Although actor and director Tyler Perry is best-known for the hilarious Madea movies, he recently put out a new war film called The Six Triple Eight, which explores an aspect of World War II history that few know about. Perry's career first began on-stage in the late 1990s. Before becoming a highly influential and lucrative filmmaker, Perry wrote, produced, and starred in a number of plays which were later adapted to the big screen, including I Can Do Bad All By Myself and Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Through these projects, he became famous for his character, Madea.

In the intervening years, Perry has expanded his repertoire beyond his iconic character. In the early 2000s, he starred in Tyler Perry's House of Payne, which ran for six seasons. He also delved into more dramatic projects, including the political drama, The Oval on BET. Perry has also been known to...