While attempting to begin filming the second season of his BET Plus series All the Queen’s Men, Tyler Perry (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Alex Cross) has enacted his own vaccine mandate for all cast and crew members who work with his production studio. This decision comes after pre-production tests showed a startling number of positive cases.
According to Deadline, Perry’s new vaccine policy will be strictly enforced with Tyler Perry Studios independently checking and verifying that a person’s vaccination status is legit in the government’s eyes and not, for example, a fake vaccination card.
Perry has been a strong proponent of vaccinations since he was vaccinated in January 2021. Afterward, he promoted vaccinations to his fanbase on his social media platforms and during different interviews to promote his projects. Perry even held a vaccination drive at Tyler Perry Studios after reopening production in April 2021.
Perry spoke with Deadline, saying that he was prompted to act as the head of an independent studio after Hollywood’s unions made a plan that further promoted social distancing in certain zones while filming. This plan did not, however, create a Hollywood-wide vaccination mandate.
“Between the conflicting rules of the CDC and the unions, as an independent studio, it’s difficult to navigate and operate efficiently,” Perry told Deadline. “I wish they were on the same page, but I also understand the complexities of a pandemic that changes daily.”
Perry actually has been on the front line of COVID-19 safety policies since April 2020, when he was one of the first producers to create a plan to restart production safely. His extensive protocols were being implemented months before Hollywood would follow suit.