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About
American playwright, filmmaker, director, and actor who was dubbed 'the highest paid man in entertainment' by Forbes magazine in 2011.
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Before Fame
He attempted suicide as a child to avoid his father's attacks. His first work consisted of letters to himself that he adapted into the musical, I Know I've Been Changed.
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Trivia Fact
He wrote the 2006 version of Madea's Family Reunion and produced Diary of a Mad Black Woman, where he acted as Madea in drag.
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Family Life:
His father beat him regularly and molested one of his friends. His mother Willie Maxine Perry died in 2009.
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Associated With
He was inspired to begin writing after watching an episode on Oprah, where a writer discussed the therapeutic effects of creating fiction.