It’s important to believe in yourself no matter what your profession is. Tyler Perry, 50, has adopted that philosophy throughout his illustrious and truly impressive career that has seen him become one of the biggest people in the entertainment industry over the past two decades. He chatted with HollywoodLife EXCLUSIVELY at the NYC red carpet premiere of his Netflix film A Fall From Grace on January 13 about this after being asked what advice he would give to aspiring filmmakers who want to become a legend just like him. “Listen, I think they should … you all, yearn to be as big as they want to be,” he said. “But as far as me, I’ve never compromised. I told my stories, told them my way. I did what I was going to do for me in these situations. So I would tell them to be true to themselves.”
That passion and drive of his had led him to make several successful television shows (The Haves and The Have Nots), movies (Diary of a Mad Black Woman) and stage plays (Madea Goes To Jail). His latest, A Fall From Grace, was produced, written and directed by the New Orleans native with an all-star cast that includes Hollywood icons like Cicely Tyson, 95, and Phylicia Rashad, 71. The film, which will be released on January 17, is a thriller that follows a woman who is indicted for murdering her husband after he ravages her life, work and sanity.
Tyler received a ton of support from his celeb pals during The Big Apple premiere that took place at Metrograph in the Lower East Side, one of which included Mariah Carey, 49, who starred in his critically acclaimed 2009 film Precious. The “Don’t Forget About Us” singer sizzled in a plunging black dress while posing with a big smile on her face during the big event.
He gushed about Mariah and his A Fall From Grace cast on Twitter in anticipation of the film’s release. “THIS WOMAN IS 45 years older than I am!! Damn I need to moisturize!!”, he tweeted over a photo of him with Cicely. “All jokes aside. This is Queen Cicely. What a life, what a journey, what a soul!! We love you!!”