Guest Stars on Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
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- Actress
- Soundtrack
Charlayne Woodard is a dazzling force in American theater, captivating audiences with her exceptional talent as both an actress and playwright. With two Obie Awards under her belt, and nominations for the highly prestigious Tony and Drama Desk Awards, she has solidified her place as one of the most acclaimed performers of our time.
Her writing and performing skills shine in her four solo plays, Pretty Fire, Neat, In Real Life, and The Nightwatcher, which have received widespread critical acclaim. But Woodard's talent doesn't stop there - she has also written two multi-character plays, Flight and The Garden, further showcasing her versatility and range as a writer.
Woodard has also starred in original plays written by some of the biggest names in contemporary theater, including Susan-Lori Parks, Lynn Nottage, George C. Wolfe, Jeremy O. Harris, Brandon-Jacobs Jenkins, Athol Fugard, David Adjmi, and Ariel Dorfman. She's graced the silver screen as well, appearing in films directed by the likes of M. Night Shyamalan, Milos Foreman, Louis Malle, John Schlesinger, Nicolas Hytner, Wim Wenders, Robert Townsend, and John Sayles.
In addition to her stage and screen work, Woodard has also made an impact on television, appearing in numerous shows and even making a memorable performance on The Johnny Carson Show. She made history by becoming the first black actress to play Cinderella on TV or in film.
Charlayne Woodard's talent and versatility make her a true standout in the world of theater and beyond. With her fearless performances and captivating writing, she continues to captivate audiences and inspire the next generation of performers.- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
DJ Jazzy Jeff was born on 15 January 1965 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Strange Days (1995) and The Parent Trap (1998). He has been married to Lynette C. Jackson since 31 July 2010. They have two children.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Vernee Watson was born on 28 September 1949 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Christmas with the Kranks (2004), The Kid (2000) and General Hospital (1963). She was previously married to Van Johnson and Joe Duckett.- Actress
- Music Department
- Producer
Jenifer Lewis is one of Hollywood's most familiar faces, with more than 300 appearances in film and television. Dubbed a "national treasure" by TV Guide.com, Jenifer stars on the hit show Black-ish (ABC), where her hilarious portrayal of "Ruby Johnson" earned her a nomination for the 2016 Critics Choice Award.
Jenifer's most recent movies include The Wedding Ringer, Think Like A Man, Think Like A Man Too and Baggage Claim. She delivered legendary performances as Tina Turner's mother in What's Love Got to Do With It and in The Preacher's Wife as the mother of Whitney Houston's character. Jenifer starred opposite Matt Damon in Clint Eastwood's Hereafter and for director Tyler Perry, Jenifer created unforgettable characters in Madea's Family Reunion and Meet the Browns. In the movie Castaway, Jenifer portrayed Tom Hanks' boss. In animated films, Jenifer's uniquely recognizable voice is adored by Disney fans worldwide in roles such as "Flo" in Cars and Cars 2 and as "Mama Odie" in The Princess and the Frog.
Jenifer's TV roles have ranged from regular appearances as "Aunt Helen" on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air to guest star roles on Friends, Boston Legal and Girlfriends. For six seasons, Jenifer portrayed "Lana Hawkins" on Lifetime's hit series Strong Medicine.
Although best known for her Hollywood success, Jenifer has enjoyed a wide-ranging and varied career in music and theater. Jenifer has performed in four Broadway shows, including Hairspray in the role of "Motormouth Mable." In 2014, she received an electrifying standing ovation at Carnegie Hall when she sang with the New York Pops orchestra. All told, Jenifer has presented more than 200 concerts, performing in 49 states and on four continents.
Jenifer was born and raised in Kinloch, Missouri. Her accomplishments as an entertainer and community activist have been recognized with an honorary doctorate from her alma mater, Webster University in St. Louis and by the American Black Film Festival's Career Achievement Award.- Producer
- Writer
- Actress
Tyra Banks was born on 4 December 1973 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Coyote Ugly (2000), Tropic Thunder (2008) and America's Next Top Model (2003).- Actor
- Producer
- Composer
Brian Stokes Mitchell was born on 31 October 1957 in Seattle, Washington, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Prince of Egypt (1998), tick, tick... BOOM! (2021) and Ghost Dad (1990). He has been married to Allyson Tucker since 3 September 1994. They have one child.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Keith Bogart is known for Velvet Buzzsaw (2019), American Crime (2015) and Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Johari Johnson is an American actress, director, comedian, screenwriter and producer. She has guest starred in a number of notable television series including Moesha, The Steve Harvey Show, Smart Guy, In the House, Eve, Cory in the House, Mr. Show with Bob and David and among other series. She has also guest starred numerous times on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and the Disney Channel Original Series That's So Raven, each time playing a different character on both series.
Johnson has her own YouTube channel in which she writes, produces and directs a number videos parodying celebrities such as Whitney Houston, Tameka Cottle and Nicki Minaj.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Renée Jones was born on 15 October 1958 in Opa-Locka, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives (1986), Days of Our Lives (1965) and The Bold and the Beautiful (1987).- Actor
- Producer
Michael has recently finished filming Obliterated for Netflix and was recently a part of Paramount + series The Offer directed by Dexter Fletcher and prior to this wrapped a role in the feature Arthur the King opposite Mark Wahlberg.
He was most recently on our screens as series regular Greg Turner in the award-winning drama series Cruel Summer from creator Bert V. Royal (Easy A).
Other recent screen credits include roles in Netflix's Traitors opposite Michael Stuhlbarg, Amazon's You are Wanted opposite Matthias Schweighofer, the lead role in the SKY action-adventure series Hooten and the Lady, features Angel Has Fallen with Morgan Freeman and Gerard Butler, and Luxor opposite Andrea Riseborough.
On stage, Michael's recent work includes All The President's Men?, directed by Nicholas Kent, at The National Theatre. He played the lead role in David Mamet's House Of Games at the Almeida Theatre as well as Harry in the west end production of When Harry Met Sally, opposite Molly Ringwald.
Other notable roles include BBC drama Upstairs Downstairs, Silent Witness, and the BBC comedy Love Soup opposite Tamsin Grieg. As a producer, he co-created and starred in the Fox pilot Played opposite Vanessa Kirby.
Michael was born in the Bronx, New York.- Darryl Sivad is known for A Cinderella Story (2004), 500 Days of Summer (2009) and The Guilt Trip (2012).
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Named one of People Magazine's highly coveted 50 Most Beautiful in 2014, Haitian-born actress Garcelle Beauvais immigrated to the United States at the age of seven with her mother and sisters, and has since charmed audiences with her dramatic and comedic abilities. A seasoned actress, Garcelle Beauvais starred in the indie film, "A Girl Like Grace," from executive producer Dan Garcia.
Garcelle was also seen as the host of "Window Warriors," a store front skill-based design reality series on GSN. Her latest film role includes starring alongside Michael Keaton in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."
In addition to all of the above, Garcelle served as host on Fox's daytime talk-show, Hollywood Today Live, where she breaks down the latest in entertainment, pop culture, and celebrity news. Above all, Garcelle's most important job is being a mother. She has been inspired by motherhood to write a children's book series entitled 'I AM,' addressing identity issues relevant to many children today.
Garcelle got her start when she began modeling at the age of seventeen and easily transitioned to acting in the Aaron Spelling series "Models, Inc." After that, she co-starred opposite Jamie Foxx for five years on the popular WB sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show." For four seasons she also starred on the highly rated Emmy© Award-winning series "NYPD Blue." In between her acting projects, she also co-hosts for shows like E!'s "Fashion Police" and "Access Hollywood Live" on NBC.
Garcelle supports the Step Up Women's Network, a national non-profit that empowers women and girls to be strong and reach their full potential. She is also active with March of Dimes and Fonkoze. She resides in Los Angeles and has three sons, Oliver, Jax and Jaid.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
Felton Perry was born on 11 September 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for RoboCop 3 (1993), Magnum Force (1973) and RoboCop (1987).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nicole "Nikki" Bilderback grew up in Dallas, Texas as an all-American girl. She was born in Seoul, Korea but is a mix of Korean, Japanese and Chinese, giving her a versatile Asian-American look. Nikki was adopted as a newborn by Jim and Lois Bilderback. Being the youngest child and only daughter, she started dance training at the young age of 3 years old. She is proficient in all styles of dance- specializing in lyrical, modern, contemporary, ballet and hip/hop. Nikki is a major fitness buff and enjoys spin, high intensity interval training and is well experienced in kick boxing and mixed martial arts, enabling her to perform her own stunts.
Ms. Bilderback has made her mark recurring on popular tv shows such as BROOKLYN NINE-NINE, NCIS: NEW ORLEANS, THE ROOKIE, GOOD GIRLS, BONES, PERCEPTION, THE MENTALIST, HUMAN TARGET, CASTLE, NUMB3RS, HOUSE, HEROES, WITHOUT A TRACE, DAWSON'S CREEK, and DARK ANGEL. Some of her feature film credits include Netflix's STAGED KILLER, the action film MERCENARIES, CLUELESS, CAN'T HARDLY WAIT, LEGALLY BLONDE 2, BAD GIRLS FROM VALLEY HIGH, plus many more! Nikki is probably most recognized as the bitchy cheerleader "Whitney" in the blockbuster mega-hit BRING IT ON, starring Kirsten Dunst.
"I am an actress who is Asian-American. Not an 'Asian Actress' and this does not limit my ability, nor should it limit my opportunities to play any female lead character." A role that stands out as the perfect example of this, Nicole was cast as the female lead in the highly acclaimed independent feature film, THE NEW TWENTY. It is a non-ethnic specific role AND the female lead. Being marked by critics as "The St. Elmo's Fire of this generation"- LA Weekly, the film received numerous awards at all the film festivals both nationwide and internationally. In the summer of 2008, she won The Grand Jury Award BEST LEAD ACTRESS at the Los Angeles Out Fest Film Festival for her first female leading lady role. www.thenewtwentymovie.com.
As an actress/writer/producer, Nikki has written a ½ hour single camera comedy pilot based on her life as a Texan-Asian American actress in Hollywood titled, RED, WHITE and YELLOW. Ms. Bilderback has created 3 treatments ready to pitch and sell- two tv series and a feature film. In addition, she is starting to shadow renown directors and hopes to hyphen her talents as a TV director!
Ms. Bilderback was recently seen as "Captain Kim" on NBC's BROOKLYN NINE-NINE. She is currently the no-nonsense attorney "Denise Harper" on Freeform's #1 most watched hit series ever, CRUEL SUMMER. Season 1 of the psychological thriller/mystery is streaming on Hulu. Up next...You will be able to see Nikki as "Lisa Lawson" in the upcoming holiday rom- com, CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF CHRISTMAS, premiering this holiday season 2022!- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Timothy Darrell Russ was born on June 22, 1956, in Washington, D.C., to Air Force officer Walt and his wife Josephine. He and his younger siblings Michael and Angela grew up on several military bases, including Niagara Falls, Elmendorf (Alaska) AFB, Omaha, Taiwan, Philippines and Turkey. During these moves around the world, he graduated from Izmir High School in Turkey, and received his diploma from Rome Free Academy in Rome, New York. Afterwards he attended Saint Edwards University and earned a B.S. in Theater Arts but continued his studies with a full scholarship to continue theater studies at Illinois State University. His first professional job came while he was at St. Edward's University in Austin, when he appeared in a PBS Masterpiece Theater production, but he started to pursue acting full time in 1985. During that time he's been on many TV shows and movies - including The Twilight Zone (1985), Amazing Stories (1985), Thirtysomething (1987), Jake and the Fatman (1987), 21 Jump Street (1987), Beauty and the Beast (1987), The People Next Door (1989), Mancuso, FBI (1989), Family Matters (1989), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), Tequila and Bonetti (1992), SeaQuest 2032 (1993), Dark Justice (1991), Murphy Brown (1988), Monty (1994), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Melrose Place (1992), Any Day Now (1998), The Highwayman (1987), Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), among others.
Along with his television experience he has also played in a variety of films, including Crossroads (1986), Fire with Fire (1986), Timestalkers (1987), Spaceballs (1987), Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987), Pulse (1988), Bird (1988), Roots: The Gift (1988), Eve of Destruction (1991), Dead Silence (1997), Night Eyes II (1991), Mr. Saturday Night (1992), Star Trek: Generations (1994), Dead Connection (1994), East of Hope Street (1997). During his comprehensive acting career he appeared in numerous theatrical productions including "Romeo & Juliet", "Barrabas", "Dream Girls", "As You Like It", "Twelfth Night", "Cave Dwellers" among others. When not acting, Russ finds time for music and film producing. Songs sung by Tim Russ are available on the CDs "Only a Dream in Rio", "Tim Russ", "Kushangaza" and "Brave New World". He lives in the area of Los Angeles where his whole family resides.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
A native of New Jersey and son of a mechanic, African-American John Amos has relied on his imposing build, eruptive nature and strong, forceful looks to obtain acting jobs, and a serious desire for better roles to earn a satisfying place in the annals of film and TV. He has found it a constant uphill battle to further himself in an industry that tends to diminish an actor's talents with severe and/or demeaning stereotypes and easy pigeonholing. A tough, often hot-headed guy with a somewhat tender side, John would succeed far better on stage than on film and TV...with one extremely noteworthy exceptions.
Born on December 27, 1939, John was first employed as an advertising copywriter, a social worker at New York's Vera Institute of Justice, and an American and Canadian semi-professional football player before receiving his calling as an actor. A stand-up comic on the Greenwich Village circuit, the work eventually took him West and, ultimately, led to his hiring as a staff writer on Leslie Uggams' musical variety show in 1969. Making his legit stage debut in a 1971 L.A. production of the comedy "Norman, Is That You?", John went on to earn a Los Angeles Drama Critics nomination for "Best Actor". As such, he formed his own theater company and produced "Norman, Is That You?" on tour.
The following year he returned to New York to take his first Broadway bow in "Tough To Get Help". By this time he had secured secondary work on the classic The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970) as Gordy the weatherman. His character remained on the periphery, however, and he left the show after three discouraging seasons. On the bright side, he won the recurring role of the sporadically-unemployed husband of maid Florida Evans (played by Esther Rolle) on Norman Lear's Maude (1972) starring Bea Arthur. The two characters were spun-off into their own popular series as the parental leads in Good Times (1974).
Good Times (1974), a family sitcom that took place in a Chicago ghetto high-rise, initially prided itself as being the first network series ever to be created by African-Americans. But subsequent episodes were taken over by others and John was increasingly disgruntled by the lack of quality of the scripts and the direction Lear was taking the show. Once focused on the importance of family values, it was shifting more and more toward the silly antics of Jimmie 'JJ' Walker, who was becoming a runaway hit on the show as the aimless, egotistical, jive-talking teenage son JJ. John began frequently clashing with the higher-ups and, by 1976, was released from the series, with his character being killed in an off-camera car accident while finding employment out of state.
Amos rebounded quickly when he won the Emmy-nominated role of the adult Kunte Kinte in the ground-breaking epic mini-series Roots (1977), one of the most powerful and reverential TV features ever to hit television. It was THE TV role of his career, but he found other quality roles for other black actors extremely difficult to come by. He tried his best to avoid the dim-headed lugs and crime-motivated characters that came his way. Along with a few parts (the mini-movie Willa (1979) and the films The Beastmaster (1982) and Coming to America (1988)), he had to endure the mediocre (guest spots on The Love Boat (1977), "The A-Team", "Murder, She Wrote" "One Life to Live"). John also toiled through a number of action-themed films that focused more on grit and testosterone than talent.
He found one answer to this acting dilemma on the proscenium stage. In 1985, the play "Split Second" earned him the NAACP Award as Best Actor. He also received fine reviews in a Berkshire Theater festival production of "The Boys Next Door", a tour of O'Neill's towering play "The Emperor Jones", and in a Detroit production of Athol Fugard's "Master Harold...and The Boys". In addition, John directed two well-received productions, "Miss Reardon Drinks a Little" and "Twelve Angry Men", in the Bahamas. He took on Shakespeare as Sir Toby Belch in "Twelfth Night" at Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare and earned strong notices in the late August Wilson's Pulitzer Prize-winning play "Fences" at the Capital Repertory Company in Albany, New York. Overseas he received plaudits for his appearance in a heralded production of "The Life and Death of a Buffalo Soldier" at the Bristol's Old Vic in England. Capping his theatrical career was the 1990 inaugural of his one-man show "Halley's Comet", an amusing and humanistic American journey into the life of an 87-year-old who recalls, among other things, World War II, the golden age of radio, the early civil rights movement, and the sighting of the Comet when he was 11. He wrote and has frequently directed the show, which continues to play into the 2007-2008 season.
In recent years, John has enjoyed recurring parts on "The West Wing" and "The District", and is more recently appearing in the offbeat series Men in Trees (2006) starring Anne Heche. John Amos has two children by his former wife Noel Amos and two children. Son K.C. Amos director, writer, producer, editor and daughter Shannon Amos a director, writer and producer. Amos has one grand child,a grand-daughter, Quiera Williams.- Producer
- Actress
- Music Department
Often considered hip-hop's first lady, the woman behind the moniker Queen Latifah was born Dana Elaine Owens on March 18, 1970, in East Orange, New Jersey. She is the daughter of Rita (Bray), a teacher, and Lancelot Owens Sr. She came from a police family-both her father and her older brother were cops-which would later influence her rhyming style and life philosophy. Her brother died in a motorcycle accident in 1992. Owens witnessed both sides of black urban life in the USA while growing up. After a brief stint as a Burger King employee, she soon found herself making waves in the hip-hop music scene.
After working as the human beatbox alongside Ladies Fresh, she was just 18 years old when she broke through in the late 1980s with a style that picked selectively from jazz, reggae, and soul traditions, from beats produced by D.J. Mark the 45 King. Her debut single, "Wrath of My Madness," was released in 1988. A year later, her debut long-player, "All Hail the Queen," enjoyed favored reviews: an old, wise head was evident on the top of her young shoulders. The former Burger King employee maintained her early commitment to answering the misogynist armory of some of her male counterparts and, at the same time, imparted musical good times to all genders. Her name means "delicate and sensitive" in Arabic, but she has often been anything but in her rhymes and the messages she sends out through them. One of the most prominent female hip-hop artists on the scene for over a decade, Queen Latifah has also made tremendous inroads in movies, television, and artist management, with her management company, Flavor Unit, alongside her business partner Shakim Compere. A role model who takes the responsibility to heart, Latifah has carefully constructed a fine career for herself-one that is constantly moving upward.- Zachery Ty Bryan began his entertainment career early as a series regular on the ABC hit sitcom "Home Improvement." As Bryan transitioned from accomplished child actor into teen and adult roles, his career flourished with stints on many other iconic TV series, including "Cold Case", "E.R.", " Smallville" and "Veronica Mars," as well as roles in feature films such as "Fast & The Furious: Tokyo Drift", and "The Game of Their Lives", starring opposite Gerard Butler.
After many fruitful years in front of the camera, Bryan transitioned to television and film production by launching his production entity, Lost Lane. Zachery has produced three documentaries and four feature films, including 2018 Sundance Film Festival unanimously voted, The Kindergarten Teacher, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Zachery is in post-production on "Heavy", a drug induced thriller starring Sophie Turner as well as "Skin", starring Jamie Bell grappling with the current racial climate in America; Skin recently sold to A24 at TIFF. He also just acquired the TV rights to "Freeway Ricky Ross untold Autobiography" - the book details how Ross built a crack-cocaine empire in Los Angeles, earning millions per day in the mid 1980's.
Zachery lives in Newport Beach, California with his wife of twelve years, Carly, their three daughters Gemma, Taylor, and Jordana and their son Pierce. - Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Best known for his role as Zeke in Michael Jackson's Moonwalker, Brandon Quintin Adams has been involved in the business since toddler age. Appearing in commercials and print ads, was just the start of his career. At the age of 9, he landed his first television role as 'Peter' in the NBC sitcom, Empty Nest in 1988. As a result, his career soared and he landed roles in numerous television sitcoms (A Different World, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Moesha and Martin among others) and movies (Polly, The Mighty Ducks and The Sandlot among others) through the years.
After having previously taken a long hiatus to focus on family and music, Brandon is now back on the scene to resume his acting career.- Producer
- Writer
- Actor
Jay Leno began his career in night clubs, where he worked 300 nights a year before hitting it big in 1992 with his own late-night talk show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992). By that time he had appeared on television, acted in a few films (American Hot Wax (1978)) but hit paydirt with his late-night television appearances (he made a record number of visits to [error]); for several years, he served as Johnny Carson's permanent guest host on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962). A big, sweet guy with a very good comedy routine, he vied with David Letterman to inherit Carson's seat when Johnny retired in 1992. His victory was well-publicized, but empty, though he did gain a measure of revenge when his show beat Letterman's for the Emmy in 1995. Though he consistently lost in the ratings to Letterman except on special occasions, like Hugh Grant's first TV appearance after his encounter with Divine Brown, he surged ahead in 1996, as CBS plunged further into oblivion.- Bette Ford was born on 24 June 1927 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress, known for Sudden Impact (1983), Valley of the Sun (2011) and Cheers (1982). She is married to Scott Wolkoff. She was previously married to John Meston.
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Victoria Rowell is an award-winning actress, international lecturer, holds two 'honorary' doctorates - a teacher, advocate, mother, and former foster youth. She has been recognized by 193 members of Congress for advocacy work on behalf of education, arts, foster and adoptive youth and parents as well as diversity issues.
Her New York Times bestseller, The Women Who Raised Me, published by HarperCollins Publishers, received literary acclaim. Rowell also enjoys a literary book deal with Simon & Schuster for her popular soap opera novel series.
Rowell is an Emmy-nominated, NAACP-winning actress, who co-starred with Dick Van Dyke in the prime time television series Diagnosis Murder (1993) for VIACOM for eight seasons, as well as starring in Daytime television. Rowell was submitted for a Golden Globe Award, starring opposite Samuel L. Jackson in Home of the Brave (2006).
Other credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and other series. She stars in the movie, Marry Me For Christmas and an upcoming feature, What Love Will Make You Do. She has been in multiple films, starring opposite Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, Jeff Bridges, Samuel L. Jackson, Beau Bridges, Forest Whitaker and more. Victoria is currently filming opposite The Blacklist/Man of Steel star, Harry Lennix.
Born in Maine, Rowell was raised on a 60 acre working farm and learned classical ballet from a book. She eventually turned professional and performed with American Ballet Theater (ABT) II and other professional ballet companies.
Rowell has two adult children, Maya and Jasper.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Richard Roundtree shot to fame as the ultra-hip, flamboyantly-dressed -- not to mention charismatic-- private eye John Shaft. The film Shaft (1971) spawned a genre, two sequels and a series. It made Roundtree a household name, and, for a while, one of the hottest box-office stars in Hollywood. As New York Times reviewer Vincent Canby put it: "Shaft is the sort of man who can drink five fingers of scotch without gagging or his eyes watering. He moves through Whitey's world with perfect ease and aplomb, but never loses his independence, or his awareness of where his life is really at." Rather aptly, Roundtree has been described as blaxploitation's James Bond.
Fame and success did not come at once. The son of Kathryn (a nurse and/or maid), and John Roundtree (employed variously as a garbage collector and caterer), Richard was born in New Rochelle, New York. During high school, he excelled at football and duly won an athletic scholarship at Southern Illinois University. However, he dropped out in 1963 and worked a succession of different jobs, including as janitor and salesman. He became a fashion model after being signed by Eunice Johnson of Ebony Magazine, later posing as an advertising model for a brand of hair grease and for Salem cigarettes. Deciding to give acting a go, Roundtree returned to New York to take drama lessons. In 1967, he joined the acclaimed Negro Ensemble Company, working alongside people like Robert Hooks, Rosalind Cash and Moses Gunn. He was soon cast in several off-Broadway productions and had a first headlining role as boxing legend Jack Johnson in The Great White Hope.
In 1971, Roundtree, then a virtual unknown in show biz, ignited the screen as the macho sleuth Shaft. Slickly directed by Gordon Parks and filmed on location in Harlem, Greenwich Village and Times Square, the picture was a tangible box-office hit, which satisfied both black and white audiences alike and likely saved a struggling MGM from impending bankruptcy. Shaft can also be said to have spawned the blaxploitation action genre of the 70s. Roundtree went on to star in two less successful sequels (Shaft's Big Score! (1972) and Shaft in Africa (1973)) and a series. He reprised his character for a 2000 motion picture which starred Samuel L. Jackson as John Shaft's nephew.
Down the line, Roundtree portrayed a few other robust characters: a Union army deserter teaming up with a crippled Indian to escape a sadistic bounty hunter in Charley-One-Eye (1973), a professional jewel thief in Diamonds (1975) (alternatively titled 'Diamond Shaft'-- a curious coincidence), a treasure hunter in Day of the Assassin (1979) and a Zimbabwean guerrilla in Game for Vultures (1979). By the mid-80s, however, the actor found himself increasingly relegated to the supporting cast as conventional establishment figures, often police or army officers.Television afforded him several good roles, notably in the Emmy Award-winning miniseries Roots (1977) and as former slave-turned gunslinger Isaiah "Ice" McAdams in Outlaws (1986). He subsequently had recurring roles in the cast of the soap Generations (1989) (as a doctor), the drama Being Mary Jane (2013) (as the titular talk show host's dad) and (as a grandfather) in the sitcom Family Reunion (2019).
Roundtree's accolades have included an MTV Lifetime Achievement Award for Shaft in 1994, a Peabody Award in 2002 and a Black Theater Alliance Award Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
Though diagnosed with male breast cancer in 1993 and having undergone both chemotherapy and a double mastectomy, Roundtree bravely soldiered on in his chosen profession and continued to act on screen right up to his death from pancreatic cancer on October 24 2023, at the age of 81.- Actor
- Additional Crew
Garon Grigsby was born in the USA. He is an actor, known for Richard Jewell (2019), Grey's Anatomy (2005) and Space: Above and Beyond (1995).- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Kathy Griffin was raised in the near-west Chicago suburbs, in an Irish-American family. She has three older brothers and an older sister. When her parents retired to California, Kathy moved west with them after graduating from Oak Park River Forest High School, and began trying to break into show business. She performed with the Groundlings, then paid her dues doing stand-up at various clubs until she was discovered. According to her brothers, as a kid Kathy would circulate among the guests at parties and tell jokes. Kathy holds a Guinness World Record for the most televised standup comedy specials of any comedian. She starred in the Emmy-winning reality series Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (2005).- Actor
- Soundtrack
Quite a whirlwind career for the youthful looking Downing with a career on stage and screen spanning well over thirty years.
Currently residing in Hollywood, Los Angeles - David is back on the small screen as Jamaica Joe in the forthcoming TV movie "Island Fever".
He worked extensively on American TV mostly between the late seventies and late eighties. He has not been away for any extended period of time, peppering his CV with appearances on sitcoms like "Fresh Prince Of Bel Air" and hard hitting action drama "JAG".
While a success on American TV, David has not neglected the theater winning a KATY award for best supporting actor in Ordinary people on Broadway, New York.
Quite a career, which shows no sign of stopping yet!!!- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Donald Frank Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on November 29, 1964. His childhood found him moving from city to city with his family: mother Bettye (née North), a teacher; father Donald Frank Cheadle Sr., a clinical psychologist; sister Cindy; and brother Colin. After graduating from high school in Denver, Colorado, Cheadle attended and graduated from the California Institute of the Arts with a bachelor¹s degree in fine arts. Encouraged by his college friends, he attended a variety of auditions and landed a recurring role on the hit series Fame (1982), which led to feature film roles in Dennis Hopper's Colors (1988) and John Irvin's Hamburger Hill (1987).
Early in his career, Cheadle was named Best Supporting Actor by the Los Angeles Film Critics for his breakout performance opposite Denzel Washington in Devil in a Blue Dress (1995). His subsequent film credits include Traitor (2008), an international thriller that he produced, starring opposite Guy Pearce; Kasi Lemmons's Talk to Me (2007), with Chiwetel Ejiofor; the 2006 Oscar-winning Best Picture, Crash (2004), which Cheadle also produced; Hotel Rwanda (2004), for which his performance garnered Oscar, Golden Globe, Broadcast Film Critics and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for Best Actor; Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's Eleven (2001), Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007), starring Brad Pitt and George Clooney; Mike Binder's Reign Over Me (2007) with Adam Sandler; the Academy Award-winning Traffic (2000) and Out of Sight (1998), with George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez, both films also directed by Soderbergh; Paul Thomas Anderson's acclaimed Boogie Nights (1997) with Julianne Moore and Mark Wahlberg; Bulworth (1998), directed by and starring Warren Beatty; Swordfish (2001), with John Travolta and Halle Berry; Mission to Mars (2000) with Tim Robbins and Gary Sinise; John Singleton's Rosewood (1997), for which Cheadle earned an NAACP Image Award nomination; Brett Ratner's The Family Man (2000), starring Nicolas Cage; and the independent features Manic (2001) and Things Behind the Sun (2001).
Cheadle was honored by the CineVegas Film Festival and the Los Angeles Film Festival and received ShoWest's Male Star of the Year award. He is also well-recognized for his television work, including his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr. in HBO's The Rat Pack (1998), for which he received a Golden Globe Award and a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nomination. That same year, he also received an Emmy nomination for his starring role in HBO's adaptation of the best-selling novel A Lesson Before Dying (1999), opposite Cicely Tyson and Mekhi Phifer.
He also starred for HBO in Eriq La Salle's Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault (1996). Cheadle's TV series credits include his two-year stint in David E. Kelley's acclaimed series Picket Fences (1992), a guest-starring role on ER (1994) (earning yet another Emmy nomination) and a regular role on The Golden Palace (1992) He also starred in the live television broadcast of Fail Safe (2000) opposite George Clooney, James Cromwell, Brian Dennehy, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harvey Keitel. He also co-executive produced the TV version of Crash (2008).
His most recent big-screen appearances have been in Antoine Fuqua's ensemble crime thriller Brooklyn's Finest (2009) and Jon Favreau's Iron Man 2 (2010), another mainstream breakthrough where he played Lt. Col. James 'Rhodey' Rhodes, replacing Terrence Howard from the first film. The Guard (2011), an art-house hit directed by John Michael McDonagh and co-starring Brendan Gleeson, followed.
Cheadle stars in House of Lies (2012) on Showtime. Late in 2012, he was seen in Flight (2012), Robert Zemeckis's return to live-action filmmaking. In 2013, he reprised his role as Rhodey in Iron Man 3 (2013). Among his projects in development is a movie based on the life of jazz legend Miles Davis.
A talented musician who plays saxophone, writes music and sings, he is also an accomplished stage actor and director and was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2004 for Best Spoken Word Album for his narration/dramatization of the Walter Mosley novel 'Fear Itself.'
Other notable off-stage achievements include the 2007 BET Humanitarian Award for the cause of the people of Darfur and Rwanda, and sharing the Summit Peace Award by the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in Rome with George Clooney for their work in Darfur.- Actor
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Hank Azaria is an American comedian and actor from Queens, New York. He is known for voicing several characters in The Simpsons including Apu, Chief Wiggum, Moe, Bumblebee Man, Lou and Superintendent Chalmers. The latter became well-known due to the "Steamed Hams" scene. He also acted in Godzilla, The Smurfs and Mystery Men.- Actor
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Kadeem Hardison was born on 24 July 1965 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for A Different World (1987), White Men Can't Jump (1992) and Drive (1997). He was previously married to Chanté Moore.- Actor
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Emmy-nominated actor and director Malcolm-Jamal Warner was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. He was named after Malcolm X and legendary jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.
Warner first rose to national prominence by starring on the celebrated and long-running classic television series "The Cosby Show." His work on the show garnered him a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
As a seasoned director, Warner has worked on a host of television series, including being a regular director [and producer] on the comedy series "Malcolm & Eddie," and also having directed several episodes of "The Cosby Show," "All That," "Keenan & Kel," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," "Sesame Street," and the AIDS awareness video "Timeout: The Truth about HIV, AIDS, and You' [which starred Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall, and earned Warner the NAACP Key of Life Image Award. His short film, "This Old Man," received critical acclaim on the theater festival circuit.
In addition to his television credits, Warner made his feature film debut in Paramount Pictures' "Drop Zone," and was also seen in Warner Bros' Pictures "Fools Gold" opposite Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, and Donald Sutherland. He also co-starred in the independent films "Restaurant" with Adrien Brody, "A Fare to Remember," and "The List" with Wayne Brady.
On stage, Warner has starred in the off-Broadway plays "Three Ways Home," "Cryin' Shame," for which he received the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor, "Freefall" at the Victory Garden Theatre in Chicago, and in "A Midsummer Nights' Dream," at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. Warner received critical acclaim for his West Coast debut of his one-man theatrical production of "Love and Other Social Issues." He will return to the stage in September 2014, reprising Sidney Poitier's role as Dr. John Prentice in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," opening in Boston at The Huntington Theatre. Warner has held this role before, previously performing in the play at Washington D.C.'s esteemed Arena Theater.
In 2014, Warner can be seen recurring on two hit series: TNT's "Major Crimes," and FX's "Sons of Anarchy." He was most recently seen on NBC's critically acclaimed series "Community," and recently guest starred on "The Michael J. Fox Show," TNT's "Hawthorne", AMC's "The Cleaner," and Showtime's "Dexter." In 2011, Warner produced, directed, and starred in the BET original series "Reed Between the Lines" opposite Tracee Ellis Ross.
Warner's voice may be as well known as his likeness, for four seasons he was heard as the voice of the "Producer" on PBS' "The Magic School Bus." Currently, he can be heard on the audio book version of "The Marvelous Effect" published by Berkley Trade, as well as in Simon & Schuster's "Fatherhood" by Bill Cosby. When not acting and directing, Warner is a poet and a bass player. His jazz-funk band Miles Long has performed in several major jazz festivals, including the Playboy Jazz Festival, and has opened for high profile artists including Earl Klugh and the late Luther Vandross, and he recently performed at the historic Apollo Theater. Both of Warner's independently distributed CD's, "The Miles Long Mix Tape" and "Love and Other Social Issues". Warner is set to release brand new music, fall 2014.
Warner currently lives in Los Angeles, California.- Actress
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Naomi Campbell was born on 22 May 1970 in Streatham, London, England, UK. She is an actress and producer, known for Zoolander 2 (2016), I Feel Pretty (2018) and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar (1995).- Actor
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Isiah Thomas is an American former basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, the 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.
Isiah Thomas played collegiately for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a sophomore and declaring for the NBA draft. He was taken as the second overall pick by the Pistons in the 1981 NBA draft, and played for them his entire career, while leading the "Bad Boys" to the 1988-89 and 1989-90 NBA championships.
After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012. In early May 2015, amidst controversy, Thomas was named president and part owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, subsequent to the re-hiring of Thomas's former Pistons teammate, Bill Laimbeer, as the team's coach.- Actress
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Sarah began to study gymnastics and wound up competing on a national level at a very young age. She applied the same focus and discipline required by gymnastics to her acting, which she has been studying for over 10 years. Originally discovered in a supermarket while shopping with her mom, Sarah was asked if she ever thought of being an actress and given the number to call. It didn't take long before Sarah had her first manager and nine national commercials running at the same time for Coca-Cola, Fritos, Hawaiian Punch, and Seven-Up, among others. On her 16th birthday, Sarah landed her first "real" acting job, the lead in a TV pilot. From there, she began guest starring on TV shows such as Baywatch (1989), Walker, Texas Ranger (1993), Diagnosis Murder (1993), Who's the Boss? (1984), and 21 Jump Street (1987).- Actor
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Michael Weiner was born in 1975 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for Once Upon a Time (2011), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990) and High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019).- Actor
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Evander Holyfield is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1984 and 2011. He reigned as the undisputed champion at cruiser-weight in the late 1980s and at heavyweight in the early 1990s, and remains the only boxer in history to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes in the three belt era. Nicknamed "the Real Deal", Holyfield is the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified WBA, WBC, and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.- Valerie Jones was born in 1982 in Tustin, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Family Matters (1989) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990).
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Justin Shenkarow has spent thirty years working as a talented actor and producer in television, film and animation. He has received numerous honors and distinctions including an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his work as an ensemble series regular playing Matthew on the hit CBS show "Picket Fences". Justin was a series regular on the critically acclaimed NBC show "Eerie Indian." He also played the bully Harold on the long running hit Nickelodeon animated show "Hey Arnold." Justin has worked on over 50 film productions including Oscar winning films "Avatar", "Good Will Hunting", "Silver Linings Playbook" and starred on numerous television shows including "Picket Fences," "Eerie Indiana," "Home Improvement" "Z Nation" and many others. Justin's voiced such acclaimed animation films, "Ice Age" "Garfield 2" "Marmaduke," "Barnyard" "Bee Movie" "Shrek 3" and has been a series regular on hit cartoons "Hey Arnold," "Recess," "Lloyd in Space."
Justin spent five years as the National Chairman of the Young Performer's Committee and Board Member of the Screen Actors Guild overseeing 18,000 working entertainment actors. He has deep established relationships with studios, production companies, writers, producers and directors through his longevity and tremendous success in the entertainment industry. Justin is also a consultant for companies interested in new media investments, and he has an entrepreneurial spirit.
Justin has produced and directed several award-winning short films. Justin is a graduate of Stanford University where he received his Bachelor of Arts. He also studied at the Sorbonne in Paris. He has a Master's Degree in Business and was fortunate to receive a prestigious Chinese scholarship award from China to study for a year at Shanghai University in Shanghai, China. He speaks French and conversational Chinese. He is an avid traveler and has visited most countries in Europe and Asia.- Actor
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He is an Associate Artist with Global Arts Corps, an international theatre company, whose goal is to use the transformative power of theatre to bring together people from opposite sides of violent conflict. Also he works with The Children's Craniofacial Association, where he scripted a reader's theatre version of WONDER by R.J. Palacio to be used as a study guide in classrooms all across America to help promote the message of kindness.- Actor
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Shaun Baker was born in New York City, New York, USA. He is known for Grand Canyon (1991), House Party (1990) and V.I.P. (1998). He was previously married to Julie Baker.- Actress
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Vivica A. Fox was born in South Bend, Indiana, on July 30, 1964, and is the daughter of Everlyena, a pharmaceutical technician, and William Fox, a private school administrator. She is of Native American and African-American descent and is proud of her heritage. She is a graduate of Arlington High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, and, after graduating, moved to California to attend college. Vivica went to Golden West College and graduated with an Associate Art degree in Social Sciences. While in California, she started acting professionally, first on soap operas, such as Generations (1989), Days of Our Lives (1965) and The Young and the Restless (1973). In another early role, she played Patti LaBelle's fashion designer daughter, "Charisse Chamberlain", on the NBC-TV series, Out All Night (1992). Her first big break was in the film, Independence Day (1996), along with Will Smith, and also Set It Off (1996). She has earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of "Maxine" in the 1997 motion picture, Soul Food (1997), which netted her MTV Movie Award and NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2000, she was casted in the medical drama, City of Angels (2000), as "Dr. Lillian Price". She has had roles in many other movies ever since, such as: Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999), Two Can Play That Game (2001) and Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003). In 2004, Fox was in an episode of Punk'd (2003), where her pregnant friend pretended to go into labor, but they became angry when a paramedic appeared to care more about taking pictures than delivering the baby. Vivica also took another television role, from 2004 to 2006, as she starred in the drama series, 1-800-Missing (2003), on the Lifetime Television Network. In 2007, she was a contender on Dancing with the Stars (2005) and stayed until she was voted off in the fourth week. In 1998, Vivica A. Fox married singer Christopher Harvest (aka Sixx-Nine), whom she later divorced in June 2002. She also dated rapper 50 Cent, however this was a brief relationship.- Actress
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Actress-dancer-director Jasmine Guy has enjoyed a diverse career in television, theatre and film. She began her professional career at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City. Jasmine starred on Broadway in the original productions of Beehive and Leader of the Pack, and reprised hit productions of 'Grease', 'The Wiz' and 'Chicago' (as Velma Kelly). After years on Broadway and touring the globe, Jasmine landed the role of Whitley Gilbert on the Cosby Show spin-off 'A Different World'. She won six consecutive N.A.A.C.P. Image Awards for her portrayal of the pretentious but funny southern belle. Her other television performances include: 'Melrose Place' (with Heather Locklear); 'NYPD Blue' (with Jimmy Smits); 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' (with Will Smith) and 'Living Single' (with Queen Latifah). One of her favorite roles was that of Roxy, the grim reaper meter maid on Showtime's hit series 'Dead Like Me' (with Mandy Patinkin.) Her most recent role as Grams on the popular series 'Vampire Diaries' can be seen on the C.W. Network. Jasmine has also worked with these great performers and directors in these films and miniseries: Spike Lee's 'School Daze'; Eddie Murphy's 'Harlem Nights'; Alex Hailey's 'Queen', and Debbie Allen's 'Stompin' at the Savoy'. She can be seen currently in the film 'October Baby'. Jasmine has worked extensively in theatre with Kenny Leon, Susan Booth, Andrea Frye and Pearl Cleage. She has starred in or directed many productions, including: 'For Colored Girls Who have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf; 'Miss Evers' Boys'; 'Blues for an Alabama Sky'; 'The Colored Museum'; 'The Fourposter'; 'The Nacirema Society'; 'Broke-ology'; 'Fool For Love', and most recently, 'God of Carnage' at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre, where she also directed the world premiere of the opera 'I Dream', celebrating the life and journey of Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1991, she released her self-titled album on Warner Bros. Records, featuring the hit single 'Try Me'. 'Try Me' was produced by Full Force and features Xcape with Candy Burgess. The song shot up the R & B charts quickly to Gold status, and fueled the success of the album's second and third chart singles 'Another Like My Lover' and 'I Just Wanna Hold You'. In 2004, Jasmine penned the biography 'Evolution of a Revolutionary' (Atria Books), which chronicles the life and journey of Afeni Shakur - Black Panther, activist and mother of slain rapper Tupac Shakur. As a frequent motivational public speaker, Jasmine is called upon to share her story openly with those who may benefit from her trials and triumphs. Her continuing desire to blend balance and discipline with ambition and service continues to fuel her passion for the arts. She has traveled throughout the U.S. and appeared at more than a hundred speaking engagements, addressing diverse audiences at colleges, universities, conventions, corporations, affinity groups, churches, high schools and countless charitable and fund-raising events.- Producer
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Carol Barbee was born on 22 November 1959 in Harrisburg, North Carolina, USA. She is a producer and writer, known for Raising Dion (2019), Dash & Lily (2020) and Touch (2012). She has been married to Carlos Lacamara since 1989. They have two children.- Actor
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J.D. Hall was born on 7 May 1947 in the USA. He is an actor, known for Fatal Attraction (1987), Father of the Bride (1991) and Jaws: The Revenge (1987). He was previously married to Eugenia Wright.- Actor
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Miguel A. Núñez Jr. is an Afro-Latino actor and writer who played Harris Grant from The Family Business, Marcus Taylor from Tour of Duty, Spider from The Return of the Living Dead, Biscuit from Life, and the Voodoo Maestro of Spooky Island from the 2002 Raja Gosnell/James Gunn film Scooby-Doo. He also collaborated with Eddie Murphy in several films.- Actor
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Ron Fassler began his acting career in New York both on and off-Broadway and created a name for himself as a much in-demand actor in radio and TV commercials. The bulk of his work then shifted to Los Angeles where his film and television work continued, until he returned to New York full-time in 2016 to pursue new avenues of work as an actor, writer and director. Among his writing credits are the Emmy Award winning "Murphy Brown" and co-writing with Nancey Silvers, the Lifetime film "The Wedding Wish." He was recently seen in 2015's "Trumbo," starring Bryan Cranston and directed by Jay Roach, and 2017's "The Rebel in the Rye" written and directed by Danny Strong. He is also the author of "Up in the Cheap Seats: A Historical Memoir of Broadway," which tells of his teenage theatre going years, when during a four-year period, he saw 200 Broadway shows, all paid for with the proceeds of his Long Island paper route. Included are up-to-date interviews with a hundred artists who were at work during those golden years, including Stephen Sondheim, Harold Prince, Bette Midler, James Earl Jones, Jane Alexander and many more.- Actress
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Jaclyn Bernstein was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. Jaclyn is an actor and writer, known for The Golden Girls (1985), Family Ties (1982) and Dumb and Dumber (1994).- Actor
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Khafre King is an American stage, television and film actor best known for Hotel Artemis, Black-ish (2017) and Game Shakers (2016). King is also known for his roles in Romeo and Juliet New Millenniun, A Street Car Named Desire, Mark Antony & Cleopatra and Diversity, a play that re-examined sociological atmosphere's of collegiate environments. While attending Drew University, home to the Shakesperean Theater of New Jersey as a Theater Major, King was also a varsity fencer.- Actress
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Tisha Michelle Campbell was born on October 13, 1968 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma & raised in Newark, New Jersey. Her first TV appearance was at the age of 8 on episode #006 of the PBS show, The Big Blue Marble (1974). The show featured stories on the life and culture of children from around the world. In her segment, Tisha was shown playing with her brother, going to school with her mother who was also her voice coach, and singing at a jazz concert in New York's Greenwich Village.- Actress
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Tina Lifford emerged as an actress in 1994 as series lead in the critically acclaimed FOX comedy-drama South Central. In a career of more than twenty-five years, notable credits include Grand Canyon (1991), Mandela and De Klerk (1997), Blood Work (2002), Hostage (2005), Parenthood (2011-2015) and Scandal (2015). Her humanitarian work focuses on the importance of inner fitness.- Actress
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Lela Rochon was born on 17 April 1964 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Waiting to Exhale (1995), Any Given Sunday (1999) and Gang Related (1997). She has been married to Antoine Fuqua since 9 April 1999. They have two children. She was previously married to Adolfo Quinones.- Actress
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Morgan Nagler was born on 24 March 1978 in Oregon, USA. She is an actress, known for Domino (2005), American Pie 2 (2001) and Evolution (2001).- Actor
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Lee Weaver was born on 10 April 1930 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA. He is an actor, known for O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) and Bulworth (1998). He has been married to Ta-Tanisha since 12 July 1972. They have one child.- Actor
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- Judy Prescott is an American actress who has performed many roles on stage and screen. Some recent work includes: Grey's Anatomy, Cold Case, True Blood, and the films Islander and Hit and Runway. She is the author of the book, Searching For Cecy: Reflections on Alzheimer's. In addition to writing, she enjoys painting and sells her work in Los Angeles.
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Vincent Ventresca was born on 29 April 1966 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for The Invisible Man (2000), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997) and Prey (1998). He has been married to Dianne Shiner since 1994. They have two children.- Actor
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Shanga Parker was born in the USA. He is an actor, known for Married... with Children (1987), Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999) and Blue Bloods (2010). He has been married to Anna Rosa Parker since 19 November 2005. They have one child.- Tim Haldeman is a true "Hollywood Kid" having grown up in and around show business in North Hollywood, California. Tim's dad was a production manager for motion pictures and TV and his aunt was the head script supervisor for 20th Century Fox Studios for 39 years. Tim was the first one in the family to decide on a career in front of the cameras. Since graduating from UCLA, Tim has worked in all aspects of performing and acting. He has been a member of the Screen Actors Guild for over 35 years. Tim has appeared as an actor in well over 130 television shows and movies and over 150 commercials. Being an avid golfer, one of Tim's favorite commercials was playing a golfer from the past in the first Buick commercial with Tiger Woods. You might also remember him as the "Good to Go" dad for Taco Bell.
Just some of the TV shows Tim has been on over the years are Murphy Brown, Golden Girls, Family Ties, Fresh Prince of Belaire, 90210, Empty Nest, and Macgyver. You saw Tim play 'Elliot Blair', the millionaire industrialist who dies in the helicopter crash in Universal's Dante's Peak. Tim had recurring roles as "Officer Barker" on The Drew Carey Show and "Mr. Kraft" on 3rd Rock From The Sun and the NBC soap Passions and Skin for Fox Television. He also guest starred on The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, ER and Cold Case. He has co-starred in episodes of Malcolm in the Middle, and The West Wing, and recently in Scrubs, House and the TNT series Heartland. You also saw Tim as a very tired dentist in a commercial for the new PepsiMax. This last year you saw Tim co-starring on Without A Trace, and Eleventh Hour. This coming season you can see Tim co-starring as a flustered dad in the new cop drama for NBC, Southland. Tim is also writing, producing and directing an Internet series for his wife Wendy's baby business (The Pump Station & Nurtury) called Mommie Matters which can be seen at www.pumpstation.com. Tim can be seen hosting episodes with helpful tips for new Moms and Dads.
In the last ten years, Tim has turned his energies to on stage performing as a stand-up comedian. Tim has performed a solid stand-up act all over the country in several different venues. He has been in demand to perform as Host/MC or Featured act at over 25 charity golf tournaments including The Coastal Classic in Wilmington NC, the Children's Charity Classic in Lexington KY, the Mercy Celebrity Classic in Fort Smith AR, and the Inner City Games Classic in San Diego. Tim has also been busy performing at comedy clubs such as the Coach House in Carlsbad CA, Jack Didley's in Kennewick WA, The Pechanga Comedy Club at the Pechanga Casino Resort in Temecula CA, The Comedy Club at The River Palms casino resort in Laughlin NV as well as the Comedy Club at the Palace Station in Las Vegas. He has been a recurring Host/MC or a Featured act at the much acclaimed and long running "Comedy On The Coast" concerts at Chinook Winds Casino Resort in Lincoln City, OR. - Actress
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Nicholle is probably best known for her role as Maggie Sheffield on hit CBS series "The Nanny" or Ryce Newton in Universal's "Beethoven" and "Beethoven's 2nd" feature films.
Most recently Nicholle portrayed Vicky White in the dramatic true story of her jailbreak in TUBI's "Prisoner of Love".
Nicholle portrayed Peter Scolari's daughter, Miriam Loeb, on Fox's "Gotham" and Reoccurred as Brassy Blonde, Maureen, on SHOWTIME's "Masters of Sex". She played the sexually frustrated mother of two, Debby, on the NBC comedy "About a Boy" (TV Series) And a struggling plantation actress, Hazel-Fay on STARZ's "Survivor's Remorse" (TV Series).
She starred alongside Emmy-winner Christine Lahti, in the title role of the CBS movie, "The Book of Ruth", in which she portrays an emotionally abused young woman desperately seeking independence from her over-bearing mother.
Nicholle was cast in the very first comedy series made for the Independent Film Channel's (IFC) "The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman". Starring Laura Kightlinger (The Black Dahlia, Will & Grace), Nicholle plays her very ambitious best friend and partner in crime, Tara Winsel, who will sell her soul to make it in Hollywood.
Other credits include: "Criminal Minds", "Beverly Hills 90210" and "For My Daughter's Honor", "Panic" "The Princess Diaries".
Nicholle was the first actress to ever voice Kara/Supergirl in the animated series "Justice League", "The New Batman Adventures" and "Superman: The Animated Series".
Nicholle was born in Hinsdale, Illinois and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.- Actress
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Born in Copenhagen, Denmark to a Danish mother and West African father, both of whom were doctors. Her career soon started off at age 1 1/2 as a model for Danish fashion magazine called Femina, in which she graced 3 covers before the age of 2.
By age 6 she was put in a school near Interlaken, Switzerland where she quickly picked up a second language; Swiss and taught herself a third; English by watching BBC.
By age 10, she found herself living in frigid Point Barrow, Alaska among the Inuit Eskimos, and slowly but surely picked up their native language of Inupiaq while attending school in 70 below temperatures.
After graduation, at 19 she left her high paying job and bought a one way ticket to Santa Cruz, California-because she had seen it once on some guy's t-shirt while on holiday in Hawaii- to fully pursue her modeling and music career. She was signed to the first agency she went into.
Her first big break in L.A. came when she was requested by Arsenio Hall to be in an episode for his earlier show in the 90's. She was then asked back by him to co-star in another little episode, and a third. From there she was featured in "In Living Color", "The Fresh Prince of BelAir", "Martin", "Jamie Foxx Show" and several other TV shows. Her cameos caught the attention of Director Eric Meza who put her in "House Party 3" as a priestess in the opening scene of the movie. From there the word of this exotic looking Danish sensation soon hit Hollywood and she was being featured in movie after movie due to her infectious bubbly personality and dedicated work ethics.- Mimi Cozzens enjoyed a well-rounded career on stage, screen and television in a career that has stretched for more than four decades.
She was born Mildred Gloria Cozzens in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Glendale, Queens. Of Irish and English extraction, she was one of two daughters born to Milton (Jeff) Cozzens, a Dean of Boys and track coach at Clark Junior High School in the South Bronx and the Police Athletic League, and Dorothy (Pitt) Cozzens, Dean and owner of NYC's Academy of Professional Children in the late 1940s.
She and her sister Dorothy Faith were employed as child models for the John Robert Powers Agency in NYC (Mimi was 3-1/2 when she booked her first job). Her interest in performing was sparked and sustained after she sang and danced on a local TV show called "Teen Topper Revue". Graduating from Newtown High School in Elmhurst, Queens, New York, she studied at Emerson College in the early 1950s before subsequently receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Speech/Drama with a minor in Broadcasting from Hofstra College.
A veteran of the theatre, Mimi enjoyed a wide range of roles over the course of her extensive career -- from comedy ("Born Yesterday", "Goodbye Charlie", "The Man Who Came to Dinner") to drama ("The Last of Mrs. Lincoln", "Children of A Lesser God") to musicals ("Guys and Dolls") to Shakespeare and the classics ("The Comedy of Errors", "A Month in the Country"). She made her Broadway debut in Neil Simon's "I Ought to Be in Pictures", directed by Herbert Ross when she went on for Joyce Van Patten. Her national tours include "The Prisoner of Second Avenue" and "Same Time, Next Year", as well as the original Los Angeles tour of "Tribute" starring Jack Lemmon.
While cast in such New York stage productions as "Her Majesty the King" and "I Could Have Been a Kennedy", she earned distinction as an awarding-winning actress on the West Coast, winning a Dramalogue Award for her work in "After the Fall" (directed by Harris Yulin), an L.A. Weekly Award for her performance in "The Front Room" at Theatre East, and an ADA Award for "Only the Dead Know Burbank" at Actors Alley. Later, she appeared in "Agnes of God" (as the Mother Superior) and "The Dinosaur Within" (as Miss Wells, an aging movie star), both directed by Michael Michetti.
A sturdy utilitarian player, she played various mothers, teachers, judges, nurses and waitresses throughout the course of her career, dividing her time between film and TV assignments. As to the former, she made appearances in Spring Break (1983), Night of the Cyclone (1990), Live Wire (1992), The Pandora Project (1998) and, more recently, Dead Ronnie (2006), the award-winning short Dandelion Dharma (2009), What Would Jesus Do? (2010), Christmas Mail (2010), Mardi Gras: Spring Break (2011) and the forthcoming The Master (2012).
On the small screen, she had guest/co-star roles on such sitcoms as "The Jeffersons", "Seinfeld", "The Drew Carey Show", "3rd Rock from the Sun", "Malcolm in the Middle", "The Golden Girls", "Will & Grace", "Work It", "One Big Family" (starring Danny Thomas) and "Carol & Company" (starring Carol Burnett). Dramatic series work include dramas such as "Police Story", "Knot's Landing", "Columbo", "St. Elsewhere", "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (as a 120-year-old Romulon waitress!), "Providence", "Chicago Hope", "The Practice", "Cold Case", and "Numb3rs". Commercially, she pitched everything from detergents and fabric softeners to cough syrups and headache medicines.
A long-time union activist who has served on the National Board of Directors of both SAG and AFTRA, she Mimi was involved in the historic vote to merge the two unions in 2012. - Actor
- Soundtrack
Tom Virtue was born on 19 November 1957 in Sherman, Texas, USA. He is an actor, known for Even Stevens (2000), Green Book (2018) and Iron Man 3 (2013). He has been married to Alima Khaiser since 1999. They have four children.- Actress
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Sharon Brown was born on 11 January 1962 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993), Legend (1985) and Blues Brothers 2000 (1998).- Clea Lewis was born on 19 July 1965 in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, USA. She is an actress, known for Ice Age: The Meltdown (2006), Perfect Stranger (2007) and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs (2009). She has been married to Peter Ackerman since 11 November 2000. They have two children.
- Allen Payne was born on 7 July 1968 in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA. He is an actor, known for New Jack City (1991), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Vampire in Brooklyn (1995).
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Anna Maria Horsford was born and raised in Harlem, New York. Her parents immigrated to the United States from the island nation Antigua & Barbuda, in the West Indies (then a British colony), during the 1940s. Anna grew up not really feeling American but not West Indian either, just somewhere in between. However, she vacationed in the Caribbean, and this stoked her desire to see the world. After high school she went to Stockholm, Sweden, to attend college.
Her mother always knew Anna would be something big because she was very talkative, and kept Anna enrolled in community centers, after-school programs, church events, etc. She auditioned for the New York High School of Performing Arts and was accepted. As she recollects, "My first big break came when I auditioned at the New York Shakespeare Festival."
Working in many different aspects of show business has allowed her to venture into areas other than acting, such as directing. She also has an Art Institute in upstate New York. Her father was a Garveyite (following the "back-to-Africa" teachings of Marcus Garvey), journeyed to Africa and lived in Liberia for five years. As Anna said, "He clearly taught us to love being black and not be ashamed of being black. We are all warriors and have to work to do."- Debra Mooney was born on 28 August 1947 in Aberdeen, South Dakota, USA. She is an actress, known for Domestic Disturbance (2001), Everwood (2002) and Anastasia (1997).
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Genial character comedian Bernie Kopell is undoubtedly best known as Dr. Adam Bricker, doling out sage advice on TV's The Love Boat (1977) for its entire run of ten seasons and 250 episodes. He once described the experience as "a paid vacation. We got to be in 98 countries". While this may have been his longest engagement on a series, his most memorable comic creation remains the iconic Siegfried in Get Smart (1965).
Bernie was born in Brooklyn, of Ukrainian and Jewish ancestry, as Bernard Morton Kopell to Abraham Bernard Kopell (1905-1965) and his wife Pauline (née Taran, 1911-2011). After finishing high school, he studied at New York University, graduating in 1955 with a bachelor of fine arts.
A year later, Bernie was drafted into the U.S. Navy, happily accepting the opportunity to serve as librarian at the Naval Operations Base, the Naval Air Station at Norfolk, Virginia, and (between 1956-57), aboard the World War II battleship U.S.S. Iowa. He later quipped "I got to read more books than I'd gotten to read at NYU, so it was just a glorious thing for me."
Back in New York after demobilization, Bernie was invited to Los Angeles by fellow NYU alumnus James Drury (of The Virginian (1962) fame). His first agent turned him down for being 'not handsome enough to be a leading man, not ugly enough to be a heavy.' For a while, he earned a crust as a taxi driver and vacuum cleaner salesman. A chance audition for casting director Marilyn Howard (then Marilyn Bodgen) then led to a small part in an early CBS daytime soap, The Brighter Day (1954), as a Cuban bad guy named Pablo. Bernie's aptitude for dialects impressed TV execs to the extent that he found himself typecast as Mexicans or Puerto Ricans in episodes of The Danny Thomas Show (1953), The Jack Benny Program (1950), My Favorite Martian (1963) and The Flying Nun (1967). Ultimately, his innate ability to bring levity to any scene earned him numerous guest starring turns on sitcoms like McHale's Navy (1962), The Lucy Show (1962), Petticoat Junction (1963), The Beverly Hillbillies (1962), Run Buddy Run (1966) and Green Acres (1965).
At the age of 33, Bernie got his first big break, cast as KAOS chief Siegfried in Get Smart by executive producer Leonard Stern. This character, replete with leather jacket, neat moustache and Heidelberg duelling scar, was essentially the primary nemesis of Control agents 86 and 99. Bernie, by his own admission, adopted Siegfried's German accent from an Austrian psychiatrist he was visiting at the time. The character became so popular with fans that the actor would often be asked to sign autographs with the catchphrase "we don't shush at KAOS, Shtarker". A classic line from the episode 'Rub-a-Dub-Dub... Three Spies in a Sub' has Siegfried explaining to Don Adams "As you go through the world of espionage Shmart, you will find that there are the good guys and the bad guys. I happen to be one of the bad guys."
In between Get Smart and Love Boat, Bernie alternated dramatic roles with comic ones, appearing in a wide variety of shows, ranging from Night Gallery (1969) (as a TV executive), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974) (Dr. Gravanites) and the live-action CBS children's sitcom The Ghost Busters (1975) (as Dr. Frankenstein) to the Mel Brooks spoof of Robin Hood, When Things Were Rotten (1975) (a recurring role as Alan-a-Dale). He appeared in nine episodes of Bewitched (1964), variously as the ancient Postlethwaite, aka Mr. Apothecary, the hippie warlock Alonzo, psychiatrists Chomsky and Rhinehouse and the Siegfried clone Baron von Fuchs). Bernie also had a co-starring role in a short-lived 1973 sitcom, Needles and Pins (1973), as a salesman for a ladies' clothing manufacturer in New York. His more recent appearances have included an ill-fated men's room attendant in Monk (2002), a coroner in Charmed (1998), a hayseed in My Name Is Earl (2005), a Holocaust survivor in Hawaii Five-0 (2010) and a senior citizen in the medical sitcom B Positive (2020).
For the stage, Bernie has appeared in Los Angeles productions of Death of a Salesman, and, as a Russian peddler, in The 49th Cousin. He had a leading role as Lenny Ganz in the Neil Simon farce Rumors at the Whitefire Theatre, Sherman Oaks (1996-97). As late as 2022, he headlined off-Broadway, alongside Hal Linden, as biblical characters Lou and Bud in Ed. Weinberger's comedy play, Two Jews Talking. Seemingly impervious to age, Bernie continues make regular appearances in films and on TV, albeit in smaller supporting roles. He is an avid tennis player and has hosted pro-celebrity tennis and golf tournaments with proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer's Association.- Actor
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Erick Avari was born on April 13, 1952 in Darjeeling, India. His credits include leading roles in films from Kevin Reynolds' cult classic The Beast of War (1988) to commercial megahits such as Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), The Mummy (1999) and Planet of the Apes (2001). His comedic skills have landed him starring roles in the Adam Sandler remake Mr. Deeds (2002), For Love or Money (1993) and Woody Allen's only television film Don't Drink the Water (1994). He is also featured in Revelation (2002), The Glass House (2001) and has a starring role in Michael Meredith's Three Days of Rain (2002) and Dancing in Twilight (2007). His long theatrical background has garnered him critical acclaim for several roles at the Joseph Papp Public Theatre in New York City, including his portrayal of Vasquez in "'Tis Pity She's a Whore" and the Broadway hit, "The King and I".
Avari has had the pleasure of performing in some of the most prestigious regional theatres in the country, including The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, Chicago's Goodman Theater and The Cleveland Playhouse, playing roles such as the King in "King Lear" and Joseph Smith in the Mabou Mines production of "The Morman Project". On television, in addition to his recurring role as Kasuf on Stargate SG-1 (1997), he has played notable roles on Heroes (2006), Cybill (1995), Cheers (1982), Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), Murder, She Wrote (1984), NYPD Blue (1993) and several made-for-television films.- Producer
- Actor
Bob Eubanks was born on 8 January 1938 in Flint, Michigan, USA. He is a producer and actor, known for Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992), Payback (1990) and Roger & Me (1989). He has been married to Debbie James since 2004. They have one child. He was previously married to Irma Brown.- This consummate actress enjoys an illustrious career of over three decades. You've seen her in many favorite prime time television shows during the course of those years. From the beginning of her career she has always been quite at ease onstage or on set and continues to move between the two with grace. Her profession began on stage in musical theatre, which has contributed to every aspect of her performance skills. A woman of many talents, producing and directing along with writing original music compositions for underscoring of book trailers can be added to her extensive list of accomplishments.
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany. - Actor
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Hawthorne James began life on the south side of Chicago to tremendously loving and supportive parents Robert and A.M. Alene. He attended Catholic school from kindergarten until the family moved to Michigan when he became an honor student in a public school; a bad mix.
Hawthorne's very extraordinary father was driving himself to the hospital when he passed by Holy Cross Jr. College, stopped in and talked Brother John Driscoll into accepting his son. It was there Hawthone got back on the right path and began to excel again academically. Hawthorne's father passed away two months after he began.
Hawthorne received a Bachelor's Degree in Theater from across the street at the University of Notre Dame and received his Masters degree in Theater from the University of Michigan. Hawthorne taught Theater at Illinois State University when he decided to go to Hollywood to pursue acting and found Inner City Cultural Center and Ted Lange who encouraged him to continue his studies in London, England at the London Shakespeare Academy.
Best known for his role as Big Red Davis in the 1991 film The Five Heartbeats and Sam, the bus driver, in Speed. One of the most incredible roles Hawthorne has portrayed is Victor Romero along with Badja Djola and Alec Baldwin in Heaven's Prisoners.
Once in Hollywood Mr. Hawthorne James headed straight to ICCC where he performed on stage for free, for the love of the art. His nine to five jobs began as a Mailroom Clerk at ITC to a Post-Production Driver at the brand new TriStar Pictures.
Within three months Hawthorne was an executive in the Post-Production Department. Everything that TriStar did went across his desk. It was there he learned how to make a movie under Jim Potter. He learned how to edit on No Mercy and he's uncredited for editing Rambo II.
Hawthorne directed a few MasterCard commercials when Teriq Alexander hired him to direct his first feature film The Stick Up Kids. Another film he directed close to his heart is Lisa Trotter and Hawthorne wrote and directed the film Remember Me?
First cast in a film by Cliff Roquemore, Disco Godfather and Penitentiary II. Other roles he landed include "One Eyed Sam" in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Hood of Horrors, The Doors, Cheers, Amazing Stories and Stir Crazy. Hawthorne can be seen in television series Seven, NYPD Blue, and had a guest-starring role on Frasier as Bill in the season one episode.
An advocate for youth to read and study. As he travels he goes to YTS and prisons to inspire and encourage the incarcerated. He believes I won't be free until you be free. Hawthorne stood up to the motion picture studios to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Day and won the fight. Hawthorne James is an Icon and a Legend. Hawthorne James is an Inner City Cultural Center Alumnus.- Actress
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- Music Department
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman, also known as Raven, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, executive producer, and director. She began her career as actress, appearing as Olivia Kendall on The Cosby Show (1984) and Nicole Lee on Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1992). She starred as Raven Baxter on the television series That's So Raven (2003), for which she was nominated for numerous accolades.
In music, Pearman released her debut studio album at the age of seven, Here's to New Dreams (1993), which saw the moderate commercial success. Her subsequent studio albums, Undeniable (1999), This Is My Time (2004), and Raven-Symoné (2008) saw some commercial success on the Billboard 200 chart. She also contributed vocals to several soundtracks from her Disney projects, including The Cheetah Girls (2003), That's So Raven (2003), and The Cheetah Girls 2 (2005), several of which were certified platinum and gold.
In 2011, she starred in the lead role on the sitcom State of Georgia (2011). She also joined the panel of the ABC daytime talk show The View (1997) from 2015 to 2016. Since 2017, Pearman has reprized her role as Raven Baxter on Raven's Home (2017), for which she was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming.- Actor
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Bill Overton was born on 26 February 1947 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Lord Shango (1975), The Quest (1976) and The Astral Factor (1978). He has been married to Jayne Kennedy since 26 May 1985. They have three children. He was previously married to Kathleen Bradley.- Actress
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Kent Masters King joined the cast of ABC's daytime drama Port Charles (1997) in June of 2003, just a few months after ABC Daytime President Brian Frons announced it was being canceled. Kent was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 5, 1974. She played Julie Williams in the long-running primetime soap Knots Landing (1979) from 1988 to 1992.
Kent earned a degree in Cinema-Television from the University of Southern California. She has made guest appearances in such TV shows as The Parkers (1999), The Steve Harvey Show (1996), Smart Guy (1997), The Jamie Foxx Show (1996), The Wayans Bros. (1995) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), In 2000 she subbed for Victoria Rowell on CBS' soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973).
She made her directing debut with "Manolias Funeral", which won the Black American Cinema Society Award for "Best Short Film."- Actress
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Mother Love was born on 29 December 1953 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Volcano (1997), Mr. Nanny (1993) and Kazaam (1996). She has been married to Kennedy Rogers since 8 October 1972. They have one child.- Kevin was in a rock and roll band in college, the Dave Starky V, and began his acting career in Houston. His break came with The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, a show with which he toured and made his Broadway debut. He lived in New York during the 1980s, toured the country with the stage play M. Butterfly, and moved to Los Angeles in 1991, where he lives with his wife, Theresa Nelson, a screenwriter and author.
- Rose Jackson is known for Dead Presidents (1995), The Crew (1995) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). She has been married to Michael G. Moye since 1996. They have one child.
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Shavar Ross was born on 4 March 1971 in Bronx, New York, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Friday the 13th: A New Beginning (1985), Diff'rent Strokes (1978) and A Taste of Us (2004). He has been married to Jacqueline Ross since 15 December 1992. They have two children.- Actor
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Gary LeRoi Gray was born on 12 February 1987 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Slappy and the Stinkers (1998), Bring It on: All or Nothing (2006) and Noah's Arc: Jumping the Broom (2008).- Floyd Roger Myers Jr. is known for The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992) and Young Americans (2000).
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LaRita "Jazzy Rita" Shelby is an actress, entertainer and media professional. She is former contractor for the Department Of Defense where she hosted & produced The LaRita Shelby Show for Armed Forces Radio and TV Services from 1990-1997. Her spirited radio show was heard in 57 countries, and she was cited by CNN during Desert Storm.
LaRita has several projects in development, and her TV & film credits include The Fresh Prince of Belair, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Martin, The Wizards of Waverly Place, Kings of the Evening and the urban classic South Central.
As a writer & content creator she has worked for Lee Bailey's Radioscope, 1 Plus One Management & EURweb.com, where she developed programming such as Vessels of Hope, Agents of Change, Count on It, Incredible Minds For Incredible Times, The Children of the Dream, The Rising of The Stone of Hope, and President Barack Obama: Hail The Chief- The Dream Comes To Life. Miss Shelby enjoys a lasting tenure with EURweb.com, home of The Electronic Urban Report. LaRita holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theater and Communication Arts from Loyola Marymount University and a Masters in Media & Communication Psychology from Touro University Worldwide where she graduates Summa Cum Laude.
She's LaRita by day, and "Jazzy Rita" by night, but at whatever time it may be she is in motion exploring new dynamics of her career both on camera and off, as she seeks to entertain, inspire and inform. LaRita teaches drama at a mental health facility for teens. She is represented by Media Artists Group for Theatrical & Commercial bookings.- Actor
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Michael Whaley, a California native, has more than 25 years of experience in the television and film industry as an actor, director, writer and producer. He has appeared in dozens of television series and films, such as NBC's Profiler and BET's LA Friday. He had recurring roles on CSI Miami playing Detective Paul Armstrong, as well as CBS' Early Edition as Detective Paul Bernstein. He was also a cast member of NBC's hit series Sisters, playing Dr. Wes Hayes for two years.
Michael has guest-starred on scores of prime-time television shows, including House, NCIS, The Mentalist, The Event, Frasier, The Philanthropist, JAG, ER, Any Day Now, LA Law, Party of Five, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, I'll Fly Away, A Different World, Living Single, and Beverly Hills 90210. Among his feature film credits are A Class Act, The Nation, Fair Game, Retiring Tatiana, and Separate Lives. He has also starred in several television movies, including The Poseidon Adventure, Boy Meets Girl, Running Against Time, and Twice Upon a Time.
Michael began his producing and directing career with the hit comedy Glasshouse, which opened at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. The production received an Image Award nomination for Best Theatre Production from the NAACP in 1991.
In the early 90's he became a partner of Noir Film, a music video production company. Noir Film produced music videos for such artists as Tupac Shakur, Black Pearl, KRS 1, Four Non Blondes and Technotronics. Noir Film also produced several music videos with directors Allen & Albert Hughes (Menace to Society, Dead Presidents and The Book of Eli).
In 2001 Michael began production on his first independent feature film Fair Game, in which he wrote, produced and directed. After collecting several awards on the film festival circuit, the film was released in 2006. In 2008 his second feature Peaches was released for home video and subsequently premiered on TV One in 2009. His third feature Applause for Miss E was released for home video in the summer of 2009 and premiered on BET in 2010.- Lanky, balding, intense American character actor of Puerto Rican ancestry, born in New York's Spanish Harlem. Deserted by his parents, Sierra was brought up by an aunt in a rough, predominantly Irish neighbourhood from the age of six. Though briefly tempted by gang life as a teenager, he took up acting classes after accompanying a friend to an audition and ended up playing Shakespearean roles with the National Shakespeare Company and in the New York Shakespeare Festival (playing, among many other parts, Macbeth and Romeo), as well as appearing off-Broadway. He later said "I would have been happy if I continued to do that for the rest of my life". However, in 1969, Sierra decided to move to Hollywood and began acting in episodic television where he was initially typecast as Latino heavies or cops.
Sierra made his breakthrough in the role of Julio Fuentes on NBC's Sanford and Son (1972), his character the perennial butt of bigoted jokes from the show's cantankerous lead, played by Redd Foxx. He then appeared in the original cast of the police sitcom Barney Miller (1975) as the passionate, proudly Puerto Rican Detective Sergeant Chano Amenguale. Written out of the show at the end of season two, he had further recurring roles in serial television, frequently alternating between comedy and drama. These included the short-lived hospital sitcom A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977), the controversial but hugely popular parody Soap (1977) (as South American counter-revolutionary "El Puerco"), Hill Street Blues (1981) (as Assistant District Attorney Alvarez), Zorro and Son (1983) (as garrison commander Paco Pico, one of the hero's chief antagonists), Miami Vice (1984) (as Don Johnson's erstwhile boss Lou Rodriguez, killed off by a hitman in episode four -- in fact, Sierra opted to leave the show because he disliked Miami) and the science fiction series Something Is Out There (1988) (as Captain Victor Maldonado). His numerous, varied and often highly entertaining guest appearances have included supporting roles as a Native American renegade on Gunsmoke (1955), a mutated religious leader living underneath irradiated New York in Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), a professor of anthropology helping Mulder and Scully track down the Jersey Devil in The X-Files (1993), a Cardassian member of the sinister Obsidian Order on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993), an Italian priest in John Carpenter's Vampires (1998) and an Iraqi gunboat captain in the Rambo spoof Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993).
Sierra made his home in Laguna Beach, California, where he died of cancer on January 4 2021 at the age of 84. - Actor
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Larenz Tate was born on the west side of Chicago to Larry and Peggy Tate, the youngest of three brothers. His brothers are actors Larron Tate and Lahmard J. Tate. In 1984, Larenz and his family moved to California. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers involved in a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center. At first, the boys were interested just to meet girls. However, when they saw classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner get cast in the role of "Theo Huxtable" on The Cosby Show (1984), they began to take it more seriously. From then on, the brothers began getting other small roles. Larenz's career first took off in a Christmas episode of The Twilight Zone (1985), after which roles began pouring in. He has gone on to star in both television series and movies.- Mindy Seeger is known for Junior (1994), The West Wing (1999) and The Disappearance of Christina (1993).
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Lahmard J. Tate was born in 1970. He is an actor and producer, known for Barbershop (2002), Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996) and Rocky Balboa (2006).- Actress
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Lark Voorhies was born on 25 March 1974 in Nashville, Tennessee. She first began acting at the age of two but postponed her acting career until the age of 11, when she appeared on Small Wonder (1985). Lark later starred as Lisa Turtle in Good Morning, Miss Bliss (1987), the predecessor to NBC's popular teen series Saved by the Bell (1989). She later had roles in Days of Our Lives (1965) and In the House (1995), and starred as Jasmine Malone in The Bold and the Beautiful (1987).
Lark also appeared in several music videos, such as Kenny Lattimore's "Never Too Busy," Dru Hill's "These are The Times," and Boyz II Men's "On Bended Knee." She also appeared in commercials for Head and Shoulders shampoo (1998) and Oxy 10. Lark married her husband Miguel Coleman on 9 March 1996 (now divorced) and continues to act and manage her production company.- Actress
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- Art Department
Roxanne Beckford was born on 17 November 1969 in Kingston, Jamaica. She is an actress and producer, known for A Different World (1987), Father of the Bride Part II (1995) and Something's Gotta Give (2003). She has been married to Bob Hoge since 6 July 1996. They have four children.- Producer
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Oprah Gail Winfrey , often known simply as Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, broadcast from Chicago, which was the highest-rated television program of its kind in history and ran in national syndication for 25 years, from 1986 to 2011. Dubbed the "Queen of All Media", she was the richest African-American of the 20th century, was once the world's only black billionaire, and the greatest black philanthropist in U.S. history. By 2007, she was sometimes ranked as the most influential woman in the world- Actress
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Vanessa Lynne Williams was born on March 18, 1963 in Tarrytown, Greenburgh, New York and raised in Millwood, New Castle, New York to Helen Williams & Milton Williams, both music teachers. Vanessa and her brother grew up in suburban New York in comfortable surroundings. Vanessa sang and danced in school productions and signed her high school yearbook with a promise to "see you on Broadway". After winning a performing scholarship to Syracuse University, she left school and tried to make it in New York show business. She began entering beauty contests in 1984, eventually winning Miss New York and then becoming the first African-American Miss America. During her reign, some nude girl-girl photos, taken while she was in New York, surfaced in Penthouse magazine. Although the photos were taken before her beauty contest victories, she was forced to resign her crown. Many predicted that her future in show business was over. She went on to land a recording contract and released several albums, including "The Comfort Zone" and "The Sweetest Days".
Vanessa made her film debut in 1986 in Under the Gun (1987) and appeared in the films The Pick-up Artist (1987), Another You (1991) and Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (1991). She starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in Eraser (1996), opposite Laurence Fishburne and Andy Garcia in Hoodlum (1997) and the box office hit, Soul Food (1997). She also starred in Dance with Me (1998), Light It Up (1999), Shaft (2000), opposite Samuel L. Jackson and Johnson Family Vacation (2004). She starred recently in the independent features, My Brother (2006) and And Then Came Love (2007) (aka "Somebody Like You"). On television, Vanessa starred in such movies and mini-series as Stompin' at the Savoy (1992), The Kid Who Loved Christmas (1990), The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), ABC's revival of Bye Bye Birdie (1995), Nothing Lasts Forever (1995), The Odyssey (1997), Don Quixote (2000) and Keep the Faith, Baby (2002), and she executive-produced and starred in Lifetime's The Courage to Love (2000) for Lifetime and the VH1 Original Movie, A Diva's Christmas Carol (2000).
Her albums "The Right Stuff", "The Comfort Zone and "The Sweetest Days" earned multiple Grammy nominations and have yielded the Academy Award-winning single "Colors of the Wind", from Disney's Pocahontas: The Musical Tradition Continues (1995). Her recordings also include two holiday albums, "Star Bright" and "Silver & Gold", "Vanessa Williams Greatest Hits: The First Ten Years" and "Everlasting Love", a romantic collection of love songs from the 1970's. In 1994, Vanessa took Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in "Kiss of the Spider Woman", winning the hearts of critics and becoming a box-office sensation. She garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award for the 2002 revival of "Into the Woods". She also headlined a limited special engagement of the classic, "Carmen Jones", at the Kennedy Center and starred in the Encore! Series staged concert production of "St. Louis Woman".
She stars in ABC's critically-acclaimed hit series, Ugly Betty (2006), for which she has won or been nominated for numerous individual and ensemble awards, including the Emmy, SAG Award, Golden Globe and NAACP Image Awards. Vanessa achieved a career pinnacle, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her accomplishments as a performer. Her charitable endeavors are many and varied, embracing and supporting such organizations as Special Olympics and many others.- Actor
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An extremely versatile performer in film, television and on stage, Chris is no stranger to the entertainment arena both on and off camera in both comedy and drama.
Film credits include the "The World's Fastest Indian" playing Tina, a transvestite opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins "The Joneses" opposite Demi Moore as well as a lead in the classic comedy "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story". Other credits include "The Lottery Ticket" "Friday After Next", "Sex Ed", "'TRI" and "Jimmy Vestvood American Hero".
As for television, he is in his third season recurring as Hoover on HBO "Silicon Valley" and also on the critically acclaimed FX show "Better Things". Chris was a series regular on CBS "The Great Indoors", NBC "One Big Happy" and on David E. Kelley's series "The Wedding Bells" for FOX and has recurred on the Showtime series "DICE" starring Andrew Dice Clay,"Satisfaction", "Californication", while making his mark as 'Krazee Eyez Killa' on "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He has guest starred on Ugly Betty, CSI: Miami, Hot in Cleveland, Monk, Weeds, and numerous other shows. Chris had also appeared multiple times on Late Night with David Letterman as the angry audience member and has an upcoming self help show "Be a Better Man with Chris Williams" which he created, stars in and produces. Chris has also lent his vocal talents to such animated series as The Boondocks and Word Girl and can be heard on several video games including multiple characters in Crash Bandicoot.
Chris is a successful stand-up, he has performed at several top comedy clubs around the world including: Caesar's Palace, The Improv, The Comedy Store and The Venetian. His innovative routines are included in his character-rich one-man show "Old Blue Eyes Is Black" while also having studied with the Groundlings.
Chris has been coaching other professional actors the craft of scene work as well as improvisation for over 20 years and speaks to children across the nation about the art of performing.
A graduate of Georgetown University, he is a magician's member of the Academy of Magical Arts (The Magic Castle) and when not practicing as a 4ht degree black belt master in Tae Kwon Do or running marathons to raise money for the American Diabetes Association and Eye Bank of New York, he is a board member of the charity Special Kids Network. Chris divides his time between Los Angeles and New York.- Actor
- Writer
- Additional Crew
A Los Angeles native, Phil is a graduate of Harvard-Westlake School, Yale University and The Groundlings Theater and is perhaps best known as one of the original cast members of Mad TV (1995) and as Marvin in Pulp Fiction (1994).
In addition to numerous appearances on stages across the country, in films and on TV, he also starred in and produced the comedy web series Inside the Legend (2012). He has also been profiled for his extensive voice-over work, which includes regular roles on animated series as well as parts in video games like Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor (2014) for which he won the NAVGTR Award for Best Supporting Actor.- Actor
- Producer
M.C. Gainey was born on 18 January 1948 in Jackson, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Club Dread (2004), Wild Hogs (2007) and The Dukes of Hazzard (2005). He has been married to Kim since 2 May 2002.- Additional Crew
- Actress
- Sound Department
Native New Yorker June Christopher was also raised in Germany and Jamaica. She started as a stage actress in New York and attended Barnard College at Columbia University there. She has acted at the renowned New York Public Theater and did "Threepenny Opera" off-Broadway. She was a member of the famed Negro Ensemble Company before going back to Germany to tour with "Porgy and Bess" and doing a television series while living in Munich.
June then moved to Los Angeles where she appeared on dozens of TV shows, including "Now We're Talking," "Rizzoli & Isles," "Close to Home," "JAG", "So Little Time," and "The Jamie Foxx Show." She has also appeared in roles in the films "Misery," "Free Willy II," "Dr. Dolittle," "Blankman," web series "Boxer," and more.
Her heart is her family, husband Michael Haney and her twins Angie and Alex. While raising her children, June became a popular voiceover actor in film and television. Some of her voiceover film credits include "Frozen," "Frozen II," The Angry Birds Movie 2," "Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse," "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "X-Men: The Apocalypse, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2," "The Incredibles 2," "Big Hero 6," "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes," the Shield Computer voice on "Captain America," "Hidden Figures," "The Big Short," and more. She has also been a regular performer for voice on television, appearing often on the series "Law and Order," "24," "Chicago Med," "Chicago PD," "Chicago Fire," "Homeland," "Madam Secretary," "Orange is the New Black," "Power," "Snowfall," "Greenleaf," "The Resident," "Covert Affairs," the remake of "Roots," "Madam C.J. Walker," and others.
As a writer, June has had deals at HBO, NBC, and Motown Productions. For years, she wrote a one-hour, weekly national radio anthology on the history of black music called "Music of the City," which led to a 12-hour history of Motown for radio and a 10-history of The Apollo Theater, which became "Motown Returns to the Apollo" for television.
As a producer, June and her husband, Michael Haney, produced the anti-bullying film "Charity" which won Best Family Film at the Hollywood Reel Independent Film Festival, Gold Remi Award at the WorldFest Houston, Award of Merit at the Accolade Global Film Competition. "Charity" was invited as an Official Selection to the Irvine International Film Festival, Sedona International Film Festival, Kansas City FilmFest, Julien Dubuque International Film Festival, and was nominated for the Best Social Commentary Award and Best Outstanding Cast Performance Award at the Action on Film Festival. She and her family have an anti-bullying foundation, the Stop Bullying Foundation, which uses this film to present in schools, college, and youth conferences to speak out against bullying. Looking to make the world a better place, June seeks to touch hearts and minds in everything she does.- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Born and raised in Los Angeles, DeVaughn Nixon has been working in the industry for over twenty years. He began with roles in "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," "The Bodyguard" and over the years was featured in several TV series including "JAG," "The Unit," "The Game" and more. His father is former NBA player Norm Nixon and step-mother is dancer/choreographer Debbie Allen.- Actress
- Director
- Producer
Kim Fields was born on 12 May 1969 in New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Facts of Life (1979), Living Single (1993) and What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012). She has been married to Christopher Morgan since 23 July 2007. They have two children. She was previously married to Johnathon Franklin Freeman.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Veteran character actor Earl Boen is probably best known for his role as criminal psychologist Dr. Peter Silberman in the Terminator series. Other films which he appeared include Battle Beyond the Stars (1980), The Man with Two Brains (1983), Alien Nation (1988), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994) and Nutty Professor II: The Klumps (2000). Boen retired from screen acting in 2003, but continues his work as a voice actor in radio, animated series and video games.- Music Artist
- Music Department
- Actor
Tom Jones was born Thomas Jones Woodward in Pontypridd, South Wales, to a traditional coal-mining family, the son of Freda (Jones) and Thomas Woodward. His father was of English descent and his mother was of Welsh and English ancestry. He began singing at an early age in church and in the school choir. Left school at 16 and was married, having a son a year later. He brought in money for his family from an assortment of jobs, singing in pubs at night. By 1963, he was playing regularly with his own group in the demanding atmosphere of working mens clubs. Gordon Mills, a performer who had branched out into songwriting and management went to see him. He became his manager and landed him a record contract in 1964. They made a great team and had huge international success with their second single, a song penned by Mr Mills -- "It's Not Unusual." An avalanche of gold singles and albums followed. Mr Jones, a vocal powerhouse, has sustained his popularity for over three decades, and his recordings have spanned the spectrum of musical styles.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Olivia Brown was born on 10 April 1960 in Livonia, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Throw Momma from the Train (1987), 48 Hrs. (1982) and Miami Vice (1984). She is married to James Okonkwo. They have two children. She was previously married to Mykelti Williamson.- Producer
- Actor
- Writer
Hughley is the second of four children. His father was an airline maintenance worker and his mother was a homemaker.
He grew up in L.A.'s South Central where he was a member of the Bloods gang after getting kicked out of high school. However, he turned his life around after a cousin was shot. He quit the gang and got a job as a telemarketer for the Los Angeles Times, where he moved into management and met his wife-to-be. She was the one who convinced him to try his humor onstage. After years of club dates, he was selected by BET as the first host of "Comic View" and subsequently got additional recognition with two very adult-oriented HBO specials.