Tyler Perry has conquered the entertainment world – the creative force between two dozen films, 17 television shows, best-sellers and 20 stage plays. He built a thriving studio complex in Atlanta, and just today Deadline reported that he had signed a first-look deal with Netflix to produce faith-based films alongside DeVon Franklin.
It was a long and unlikely journey to the top of his profession, a story told in the Emmy Award-winning documentary Maxine’s Baby: The Tyler Perry Story. Gelila Bekele (Perry’s former partner) and Armani Ortiz directed the Amazon MGM Studios film, with footage first shot a decade ago.
“I saw this man busier than ever, and I had the privilege of sitting in the front row, and I just wanted to document it for archival purposes,” Bekele explained during an appearance at Deadline Studio at Prime Experience in Hollywood. “I realized there was a huge part of history that was missing, especially in the African-American community, and the contribution to it [to] American history that Tyler writes.”
Check out the panel discussion here and photos from the event below.
Perry grew up poor in New Orleans and came from a long line of preachers on his mother’s side (the titular Maxine). He was constantly verbally and physically abused by his father, Emmitt Perry Sr., as was his mother. He moved to Atlanta, where he eventually became homeless, but his interest in writing (inspired by watching Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show) eventually developed into a stage career on the so-called chitlin’ circuit.
“While filming this documentary, we realized that while he is an icon in the entertainment industry, if we look deeper, he is an incredible human being who was able to sacrifice and endure so much,” noted Ortiz. “We really wanted that to shine through in the film.”
Perry has revolutionized the industry through the speed at which he creates his productions and streamlines processes to eliminate waste. He also pioneered the “10-90” model of television production, in which he initially creates 10 episodes of a series and the network or network broadcasting it commits to recording an additional 90 episodes if successful. In building such a large production hub in Atlanta, he has supported a generation of emerging talent both in front of and behind the camera.
Geeta Gandbhir, Armani Ortiz, Gelila Bekele, Jasmine K. White and Asante White
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Gelila Bekele
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Armani Ortiz
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Jasmine K. White
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Asante White
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Geeta Gandhir
Anthony Avellano for Deadline
Jasmine K. White, a producer on the documentary who has worked on a number of productions at Tyler Perry Studios, recalled the words of wisdom Perry shared with young creatives. “He calls us all together and says, ‘Hey, let me just say we’re about to do something.’ It’s going to be great, it’s going to be amazing. But I want most of you to know that I never intended for you to stay here. I wanted you to grow here. “These are training grounds,” White remembers. “For me, I started so young and spent over a decade there, I grew, I learned, and I feel like he prepared me for it. I’ve been there for so long and when I got the opportunity I felt prepared.”
In the film, Perry notes that no one in the industry can say they surpass him. According to the evidence, this is not a boast, but a simple fact. Asante White, a co-producer of the documentary, expressed amazement at Perry’s work ethic. “He believes not only in himself, but in every single person who works for him in the studio,” he noted. “Watching him made us almost believe in ourselves in a way. It’s encouraging, it’s inspiring.”
The film gives space to those who find fault with Perry’s work, including some African-American critics who question his portrayal of black women and object to elements of broad comedy in his work. In the past, director Spike Lee has been one of Perry’s biggest critics, but when Perry opened his massive Atlanta studio lot in 2019, he named one of the 12 sound stages for Lee. The filmmakers appear to have ironed out any remaining differences.
“There was a time when there was tension between him and Spike,” commented executive producer Geeta Gandbhir. “I think what this is [film] In addition to its incredible story, it also shows that there is room for so many different types of art from different perspectives. So who can say that his films aren’t art, don’t serve a purpose, or don’t have a place? For me, that was a really powerful lesson that I think we can take into the world.”
For more content from Deadline Studio on Prime Experience, click here.