ATLANTA. >> FIRST, HE INVITED US TO
ATLANTA, TO SEE TYLER PERRY’S
STUDIO FIRSTHAND.
STUDIO FIRSTHAND. TYLER PERRY IS ONE OF THE MOST
PROLIFIC POWER PLAYERS.
HIS ICONIC ICIC MADEA CHARACTERS
ICONIC IN HISTORY.
NOW, THE WRITER, ACTOR, DIRECTOR
AND AUTHOR, IS A BONA FIDE
STUDIO MOGUL.
STUDIO MOGUL. >> WELCOME.
>> WELCOME. >> THANKS FOR HAVING US.
>> HOW MUCH HAVE YOU SEEN?
>> I HAVE TO SHOW YOU.
COME ON.
COME ON. >> Reporter: WE SET OFF ON A
GOLF CART ACROSS HIS SPRAWLING
STUDIO, WHICH HE CALLS A TOY
STORE FOR HIS CREATIVE PROJECTS.
THAT INCLUDES 18 FEATURE FILMS
AND 7 TELEVISION SHOWS.
YOUR VISION FOR THIS, WHEN DID
IT START?
IT START? HOW WAS IT BORN?
>> THE LAST STUDIO I BOUGHT, IT
WAS 30 ACRES.
I WAS IN IT FOR TWO YEARS AND
WE’RE FALLING ALL OVER EACH
OTHER.
OTHER. I HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER SPACE.
I TOOK A RIDE AND I WAS OPEN TO
THE VISION OF IT.
I SAW ALL THAT IT CAN BE.
>> Reporter: FT. MacPHERSON IS A
FORMER ARMY BASE THAT WAS
FOUNDED BY THE CONFEDERATE ARMY.
THE SYMBOLISM OF YOU OWNING THIS
PLACE AND THIS PROPERTY, HASN’T
BEEN LOST ON YOU?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
IT HASN’T BEEN LOST ON -- I CAN
HEAR MY GRANDMOTHER, MY
GRANDFATHER, SAYING WHO WOULD
HAVE THUNK IT?
>> Reporter: THERE’S 12 SOUND
STAGES NAMED FOR BLACK
ENTERTAINERS, INCLUDING OPRAH
WINFREY
WINFREY WINFREY, SIDNEY POINTIER, AND A
REPLICA OF THE WHITE HOUSE.
THAT’S WHERE WE TALKED TO DEREK
DEUCE, WHO WAS INTRODUCED TO THE
FILM INDUSTRY WORKING AS A
SECURITY GUARD.
SECURITY GUARD. NOW, HE’S FIRST ASSISTANT
DIRECTOR.
DIRECTOR. I GET THERE’S A GREAT SENSE OF
PRIDE IN WORKING HERE.
>> IT IS.
>> IT IS. BECAUSE YOU GET TO SEE ACTUALLY
WHAT YOU CAN BECOME.
YOU GET TO WORK WITH SOMEBODY
WHO LOOKS LIKE YOU, WHO ACTS
LIKE YOU, WHO TALKS LIKE YOU.
AND IT’S LIKE, I COULD DO THAT.
>> ALL OF THESE HOUSES ARE
BEAUTIFUL.
BEAUTIFUL. >> Reporter: PERRY TALKED ABOUT
WHAT IS BEHIND HIS NEVER-ENDING
FOUNTAIN OF CREATEIVEITYCREATIVI
HOW DO YOU MANAGE AS MANY SHOWS
AND FILMS SIMULTANEOUSLY?
>> YOU KNOW, MY IMAGINATION IS
INSANE.
INSANE. WHEN I START TO WRITE A SHOW, I
FOCUS ON, I CAN HEAR THOSE
PEOPLE, WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY
AND HOW THEY WANT TO SAY IT.
AND TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO BE
ABLE TO FINISH ONE AND SHIFT TO
THE NEXT, I KNOW WHERE IT’S
BORNE FROM.
BORNE FROM. IT CAME FROM MY UPBRINGING AND
HAVING TO TOLERATE PAIN AND
ESCAPE IN MY IMAGINATION.
THAT’S WHERE I WRITE ALL OF THE
STORIES.
STORIES. >> Reporter: THERE WERE SOME
FOLKS THAT MAYBE WRITERS THAT
LOOK LIKE US THAT CAN USE SOME
WORK.
WORK. >> FOR ME, IF MY NAME IS ON IT
AND MY AUDIENCES WANT TO HEAR MY
VOICE, THAT’S WHAT I’M GOING TO
DO.
DO. >> Reporter: AS YOU TOUR HIS
STUDIO, IT’S CLEAR.
TYLER PERRY IS THE AUTHOR OF HIS
OWN NARRATIVE AND THAT STORY IS
FAR FROM OVER.
WHAT’S NEXT?
WHAT’S NEXT? >> DID WE JUST NOT RIDE ALL
AROUND HERE.
AROUND HERE. THIS IS PRETTY MUCH IT.
>> Reporter: BUT TYLER PERRY,
EVERY FEW YEARS --
>> WE’LL SEE WHAT’S NEXT.
I’M 50 AND FEELING IT.
>> Reporter: YOU’RE NOT FEELING
IT.
IT. >> I’M ENJOYING IT.
BUT IT’S LIKE, TOM BRADY.
IT’S LIKE, OKAY, YOU GET TO A
POINT, I HAVE THROWN MY BEST
GAME.
GAME. >> Reporter: BUT TOM’S COMING
BACK.
BACK. >> SO IS TYLER.
WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
>> THAT WAS A GREAT INTERVIEW.
>> PRETTY GOOD.
I LIKE THAT GUY, WOW.
>> GOOD TO HAVE YOU IN OUR
STUDIOS.
STUDIOS. ONE THING I DIDN’T GET TO.
THIS IS A PICTURE YOU POSTED.
THIS IS SYLVAN ROAD.
TYLER PERRY STUDIOS ON THE LEFT.
WHY IS THAT SO SIGNIFICANT?
>> BOTH SIGNS MEAN SOMETHING TO
ME.
ME. SYLVAN IS WHERE I WAS HOMELESS,
WHERE I MOVED TO ATLANTA.
AND NOW, THE EXIT TO THE STUDIO
IS RIGHT NEXT TO WHERE IT ALL
STARTED FOR ME.
THAT’S REALLY, REALLY AN
INSPIRING AND POWERFUL FOR ME.
>> IT’S CRAZY TO SEE THAT TO SEE
WHERE YOU WERE.
I SEE THIS EMPIRE.
AND I FEEL LIKE I KNOW ABOUT
YOU.
YOU. I INTERVIEWED YOU A BUNCH OF
TIMES.
TIMES. I REMEMBER YOU TALKING AND
TELLING STORIES ABOUT BEING
HOMELESS.
HOMELESS. AND I WATCHED YOU IN THAT GOLF
CART.
CART. AND I START THINKING, WHY DID
THAT LITTLE BOY THINK HE COULD
DO THAT?
DO THAT? WHAT WAS IT THAT GOT TO YOU THAT
DAY?
DAY? >> MY MOTHER REAFFIRMED TO ME
THE POWER OF WHO I AM.
NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR BEING BLACK
AND NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR THE
STORIES WE TELL AND WHO WE ARE.
MY MOTHER WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN
THAT.
THAT. THE TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF FAITH
TO GET TO WHERE I AM.
HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR HER OR MY
BELIEF IN GOD, I DON’T KNOW
WHERE I WOULD BE.
>> THERE’S SO MANY COOL THINGS
ABOUT YOU, TYLER.
I REMEMBER READING, WHEN YOU
WERE DOWN AND OUT, YOU HAD
NOTHING AND YOU WERE HOMELESS,
YOU WOULD GO TO FANCY
NEIGHBORHOODS AND WOULD WALK
AROUND FANCY NEIGHBORHOODS TO
SEE WHERE YOU WOULD LIVE.
>> AND I WOULD TEST DRIVE REALLY
NICE CARS.
NICE CARS. THIS IS POSSIBLE.
SOMEBODY CAN AFFORD IT.
>> AND YOU BOUGHT SIX OF THE
HOUSES AND SIX OF THE CARS.
>> NO.
>> NO. STOP IT.
STOP IT. >> YOU HAVE A NEW FILM.
LET’S TALK ABOUT IT HERE.
THIS IS YOUR FIRST FILM FOR
NETFLIX, "A FALL FROM GRACE."
YOU DIRECTED IT, YOU PRODUCE IT,
YOU WRITE IT, YOU HAVE A PART IN
IT.
IT. WHAT SHOULD FOLKS KNOW ABOUT
THIS FILM.
THIS FILM. WHO IS IT FOR?
>> IT’S AN INCREDIBLE THRILLER.
CRYSTAL FOX, HER FIRST TIME
HAVING A BIG LEADING ROLE.
IT’S AN INCREDIBLE, WONDERFUL,
AMAZING THRILLER THAT IS GOING
TO KEEP YOU ON THE EDGE OF YOUR
SEAT.
SEAT. THE AUDIENCE HAS BEEN GOING
NUTS.
NUTS. YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT THIS IS.
IT WILL THROW YOU OFF, FRYING TO
FIG
FIG TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE END.
>> I WATCHED IT.
YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. >> YOU POSTED SOMETHING ON
INSTAGRAM OF YOUR AUDIENCE
WATCHING.
WATCHING. THEY WERE SCREAMING, LOOK BEHIND
YOU.
YOU. IT WILL GET YOU INTO IT, RIGHT?
>> IT WILL REALLY GET YOU INTO
IT.
IT. AND YOU WILL NEVER GUESS THE
ENDING.
ENDING. >> YOU HAVE WORKED WITH GREATS
AND HAVE DONE A TON OF JOBS.
I WAS WITH YOU AT THE HOLLYWOOD
WALK OF FAME.
AND KERRY WASHINGTON THANKED YOU
FOR HER CAREER.
>> THAT BLEW MY MIND.
I THINK THAT WAS A BIT MUCH.
SHE’S DONE A LOT OF GREAT
THINGS.
THINGS. I APPRECIATE BEING THERE FOR HER
AND CRYSTAL AND ALL THESE OTHER
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. AND TO BE GIVEN THIS PLATFORM TO
HELP THEM MOVE THROUGH DIFFICULT
PLACES TO GET THERE IN THE
BEGINNING, THAT’S POWERFUL FOR
ME.
ME. >> A FEW YEARS AGO, YOU REVEALED
YOU WERE A SURVIVOR OF ABUSE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DIDN’T GET
TO ON OUR TOUR.
I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU ARE GOING
TO OPEN A FACILITY, IF YOU WILL,
FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN, WHO HAVE
ALSO SURVIVED ABUSE.
CONNECT THE TWO DOTS FOR ME.
>> IF I COULD BUILD THIS
BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR CHILDREN,
LGBTQ YOUTH, WHERE THEY COME TO
A BEAUTIFUL CAMPUS AND LIVE AND
BE REASSERTED INTO LIFE, I THINK
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
IF SOMEBODY COULD HAVE DONE THAT
FOR MY MOTHER, I DON’T KNOW
WHERE I WOULD BE NOW.
SHE WOULD HAVE LEFT AN ABUSIVE
SITUATION.
SITUATION. IF I CAN BUILD THAT AND BE AN
AMAZING PLACE FOR HOPE FOR
PEOPLE, THAT IS WHAT’S NEXT.
THAT’S WHAT NEXT.
>> TYLER, WE LOVE YOU.
>> KEEP COMING BACK.
KEEP INSPIRING.