Willie Maxine Perry died she was 64, American mother of filmmaker Tyler Perry.

Filmmaker Tyler Perry's mother, the inspriration for his "Madea" character, passed yesterday away at age 64 according to a message Perry's website. Willie Maxine Perry died she was 64.
Feb. 12, 1945 Dec 8, 2009

Mr. Perry gained popularity over the years playing Madea, the antithesis of the sweet old granny, in a dozen stage plays and films including Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea Goes to Jail, and the recent I Can Do Bad All by Myself.

In one of his most recent efforts Mr. Perry, 40, co-produced the film Precious with Oprah Winfrey. Mr. Perry, whose films have grossed almost $400 million worldwide, will appear tonight on ABC in a pre-recorded interview with Barbara Walters as part of Walters' The 10 Most Facinating People of 2009 special.

"When my mother was trying to protect me from my father, she started taking me everywhere with her. If I made one more trip to Lane Bryant I would have just died! She took me to the hair salon, all these women would get together and have their card games ... it gave me a sense of, a different sensibility toward women," Mr. Perry tells Ms. Walters in the interview.