UB Celebrates: Cast of BET Series’ Talk ‘Tyler Perry’

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and this past week “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” premiered on Prime Video. We thought it was no better time, than to celebrate the amazing Tyler Perry.

Tyler‘s story showcased in “Maxine’s Baby” further solidifies, what his cast of actors have been telling UB for years, about his selfishness and work ethic.

In a special video montage of UB Interviews, we spotlight some of those excerpts from legendary actors Cassi Davis and Ed Quinn, along with Paige Hurd, Devale Ellis, Crystal Hayslett, KJ Smith, Brian Jordan Jr., Barry Brewer, Mahdi Cocci, Yvonne Senat Jones, Melissa L. Williams, Courtney Nichole, Novi Brown, Kevin A. Walton, Trinity Whiteside and Janet Jackson from “WDIGM 2” press.

We’ve been following Tyler Perry, literally since the beginning. As his stage plays became desired in Minneapolis, the Church folk had them on deck. “I Know I’ve Been Changed” was the first DVD release that was issued. Not to be confused with the bootlegs, real fans purchased from the official site.

“Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story” brings those memories full circle, as we have seen what Tyler Perry has been able to accomplish in such a short time. And let’s not pretend Tyler rocking out to Meek Mill’s “Dreams and Nightmares” isn’t also a highlight.

Inspiring, is the word that has come from the majority that have viewed “Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story,” you can’t view it and not get motivated.

Tyler Perry is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana, born on September 13th, 1969.

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, in 1992, Tyler began a therapeutic effort of writing letters to himself to alleviate his childhood pain. Those letters would serve as the foundation for his first play, “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” which dealt with surviving child abuse.

Tyler gathered his life’s savings in hopes of staging it for sold out crowds.

In the summer of 1998, what was supposed to be the “final” production of Tyler Perry‘s “I Know I’ve Been Changed” opened at the House of Blues in Atlanta and sold out eight times over. Two weeks later, the play would move to the prestigious Fox Theater and sell out 9,000 more seats for just two shows! “I Know I’ve Been Changed,” would go on to gross several million dollars in revenue and ultimately raise the level of thinking concerning Black theater productions.

Critics and audiences alike eventually abandoned the insulting title of “Chitlin Circuit“, when referring to Black theater, bestowing upon it instead the respectable title of “Urban Theater.”

In the year 2000, “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” marked the first appearance of the legendary character Madea. The God-fearing, gun-toting, pot-smoking, loud-mouthed grandmother, Madea, was played by Tyler himself. Madea was such a resounding success, she soon spawned a series of plays and set the stage for Tyler’s jump to the big screen.

Over the next seven years, Tyler Perry would launch a series of successful productions which would secure a place for him as one of the youngest and wealthiest African-American playwrights of the new millennium.

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,” Madea Goes to Jail,” and “Why Did I Get Married?” all debuted at #1 with all of his films receiving commercial success.

Tyler Perry has also starred in the Rob Cohen directed Alex Cross and helped release Academy Award-nominated “Precious,” a movie based on the novel Push by Sapphire, in conjunction with his 34th Street Films banner, Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films.

In the fall of 2008, Tyler Perry opened his 200,000 square foot Studio in Atlanta, situated on the former Delta Airlines campus of more than 30 acres. The Studio consists of five sound stages, a post production facility, a pond, a backlot, a 400-seat theater, a private screening room, and designated areas for entertaining and hosting events.

The Cast of BET Series’ Talk “Tyler Perry!”