Tyler Perry Speaker & Booking Information

Tyler Perry's inspirational journey from the hard streets of New Orleans to the heights of Hollywood's A-list is the stuff of American legend.

Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse, Tyler fought from a young age to find the strength, faith and perseverance that would later form the foundations of his much-acclaimed plays, films, books and shows. Inspired by Oprah Winfrey to keep a diary of his daily thoughts and experiences, Tyler began writing a series of soul-searching letters to himself-letters full of pain, forgiveness, and, in time, a healing catharsis. The letters inspired a musical, I Know I've Been Changed, and in 1992 Tyler gathered his life's savings and set off for Atlanta in hopes of staging it for sold out crowds.

He spent all his money but the people never came, and Tyler once again faced the poverty that had plagued his youth. He spent months sleeping in seedy motels and in his car, but his faith-in God and, in turn, himself-only got stronger. He forged a powerful relationship with the church, and he kept writing.

In 1998 his perseverance paid off and I Know I've Been Changed was booked for a limited run at a local church-turned-theatre. This time the community came out in droves, and soon the musical moved to Atlanta's prestigious Fox Theatre. Tyler Perry never looked back. I Know I've Been Changed was a poignant story of failure and redemption, and it resounded with urban audiences who identified with its themes and exalted in its spirit. In Tyler they'd found a voice for their longings, and an outlet for their entertainment, and so began an incredible run of eight plays in as many years, including Woman Thou Art Loosed! a celebrated collaboration with the prominent Dallas pastor T.D. Jakes.

But if audiences were buoyed by Tyler's faith, they were bowled over by his humor. No way around it: the man was plain funny. Nowhere was this more in evidence than in I Can Do Bad All By Myself, which marked the first appearance of the now-legendary Madea. A God-fearing, gun-toting, pot-smoking, loud-mouthed grandmother, Madea was played by Perry 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. In early 2005, Tyler's first feature film, Diary Of A Mad Black Woman, debuted at #1 nationwide. By the end of its first weekend in theatres Tyler Perry-writer, actor, and producer-had become a superstar.

Tyler's ensuing films, Madea's Family Reunion, Daddy Little Girls, Why Did I Get Married?, Meet The Browns, The Family That Preys, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, and Why Did I Get Married Too? met with massive critical and commercial success, delighting audiences everywhere and turning Tyler's brand into an empire.

In 2009 he co-produced (with Oprah Winfrey) the movie Precious: Based on The Novel by Saphire, which received widespread acclaim, including six Academy Award nominations, with wins for Best Supporting Actress and Best Writing. In 2010 Tyler directed For Colored Girls, and is currently in production for Madea's Big Happy Family, scheduled for release in 2011. Tyler's first book, Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Life And Love, was a New York Times bestseller, and spread Tyler Perry's unique brand of inspirational entertainment to a devoted new audience. Tyler has expanded his reach to television with the TBS series Tyler Perry's House Of Payne, the highest-rated first-run syndicated cable show of all time, which went into syndication after only a year. His follow up effort, Meet The Browns, was the second highest debut ever on cable - after House Of Payne .

Perry runs a 200,000 square foot studios in Atlanta situated on more than 30 acres and employing hundreds of local Atlantans. But listen to Tyler Perry and you'll hear a man who hasn't forgotten about the people that have helped him reach the top a mountain he could once only dream of climbing.

He has been intimately involved in civil rights cases-including the trial of the Jena 6 in his home state of Louisiana - and charities that focus on helping the homeless. He also opened Perry Place - a 20 home community Tyler built for survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Tyler Perry practices what he preaches, and what he preaches has endeared him to millions of fans drawn by that unique blend of spiritual hope and down-home humor that continues to shape his inspiring life story and extraordinary body of work.