Actor, filmmaker, comedian and playwright Tyler Perry says he’s ending the Madea franchise next year.
The character, Mabel Earlene “Madea” Simmons, was first seen in 1999 as a 68-year-old in a stage play called I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Tyler played the burly badass himself. The play was followed by the 2005 film Diary of a Mad Black Woman.
During an interview on Bevy Smith’s Bevelations Tyler revealed A Madea Family Funeral will be the last one in the Madea series.
“We are going to say goodbye in ’19. I just don’t want to be her age playing her,” the 49-year-old confessed.
This might have to do with Deadline’s report in July last year that Tyler had signed a long-term agreement with Viacom to produce about 90 episodes a year of original drama and comedy series for BET. It includes TV, film and short-form videos.
According to Variety, the filmmaker will do a farewell stage tour to say goodbye to his iconic character. Madea’s films alone have grossed over $500 million (R7,3 billion) worldwide, reports Vanity Fair.
Source: TMZ
