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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2012)
Arts & Entertainment Tyler Perry: The ‘Good Deeds’ Interview T yler Perry’s inspira- tional journey from the hard streets of New Orleans to the heights of Hollywood’s A-list is the stuff of American legend. Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Tyler fought from a young age to find the strength, faith and persever- ance that would later form the foundations of his much-acclaimed plays, films, books and TV shows. It was a simple piece of advice from Oprah Winfrey that set Tyler’s career in motion. Encouraged to keep a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences, he began writing a series of soul- searching letters to himself. The letters, full of pain and, in time, forgiveness, became a healing catharsis. His writing inspired a musical, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” and in 1992 Tyler gathered his life’s sav- ings and set off for Atlanta in hopes of staging it for sold out crowds. He spent all the money but the people never came, and Tyler once again came face to face with the poverty that had plagued his youth. He spent months sleeping in seedy motels and his car but his faith - in God and, in turn, himself - only got stronger. He forged a pow- erful relationship with the church, and kept writing. In by Kam Williams 1998, his perseverance paid off and a promoter booked “I Know I’ve Been Changed” for a limited run at a local church-turned-the- atre. This time, the communi- ty came out in droves, and soon the musi- cal moved t o Atlanta’s presti- gious Fox Theatre. And Tyler Perry never looked back. Thus began an incredible run of 13 plays in as many years, including “Woman Thou Art Loosed!,” a cele- brated collaboration with the prominent Dallas pastor T.D. Jakes. In the year 2000, “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” marked the first appearance of the now-leg- endary Madea, a God-fearing, gun-toting, pot-smoking, loud-mouthed grandmother played by Perry himself. Madea was such a resounding success, she soon spawned a series of plays – “Madea’s Family Reunion” (2002), “Madea’s Class Reunion” (2003), “Madea Goes To Jail” (2005) - and set the stage for Tyler’s jump to the big screen. In early 2005, Tyler’s first feature film, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman,” debuted at #1 nationwide. His ensuing films, “Madea’s Family Reunion,” “Daddy’s Little Girls,” He spent months sleeping in seedy motels and his car but his faith only got stronger “Why Did I Get Married,” “Meet The Browns,” “The Family That Preys,” “I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” and “Why Did I Get Married, Too?” have all met with both critical acclaim and commercial success, delighting audiences across America and around the world. 2006 saw the publi- cation of Tyler’s first book, “Don’t Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Ear- rings: Madea’s Uninhibited Commentaries On Life And Love,” which shot to the top of the New York Times non- fiction best-seller list and remained there for 8 weeks. The following year, Tyler expanded his reach to tele- vision with the TBS series “House of Payne,” the high- est-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time. His next TV sitcom, “Meet the Browns,” was the second highest debut ever on cable - after “House of Payne.” Not one to rest on his lau- rels, in the fall of 2008, Perry opened his 200,000 square-foot Studio in Atlanta, situated on more than 30 acres of real estate. The Studio consists of 5 sound stages, a post produc- tion facility, a pond, a back lot, a 400-seat theater, a pri- vate screening room, and designated areas for enter- taining and hosting events. But listen to Tyler and you’ll hear a man who has- n’t forgotten where he came from or the folks who helped him reach the show- biz mountaintop. He has donated generously to char- ities that focus on helping the homeless, such as Feed- ing America, Covenant House, Hosea Feed the Hungry, Project Adventure, and Perry Place - a 20-home community that he built for survivors of Hurricane Kat- rina. In July 2009, Tyler spon- sored a trip to Walt Disney World for 65 children after learning that a suburban swim club had turned them away because of the color of their skin. Tyler Perry has also built two churches and See CELEBRITY on page 10 February 15, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 7
