Tyler Perry is one of the biggest African-American producers in Hollywood. He has spent decades writing, directing, and producing over 30 works in film and television. His films have grossed over $660 million at the Box Office.
Perry is more popularly known by film and TV audiences for portraying the Madea character. Although the character has pretty much defined most of his appearances on-screen, Perry has also starred in films he didn’t direct/produce and played characters he didn’t create. Beyond the world of Tyler Perry Studios’ productions, these are 10 movies Tyler Perry starred in.
Star Trek (2009)
The J. J. Abrams-directed Star Trek became Tyler Perry’s first appearance in a movie he didn’t write, direct, or produce. Perry was cast as Admiral Richard Barnett, the head of the Starfleet Academy. For fans of the Star Trek franchise, Perry’s cameo appearance was a shocker to everyone. Although he only appeared in two scenes (Kirk’s disciplinary hearing and promotion to Enterprise Captain), it was more than enough to be considered a worthy debut. Star Trek (2009) was a Box Office success and became the first film from the franchise to win an Academy Award.
Alex Cross (2012)
Rob Cohen‘s action thriller Alex Cross (2012) may not have been Tyler Perry’s first appearance in a film he didn’t produce, but it’s his first lead role. Perry played the titular character, Dr./Detective Alex Cross, from an adapted screenplay based on James Patterson‘s 2006 novel Cross. However, unlike Star Trek (2009), Alex Cross was panned by critics and bombed at the box office. Perry also received a Razzie nomination for Worst Actor at the 2013 Golden Raspberry Awards.
Gone Girl (2014)
Tyler Perry played a supporting role as Tanner Bolt in David Fincher‘s psychological thriller Gone Girl (2014). Perry’s character is an uxoricide lawyer hired by Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) to help clear his name as a suspect for his wife’s (Rosamund Pike) disappearance. Gone Girl was a commercial success and received positive reviews. Perry won his nomination for Best Supporting Actor at the African-American Film Critics Association.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016)
Tyler Perry played one of the antagonists in the superhero film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows (2016). He played Dr. Baxter Stockman, a role previously played by K. Todd Freeman. It was interesting watching Perry play the mad scientist. A former Sacks Industry employee, Dr. Stockman, teamed up with Shredder to take over New York City. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows flopped at the Box Office and was received with mixed critical reviews.
Brain on Fire (2016)
Brain on Fire (2016) screenplay was written and directed by Irish filmmaker Gerard Barrett. The movie was based on Susannah Cahalan‘s 2012 New York Times best-selling autobiography Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. With Chloë Grace Moretz as the film’s lead character, Susannah Cahalan, Tyler Perry was cast in a supporting role as Richard. Perry’s character was Susannah Cahalan’s boss at the New York Post. Brain on Fire premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) two years before it was released on Netflix on June 22, 2018.
The Star (2017)
The Star (2017) is a computer-animated biblical comedy. It cast Tyler Perry in a voice role as the intelligent and calm leader of the three camels, Cyrus. Critical reviews were mixed, but The Star was a commercial success. It grossed $62.8 million on a $20 million budget. The computer-animated film is based on Tom Sheridan‘s The Nativity of Jesus, Original concepts.
Vice (2018)
Tyler Perry portrayed the character of the 65th United States Secretary of State, Colin Powell. Vice (2018) is Adam McKay’s biographical political satire black comedy-drama. The star-studded cast included Christian Bale, Amy Adams, and Steve Carell. Vice was co-produced by Brad Pitt and Will Ferrell and focused on Dick Cheney’s journey to becoming the most powerful vice president of the United States.
Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)
Tyler Perry didn’t star in any of his movies in 2021. With three films to his credit in the year, Those Who Wish Me Dead was the year’s first release. In the film, Perry played Officer Arthur Phillip. The movie starred Angelina Jolie in the lead role and also starred Aidan Gillen and Nicholas Hoult.
PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021)
Tyler Perry was part of the voice cast of the super-successful Canadian computer-animated action-adventure comedy film PAW Patrol: The Movie (2021). The 86-minute movie grossed $144.3 million on a production budget of $26 million. Perry took the role of voicing Gus because of his then-six-year-old son, Aman Tyler Perry. Gus is the truck driver who was transporting Canadian maple syrup. Other notable voice stars in the film include Iain Armitage, Marsai Martin, Yara Shahidi, Kim Kardashian, Randall Park, and Jimmy Kimmel.
Don’t Look Up (2021)
Tyler Perry joined the star-studded cast of Adam McKay’s apocalyptic political satire black comedy Don’t Look Up (2021). After a limited theatrical release, Don’t Look Up was released on Netflix on December 24, 2021. In the first week of its release, it set a record for most viewing hours. Within 28 days, it became Netflix’s second-most-watched film on the platform. Perry’s character, Jack Bremmer, was the co-host of The Daily Rip alongside Brie Evantee (Cate Blanchett). Although only a supporting character, Tyler Perry starred alongside A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande, and Melanie Lynskey.
Follow Us
