How Tyler Perry went from humble beginnings to one of the most powerful entertainers in film and television

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The INSIDER Summary:

• Tyler Perry has influenced pop culture with his defining character, a loud-mouthed grandma named Madea.
• Here's how Perry went from humble beginnings to one of the most powerful entertainers in film and television

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Tyler Perry has become synonymous with his most famous character, Mabel "Madea" Simmons. Even if you’ve never seen any of his Madea movies, you most likely recognize the character and know a little something about her.

Madea, always played by Perry, is tough, loud, funny without trying, chronically makes questionable choices, and occasionally spurts a wise truth. Long before she crashed into theaters or appeared on Jimmy Fallon's show, the Madea character, and Tyler Perry, had humble beginnings. 

Perry’s career isn’t just about Madea, though. He has constantly reinvented himself, always trying on a new hat in Hollywood. But it seems we can always count on him returning to the character that earned him a place in Hollywood in the most unorthodox of ways.

With his newest film,"Boo! A Madea Halloween," out this weekend, keep reading to see how Perry's career in film and television took off .

Tyler Perry was born Emmitt Perry Jr. in New Orleans, Louisiana. He had a tumultuous relationship with his father, after whom he was named.

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Perry changed his name at the age of 16 to distance himself from his dad. His early years influenced much of his early work. In 2009, he revealed on his website that he was molested as a young child by the mother of a childhood friend and a man from his church.

Perry also grew up going to church with his mother. He explored themes of abuse and faith in his first play “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” which toured from 1998-2000.

TylerPerry.com

Perry introduced the character Madea in his second play “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” which he later turned into a film starring Tiraji P. Henson of “Empire” fame.

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