For single women, he is "That Tyler Perry Man." The handsome hero who swoops in during each of the Atlanta writer-director's six films to seriously woo a resistant heroine.
The Tyler Perry template was introduced via Orlando, a good-hearted blue collar worker played by Shemar Moore in 2005's "Diary of a Mad Black Woman." The character caused countless women to swoon when he told Kimberly Elise: "I can't stop thinking about you. I carry you in my spirit. I pray for you more than I pray for myself."
Perry acknowledges that some of his single female fans get frustrated when the credits roll and they're thrust back into the dog pound of real-life dating. "But I'm glad that's what they're saying," Perry says.
His advice? Stay open. And above all? "Don't look for a formula," Perry advises. "That's not always going to be the case out there in life."
For his latest, "The Family That Preys," Perry changes up his Prince Charming considerably. Hard-working construction worker Chris (played by Rockmond Dunbar) acts out in a decidedly un-Tyler Perry man fashion during the film's secret-spilling climax with his two-timing wife (played by Sanaa Lathan).
Here's a brief primer on the history of the Tyler Perry man ...
"The Family That Preys," opens today
The man: Construction worker Chris (Rockmond Dunbar)
The woman: Sinister social climber Andrea (Sanaa Lathan)
The evil other man: Wealthy businessman William (Cole Hauser)
The signature move: Is trying to secure a loan to start his own construction business so he can make a better life for his family.
Does he dump the girl? We're not telling. But brace yourself for a big scene in a diner.
"Meet the Browns," 2008
The man: Basketball recruiter Harry (Rick Fox)
The woman: Single mom factory worker Brenda (Angela Bassett)
The evil ex: Deadbeat dad Michael Sr. (Phillip Edward Van Lear)
The signature move: Persuades an entire Georgia town to secretly finance an "Extreme Makeover" for Brenda's inherited dilapidated house.
Does he get the girl? Score!
"Why Did I Get Married?" 2007
The man: Sheriff Troy (Lamman Rucker)
The woman: Sheila (Jill Scott), who battles body image issues
The evil ex: Sheila's two-timing hubby Mike (Richard T. Jones)
The signature move: Troy takes Sheila to his favorite place, a mountaintop so she can cry.
Does he get the girl? Affirmative, dispatch.
"Daddy's Little Girls," 2007
The man: Single dad mechanic Monty (Idris Elba)
The woman: High-powered attorney Julia (Gabrielle Union)
The evil ex: Jennifer (Tasha Smith), whose idea of a stepdad is a drug dealer.
The signature move: Takes her out to an Auburn Avenue blues club for her birthday. They dance and drink, but her virtue remains intact.
Does he get the girl? Check.
Madea's Family Reunion," 2006
The man: Bus driver Frankie (Boris Kodjoe)
The woman: Single mom Vanessa (Lisa Arrindell Anderson)
The evil exes: In jail, deadbeat dads
The signature move: A first date at a Piedmont Park playground with his son and her two children.
Does he get the girl? Yup.
"Diary of a Mad Black Woman," 2005
The man: Factory worker Orlando (Shemar Moore)
The woman: Jilted wife Helen (Kimberly Elise)
The evil ex: Attorney Charles (Steve Harris)
The signature move: Orlando picks Helen up at her bus stop during a rainstorm and treats her to dinner.
Does he get the girl? Um, hello. He looks just like Shemar Moore.
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