Oh, Tyler Perry.
All cards on the table, I admire Tyler Perry greatly. From homelessness to Hollywood, he is the blueprint for many a self-taught, self-funded playwright hoping to build an empire. His audience is so reliably loyal that Oprah called on him to save her fledgling network, and then Viacom swooped him away to bolster their programming. With the release of his most recent motion picture, “A Fall from Grace,” he enters the world of direct-to-Netflix programming, increasingly rarefied air occupied by the likes of “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris and the forever First Couple.
I realize that by writing this, I may be rescinding any forthcoming invitations to Tyler Perry Studios. As a working actor and writer, I don’t desire to close any doors of opportunity. Also, having filmed on its grounds, I can say that the place is immaculate. Spectacular. Supercalifragilisticexpialodocious by definition. I simply wish to add what I hope is a balanced voice to all of the discussion around Mr. Perry and some of his recent remarks. First, let’s talk about the good.
Viola Davis. Kerry Washington. Idris Elba. Angela Bassett. Gabrielle Union. Sofia Vergara. Janet Jackson. Taraji P. Henson. Names we all know and love. All have starred in Tyler Perry films, several of them before the mainstream took notice of their exceptional gifts. He unearths talent and is loyal to that talent, repeatedly using the same players across stage and film. He has made household names (at least among his sizeable audience) of folks like Chandra Currelly, Cassi Davis, Terrell Carter, and David and Tamela Mann.
Perry also employs veteran actors that the industry has underutilized. Crystal Fox (of “In The Heat of the Night” fame) appears in “A Fall From Grace” and has starred in his hit OWN series “The Haves and the Have Nots” since 2013. Her emotive acting has star quality even when the material rings hollow. Perry placed chocolate goddess and Gossip Girl alum Tika Sumpter in the center of the same show before she landed a lead role in the much-hyped “Black-ish” spinoff “Mixed-ish.” Shari Headley (your queen-to-be Lisa from “Coming to America) also made an extended appearance on “The Haves and The Have Nots” after being out of the public eye for some time. And of course, Perry will write the legendary Cicely Tyson into anything he possibly can… and why the hell not. Cicely. Tyson. Nuff said.
Perry relishes middle-aged black women, an audience that prior to him was sorely undeserved even among Black media. He speaks fondly of the God-fearing grandmother who raised him, and elements of that rearing show up again and again in his work.
Now, the sticking point. Tyler Perry needs writers. We know this. More and more, his work is marked by rinse-and-repeat storylines, plotholes the size of cities, and painful adlibbing. What’s so insulting is that, as noted above, Mr. Perry has opened countless other doors, but openly brags about the one door he continues to keep shut. He has admitted to having a writers’ room in the past (an IMDB search turns up multiple writers on his TBS series “Meet The Browns”), but found that the writers couldn’t nail his voice, causing the show’s quality to suffer (yeah, that was the reason). Rumors of battles with industry unions over fair wages aside, this explanation just doesn’t hold water. Mr. Perry has learned almost every other aspect of the industry through self-education. Learning to effectively run a writer’s room would be no different. Sure, there would be growing pains, but a good leader figures out how to make it work in an effort to tell the most engaging story.
And maybe that’s what it’s come down to. Profit over story. Tyler Perry is the most profitable man in Hollywood. Many would say it’s because he cuts costs and corners like Edward Scissorhands (again, those pesky anti-union rumors). At this point, much of his current output is filmed onsite at TPS. Having seen some of sets including literal homes and a White House replica, I think the man is something of a genius. Yet no genius is infallible. Only ego would drive someone to brag about being the sole writer on all of their projects under the guise of “work ethic” all the while being stationed in a city full of hungry, eager writers (who might even be willing to work for less than industry standard). From a perspective of self-interest, if Perry truly wishes to diversify his content and attain the reinvention that is necessary to maintain longevity across decades, he will have to accept more creative input from other parties.
For all the good Mr. Perry has done, I’m glad that many including myself are holding his feet to the fire over this issue. It not only shows a lack of vision but the makings of an overinflated ego nearing narcissism (pride goeth before…). Full disclosure, I will continue to peek at his new offerings. I want this brother to continue his wins and win in some new arenas too. Unlike some in the media who would pit him against other creators, I want to see Tyler AND Ava AND Spike AND everybody Black do the damn thing… for the culture. Also, “The Oval” may be my new guilty pleasure (if you watch anything Real Housewives or Love & Hip-Not, don’t you come for me). But only time will tell if he is willing to say three little words, at least in spirit: I NEED HELP.
