Fans of his work know him for his comic role as the sassy, gun-wielding grandmother Mabel "Madea" Simmons". However, what many don't know is that actor/director/writer Tyler Perry broke a major color barrier when he rose to success.  Perry is the first African American to own his own television and film studio. With such box office blockbusters as Diary of a Man Black Woman and Madea Goes to Jail under his belt, Perry became one of Forbes top money-makers in Hollywood in 2010.