When Tyler Perry made his first movie in 2005, featuring a loud, opinionated grandmother named Madea, he knew what he was doing. After all, this movie was originally one of the many successful plays he had written and directed himself. What Perry couldn't have foreseen was how thoroughly his character—the loving, protective, and overwhelmingly funny Madea—would take America by storm.

The poster for Tyler Perry's movie, "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," was designed to stop people in their tracks.

It featured a large, elderly woman dressed in a huge flower-print dress. She carried a black purse, and wore shiny black shoes, like she was going somewhere nice. Maybe to church on a Sunday. And the actor playing this elderly woman? None other than 36-year-old Tyler Perry himself. This poster was supposed to be funny— the movie was a comedy, after all. However, what people soon found out after seeing the film, is that this character was not written just for cheap laughs.

Tyler Perry wrote this character from a place of healing, and respect. Tyler Perry was born Emmitt Perry, Jr., and grew up in New Orleans. For years, Perry lived in the shadow of his abusive father. Perry was named after his father so, at age 16, he started calling himself "Tyler." He did not want his father's name to define him. One positive influence in Tyler's young life was his aunt. She often stood up for him against his father. Some of the strong female characters in his later plays and movies, including Madea, are partially based on this aunt.

After moving out of his parents' house, Tyler Perry did not know what to do with his life. He also suffered from depression. Then, while watching "The Oprah Winfrey Show" one afternoon, Perry was inspired to make a change in his life. Oprah talked about writing as a way of dealing with a traumatic past, and finding closure.

His journals entries, in which he used fake names to disguise identities, were the basis for his first play in 1992: "I Know I've Been Changed."