#Tyler Perry Is ‘100%’ Ready to Let Someone New Play Madea

After spending more than two decades in the character’s trademark floral dresses, Tyler Perry is ready to pass on the baton to the next performer. On Friday, Netflix will release A Madea Homecoming, the latest of several movies to feature Perry as Madea — a character inspired by Perry’s real-life mother and aunt. He had previously considered retirement from playing Madea after 2019’s A Madea Family Funeral, but with everything that’s gone on in the world since then, the comedian felt that people needed laughter more than ever, prompting Madea’s return.

“The only reason I did this is because I feel like the world needs to laugh and have some joy and peace at this time,” Perry recently told TooFab.

Moving forward, Perry says he doesn’t know “what will happen next” with Madea. It’s unclear if he intends to play the role again, but there are plans in place for the character to go on in a prequel series in development at Showtime. Called Mabel, the series will follow Madea in the 1970s, and Perry’s plan is to have “an actual actress” playing the younger Madea. Perry does briefly a younger version of the character in A Madea Homecoming for flashback scenes, but he has promised a different approach to the show.

“They’re very far from each other. This is Madea’s fable about what happened with Rosa Parks, it’s very different from the Showtime thing,” he explained. “[I want] an actual actress playing the role of Madea in the ’70s and see what story would be like. It’s totally different.”


When asked if he’s ready to let someone else take over the role, Perry added, “100%,” he told TooFab. “Listen, I’m 52 years old. I’m looking at the exit here coming up soon, so I’m totally able to hand it off.”

Related: A Madea Homecoming First Look Photos Put Tyler Perry Back in the Floral Dresses

A Madea Homecoming Features Themes Important to Tyler Perry

Tyler Perry always takes on social issues with the Madea films. In A Madea Homecoming, Madea’s grandson comes out as gay, and this is met with acceptance from everyone in the family. Perry, who has long worked with unhoused youth through Covenant House, felt inspired to include this scene in the new film to help show how families should respond when someone in the family comes out.

“For years, I’ve been working with Covenant House and to hear some of these kids’ stories who have been put out because they came out to their family, it’s really heartbreaking and sad,” Perry said. “I thought, you got this great opportunity, you got this great character, let’s show the world what it should be like when somebody comes out, the love that should be shown. That’s what I was trying to do and I’m hoping that that translates into something for anybody who’s been struggling or dealing with it or any family member who’s been struggling with how to care for someone who is gay.”


You can catch Perry in the role of Madea for what may be the final time when A Madea Homecoming hits Netflix on Feb. 25.

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