reported he earned $130 million between May 2010 and May 2011.
Films cumulative gross exceeds $500M (as of June 2011)
By mid-2011 Perry's films had grossed over $500M worldwide.
Releases Madea's Witness Protection
Seventh Madea franchise film released June 29, 2012.
Exclusive multi-year partnership with Oprah Winfrey/OWN
Signed an exclusive deal with Oprah Winfrey Network to produce scripted series (e.g., The Haves and the Have Nots).
Alex Cross released (stars as Alex Cross)
Perry took over the Alex Cross role; the film opened Oct 19, 2012 and performed poorly at box office.
Son Aman born to partner Gelila Bekele
Partner Gelila Bekele gave birth to their son Aman on November 30, 2014 (sources cite late 2014); relationship noted 2007–2020.
The Haves and the Have Nots premieres on OWN and breaks network records
Premiered May 28, 2013; set record OWN ratings for a series premiere and had episodes that reached millions of viewers (e.g., 3.6M viewers for a season 2 episode in 2014).
ETPC LLC purchases ~1,100 acres near New Manchester, GA
Company purchase of roughly 1,100 acres in Douglas County, Georgia for development/estate purposes.
Produces Tyler Perry Presents Peeples
Perry served as a producer on Peeples, released May 10, 2013.
The Single Moms Club (film) release
Directed the film which opened Mar 14, 2014.
Birth of son Aman
Gelila Bekele gave birth to their son Aman (Nov 30, 2014 reported).
Acquires Fort McPherson and expands Tyler Perry Studios
Purchased the 330-acre former military base in Atlanta and converted it into Tyler Perry Studios with standing sets and 12 named sound stages.
Sells Buckhead home for $17.5M (largest private home sale in Atlanta)
Sold the 17-acre Buckhead property for $17.5M in May 2016 — reported as the biggest private-home deal in Atlanta at the time.
Boo! A Madea Halloween released
Seventeenth film and ninth in the Madea franchise released Oct 21, 2016.
Boo 2! A Madea Halloween released
Sequel released in October 2017; Perry continued Madea franchise films.
Opens 12 named sound stages and permanent sets at studio
Tyler Perry Studios included 12 sound stages named after prominent African Americans and multiple standing permanent sets (mansion, White House replica, hotel lobby, diner, etc.).
Purchases Mulholland Estates home in Los Angeles
Purchased a Mulholland Estates property in Sept 2017 and sold it nine months later for $15.6M.
Signs long-term content deal with Viacom
June 14, 2017 deal to produce TV content (reported: 90 episodes/year, distribution and first-look rights; led to shows on BET and BET+).
Publishes Higher Is Waiting
Second book published Nov 14, 2017; debuted at #5 on the New York Times Best Seller list.
Voices role in animated film The Star
Lent his voice to the Christmas-themed animated feature released Nov 17, 2017 (with Oprah also involved).
Black Panther first major film to shoot on new Tyler Perry stages
Announced that Marvel's Black Panther had filmed on stages at Tyler Perry Studios — high-profile validation for the studio.
Produces political drama The Oval for BET
Launched The Oval in 2019 under his TV production deals with Viacom/BET.
Tyler Perry Studios grand opening / $250M valuation reported
Biography/Wikipedia report on grand opening and $250M studio expansion on the Fort McPherson site (studio widely reported as a $250M investment).
A Fall from Grace released on Netflix; COVID-era philanthropic efforts
Released A Fall from Grace (Netflix). During COVID-19 he provided groceries, gift cards, donations for funerals and other public philanthropic acts.
Included in Time's 100 Most Influential People; receives Governors Award (Emmys)
Named to Time 100 in 2020 and received the Governors Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Provides initial housing and security for Prince Harry and Meghan
Revealed Mar 7, 2021 that he provided housing and security for Harry and Meghan in March 2020, and is godfather to their daughter Princess Lilibet.
Acts in feature films Those Who Wish Me Dead and Don't Look Up
Appeared in multiple high-profile studio films in 2021, expanding roles beyond his own productions.
Receives Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (Oscars)
Honored by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the 2021 Oscars for humanitarian work.
Inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame
Received induction in 2022 recognition.
Public reports estimate net worth near or above $1 billion
Multiple outlets and profiles cite an estimated net worth of around $1B (Wikipedia/other sources) and later higher valuations reported by Forbes (2025).
Releases Maxine's Baby documentary on Amazon Prime
Documentary (about his life and family history) released on Amazon Prime; part of multi-platform distribution relationships.
Releases Mea Culpa and expands Netflix deal
Mea Culpa released on Netflix Feb 2024; Netflix multi-year deal announced in 2024 to make faith-based movies and series first-look TV.
Announces multi-year first-look deal with Netflix (expanded)
Expanded multi-year creative/first-look deal with Netflix announced to produce feature films and TV (includes faith-based slate).
Lawsuit filed alleging sexual assault by actor Derek Dixon
On June 13, 2025 Derek Dixon filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleging sexual assault and battery since 2021 and sought $260M in damages.
Forbes lists Perry among billionaires (Forbes 2025 figure)
Recent reporting (Biography/Forbes references cited in sources) places his net worth in 2025 at approximately $1.4B per Forbes; other estimates vary.
Multiple 2025 film releases (Duplicity, Straw) on streaming platforms
Two 2025 titles noted as released or distributed: Duplicity (Amazon Prime) and Straw (Netflix).
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