Tyler Perry’s inspirational mother dies

AP – Willie Maxine Perry, who helped inspire the character Madea played by her movie producer son Tyler Perry, has died. She was 64.

Tyler Perry announced her Tuesday death on his Web site, where he thanked fans for their prayers. He did not say where his mother died or anything about the cause.

Perry’s publicist, Keleigh Thomas, would not give further details Wednesday afternoon.

Perry owes much of his popularity to his portrayal of Madea, a sharp-tongued, iron-willed Southern matriarch played by Perry in a padded suit and wig. She is the central character in films like “Tyler Perry’s Madea Goes to Jail,”

In an October interview, Perry told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that the character is a celebration of strong black women who is based in part on his own mother.

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