Actress and filmmaker Funke Akindele has responded to an X user who said that her movies mirror the storytelling style of Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry.
The conversation started after Akindele shared a post explaining that she has never been ashamed of her humble beginnings and acknowledged Perry as one of the people who shaped her journey as a filmmaker.
She wrote:
“I’ve never been ashamed of my humble beginnings, and I never will be. Tyler Perry is one of my role models and I learnt a lot from watching his films, especially when it came to storytelling and writing. There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning from someone you admire. In fact, that’s how many great journeys begin.
Over the years, I broadened my knowledge, attended workshops, sharpened my craft through experience, and found my own voice. And I’m still learning because growth never stops.
Today, many upcoming filmmakers say they’ve learnt from my work, and I’m truly grateful for that. That’s how creativity is passed on. We learn, we grow and we inspire others.
Never be ashamed of where you started. Keep learning. Keep growing. 👍”.
Reacting to her post, an X user commented that while learning from an idol is normal, she should also move beyond some of the storytelling patterns associated with Perry’s films.
The user wrote:
“Critics are being very mean, but there is a reason why they share those opinions. Tyler Perry, while an extraordinary filmmaker, has a tendency to overstretch some themes in his movies. It is also prevalent in your own movies to pick one theme and flog it to exhaustion.
For character development, it seems you play three different versions of yourself in every movie: variations of Jennifer, boss lady, or suffering woman. You probably picked up that habit subconsciously from consuming too much Tyler Perry. It’s either Madea (funny boss woman) or Straw/Acrimony (suffering black woman).
The point is you can pay homage to your idols, but you have to improve on their flaws, not imitate them”, he wrote.
Funke, however, dismissed the comparison with a brief reply, asking whether the critic had watched some of Perry’s earlier films.
She responded:
“Seen I CAN DO BAD ALL BY MYSELF!!! or DIARY OF A MAD BLACK WOMAN!!!!”
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