Tyler Perry's path from the perilous streets of New Orleans to the
heights of Hollywood is a unique and inspiring version of the American
Dream. Born into poverty and raised in a household scarred by abuse,
from a young age he found a way to summon the strength, faith and
perseverance that would later form the foundation of his award-winning
plays, films, books and TV show, House of Payne.
Tyler credits a simple piece of advice from Oprah Winfrey for setting
his meteoric rise in motion. Encouraged to keep a diary of his daily
thoughts and experiences, he began writing a series of soul-searching
letters to himself -- reflections full of pain, forgiveness and, in
time, a healing catharsis. Along the way, he spent a challenging period
homeless, sleeping in seedy motels and in his car, but his faith in God
and, in turn, in himself, only got stronger. Forging a powerful
relationship with the church, he kept writing until his perseverance
paid off, and the rest is history.
Here, the prolific and versatile Renaissance Man shares his thoughts
about his latest production,
The Family That Preys, a movie which he
wrote, produced, directed and co-stars in.
TP: Hi Kam, good to talk to you again.
KW: Where did you get the idea for The Family That Preys?
TP: I was just going through some things in my life I was having issues
with. This newfound fame was really starting to smother me, and somebody
asked me, are you living or just existing? I thought ’Wow!’ and I
started writing, and this film came out of that. At the time I heard Lee
Ann Womack singing of ’I Hope You Dance’ and it really touched me. When
you watch the movie, towards the end you’ll see a Gladys Knight remake
of the song at the moment that the film takes on the personality of,
’Live! Life is short! Live every day like it's your last.’
KW: I love your work, and admire all that you've accomplished which
always makes me wonder how your brain works differently from the rest of
ours.
TP: You know what I think it is? I just may be a little bit more
inquisitive. For example, when someone tells me ’No,’ I ask ’Why?’ like
I did with House of Payne which will be going into syndication on the
22nd of September. Originally, they told me that I had to shoot one show
a week, because that's how it's done in Hollywood. But when I questioned
that, nobody could tell me why. The same thing happened when they told
me you could only shoot one movie per year. When I asked ’Why?’ nobody
could give me an answer. So, I believe it's the inquisitiveness which
breeds everything else that comes along with it. I just ask a lot of
questions. KW: Do you see The Family That Preys as being more of a mainstream
movie, or do you see it as appealing to your regular demographic?
TP: I think it's definitely going to appeal to my same audience. But do
you know what I was doing? I was just telling a story. When I imagined
the first two characters, I saw Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates. And then
when I started developing their relationships, all these kids came out
of it. So, I didn't set out to go mainstream with this film. That wasn't
my intention. This is just me telling a story.
KW: We recently passed the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Have
you had an opportunity to go back to your hometown, New Orleans, lately
to check on the progress of the recovery?
TP: I have, and nothing's changed. Nothing's changed. The only thing
different is that people are being evicted from those FEMA trailers.
KW: Is there any question that no one ever asks you that you wish
someone would?
TP: Yeah, ’Can I pay for dinner?’ Nobody ever asks me that.
KW: The
Tasha Smith question: Are you ever afraid?
TP: Certainly, there are times when I feel fear, but I don't live in it.
I think as human beings we all feel fear, but I refuse to live in it.
So, it doesn't last very long.
KW: Have you ever been disappointed.
TP: Certainly, I've been disappointed a lot. But you take your
disappointments and you learn from them. If you learn a lesson from
them, then you're okay, because as long as you're human there will be
disappointments.
KW: The
Columbus Short question: Are you happy?
TP: Yeah, I can honestly say I'm truly, truly, dancing and living my
life. And I think this film was my catharsis to getting there.
KW: Bookworm
Troy Johnson asks: What was the last book you read?
ISBN:
1400062896 Format: Hardcover, 240pp Pub. Date: September 2004 Publisher: Random House
TP: I haven't read a book in a very, very long time, because when I'm
writing I don't like to see other people's work. I don't want to see
something great and not be able to use it, and I don't want to have any
subconscious influences. So, it's been an extremely long time. I think
the last book I read might have been Maya Angelou's Hallelujah!
KW: Music maven
Heather Covington asks: What are you listening to
nowadays?
TP: Everything from Lee Ann Womack to Jay-Z's 30's the new 20.
KW: Who are you supporting for president?
TP:Barack. Absolutely
Barack!
KW: How do you want to be remembered?
TP: As a person who made people laugh, but inspired us all to be better.
KW: What message do you want people to get from The Family That Preys?
TP: That everyday is a gift. Life is short, so live it like it's your
last.
KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, and good luck with the film.
TP: Thank you, my friend, and I'll talk to you soon.
KW: Hey Tyler, thanks so much for the time.
KW: Do you see The Family That Preys as being more of a mainstream
movie, or do you see it as appealing to your regular demographic? 