Tyler Perry has said that he isn't worried that mainstream Hollywood ignores him because that's not who his stories are for. The media mogul, who cele
Tyler Perry has said that he isn’t worried that mainstream Hollywood ignores him because that’s not who his stories are for. The media mogul, who celebrated the grand opening of his Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta with a star-studded gala over the weekend.
“I clearly believe that I’m ignored in Hollywood, for sure, and that’s fine I get it. My audience and the stories that I tell are African-American stories specific to a certain audience, specific to a certain group of people that I know, that I grew up with, and we speak a language. Hollywood doesn’t necessarily speak the language, a lot of critics don’t speak that language, so to them it’s like, ‘What is this?’”
The “Madea” star made history as he became the first black person to own a studio outright. The 50-year-old multi-hyphenate said that just because critics fail to see the importance of his work, doesn’t detract from its value.
“I know what I do is important. I know what I do touches millions of people around the world. I know what that does for the people where I come from and the people that I’m writing for.”
Even criticism from his fellow colleagues doesn’t bother Perry. He says he can see the impact of his work every time he drives through the studio’s gates.
“I’ve been on sets where I’ve been the only black face on, only black face, as recently as 2019 going, ‘Where are the black people in this movie?’ Back behind the camera?” Perry said.
“So, when I come to work here and every black person that comes to work here they go, ‘Oh my God, it’s heaven. Here we are. We’re represented.’ Where everybody’s represented. LGBTQ’s represented. Black, white, gay, straight, whatever. We’re all represented, working hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm.”
