Career: Perry enjoyed big success with his stage plays that included his comedy creation Madea, a tough-as-nails elderly woman (played by Perry in drag). That success translated to the big screen in Diary of a Mad Black Woman (2005). Since then, Perry has played the character in a number of projects, including Madea's Family Reunion (2006), Meet the Browns (2008), Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Madea's Witness Protection (2012), Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (2013) and Tyler Perry's A Madea Christmas (2013). On the small screen, Perry starred in the long-running sitcom Tyler Perry's House of Payne. More recently, he created the soap opera The Haves and the Have Nots for Oprah Winfrey's OWN network. He often writes, directs, produces and stars in his own projects.