Tyler Perry’s inspirational journey from a homeless man to a multi billionaire
Tyler Perry’s inspirational journey from a homeless man to a multi billionaire
Updated on August 13, 2022 20:41 PM by Sally Harbor
Tyler Perry has become a household name now and is quite a well-known celebrity but it has not been the same way always. Recently in an interview for AARP The magazine he opened up about his journey from being homeless to becoming a writer, actor, playwright, producer, studio owner, and philanthropist.
A Timeline of Tyler Perry’s inspirational journey
During an exclusive interview for AARP The Magazine, Tyler Perry not only revealed how he rose to success, but he also mentioned how he helped others along their journeys.
The movie mogul gave a timeline of his journey starting with his abusive childhood in Louisiana to where he is today. He said that he has some survivor's guilt because a lot of people he went to school with are not here.
Either they were murdered or are in prison. He attributed his not ending up that way to the incredible women in his life as a successful man always gives his mother, aunts, and grandmother credit for praying for him and for teaching him how to live and make something out of his life.
Tyler Perry’s success might look instant but it is not. His dream since childhood was to become a playwright. He had spent all his money trying to produce a play called “I Know I Have Been Changed” in the early 1990s in Atlanta.
The play was about being a child abuse survivor. He had failed many times but he never gave up on his dreams. He had worked as a bill collector and saved $12,000 which he eventually invested to produce the play, but it didn't work out for him which led to him losing all his money and becoming homeless.
He hit rock bottom and lived in his Geo Metro for three months while hiding to keep his car from being repossessed. He also dealt with suicidal thoughts during this part of his journey. He never gave up, and his play was finally produced. And as they say, "The rest is history."
Tyler Perry and his helpful nature
Tyler Perry had gone through a lot of struggles and he knew what it felt like to go through it all. Therefore, he never stopped himself from helping other people rise to fame. There is a long list of other celebrities he has helped which includes Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Idris Elba, and Cicely Tyson.
In the interview, he also recalled taking care of Ms. Tyson for the last 15 years of her life. Tyler was willing to take care of her because he believed she had done many amazing things and was not fairly compensated for them.
He wanted to let her know that he valued her and her work. Therefore, he paid her one million dollars for one day's work on his 2007 film “Why Did I Get Married”.
Tyler and the AARP Magazine
Tyler Perry and AARP The Magazine have a long relationship. AARP is also presenting the 52-year-old successful celebrity with an honorary AARP Purpose Prize Award for his leadership in The Perry Foundation that he owns. for his leadership of The Perry Foundation.
The foundation provides money to help others overcome the obstacles that Perry once faced himself while he was on his journey to success.