Mabel Simmons
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| Mable Simmons | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | I Can Do Bad All By Myself |
| Cause/reason | Entertainment |
| Portrayed by | Tyler Perry |
| Information | |
| Nickname(s) | Madea |
| Aliases | Mable R. |
| Gender | Female |
| Date of birth | May 29, 1935 or April 26th, 1962 |
| Title | Mrs. Simmons |
| Spouse(s) | Mr. Brown – on and off boyfriend Jimmy Dean – 1st Husband, deceased |
| Children | Cora Jean Simmons – Daughter with Brown Michelle Simmons-Griffin – Daughter with Jonny (deceased) |
| Relatives | Irene – Sister (deceased) Joesph "Joe" Baker – Brother (only in movies) |
Mabel "Madea" Simmons is a fictional character created by writer/director Tyler Perry. Based on Perry's mother and aunt, Madea is an aggressive, grey haired, bespectacled black matriarch. She will argue with anyone, she also has the very frequent tendency to threaten people by pulling a gun out of her purse, and she has a penchant for her unique pronunciation and enunciation of words as reflected in her tag lines, "I oughta punch chur in da face!" and "Get that man a hat!" She is part of a large family, with many children and grandchildren. Her name is spelled variously as "Mabel" and "Mable". She is portrayed by Tyler Perry himself in both the films and plays. "Madea" or "Madear" is a typical Southern name for a grandmother; the term is a shortened form of "Mother Dear". Although Madea was featured heavily in most of Tyler's plays and films, including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea's Family Reunion, and most recently, Meet the Browns, the argument can be made that she is not the Protagonist of them, but more so the comic relief to the play/film's dramatics setting. But, she is considered the heroine of all of Tyler Perry's plays and films even in those in which she does not appear.
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[edit] Character history
Madea was born in Greensburg, Louisiana on May 29,1935 (as Mabel Dean), to Frederick Baker and Big Mabel Murphy. Madea had two siblings: a sister, Irene and a brother, Joesph Frederick Baker. At some point in her early life she moved to Cleveland, Ohio then later relocated to Waycross, Georgia. During their high school year Deacon Leroy Brown took Madea to the Booker T.Washington High School prom in 1953 and that night, after drinking too much, they had a one night affair which led to Madea becoming pregnant with her daughter, Cora J.Simmons. They did not marry because Madea did not remember that Cora was Brown's daughter until her class reunion in 2003, after going to rehab for a cocaine addiction. Up until that time she unaware of who the father was. Some of her extended family include Parker Osgood, her cousin; Vickie, a niece; and several more relatives. In 1953 at age 18, she married and relocated to metropolitan Atlanta where she still resides. Madea had three children and their names were Michelle Simmons-Griffin(deceased, daughter), Cora J.Simmons, and William Simmons(deceased, son). It is not known if she has moved to a newer home, but in "Madea goes to jail" the set-up of her home was new, and the houses seen in the background look to be examples of the current architectural style rather than the old-type of her former home. Mable (Madea) Simmons says that Cora was born at Sheridan hospital in "Madea's Family Reunion"(the play). Madea was looking at Vickie when she said she will be waiting on her Uncle Jimmy, Madea has hard feelings toward him she said she had a gun waiting on him when he showed up. There is a contradiction with the listed birth date for Madea, in the 2009 movie, Madea Goes To Jail, her license, which is shown at the beginning states her date of birth is April 26, 1962.
[edit] Family in the plays
Madea has an older sister named Irene, who has a son named Sonny. Irene dies sometime before the Family Reunion play begins, as it begins with them leaving her funeral. It's shown that Madea did not care too much for her, even stating that she was happy that she died, and that she probably did it on purpose just so she wouldn't have to pay her back any money. She helps Irene's son out in the play Madea Goes to Jail by allowing him to stay at her home rent free. Irene also has a daughter named Sheila.
One of Madea's husband is named Jonny, whom she had two children with (Michelle and William). Jonny died, but appeared to have been active in the upbringing of his granddaughters, Vyanne and Maylee, based on conversations about him in I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Madea implies that she was glad when he died, indicating they did not have a good marriage. Jonny has a niece named Vickie who appears in the family reunion play. Vickie has four boys of her own.
Madea's oldest child and daughter, Michelle Griffin, was born sometime when Madea and Johnny were teenagers. Due to this, she was able to get away with things, as Madea stated that she was able to watch Cora more to make sure she did not go off the track as well. As she grew older, Michelle apparently became a prostitute who was neglectful to her two daughters, Vyanne and Maylee who appeared in the play I Can Do Bad All By Myself. According to Madea and Vyanne, Maylee and Vyanne don't have the same father. Vianne's father was a drunk that didn't spend enough time with her. Madea explains that Michelle did not know the father of Maylee, and called her Maybe because she was sleeping with four or five men when she got pregnant. Madea changed it to Maylee when she took her and Vianne out of the projects to raise them. Maylee has a fourteen year old daughter of her own named Kiesha, who gets pregnant with a child.
Madea had a second daughter named Cora Simmons, who is the only one of Madea's children to appear in most of the plays and movies and the most recognized. Cora is a saved Christian woman. Cora was married to a man who unbeknown to her, molested their two daughters, Tina and Lisa when they were children, which they hid from her until, "Madea's Family Reunion" the play. Tina and Lisa only appear in Madea's Family Reunion, but the only ones of Madea's granddaughters to be mentioned all the time. Cora thought that Jonny was her daddy like William and Michelle until Class Reunion where Madea is reminded that Brown is Cora's father, as a product of a one night stand during their prom in 1953, making her fifty years old in her first appearance, and 53 years old in Class reunion when her parents attend their 53rd Class Reunion. After then, Cora becomes close to Mr. Brown and goes to visit his family in Meet the Browns for Brown's father funeral, and takes him to the hospital in What's Done in the Dark. Their father/daughter plot line is carried into the movie universe in Meet the Browns, and the TV series' Tyler Perry's House of Payne & the spin off Meet the Browns.
Madea's late youngest and only son William, married a christian woman named Myrtle. It isn't known if he is younger or older than Cora, but it would make more sense that he is older. His daughter is in her mid-late thirties, making him somewhere in his fifties, whereas Cora is only fifty, being born in 1953 when Madea was only 18. In the film, his wife is as old as his mother, which would put him older than Cora in the film version as well. William and Myrtle have three children together named Helen, Jackie, and Gina. It was rumored that they have a son named after William. William was a business man that owned: A barbershop, laundromat, corner store, and a diner. William worked to take care of his family. William died of an unknown illness.
Madea's daughter-in-law is named Myrtle, portrayed by Tamela Mann, who only appears in Diary of a Mad Black Woman the play (but appears more than once in the film series). This may be because Tamela Mann takes over the role as Madea's daughter Cora Simmons in later plays, thus, limiting Myrtle to off-stage appearances such as having characters speak to her on the phone (such as in I Can Do Bad All by Myself). In the film, she is portrayed by the elderly actress Cicely Tyson, enabling her to appear more than once in the film version. In both versions, Myrtle is the wife of William, Madea's only son, and the mother of Helen, Jackie, and Gina, all whom have either appeared or been mentioned in one of the plays(though, only Helen is known to exist in the movie). Her background and age, however, differ in the play and the movie. In the play time line, Myrtle is in her fifties and may have lived in her own house. She and William were very young when their oldest, Helen, was born due to the fact that there would be a less than twenty year difference in their age between Helen's (mid-late 30s) and Madea's (68). In the film time line, Myrtle is in her seventies instead of her fifties, and she was replaced in a retirement home. Because she and William were older when Helen was born(stating she was 39 years old), their marriage appeared to have been stronger, which is strongly emphasized in the 2nd movie of her appearance. She mentioned once that when she was going to tell William something he would say the very thing she was going to say. Myrtle also noticed William's heartbeat matched hers. Myrtle also mentioned that before all her children were born, her mother and her prayed, which she believed enabled her to give birth despite being almost forty.
[edit] Family only in films
The Family Tree is different in the movies than in the plays. Cora is still Madea's daughter, but appears to have no daughters anymore based on them never being shown or referenced in the film series. While Helen remains the same, her mother, Myrtle, is now in her seventies, not fifties. It can be assume that Madea's age and the age of her son, William, has increased as well. In addition to these changes of the original family members, Madea now has a niece named Victoria who has two daughters, Vanessa and Lisa. She has a brother named Joe who has a two children named Brian and Donna. Brian is married to Debra and has two children, Tiffany and BJ(Brian Jr.). Donna is the daughter of Joe who appeared in Madea's Family Reunion and is married to Isaac. Joe's family is the newest addition to the Simmons Family Tree. In the film version of Madea's Family Reunion, Madea took in Nikki. Madea had a choice to either do so or go to jail because she took off her house arrest bracelet that she wore in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Apparently, Madea adopted her permenantly as she appeared in the very first episode of TBS television series Tyler Perry's House of Payne still being taken care of by Madea, however Nikki did NOT appear in Madea Goes to Jail and there was no mention of her whereabouts or where she was at the time, although if the film takes place three years after Madea's Family Reunion, she would be in college.
[edit] Other information
Madea is sixty-eight in the first play I Can Do Bad All By Myself. Her age increases by one year in each play. This is evident by the play, Class Reunion, in which she attends her 53rd Class reunion, making her 74 years old. This would make her sixty-nine in Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Based on Helen's age in this play, she, William, and Myrtle were all teen parents. Because Myrtle, her daughter-in-law, is old as seventy in the film, it can be assumed that Madea's age has increased as well, making her much older in the movie time line.
Madea has had about seventeen husbands, one by the name of Jimmy and Jonny, who was Madea's second husband. When each dies, she collects the Life insurance checks. Madea either shoots or poisons them by sweet potato pie, those for whose death she is unwilling to wait. After each husband dies, they are buried quickly. Madea claims, "I'm tryna get to the insurance company by five, and the casino by nine!"
In spite of her less-than-glowing reputation with her marriages and the law, Madea helps women realize how badly they get treated by men, instructs them on what to do about the mistakes they have made in their life choices, and leads them towards the path of forgiveness and moving on. Madea also helps others shed some light on their own life instead of looking at someone else's. On numerous occasions she has accepted family members into her home out of her own accord, including granddaughter Helen (Diary of a Mad Black Woman The Movie), granddaughter Vianne (I Can Do Bad All By Myself), Vanessa and her two kids (Madea's Family Reunion), and ex-convict Bobby Mitchell(I Can Do Bad All By Myself).
Madea's home is a spacious, early-1900s style house on a street corner at 1197 Avon Avenue in Southwest Atlanta, Georgia. There are at least five bedrooms, and Joe sleeps in a room downstairs(When Madea answers the door at night in Diary of a Mad Black Woman The movie). The kitchen is on the left when one walks in the house, and beyond that is the living room, where Joe can usually be found. To Madea's annoyance, Mr. Leroy Brown is her next-door neighbor, and has a barking dog that Madea gets tired of and at one point fed a whole bottle of sleeping pills. Also, Madea's best friend, Ella Kincaid, is Madea's next-door neighbor also. Outside, the yard is fenced and Madea's green 1970 Cadillac is parked on the street. Joe cannot drive.
[edit] Madea on television
Madea has made occasional appearances on the TBS television series Tyler Perry's House of Payne. Again, Madea resides in Atlanta, and serves as the adopted mother to Nikki. Madea first encounters the Payne family when her adopted daughter has an altercation at school with Curtis Payne's great-nephew Malik. Curtis takes a particular disliking to Madea, who—as expected—is not intimidated by Curtis at all. Ever since, Curtis has become afraid of Madea and has nightmares about her.
A year later, Curtis tries to stop everyone from having the Christmas spirit so when Curtis falls asleep he dreams that Madea is the ghost of past, present, and future, and she tries to teach him a lesson.
About another year later, Curtis' wife Ella chastises him for taking her for granted. That night Curtis has an extended nightmare where he is married to Madea instead of Ella.
On another TBS series, "Meet The Browns", Madea is made fun of many times by Mr. Brown, and mentioned many times by daughter Cora.
[edit] In books
Perry has written a book in the character's persona entitled Don't Make A Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Love And Life, which was published April 11, 2006.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] See also
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