Tyler Perry to end 'Madea' franchise in 2019

Actor, filmmaker, comedian and playwright Tyler Perry says he is calling it quits on his "Madea" film franchise.

"We're gonna say goodbye in 2019," he said during an interview with Bevy Smith Monday. "I just don't want to be her age playing her."

The character, Mabel Earlene “Madea” Simmons, played by Perry himself, first appeared as a 68-year-old in the 1999 stage play “I Can Do Bad All by Myself,” followed by the play and film, “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.”

TRENDING NOW:

• Haunted house apologizes for hosting 'Swastika Saturday' Halloween party
• 15-year-old killed mother after fight over grades, deputies say
• Pa. state rep. introduces bill to legalize recreational marijuana for adults
• VIDEO: Victims remembered one week later outside of the Tree of Life synagogue
• DOWNLOAD the Channel 11 News app for breaking news alerts

According to Vanity Fair, Madea has appeared in dozens of productions since — and her films alone have grossed upwards of $500 million globally.

Perry wrapped the last Madea film, “Madea Family Funeral,” two years ago. The movie, set to premiere in March, tells the story of a Georgia family reunion gone bad.

"Family Funeral" will be the last film with Lionsgate, which he's worked with on a nonexclusive basis since 2014. Deadline reported in 2017 that Perry signed a long-term deal with Viacom in 2017. It includes TV, film and short-form video.

Watch Perry discuss moving on from Madea on YouTube.

Cox Media Group