Tyler Perry has built a billion-dollar fortune from his film empire and the director has just gained another notch on his belt.
His latest Netflix drama, The Six Triple Eight boasts an A-list cast including Kerry Washington and Oprah Winfrey. It follows the little-known story of the USA's first and only Women’s Army Corps unit of colour to serve overseas in World War Two.
The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion contributed to combat efforts by sorting through a backlog of 17 million letters, addressed to American soldiers stationed across Europe. Staffed by an all-Black team of 855 women, the battalion completed their mission in just 90 days, after being granted six months to accomplish the job.
Like Perry's other works, the historical drama champions untold Black American stories.
Those who have never encountered the Emmy-winning filmmaker will be wondering who the man behind the camera is. Here, we delve into his fascinating life beyond the screen.
Career
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Laura Radford / Perry Well Films 2 / Netflix)A well-rounded creative, Perry began his career as a playwright. He penned his first play, I Know I’ve Been Changed, in his twenties and financed its debut in 1992. After gaining little attention for the stage play, which he also starred in, the 55-year-old restaged it to much success in 1998.
He broke into the film world with the 2005 comedy Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which grossed $21.9 million in its opening weekend. Since the feature debut, the Hollywood star has garnered 66 IMDB credits for writing, acting and producing.
A majority of Perry's films feature the character Madea, a no-nonsense elderly woman who is often portrayed by the director. Most recently he helmed, Mea Culpa, Tyler Perry's Divorce in the Black and TV series Sistas. He boasts an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion
Royal connection
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FilmMagic)Perry is a good friend to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry and is godfather to their daughter Lilibet.
In the Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan, the cinema tycoon recalled the royal couple's request. He said: "They were pretty serious on the phone. I go, 'OK, what's going on?' They said, 'Well, we'd like for you to be Lili's godfather.' I go, 'Whoa.' I take a minute to take that in. And I thought, 'I'd be honoured. I'd be absolutely honoured.'"
The pair met Perry in 2020, when they requested to temporarily live in one of his homes, after moving to California. Since then, Markle and Perry have publicly supported one another. The Duchess recently attended the Paley Honors Fall Gala, where Perry was honoured with an award.
Surprising habit
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PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)Shooting to fame in the noughties, Tyler Perry recently revealed he has not read a review of his work in around 20 years. Speaking to The Times, he confessed that the last time he recalls reading a critique was when he was "probably 34."
The filmmaker went on to explain: "I’m very clear and intentional on the stories that I’m telling. I’m not spending the money for you to tear it apart. You don’t get it. It’s not written for you. The audience gets it. So let’s look at what they say."
Audiences and critics are often divided on the writer's productions. His latest film Divorce in the Black boasts a 73% viewer-rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while critics have awarded it a sour 0%.
Sharing more of his process with The Times, he also revealed that he does not allow studios to censor his work, saying: "If you’ve hired me to speak to my audience, then you have to let me do that."
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Getty Images)Is Tyler Perry married?
Tyler Perry was in a relationship with Ethiopian filmmaker Gelila Bekele from 2009 to 2020. The pair share a son.
While Perry leads a private personal life, he currently appears to be single.
The Six Triple Eight is now on Netflix
English (US) ·