Age: 56
male
Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry, Jr.; September 13, 1969) is an African-American actor, director, playwright, screenwriter, producer, author, songwriter., and entrepreneur. Already a successful artist in Southern theater, Perry began to make national celebrity status in 2005 with the release of his first film, Diary of a Mad Black Woman. He has won critical praise for playing Madea, a mentally strong woman who handles adversity with optimism and happiness; his critically acclaimed portrayal of her in the award-winning "Madea" series has caused him to be one of the most respected black actors in Hollywood. He has produced multiple TV series as well as films, started a multiple year partnership with OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), and opened his own film studio, Tyler Perry Studios, in Georgia. Perry was included in Time's list of the 100 most influential people of 2020. In 2022, he was inducted into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame.
As a boy, John Dolittle displays an ability to talk to and understand animals, starting with his pet dog. His behavior disturbs his father Archer, who hires a local minister to perform an exorcism on his son, but after John's dog attacks him, Archer sends her to the pound. John eventually forgets he can talk to animals. As an adult, John is a doctor and surgeon living in San Francisco. He is happily married to his wife Lisa, and has two daughters, typical teenager Charisse, and nerdy Maya, who has a pet guinea pig named Rodney, and what she thinks is a swan egg, which she hopes will bond with her upon hatching. A large medical company owned by Mr. Calloway seeks to buy John's practice, a deal which his colleagues Mark Weller and Gene Reiss are enthusiastic about. John's family goes on vacation, but he must return to work to see a patient, and then pick up Rodney. He nearly hits a dog, which gets up and angrily shouts at him in English. The next day, Rodney starts talking to John, who has no memory of his gift, and thinks he is having a mental breakdown. John has a CT scan after animals start asking for favors when he helps a wounded owl, and he then unwittingly adopts the dog he ran over, eventually naming him Lucky. John starts secretly helping various animals, including a suicidal circus tiger named Jake, who feels great cerebral pain. Through all this, John begins learning to re-appreciate his gift, at one point confiding to both Lucky and Mark that he has never felt excited about his work in years. However, Lisa and Mark catch him performing CPR on a rat, and have him institutionalized. Believing his gift is a hindrance, John rejects all abnormality in his life and returns to work, but in doing so, ostracizes Maya as well, who comes to believe he doesn’t like her. Maya admits to Archer that she liked the idea of her father talking to animals. John eavesdrops on the conversation and has a change of heart. John admits to Maya that he does like her for who she is, and encourages her to continue being what she wants to be. John then apologizes to Lucky, and together, they steal Jake from the circus to perform surgery on him. Mark and Gene catch John, but Gene tires of the former’s opportunistic attitude and helps John. When Jake is exposed to the party for the buyout, John calmly goes on with the operation. Archer reveals to Lisa that John's gift is real, encouraging her to venture into the operating theatre and keep Jake calm whilst her husband and Gene remove the cause of Jake’s pain, saving Jake's life. Calloway is impressed with John's talent, but he declines the deal. John becomes both a doctor and a veterinarian, embracing his ability to talk to animals. In the film's final scenes, Maya's egg hatches, but is revealed to be a baby alligator, and John and Lucky are shown walking to the circus and talking with each other.
