Tyler Perry Buys L.A. Mansion for $14.5 Million

Actor, writer and producer Tyler Perry has picked up the former Los Angeles estate of inventor Alfred Mann for $14.5 million.

"He came and saw it and fell in love with it," said listing agent Jeff Hyland, the president of Hilton & Hyland. "We were in escrow within a week."

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The 10-bedroom, 11-bathroom home is part of Mulholland Estates, an exclusive gated community in Beverly Hills. The deal was completed in late August.

Built in 1992 at the top of Mulholland Drive, the 17,245-square-foot abode offers seclusion, space and "views of the entire L.A. valley," Mr. Hyland said.

Mr. Perry has several additional residences, including one just a few miles away, Mr. Hyland said. The 47-year-old New Orleans-native is known for his ongoing role of Madea, whom audiences will meet again next year in "Tyler Perry's a Madea Family Funeral," and many other projects.

Mann, a prolific physicist, entrepreneur and philanthropist, used the home until he died in 2016 at 90 years old. Over the years, Mann helped develop and fund several medical technologies to help the treatment of diabetes, cancer and other diseases, as well as drug delivery systems and other innovations.

The estate is four acres, which includes a one-acre playground for kids, plus "a koi pond that starts outside and comes inside...all the way to the entrance," Mr. Hyland said.

The home itself was a "very modern house for the time," Mr. Hyland said. "He tinkered with it." For example, "at the push of one button, an entire wall of glass would go opaque. That’s common now, but it was cutting edge at the time."

The playground includes a pool with a rock sculpture, waterfall and grotto, plus water slides. There’s also a tennis court, and an outdoor entertaining area where musicians like opera singer Andrea Bocelli and composer David Foster have performed, according to Mr. Hyland. The land is adjacent to the 110-acre Fossil Ridge Park, which is home to many fossils of marine animals.

Floor-to-ceiling glass walls, angled ceilings with pyramid-shaped skylights and a marble staircase are other features of the home. It was originally listed for $29.95 million in July 2016, according to public records.

Mr. Perry may be following in Mann’s tinkering footsteps, according to Mr. Hyland, who said the actor has plans "to restore the house and have a great time doing it."

"He wanted a project," the agent added. "And this is that project."

Representatives for Mr. Perry were not immediately available for comment.

The sale was first reported by the Los Angeles Times,