Madea
Updated: 12/20/2025, 11:18:15 AM Wikipedia source
Mabel Earlene "Madea" Simmons is a character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. She is presented as a tough, street-smart elderly African-American woman. Madea is based on Perry's mother and his aunt. In Perry's own words, Madea is "exactly the PG version of my mother and my aunt, and I loved having an opportunity to pay homage to them. She would beat the hell out of you but make sure the ambulance got there in time to make sure they could set your arm back because the love was there inside all of it." The Madea films and plays are comedies, but all contain serious themes and are intended to deliver moral messages about issues such as infidelity, spousal abuse and the consequences of one's actions. The character also appeared in sketches on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Infobox
First appearance
mw- I Can Do Bad All by Myself (stage play, 1999) Diary of a Mad Black Woman (film, 2005)
Created by
Tyler Perry
Portrayed by
Tyler Perry
Full name
Mabel Earlene Simmons
Family
"Big Mabel" Murphy (mother) Fredrick Baker Sr. (father) Joe (brother) Fredrick (brother) Irene (sister) Willie Humphrey (brother) Heathrow (brother)
Spouse
Johnny Simmons (deceased) 17 deceased husbands
Children
Michelle Simmons William Simmons Cora Jean Simmons Myrtle Simmons (daughter-in-law) Nikki Grady-Simmons (foster daughter)
Relatives
Helen McCarter (granddaughter) Jackie (granddaughter) Gina (granddaughter) Vianne (granddaughter) Maylee (granddaughter) Lisa (granddaughter) Tina (granddaughter) Darlene (granddaughter) Laura (granddaughter) Ellie (granddaughter) Robin (granddaughter) Charles McCarter (ex grandson-in-law) Orlando (grandson-in-law) Keisha (great-granddaughter) Shemar (great-granddaughter) Malik (great-grandson) Titi (great-granddaughter) Tim (great-grandson) Ruby (aunt) Vickie (niece) Shirley (niece) Munroe (nephew) Angela (niece) Eileen Murphy (niece) Sonny (nephew) Brian (nephew) Donna (niece) Victoria Breaux (niece) Vianne (niece) Isaac (nephew) Anthony (nephew-in-law) Mike (grandnephew) Tiffany (grandniece) BJ (grandnephew) Lisa Breaux (grandniece) Vanessa Breaux-Henderson (grandniece) Nima (great-grandniece) Jonathan (great-grandnephew) AJ (grandnephew) Silvia (grandniece) Jesse (grandnephew) Jason (grandnephew-in-law) Calvin (grandnephew-in-law) Harold (grandnephew-in-law) Will (grandnephew-in-law) Carol (grandniece-in-law) Lacey Murphy (grandniece) Kimberly (grandniece) Tammy (grandniece) Byron (great-grandnephew) H.J. (great-grandnephew) Will (great-grandnephew) C.J. (great-grandnephew) B.J. (great-great-grandnephew) Sarah (cousin) May (cousin) Pete (cousin) Isaac Sr. (cousin) Grover (cousin) Aunt Bam (cousin)
Nationality
American
Tables
· Media and entertainment featuring Madea › Cast and characters
2005
2005
Character
2005
Films
2006
Films
2008
Films
2009
Films
2011
Films
2012
Films
2013
Films
2015
Films
2016
Films
2017
Films
2019
Films
2022
Films
2025
Films
TBA
Films
2007–2012, 2020–present
Films
2009–2011
Television series
2013–2017
Television series
2018
Television series
2020–present
Mabel "Madea" Simmons
Mabel "Madea" Simmons
Character
Mabel "Madea" Simmons
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler PerryC
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler Perry
Films
Tyler PerryP
Uncle Joe
Uncle Joe
Character
Uncle Joe
Brian
Brian
Character
Brian
Mr. Leroy Brown
Mr. Leroy Brown
Character
Mr. Leroy Brown
Films
David Mann
Films
David Mann
Films
David Mann
Films
David Mann
Cora Simmons
Cora Simmons
Character
Cora Simmons
Films
Tamela Mann
Films
Tamela Mann
Films
Tamela Mann
Films
Tamela Mann
Films
Tamela Mann
Ella Payne (née Williams)Betty Ann "Aunt Bam" MurphySarah
Ella Payne (née Williams)Betty Ann "Aunt Bam" MurphySarah
Character
Ella Payne (née Williams)Betty Ann "Aunt Bam" MurphySarah
Films
Cassi Davis
Films
Cassi Davis
Films
Cassi Davis
Curtis PayneBus Driver
Curtis PayneBus Driver
Character
Curtis PayneBus Driver
Films
LaVan Davis
Films
LaVan Davis
Hattie Mae Love
Hattie Mae Love
Character
Hattie Mae Love
Films
Patrice Lovely
Films
Patrice Lovely
Myrtle Simmons
Myrtle Simmons
Character
Myrtle Simmons
Films
Cicely Tyson
Will Brown
Will Brown
Character
Will Brown
Films
Lamman Rucker
Films
Lamman Rucker
Michael BrownCalvin Payne
Michael BrownCalvin Payne
Character
Michael BrownCalvin Payne
Films
Lance Gross
Films
Lance Gross
Films
Lance Gross
Nikki Grady-Simmons
Nikki Grady-Simmons
Character
Nikki Grady-Simmons
Films
Keke Palmer
Films
Keke Palmer
Tiffany
Tiffany
Character
Tiffany
Films
Tiffany Evans
Films
Diamond White
Films
Diamond White
| Character | Films | Television series | ||||||||||||||||||
| Diary of a Mad Black Woman | Madea's Family Reunion | Meet the Browns | Madea Goes to Jail | I Can Do Bad All by Myself | Madea's Big Happy Family | Madea's Witness Protection | A Madea Christmas | Madea's Tough Love | Boo! A Madea Halloween | Boo 2! A Madea Halloween | A Madea Family Funeral | A Madea Homecoming | Madea's Destination Wedding | Joe's College Road Trip | House of Payne | Meet the Browns | Love Thy Neighbor | The Paynes | Assisted Living | |
| 2005 | 2006 | 2008 | 2009 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2019 | 2022 | 2025 | TBA | 2007–2012, 2020–present | 2009–2011 | 2013–2017 | 2018 | 2020–present | ||
| Mabel "Madea" Simmons | Tyler Perry | Tyler PerryC | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler Perry | Tyler PerryP | |||||||||
| Uncle Joe | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Brian | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Mr. Leroy Brown | David Mann | David Mann | David Mann | David Mann | ||||||||||||||||
| Cora Simmons | Tamela Mann | Tamela Mann | Tamela Mann | Tamela Mann | Tamela Mann | |||||||||||||||
| Ella Payne (née Williams)Betty Ann "Aunt Bam" MurphySarah | Cassi Davis | Cassi Davis | Cassi Davis | |||||||||||||||||
| Curtis PayneBus Driver | LaVan Davis | LaVan Davis | ||||||||||||||||||
| Hattie Mae Love | Patrice Lovely | Patrice Lovely | ||||||||||||||||||
| Myrtle Simmons | Cicely Tyson | |||||||||||||||||||
| Will Brown | Lamman Rucker | Lamman Rucker | ||||||||||||||||||
| Michael BrownCalvin Payne | Lance Gross | Lance Gross | Lance Gross | |||||||||||||||||
| Nikki Grady-Simmons | Keke Palmer | Keke Palmer | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tiffany | Tiffany Evans | Diamond White | Diamond White | |||||||||||||||||
References
- Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedyhttps://archive.org/details/anotherfinemessh00aust
- "Tyler Perry Transforms: From Madea to Family Man"https://www.npr.org/2012/10/15/162936803/tyler-perry-transforms-from-madea-to-family-man
- Yahoo Entertainmenthttps://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tyler-perrys-madea-trumps-white-072047931.html
- Mashablehttps://mashable.com/video/fallon-dusted-off-his-trump-impersonation
- Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life and Culture - Sheri Parks - Google Bookshttps://books.google.com/books?id=473FLGx5ZFsC&q=Madea+born+in&pg=PA132
- Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited ... - Tyler Perry - Google Bookshttps://books.google.com/books?id=dsi6IY4Jn3kC&q=Big+Mabel+Murphy&pg=PT12
- "Two Tyler Perry Movies Get 2018 Release Dates"https://variety.com/2017/film/news/two-tyler-perry-movies-2018-lionsgate-1202476181/
- Deadline Hollywoodhttps://deadline.com/2021/06/tyler-perry-a-madea-homecoming-netflix-1234771455/
- What's on Netflixhttps://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/madeas-destination-wedding-netflix-movie-everything-we-know/
- "'Tyler Perry Fan Club on Instagram"https://www.instagram.com/p/C2LdcTbPweE/?igsh=MTVlaHluNHpyNzEydw==
- "Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Vol. 1: Episodes 1-20 [3 Discs] - DVD"http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Tyler-Perry's-House-of-Payne,-Vol.-1%3A-Episodes-1-20-%5B3-Discs%5D---DVD/8625623.p?id=1761309&skuId=8625623
- "Preview: Tyler Perry's Madea visits House of Payne - Today's News: Our Take"https://www.tvguide.com/news/tyler-perry-madea-41383.aspx
- "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne - Season 4, Episode 1: Wife Swap"https://web.archive.org/web/20131020082047/http://www.tv.com/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/wife-swap-1184140/
- "Meet the Browns TV show | canceled + renewed TV shows"http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/meet-the-browns/
- "BET+ TV Spot, 'Don't Argue over Television' Featuring Tyler Perry"https://www.ispot.tv/ad/qsjQ/bet-dont-argue-over-television-featuring-tyler-perry
- Geier, Thom; Jensen, Jeff; Jordan, Tina; Lyons, Margaret; Markovitz, Adam; Nashawaty, Chris; Pastorek, Whitney; Rice, Ly
- "Tyler Perry calls Orlando Jones' news 'not true and not funny'"https://web.archive.org/web/20140128021140/http://s2smagazine.com/70127/tyler-perry-calls-orlando-jones-news-not-true-and-not-funny/
- Spike Lee on Black Enterprisehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK8ibYjciMc
- The Coon Character, Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, Ferris State University. Retrieved 9 November 2011.http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/coon/
- John Kenrick, A History of the Musical: Minstrel Shows, musicals101.com. 1996, revised 2003. Retrieved 9 November 2011.http://www.musicals101.com/minstrel.htm
- "Madea's Tyler Perry Blasts Spike Lee: 'Spike Can Go Straight to Hell!'"http://www.movieline.com/2011/04/20/madeas-tyler-perry-on-spike-lee-spike-can-go-straight-to-hell/
- The Journal of Men's Studieshttps://doi.org/10.1177%2F1060826516641096
- McNair Scholars Research Journalhttps://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=mcnair
- Callaloohttps://www.jstor.org/stable/41243201
- The A.V. Clubhttps://www.avclub.com/american-dad-the-full-cognitive-redaction-of-avery-bu-1798176625
- The Los Angeles Timeshttp://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-boondocks-20100622,0,7842614.story
- "Tyler Perry's Madea Meets 'Alex Cross' On Jamie Foxx 'SNL' Episode (Video)"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/09/tyler-perrys-madea-alex-cross-jamie-foxx-snl-video_n_2267547.html
- IMDbhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm5310207/