This media mogul’s story is that of from rags to riches. Now he is hoping many more blacks like him will venture into the business side of Hollywood.
Tyler Perry has said he hopes that no matter which category entertainers belong to that more “black ownership” happens in Hollywood.
The American actor, writer, director and producer said this in an interview with Variety while responding to a question where he was asked what it is like to see more black people in Hollywood. “I look at the moments in Hollywood where everything is great. But what is the plan to sustain it?” he said, pointing to the need for African Americans to have more control in the film business. He added that he, however, respects the fact that some black actors simply want to act and are able to know where they belong.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic, Perry has found a way to make a mark in the entertainment industry. He successfully devised a plan that enabled him complete production on four projects such as BET’s ‘Sistas’, ‘The Oval’, BET Plus’ ‘Ruthless’ and ‘Bruh’, from July to September. To achieve this, he worked with medical professionals to create a Camp Quarantine at Tyler Perry Studios, a 330-acre studio where about 360 people lived and worked.
Perry became one of the first major Hollywood stars to find a safe way to get back to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and donates time and money to social justice causes.
The media mogul is one among a handful of black Americans who own every part of their production process. Perry began his career with his most popular character, the grandmother Mabel ‘Madea’ Simmons where the debut, ‘The Diary of a Mad Black Woman’, in 2005 generated more than $70 million at the theatre box office. He has been designated a billionaire by Forbes.
