What was the first film that Tyler Perry's character Madea appeared in?

The 2005 film "Diary of a Mad Black Woman" is an American romantic comedy drama that was directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. It was inspired by the play "Diary of a Mad Black Woman", and it was the debut feature film of Perry, in addition to being the first entry in the "Madea" film franchise. This film was produced by Perry and Reuben Cannon and stars Perry alongside Kimberly Elise, Steve Harris, Shemar Moore, and Cicely Tyson. The film tells the story of a woman who is thrown out of her house by her husband on their 18th wedding anniversary. She moves in with her grandmother. This was the only Perry scripted film not to be directed by Tyler Perry.

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman" was released theatrically by Lionsgate Films on February 25, 2005. The film received mostly negative reviews from film critics, but it was a good box office success with movie fans. It grossed $50.7 million worldwide against a $5.5 million production budget.

The sequel, "Madea's Family Reunion", was released on February 24, 2006.