Madea's Tyler Perry Vows to Reconstruct Georgia Senior's Lost Home

Rosa Lee Ransby, a resident of Coweta County, Georgia (just southwest of Atlanta), escaped the blaze with her four-year-old great-granddaughter. But her 40-year home was demolished.

Tyler Perry, a professing Christian who lost his own mother just over a year ago, learned of the plight of the uninsured senior by watching a local television report. Coweta County fire safety officials issued a plea for donations to help the suddenly homeless senior.

So Tyler Perry stepped in to offer some welcome holiday goodwill. Rosa Lee Ransby's own house of pain will be made new by the "House of Payne" star.

Medea Simmons became Santa in Atlanta for 2010.

The comic, actor and filmmaker has offered to pay for the woman's home construction costs (on the same site). Tyler Perry has also promised to cover her rental costs in a nearby apartment during the process, as well as her utilities and new furniture.

Groundbreaking for Rosa Lee Ransby's new home, underwritten by Tyler Perry, is scheduled to take place in January 2011.

Tyler Perry, according to certain published reports, earned $125 million last year. The African-American movie and television mogul purchased his own Georgia estate, a 58-acre parcel estimated to be worth $7.6 million, in August 2010.

Who is Tyler Perry?

Tyler Perry (41) is a popular and often inspirational entertainer, having produced and appeared in multiple television series and motion pictures.

Raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, with humble beginnings, Tyler Perry overcame abuse and poverty to become an A-list actor, comedian and filmmaker.

Tyler Perry's movies, featuring the wildly appealing and wisecracking matriarch Mabel (Madea) Simmons, include "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" (2005), "Madea's Class Reunion" (2003), "Madea's Family Reunion" (2005), "Madea Goes to Jail" (2005). Additional Tyler Perry films are "Daddy's Little Girls, "The Family That Preys," "For Colored Girls," "Meet the Browns" and "Why Did I Get Married." Tyler Perry's next film, "Madea's Big Happy family," is due in April 2011.

On television, Tyler Perry has appeared on "Tyler Perry's House of Payne."

He has also penned musicals, such as "I Can Do Bad All By Myself," "I Know I've Been Changed" and "Woman Thou Art Loosed" (with Texas pastor and bishop T.D. Jakes).

Tyler Perry's circle of personal friends includes comedienne and actress Whoopi Goldberg, comedian and radio personality Steve Harvey, singer Janet Jackson, television personality Oprah Winfrey and more.

Sharing both his income and his influence, Tyler Perry has been involved in such philanthropic works as Covenant House, Feeding America, Hosea Feed the Hungry, the NAACP, Project Adventure, the Tyler Perry Foundation and his own Perry Place organization to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Tyler Perry has also helped to build multiple churches, primarily in the south.

Tyler Perry has received BET honors, Black Reel Awards, a Helen Hayes Theatre Award, Movie Guild Awards, MTV Movie Awards, the NAACP Chairman's Award (2010), NAACP Image Awards, Quill Awards and more.