Tyler Perry is a comedian, actor and filmmaker from New Orleans. Perry started his career on the stage in 1990 with the play I Know I've Been Changed, a performance that dealt with Christian themes of love, dignity and forgiveness all set against the backdrop of a dysfunctional family. Eventually honing his stage show with plays centered around a tough elderly black woman named Madea, Perry would go on to achieve monumental success outside of the theater world with hit films and TV shows.