Tyler Perry can’t escape his famous character, Madea.
During an appearance on Good Morning America on Tuesday, March 18, to promote his new film Duplicity, Perry was asked about his iconic role as Madea. With a laugh, the 55-year-old actor joked, “I’m so sick of this old broad. What is it, damn it, what is it?!”
Perry then teased his upcoming film, Madea’s Destination Wedding, which will take the character to the Bahamas—assuming Madea can leave the country. “If she can get out of the country,” Perry quipped. “She’s a felon, so,” he added.
Despite Perry’s successful career as an actor, director, writer, and producer, with a net worth of over $1 billion, he is still widely known for creating and playing Mabel “Madea” Simmons, the outspoken and sassy grandmother. Perry has portrayed Madea in 12 films, most recently in 2022’s A Madea Homecoming.
Although Perry has considered retiring the character, he decided to keep Madea alive because, as he said in an Instagram post in 2021, “The American people need to laugh.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly in January 2022, Perry described stepping back into the Madea role as “putting on gloves.” Reflecting on the state of the world, he said, “Nobody’s laughing. Nobody’s getting the chance to belly laugh anymore. And I’m like, ‘What tool do I have in my arsenal that can bring that kind of laughter?’”
Before Madea’s return, however, Perry’s latest project, Duplicity, will be released. The mystery-drama stars Kat Graham, Meagan Tandy, and Tyler Lepley.
The official synopsis for Duplicity reads: “High-powered attorney Marley (Graham) faces her most personal case yet when she is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the shooting of her best friend Fela’s (Tandy) husband (Joshua Adeyeye).”
Marley, with the help of her boyfriend (Lepley), a former cop turned private investigator, embarks on a dangerous journey to uncover the truth behind the shooting.
Duplicity will be available for streaming on Prime Video starting Thursday, March 20.
