This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (October 2009)

Alex Cross is a fictional character and the protagonist of a series of books by novelist James Patterson.

Character overview[link]

Cross is a detective and psychologist living and working in the Southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C. He worked in the homicide division of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD), but eventually becomes a Senior Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After his stint with the FBI, Alex returns to private psychology practice, but continues to consult for the MPD and the FBI as needed, ultimately rejoining the MPD as a special consultant to the Major Case Squad.

As portrayed by Patterson, Cross is a hopeful but rational man of generally deep emotions. He is a model father and quite empathetic in dealing with the public. Despite the fact that he is well-educated and makes a decent living, he chooses to live in the Southeast quadrant of D.C. He is very involved in the community, most notably volunteering at St. Anthony's Parish in his neighborhood.

Character biography[link]

Cross's mother died of lung cancer a year after his father. Cross was sent to Washington to live with his grandmother, whom he calls Nana Mama. He received a doctorate in psychology from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Upon graduation, he worked as a migrant farm worker for a year. He started a private practice and worked as a psychologist for two years. He eventually decided to become a policeman after he became disillusioned with the politics of the medical community (from Violets Are Blue).

Cross joined the police force because the people in his neighborhood could not afford his services, while white people would not see a "black shrink". He never expected to like it, but he became hooked on solving crimes. He remembers the first case he solved was that of two men who were shot in southeast Washington, and their killing was written off as drug-related. Alex knew the men and began to investigate on his own. One of the men was dating a woman the local drug dealer thought he owned and had the men killed. Once he solved that case he left private practice (from Violets Are Blue).

He lives with his grandmother (Nana Mama) and three children, Damon, Janelle (Jannie), and Alex Jr (Little Alex). His wife Maria Simpson Cross, a social worker, was murdered. Alex fathered Damon and Jannie with Maria. He fathered Alex Jr with his ex-fiancée Christine Johnson. Alex Jr comes to live with Alex, Nana Mama and the kids in Roses are Red^{[citation needed]}

Cross initially carries a revolver in Along Came a Spider, but then changes sidearms to a Glock pistol.^{[citation needed]} He drives a 1974 Porsche and bought a Mercedes-Benz R350 as a replacement for Maria's old Toyota, which served as the family car.Template:From the novel "Cross" He plays the piano to relaxTemplate:From the novel "Cross" and owns an Abyssinian cat named Rosie, who showed up one day and never left.^{[citation needed]} In Jack and Jill, villain Gary Soneji telephones Cross saying that it was he who left the cat. Cross teaches his two elder children boxing in his home's basement(from Pop Goes The Weasel).

Cross volunteers at St Anthony's soup kitchen frequently, where he is known as the "Peanut Butter Man". He began doing this with Maria. His partner in the PD, John Sampson, also volunteers there. Sampson calls Cross "Sugar" as a term of endearment. Cross calls Sampson "Man-Mountain" or "Two-John". They have been best friends since the age of 10(from Pop Goes The Weasel).

Alex has had bad luck with women. His wife was murdered. His lover in Along Came a Spider, Jezzie Flanigan, is involved in the kidnapping of two children, for which she is executed by lethal injection. His fiancée, Christine Johnson, was kidnapped for almost a year by Geoffrey Shafer. An FBI agent with whom he had been partnered, Betsey Cavalierre, was murdered by a serial killer called The Mastermind. Cross also developed a deep friendship with Dr Kateyla "Kate" McTiernan, whom he met before Christine. There were hints of a possible romantic relationship, but they preferred to remain friends. Later he met a San Francisco Police Department inspector, Jamilla Hughes, with whom he struck up a relationship, but they ultimately parted company. He began a new relationship with Dr Kayla Coles, a resident physician at a local hospital in Southeast Washington D.C. They were both born in North Carolina but raised in Washington D.C. She has since moved back to North Carolina. His next romantic involvement is with a rising star in the PD, Detective Brianna (Bree) Stone, whom he married in the 2010 book Cross Fire.^{[citation needed]}

Maria was originally thought to have been killed by an antagonist named Michael "The Butcher" Sullivan. However, in Cross, Cross learns that his best friend, John Sampson, and another detective, Rakeem Powell, killed Maria's real murderer. Sampson couldn't bring himself to tell Cross because he knew that Cross would be unable to deal with the fact that he never did it himself.^{[citation needed]}

When Cross needs to talk to someone about his problems, he meets with another psychologist, Dr Adele. Ultimately, Cross goes to work for her as an analyst.^{[citation needed]}

Appearances in the Alex Cross series[link]

• In Along Came a Spider, Cross deals with the kidnapping of two wealthy children at the hands of Gary Soneji.
• In Kiss the Girls, Cross battles the serial killers Casanova and The Gentleman Caller, who "collects" beautiful women, including Cross' niece Naomi.
• In Jack & Jill, Cross goes up against three killers: two who kill high-profile people and one who kills children.
• In Cat and Mouse, Cross engages Gary Soneji again and after dealing with him crosses paths with another killer, Mr. Smith.
• In Pop Goes the Weasel, Cross matches wits with a serial killer named Geoffrey Shafer, a British man with diplomatic immunity.
• In Roses Are Red, Cross goes against a criminal calling himself The Mastermind, who commits several brutal bank robberies.
• In Violets Are Blue, Cross goes against a cult of vampires and learns the true identity of the Mastermind, whom he takes down.
• In Four Blind Mice, Cross and his friend, John Sampson, investigate three killers who are framing seemingly innocent soldiers from the Vietnam War.
• In The Big Bad Wolf, Cross, now a member of the FBI, tries to stop a Russian mobster known only as the Wolf.
• In London Bridges, Cross tries to stop the Wolf once and for all, but the Wolf has enlisted the Weasel, Geoffrey Shafer, to help him take Cross down.
• In Mary, Mary, Cross tries to stop Mary Smith, a psychopathic killer targeting Hollywood stars and powerbrokers.
• In Cross, Cross, who has left the FBI to open up a private psychology practice, and John Sampson try to stop The Butcher, a serial rapist/murderer who may be somehow connected to the murder of Alex's wife Maria.
• In Double Cross, Alex, still in private practice, rejoins the MPD as a special consultant to the Major Crimes Squad and is joined by John Sampson and new love interest, Det. Brianna Stone, in an effort to stop the DC Audience Killer, a serial killer with a flair for showmanship who may also have some connection to a previous Cross nemesis, The Mastermind.
• In Cross Country, Cross travels to Africa to investigate the death of an old friend, where he is brutally beaten several times. He ultimately unravels a conspiracy linking the killers with the US and African governments.
• In Alex Cross's Trial, Cross writes a novel based on the experiences of his great-uncle Abraham Cross, who in 1906 worked with attorney Ben Corbett (at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt) to investigate the lynching of Black citizens by the Ku Klux Klan in Eudora, Mississippi.
• In I, Alex Cross, Cross gets involved in the investigation of the death of a relative, which leads into a world of fantasy and violence. All leads points to a brutal murderer with White House connections known only as Zeus.
• In Cross Fire, Cross attempts to capture a sniper who is assassinating corrupt politicians. In the midst of the investigation, the Mastermind resurfaces.
• In Kill Alex Cross, The two children of the President of the United States have been kidnapped, with Det. Alex Cross being one of the first to attend the scene and investigate the crime. However, there's a shadowy figure who is using the CIA, FBI and Secret Service to stop him from being involved in the case and shedding light on the disappearances.

Antagonists[link]

Wolf[link]

The Wolf actually consists of several different people. Except for Klara Lodge, all of the individuals known as "Wolf" share common characteristics: they are Russian males of considerable height, build, strength, and athleticism, are currently mobsters in the Red Mafiya, and are former members of the Soviet Union's KGB security intelligence agency.

• In The Big Bad Wolf, Pasha Sorokin is initially believed to be the Wolf. He is known by several aliases, the best known one being Ari Manning, a businessman originally from Tel Aviv and now based in Miami, Florida, who is well-connected to the community's professional athletes and politicians. Detective Cross traces Sorokin's human smuggling and sex slave ring by taking down Sorokin's associates such as Potter (Homer O. Taylor) and Sterling (Lawrence Lipton), eventually leading to Sorokin's being arrested at his Palm Beach mansion, though Sorokin denies that he is the Wolf. While Sorokin is in custody, his or the Wolf's associates have Sterling and the rest of the Lipton family in Dallas murdered. Enroute to the courthouse for his first appearance, the police convoy transporting Sorokin is ambushed. A Russian mobster, who is also known as the Wolf, blows up Sorokin with a rocket launcher to prevent the latter from betraying their organization.

• In London Bridges, the Wolf threatens to bomb New York City, London, Paris, Frankfurt and Tel Aviv if his multi-billion dollar ransom demand is not met, bombing a small town in Nevada prove his point. There are three individuals who go by the alias, The Wolf.
  • One suspect who may be the Wolf gets facial surgery in order to elude the NYPD, but during the pursuit he gets fatally shot by Cross while attempting to jump from one rooftop to another.
  • The second Wolf is Klara Lodge, the Czech widow of the head of Scotland Yard, Martin Lodge, who holds Cross' family hostage in order to ensure that she receives the ransom money, so she can use it to stop the other terrorist "Wolves".
  • Cross later learns that the real Wolf is Anton Christyakov, who had been recruited by CIA Director Thomas Weir and brought out of Russia in 1990. Christyakov was transported to England to meet with agents, including Martin Lodge. Christyakov was then moved to Paris, where he was reunited with his family. However, his family was killed when their home blew up in 1994, which Christyakov blamed on the CIA. He is known to squeeze a black rubber ball his son had given him whenever he is angry or upset. When Cross finishes his meeting with Tolya Bykov, the man at or near the top of the Red Mafiya, he notices one of the bodyguards squeezing a black rubber ball. Alex chases him down and jumps into the car just as the Wolf starts the car, punching and breaking the Russian's nose. The Wolf admits defeat and congratulates Cross, committing suicide by taking a cyanide pill. Alex retrieves the ball as a trophy, telling himself that the Wolf is finally dead.^[1]

Weasel[link]

Geoffrey Shafer is a Colonel of the British Army who later received a posting in the MI6 Intelligence Service and then served as a diplomat in the British embassy in Washington, D.C. In Pop Goes the Weasel, he waives his diplomatic immunity to stand trial for the murder of Detective Patsy Hampton and is acquitted in a case marked by considerable sensationalism. Shafer survives his encounter with Cross in the Bahamas and under a disguise, returns to England to murder his wife Lucy. By the events of London Bridges, Shafer settles in Salvador, Brazil but he is caught by "The Wolf" and forced to work for him, being assigned to kill Cross. In London, England, Shafer held Cross at gunpoint but failed to anticipate that the latter would fight back; Detective Cross gets the upper hand in the scuffle and shoots Shafer dead.

The Mastermind[link]

The Mastermind aka FBI agent Kyle Craig is considered Cross's biggest nemesis. He was a close friend of Alex and worked with him to solve big cases, including the kidnapping of his niece in Kiss the Girls. The Mastermind is first introduced in Roses Are Red as the head of a local crime spree involving robberies and murder. At the end of the novel Alex's partner is raped and murdered and the reader is made aware that Kyle Craig is the culprit. In Violets are Blue Alex discovers his identity and the two have a physical confrontation but eventually Kyle is captured and taken to a maximum security prison in Colorado. Alex visits him often to consult with him on cases until Kyle eventually escapes in Double Cross. Craig continues to taunt Cross throughout the next few novels. In Cross Fire, Craig disguises himself as FBI agent Max Seigel, and gets himself assigned to a case that Cross is investigating. After the case is solved, Craig decides to go after Cross's family while on the beach. At the end, Craig shoots an oxygen tank, killing himself.

The Tiger & Ian Flathery[link]

In Cross Country Alex, while investigating the murder of his former girlfriend, Eleanor Cox, encounters the Tiger and his crew of savage African teenager boys. Ian Flathery, Alex's CIA agent, seems to set him up before he even steps foot in Africa.

Portrayal in media adaptations[link]

Morgan Freeman has played Cross in two feature films.

Cross was portrayed by Morgan Freeman in the films Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.

British actor Idris Elba had signed on to star as Alex Cross in the upcoming film adaption of Cross, but was replaced with American actor/filmmaker Tyler Perry. The film will be directed by Rob Cohen and is slated for release in 2012.

Each of the Alex Cross novels has been released in Audiobook format. Peter J. Fernandez portrayed Cross on seven Audiobook adaptations. Various other actors have portrayed the character, including Shawn Andrew, Andre Braugher, Tim Cain, Keith David, Robert Guillaume, Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Blair Underwood, and Alton Fitzgerald White.

References[link]

Tyler Perry
at the 82nd Academy Awards (March 7, 2010)
Born	Emmitt Perry, Jr. (1969-09-14) September 14, 1969 (age 42) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, author, screen and playwright, producer, director, songwriter
Years active	1992–present
Website
Official website

Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry, Jr.; September 14, 1969) is an American actor, director, screen and playwright, producer, author,^[1] and songwriter. Perry wrote and produced many stage plays during the 1990s and early 2000s. In 2005, he released his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman.^[2] In 2011, Forbes named him the highest paid man in entertainment, earning $130 million between May 2010 and 2011.^[3]

Early life[link]

Perry was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, as Emmitt Perry, Jr. His family consisted of three siblings, his mother, Willie Maxine Perry (née Campbell), and his father, Emmitt Perry, Sr., a carpenter.^[4] Perry once said his father's "only answer to everything was to beat it out of you".^[5] As a child, Perry once went so far as to attempt suicide in an effort to escape his father's beatings. In contrast to his father, his mother took him to church each week, where he sensed a certain refuge and contentment.^[5] At age 16, he had his first name legally changed from Emmitt to Tyler in an effort to distance himself from his father.^[6]

Many years later, after seeing the film Precious, he was moved to relate for the first time^[7] accounts of being molested by a friend's mother at age 10; he was also molested by three men previous to this, and later found out his own father had molested his friend.^[8]

While Perry did not complete high school, he earned a GED.^[9] In his early 20s, watching an Oprah Winfrey talk show, he heard someone describe the sometimes therapeutic effect the act of writing can have, enabling the author to work out his or her own problems. This comment inspired him to apply himself to a career in writing. He soon started writing a series of letters to himself, which became the basis for the musical, I Know I've Been Changed.

Stage[link]

Around 1990, he moved to Atlanta, where two years later I Know I've Been Changed was first performed at a community theater, financed by the $12,000 life savings of the 22-year-old Perry.^[10] It included Christian themes of forgiveness, dignity and self-worth, while addressing issues such as child abuse and dysfunctional families. The musical initially received a "less than stellar" reception and was a financial failure.^[11] Perry persisted, and over the next six years he rewrote the musical repeatedly, though lackluster reviews continued. In 1998, at age 28, he succeeded in retooling of the play in Atlanta first at the House of Blues, then at the Fox Theatre. Perry continued to create new stage productions, touring with them on the so-called "chitlin' circuit" (now also known as the "urban theater circuit")^[6][12] and developing a large, devoted following among African-American audiences. In 2005, Forbes reported that he had sold "more than $100 million in tickets, $30 million in of his shows and an estimated $20 million in merchandise" and that "the 300 live shows he produces each year are attended by an average of 35,000 people a week."^[10]

Film[link]

Perry received a $5.5 million budget to fund his first movie, Diary of a Mad Black Woman, which went on to gross $50.6 million domestically, while scoring a 16 percent approval rating at the film review web site, Rotten Tomatoes.^[13] On its opening weekend, February 24–26, 2006, Perry's film version of Madea's Family Reunion opened at "Number 1" at the box office with $30.3 million. The film eventually grossed $65 million. Perry and his co-stars promoted the film on The Oprah Winfrey Show. As with Diary, almost all of the Madeas' earnings have been generated in the United States.^[14]

Perry's next Lionsgate project, Daddy's Little Girls, starred Gabrielle Union and Idris Elba and was released in the U.S. on February 14, 2007. It grossed over $31 million.^[15] Perry wrote, directed, produced and starred in his next film, Why Did I Get Married?, released on October 12, 2007. It opened at number one, grossing $21.4 million that weekend. It is loosely based on his play of the same name. Filming began March 5, 2007, in Whistler, British Columbia, Vancouver, then moved to Atlanta, where Perry had opened his own studio. Janet Jackson, Sharon Leal, Jill Scott and Tasha Smith appeared in the film. Perry's 2008 film, Meet the Browns, released on March 21, opened at "Number 2" with a $20,082,809 weekend gross.^[16] The Family That Preys opened on September 12, 2008, and grossed over $37.1 million.

Madea Goes to Jail opened at number one on February 20, 2009, grossing $41 million and becoming his largest opening to date. This was Perry's seventh film with Lionsgate Entertainment. At the request of director J. J. Abrams,^[17] Perry had a cameo appearance in Star Trek as the Starfleet Academy commandant Admiral Barnett, which opened on May 8, 2009. This was his first film appearance outside of his own projects.

Perry next wrote, directed, and starred in I Can Do Bad All By Myself, a film structured around his Madea character. This was Perry's eighth film and also made number one at the box office.^[18] In 2009, Perry teamed with Oprah Winfrey to present Precious, a film based on the novel Push by Sapphire.^[19]

Why Did I Get Married Too?, the sequel to Why Did I Get Married?, opened in theaters on April 2, 2010. It featured Janet Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Louis Gossett, Jr., Jill Scott and Malik Yoba. As of April 18, the film has grossed over $54 million domestically, with $29 million made the opening weekend.

Perry directed a film adaptation of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. It was released November 5, 2010.^[20] He appeared in the stage show Madea's Big Happy Family, which toured the U.S. and was a movie in 2011, written, directed by, and starring Perry. Madea's Big Happy Family raked in $25.8 million at the box office, taking 2nd place.

Perry is also slated to take over the role of James Patterson's Alex Cross from Morgan Freeman in the pending film adaptation of I, Alex Cross.

Perry's films are co-produced and distributed by Lionsgate Entertainment; he retains full copyright ownership under the corporate name Very Perry Films, and places his name in front of all titles.^[21] Perry's movies have seen very limited release outside North America, but in May 2010 Lionsgate announced plans to begin releasing his films in the United Kingdom.^[22]

Perry's next film with Lionsgate is set to be Good Deeds, as he again will work behind and in front of the camera. Perry will be playing lead character, Wesley Deeds. Good Deeds is a romantic drama film written, directed by and starring Tyler Perry. The film was released on February 24, 2012. It is the tenth out of eleven films directed by Perry that he appears in .Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 29% rating out of 25 reviews and 82% of 8,563 users said they liked the film. The film opened with a box office $16,000,000.^[23] The movie is also set to star Thandie Newton, Rebecca Romijn, Gabrielle Union, Eddie Cibrian, Jamie Kennedy, Phylicia Rashad and others.^[24]

As of June 2011^[update], Perry's films had grossed over $500 million worldwide.^[25]

Television[link]

Perry produces a television show entitled Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which follows an African-American household of three generations. The show demonstrates the family members' struggles with faith and love, as well as living with different generations. The show ran in the spring of 2006 as a 10-show pilot. After the successful pilot run, Perry signed a $200 million, 100-episode deal with TBS. On June 6, 2007, the first two episodes of Tyler Perry's House of Payne ran on TBS. After receiving high ratings, House of Payne entered broadcast syndication. Reruns were played through December 2007 before the second season began. The third season began on March 5, 2008 and the fourth season on June 4, 2008. House of Payne airs on TBS.

The Writers Guild of America, West has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging that Perry's production company, House of Payne, unlawfully fired four writers in October 2008 in retaliation for their trying to get a union contract.^[26] The dispute was settled a month later, when Tyler Perry Studios agreed to be a WGA signatory.^[27]

Perry wrote, directed and produced the sitcom Meet the Browns, which premiered on TBS on January 7, 2009. Another show, Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse, based on his films Why Did I Get Married? and Why Did I Get Married Too?, premiered on TBS November 25, 2011.

Perry has said he may produce another sitcom entitled Floyd's Family, a spin off of House of Payne featuring the character Floyd.

In early 2009, Perry threatened legal action against Mo' Money Taxes, a tax preparation company based in Memphis, for running a TV spot that he felt offensively parodied his work, in particular Madea Goes to Jail. The ad features a large Caucasian male (John Cowan) in drag, named "Ma'Madea". The offending ad was dropped from circulation.^[28]

Books[link]

Tyler Perry's first novel, Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Love and Life, appeared on April 11, 2006. The book sold fewer than 30,000 copies.^[29] The hardcover reached number one on the New York Times Best Seller list and stayed on the list for 12 weeks. It was voted Book of the Year, Best Humor Book at the 2006 Quill Awards.

Stylistic trademarks[link]

Perry always uses possessory credit in his works' titles (e.g., Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?). Several recurring narrative themes surface in Perry's work and his films and plays feature predominantly black casts.

Criticism[link]

Criticism of Perry’s work focuses mainly on a perception that it perpetuates negative racial stereotypes.

Despite praising Perry in 2006, in 2009 director Spike Lee criticized his work when interviewed by Ed Gordon on Our World with Black Enterprise, saying, "Each artist should be allowed to pursue their artistic endeavors but I still think there is a lot of stuff out today that is 'coonery' and buffoonery. I know it's making a lot of money and breaking records, but we can do better … I see these two ads for these two shows [Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns and House of Payne] and I am scratching my head ... We got a black president and we going back to Mantan Moreland and Sleep 'n' Eat?"^[30] When Gordon cited Perry’s success among black audiences and asked Spike if Perry wasn’t just giving black America what they wanted, he responded, "We've had this discussion back and forth. When John Singleton [created his films], people came out to see Boyz n the Hood, but when he did Rosewood, nobody showed up. So a lot of this is on us. You vote with your pocketbook, your wallet. You vote with your time sitting in front of the idiot box, and the man has a huge audience, Tyler's very smart. …We shouldn’t think that Tyler Perry is going to make the same film that I am going to make, or that John Singleton or my cousin Malcolm Lee [would make]. As African Americans, we're not one monolithic group so there is room for all of that, but at the same time, for me, the imaging is troubling and it harkens back to Amos 'n' Andy."^[30]

In September 2009, Jamilah Lemieux made similar remarks on National Public Radio. While thanking Perry for employing blacks in front of and behind the camera and for making work with humor and "positive messages about self-worth, love and respect", she criticized him for making television shows "marked by old stereotypes of buffoonish, emasculated black men and crass, sassy black women." She took him to task for his Madea character saying that through this, "the country has laughed at one of the most important members of the black community: Mother Dear, the beloved matriarch. […] Our mothers and grandmothers deserve much more than that." She stated that she appreciated that he was dismissive of critics' comments concerning his work, "but many black folks have expressed some of the very same attitudes about your work that white critics have." She stated that blacks "have been fed the same images of ourselves over and over and over because they sell." She felt that his success had been "mired with the worst black pathologies and stereotypes" and called on him to "stop dismissing the critics as haters and realize that black people need new stories and new storytellers."^[31]

Lemieux’s criticism of Perry was cited and expanded upon by the author Tom Burrell in his 2010 book Brainwashed: Challenging the Myth of Black Inferiority. Burrell cited Perry’s 2008 film Meet the Browns as an example of when "we black people pull the trigger for our own image assassination."^[32] Burrell also stated, "…it's not entirely fair to expect Perry to chart a new course alone. His movies and TV shows would not be so successful if blacks didn't have a raging appetite for messages and images that project us as dysfunctional or incompetent. Nothing that occurred during Amos 'n' Andy’s radio and television reign could match the words and actions of black comedies like Madea and The Browns. Our attraction to self-demeaning images came way before, and goes far beyond, Tyler Perry."^[32] Burrell called for new images of blacks in entertainment and a new vision of black self-image.

Perry (and Madea) were satirized in a June 2010 episode of the Adult Swim animated series The Boondocks; the Los Angeles Times called this episode "one of the sharpest public criticisms of Perry".^[33]

In February 2011, actor Idris Elba caused controversy when he criticised Perry. Elba, who has previously starred in one of Perry's romantic comedies (Daddy's Little Girls), lamented the trend for cross-dressing caricatures of black characters – a phenomenon many would recognize from films such as the The Klumps and Big Momma's House series – describing it as "buffoonish". Elba maintains the view that change should occur in Hollywood to address the recent under-representation of black actors in Hollywood and the controversy it has caused.^[34] Elba said: "Imagine a film such as Inception with an entire cast of black people – do you think it would be successful?" Elba asks. "Would people watch it? But no one questions the fact that everyone's white. That's what we have to change."^[35]

Cultural critic Touré stated in an April 21, 2011 NPR All Things Considered interview that "Tyler Perry is perhaps the worst filmmaker in Hollywood" and was quoted as saying earlier that Perry is the "KFC of black cinema".^[36]

On May 4, 2011, Perry was satirized by South Park in the episode "Funnybot". At the South Park Elementary Special Education Department Comedy Awards, Perry was presented the Kathy Griffin Award, "given to the celebrity most likely to show up". Following the awards presentation, Perry annoyingly remained in South Park, now dressed as Madea, cracking wise and uttering non sequiturs while constantly being given money by Token, the only black student; Token explains that "I can’t help myself". The South Park writers further satirized Perry by showing President Obama addressing the nation, stating he was going to watch "a Tyler Perry movie. I know, it’s embarrassing. But I simply can’t help myself." Finally, in a surprise twist, Perry is forever buried, encased in steel, because, as President Obama puts it, "I am pleased to announce that the greatest threat to mankind has now gone forever. Justice has been done."^[37]

In an article for The Boulevardier, the magazine’s editor-in-chief Alexander T. MacGregor, Jr. heavily rebuked the works of Tyler Perry in his article entitled “Mental Slavery of the Modern African-American”, stating “I would argue that he is one of the most dangerous men in America, as his machinations have only worked to feed African-American stereotypes, and validate the ignorant behaviour of some African Americans in society by giving their actions credence.” ^[38]

Responses[link]

In October 2009, during a 60 Minutes interview, Perry was read a quote of Spike Lee's comments about his work and responded, "I would love to read that [criticism] to my fan base. …That pisses me off. It is so insulting. It's attitudes like that, that make Hollywood think that these people do not exist, and that is why there is no material speaking to them, speaking to us." Perry also stated that "all these characters are bait – disarming, charming, make-you-laugh bait. I can slap Madea on something and talk about God, love, faith, forgiveness, family, any of those."^[39]

Perry’s work has also been defended by Oprah Winfrey, who joined Perry in promoting Lee Daniels' film Precious. She told an interviewer, "I think [Perry] grew up being raised by strong, black women. And so much of what he does is really in celebration of that. I think that's what Madea really is: a compilation of all those strong black women that I know and maybe you do too? And so the reason it works is because people see themselves."^[40]

Goldie Taylor, of The Grio and MSNBC, stated in an April 21, 2011 NPR All Things Considered interview regarding Perry's target audience: "I don't think Tyler Perry is talking to Touré. I don't think he's talking to me, but I know that he's speaking directly to my mother, my sister, my cousins and meeting them at their point of need, and that's what art and filmmaking is about." In the same interview, NPR's Michele Norris reported Tyler Perry had said a week earlier that "Spike Lee can, quote, 'go straight to hell.'"^[36]

Personal life[link]

Perry identifies as a devout Christian.^[41] He has become good friends with Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith and Janet Jackson.^[42] Many of the themes in Perry's work reflect theology and social behaviour indicative of the predominantly African American church culture. Many scenes in both Perry's stage and screen work include church settings and worship styles commonly found in predominantly African American churches, including showcasing gospel music and artists.

In 2007 Perry bought a 17-acre (6.9 ha)-estate^[43] in the Paces neighborhood of Buckhead, Atlanta.^[44][45]

On July 20, 2009, Perry sponsored 65 children from a Philadelphia day camp to go to Walt Disney World, after reading that a suburban swim club (Valley Swim Club, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania) had shunned them.^[46] Perry wrote on his website, "I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them."^[47]

On December 8, 2009, Tyler's mother, Willie Maxine Perry, died at the age of 64, following an illness.^[48] As of 2011, Perry remains unmarried.^[49] He lives and works in Southwest Atlanta where he operates the Tyler Perry movies and TV studios.^[50] In August 2010, it was reported that Perry had purchased Dean Gardens, a 58-acre (230,000 m²) estate in the Atlanta suburb of Johns Creek. Perry was reportedly planning to tear down the existing 32,000-square-foot (3,000 m²) mansion and build a new, environmentally friendly home on the property.^[51][52]

Filmography[link]

Film work[link]

Play work[link]

Television work[link]

Awards and nominations[link]

Awards won are in bold

• BET Comedy Awards
  • 2005, Outstanding Actor in a Theatrical Film (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)
  • 2005, Outstanding Writing for Theatrical Film (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)

• Black Movie Awards
  • 2006, Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting (Madea's Family Reunion)
  • 2006, Outstanding Motion Picture (Madea's Family Reunion)
  • 2005, Outstanding Achievement in Screenwriting (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)
  • 2005, Outstanding Motion Picture (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)

• Black Reel Awards
  • 2008, Best Screenplay Original or Adapted (Meet the Browns)
  • 2008, Best Screenplay Original or Adapted (The Family That Preys)
  • 2007, Best Screenplay Original or Adapted (Madea's Family Reunion)
  • 2005, Best Breakthrough Performance (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)
  • 2005, Best Screenplay Original or Adapted: (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)

• Image Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture or Television Movie (The Family That Preys)
  • 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Why Did I Get Married?)
  • 2007, Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture or Television Movie (Madea's Family Reunion)
  • 2007, Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture or Television Movie (Madea's Family Reunion)

• Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards
  • 2010, Best Actor (Madea Goes To Jail)

• MTV Movie Awards
  • 2006, Best Comedic Performance (Madea's Family Reunion)
  • 2006, Breakthrough Male Performance (Diary of a Mad Black Woman)

References[link]