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Tyler Perry's Interesting & Unknown Facts

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With a staggering $130 million in earnings, Forbes magazine named him the top earner in the entertainment sector in 2011.

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In 2007, he was ranked seventh on the list of "The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood."

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He started composing plays for the stage at the juvenile age of 18.

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More than $75 million has been made through ticket and DVD sales for his eight shows.

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He discovered that writing might be a kind of therapy from watching an episode of "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

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Like his character in the movie "The Family That Preys," he worked in construction before becoming well-known.

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He staged the musical's premiere performance using the $12,000 he had saved up throughout his life.

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He allegedly attempted suicide to get away from his violent father.