Playwright. Screenwriter. Filmmaker. Innovator. All these words can describe Emmitt "Tyler" Perry. Last week, Perry made history by opening the very first black-owned production studio.
As a filmmaker and actor, Tyler Perry has developed characters like "Mabel Simmons," also known as "Madea," who was a character Perry adapted from a T.D. Jakes' "Woman Thou Art Loosed." Some may see Madea as Tyler Perry's 70-year old alter ego, but after ten movies and a gross total of over $500 Million, Tyler has created a career out of making people laugh while presenting real-life situations. Other films like "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" and "Daddy's Girl" hold high rankings in box offices.
Tyler Perry built the studio on 330-acres that was once the home of a Confederate Army base in Atlanta. Within the compound, Perry has created 21 sets, ranging from suburban neighborhoods to coffee shops and courtrooms, and the most accurate recreation of the White House, is home to his most recent show "The Oval," which introduces the Franklin family as the new, black First family and highlights their plight as they navigate through love, drama, and the American way.
Alongside these grandiose sets, Tyler Perry took the time to honor quite a few other African American greats in the movie-making business. Perry named his twelve sound stages after entertainment greats like Oprah Winfrey, Sidney Poitier, Halle Berry, and Cicely Tyson. These sound stages will not only hold their names but stand as representations of the milestones they accomplished in their journeys, as well as the journey of black entertainers and representation.
Tyler Perry not only debuted the most profitable venture of his career, but he also debuted hope. As an African American man who started his career while living in his car, Tyler is the true definition of OUR American Dream. Black and brown boys and girls are allowed to see a legacy in entertainment, a dream they had never before been allowed to dream. Perry has created jobs, opportunities for the same brown boys and girls to develop their legacy right on the grounds of a black-owned production studio.
Tyler Perry is legendary because he not only inspires dreamers; he gives them the tools to evolve those dreams into their reality.
