For almost three decades, Tyler Perry has made a career of entertaining millions of TV and movie audiences, something he’s remarkably been able to do so on his own terms in Hollywood. He's stepped into the roles of writer, producer, director, star and even studio head to create nearly 25 movies and more than 15 shows. The visionary may be one of the most well-known and respected entertainers of our day, but he comes from humble beginnings. It's these beginnings that Perry will open up about in the new documentary.
So what else can would-be viewers expect to see in Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story? Here’s everything we know about the documentary.
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story release date
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story premieres on Friday, November 17, on Prime Video. Those hoping to watch the documentary need a subscription to the streaming service.
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story trailer
We'll be the first to admit, the trailer definitely makes us want to tune in to watch.
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story premise
Here's the official synopsis of the documentary:
"Writer, actor, filmmaker, studio head and media titan, Tyler Perry, is America's consummate multihyphenate. But underneath this entertainment behemoth is a man working humbly to heal his childhood trauma by transforming his pain into promise. Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story, a nod to his mother's love, is a tender and intimate portrait of visionary and innovator Tyler Perry: his harrowing but faithful road to the top of an industry that didn’t always include him. With unfettered access, directors/filmmakers Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz lead us into the inner-world of a man, whose story has never fully been told, as he becomes a father and a media mogul with a mission to pave his own road to the top. The product is a profound lesson on remembering where you came from to know where you want to go."
Who is Tyler Perry?
The writer, actor, director, producer and media mogul hardly needs an introduction at this point in his career. Although his first stage play was I Know I've Been Changed, he started to make a big splash in the entertainment industry when he introduced the world to the character Madea in the comedic stage play, I Can Do Bad All By Myself in 1999. The character took his career to new heights and was featured in several more plays, movies and shows.
However, Perry did not limit himself to just Madea or comedy projects. In fact, since the late 2000s, he's branched out more into dramatic endeavors, evident in movies and films like A Family that Preys, Good Deeds, The Haves and the Have Nots, All The Queen’s Men and A Jazzman's Blues. He'll soon step behind the camera to direct the World War II movie, Six Triple Eight.
According to the self-made billionaire's website, Perry has been behind "24 feature films, 20 stage plays, 17 television shows and two New York Times bestselling books."
On November 7, Tyler Perry sat down with CBS Mornings and discussed the project, even offering a first glimpse. Take a look at the clip just below.
Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story directors
Gelila Bekele and Armani Ortiz both served as directors for this project. For Bekele, Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story is her most notable project to date, but she has previously directed a couple of documentary short films. She also serves as a producer for Maxine's Baby: The Tyler Perry Story. On an interesting note, Bekele is also the mother of Perry's child.
Ortiz's directing experience has largely come from television, as he's directed episodes of shows like Sistas, Zatima and Ruthless, which all happen to be Tyler Perry series.
