The Color Purple 2023 (LA) premiere
Wednesday December 6th, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 6067 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
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- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Fantasia Barrino was born on 30 June 1984 in High Point, North Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for The Color Purple (2023), The Butler (2013) and American Idol (2002). She has been married to Kendall Taylor since 19 July 2015. They have one child.- Actress
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Nia Sioux was born as Nia Sioux Frazier on June 20, 2001 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Nia Sioux is the daughter of Evan and Holly Frazier. She began dancing at the young age of 3. Nia mostly danced contemporary and musical theater numbers during her time at the Abby Lee Dance Company. Nia is also a gifted singer and has been in several viral videos. Nia's music videos; Star In Your Own Life, and Slay, have done very well on YouTube. In the summer of 2016, Nia made her Off-Broadway debut in a New York City production of Trip of Love. Nia continues her dance, singing, and modeling. She stars as Emma Barber on the TV series The Bold and the Beautiful and as Sonitas in the film The Code.- Derrick Johnson is known for The Gates (2025), 55th NAACP Image Awards (2024) and 53rd NAACP Image Awards | Colors Behind the Look - Fashion Show (2022).
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Roland Martin was born on 14 November 1968 in Houston, Texas, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Downsizing (2017), NewsOne Now (2013) and Armed (2018). He has been married to Jacquie Hood since 2001. He was previously married to Deborah Duncan.- Actress
- Producer
Sophisticated and hard-working, with undeniable talent, veteran actress KJ Smith's honest portrayals of strong female characters are the true personification of black excellence, leaving her mark on Hollywood as one of its hottest stars.
This year, Smith can be seen starring in the leading role of Andi Barnes on Tyler Perry's highest-rated series for BET Networks Sistas. Currently airing its fifth season, the dramedy centers around four single Black women from different walks of life who bond over their one common thread: "Why am I single?" Smith shines in her breakthrough role as Andi, a high-powered attorney who must navigate her complicated love life in a fast-paced, high-stakes industry with the help and advice of her close-knit girlfriends. Sistas continuously leads Wednesday night network ratings, ranking #1 amongst cable network shows in their hour, with new episodes airing weekly through 2022-2023. Smith's portrayal of Barnes has also garnered multiple award nominations, including the two-time consecutive Best Actress in a TV Series wins for the Hollywood and African Prestigious Awards (HAPA) in 2021 and 2022.
Smith can also be seen starring in the major recurring role of Palomar in season two of the top-rated Power prequel series, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, on STARZ. From creator and showrunner Sascha Penn, Power Book III: Raising Kanan takes viewers back to the '90s and the early years of the now-deceased Kanan Stark, portrayed in Courtney Kemp's original series by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson. Palomar is one of Famous' (Antonio Ortiz) new neighbors and a young mom frequently mistaken for her daughter, Corinne's older sister. Any responsible parent wouldn't let their daughter within a mile of Kanan, Famous, and their friends, but Palomar is seemingly not that parent.
Additional television credits for Smith in top-rated network and cable television include the CW's fan-favorite drama series, Dynasty, Issa Rae's Giants, CBS' NCIS: Los Angeles, ABC's Black-ish, Freeform's The Fosters, Fox's Lethal Weapon, Netflix's Fuller House, three-season recurring roles on Bounce TV's Family Time and BET's The Family Business, Netflix's Family Reunion and #BlackAF, CBS' All Rise, and ABC's legal drama The Fix, where Smith starred as the quick-witted paralegal, Charlie.
In her most challenging role in film, Smith recently starred in the lead role in The Available Wife (2020) as Nicole Wright, a beautiful and successful music CEO whose life is on the verge of crumbling when money, affairs, power, and deception collide.
Other credits include Netflix's Fatal Affair (2020), Lionsgate's A Madea Family Funeral (2019) opposite world-renowned director, screenwriter and actor Tyler Perry, and Baker's Man and Throwback Holiday.
Offscreen, KJ is fashion fearless. Her divinely feminine and classic red carpet glamour tops fashion's best-dressed lists for bold and eye-catching celebrity styles. With a commitment to preserving the legacy of Black excellence through HBCU education and community, Smith partners for impact tours and commencement addresses with historically black colleges and universities nationwide. And through her advocacy for mental health, Smith uses her platform to share life experiences and her journey to mental wellness and volunteers with the Youth Emerging Stronger foundation to spark positive change.
Smith currently resides in Los Angeles, CA, with her fiance' and former co-star, Skyh Black, and their beloved toy poodle, Billionaire Black.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Producer
Natasha Cobbs Leonard is known for Kingdom Business (2022), 38th Annual Stellar Gospel Music Awards (2023) and Eggs Over Easy (2022). She has been married to Kenny Leonard since 3 March 2017. They have three children.- Patrick Starrr is known for Mainstream (2020), Face Forward Master Class (2019) and MAX & Chromeo: Checklist (2019).
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Producer
Ms. Carter won 2 Oscars for Costume Design for Black Panther and Wakanda Forever, making history as the first African-American in that category. She also made history being the first African-American woman to win multiple Oscars in any category. A 4-time Academy Award nominee also for Malcolm X and Amistad, she has 50 feature film credits including Do the Right Thing, The Butler, Selma, and Marshall and received the 2019 Costume Designers Guild Career Achievement Award.- Additional Crew
- Actor
From his infant seat at 8 months bopping his head to a Philly radio station, to his high school drumline days, to choreographing for megastar Beyonce Knowles, Sean Bankhead has had his touch on the rhythm of his life from the beginning.
Music has always been the blood that pumps in Sean Bankhead's veins and through his heart. He has always been inspired by great musicians from Michael Jackson to Sade to Missy Elliott, and dreamt that his talents would be as influential as those artists are to the world.
Sean has always created his own lane and has always had an entrepreneurial heart. After his first dance video uploaded to YouTube in 2006, which had over 1.5 million views, Sean noticed he could inspire other dancers with his talent and gift for dance and choreography. Music speaks to all ages, races and cultures and Sean's vision has always been to have his work recognized and enjoyed like the lyrics of a great song. He wants the world to know his "groove" to whatever song he's worked on, which we are all familiar with Sean's viral grooves such as Migos BET Hip Hop Awards Performance "Too Hotty" Challenge and STAR on Fox's "Bossy" Challenge with Keke Palmer.
Sean's ambition, talent, and skill had allowed him to expand his repertoire to work with talents such as Beyonce Knowles, Britney Spears, Diddy, Miley Cyrus, Donna Summer, Drake, and Fifth Harmony, and now is credibly known for his recent choreography for Missy Elliott, Fifth Harmony's Normani Kordei, Lee Daniel's STAR on Fox, and Lena Waithe and Halle Berry's Boomerang on BET.
Sean is known to be instrumental in building new artists with his creative movement and direction seen in the careers of OMG Girls, Fifth Harmony, and now Normani, all the way to now choreographing for the Queen of creative visuals Missy Elliott. Sean continues to push the limit of going over and beyond of what is "in the now" but instead "creates the now" as he continues his journey as a Choreographer/Creative Director, Director, and Entrepreneur.- Any Gabrielly Rolim Soares was born in Guarulhos, São Paulo on October 9, 2002. She is a Brazilian singer, dancer, composer, actress, voice actress and model that was representing Brazil in the international pop group Now United. She's now a solo artist managed by Simon Fuller. Her best-known work was dubbing the Brazilian version of the animation Moana (2016), where Any provided the voice of the title character. She also participated in the television series Buuu: Um Chamado para Aventura (2015), playing the character Chica. In 2020, she started a talk show series on her YouTube channel entitled Any Gabrielly Convida (2020), where she interviews various artists.
- Location Management
- Gelila Bekele is a model, and a documentary filmmaker. Her modeling career began in 2006, appearing in leading magazines, beauty campaigns and numerous publications. She is a devoted advocate for young girls' right to equal opportunities in her homeland of Ethiopia. Her mission in bringing a voice to under-recognized global issues has birthed a creative platform that increases awareness and allows for exhibition through storytelling. In 2013 Gelila began her narrative and documentary film career. Her most recent releases at the 2019 Cannes film festival and Berlinale: Mai: Life is not Honey (Director) and Anbessa (Executive Producer) The Model Activists 2017 ( Director) Gelila is the author of the book Guzo! (2018) which documents the daily lives of native Ethiopians. Centering on customs, cultural traditions, religious practices and dwellings.
- Actress
- Director
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LisaRaye McCoy-Misick was born September 23, 1967 in Chicago, Illinois. She is of African American and Native American descent and is proud of her heritage. She later attended Eastern Illinois University but she never really took the idea of a career in acting seriously until persuaded by an insistent roommate to attend a local audition in Chicago. Her screen debut was in the low-budget action movie Reasons (1996), she received numerous critical kudos despite the fact that the film went largely unseen. LisaRaye is known for possessing a charmingly seductive smile and a distinctively vibrant but laid-back personality. She first caught the eye of television viewers with an appearance on the popular television series In the House (1995). Though the movie never did find a distributor, director Monty Ross convinced the budding young actress to move out to L.A. during pilot season, and she soon landed minor roles on such shows as Martin (1992) and In the House (1995). She also made an appearance in rapper Tupac Shakur's final music video, her memorable appearance caught the eye of rapper/actor Ice Cube, which led to her being in the movie The Players Club (1998). Her memorable performance as a troubled stripper left a solid impression on audiences. Her appearances thus far were impressive, but LisaRaye's career truly began to ignite after her appearance in the movie The Wood (1999). In 2000, LisaRaye found her widest audience yet as the host of Source: All Access (2002), a popular series dedicated to exploring hip-hop culture. She quickly gained a loyal following with her winning smile and extensive knowledge of all things hip-hop. As film roles continued to roll in, she came across her biggest role to date in the 2002 film Civil Brand (2002). A harrowing look into life in women's prison, the film took home top awards at both the American Black Film Festival and The Urbanworld Film Festival. Soon following her little sister Da Brat into a career in music, LisaRaye next began collaborating with Benzino to record a song to be featured in the film Redemption (2004). 2003 proved an equally lucrative year for LisaRaye as she prepared for the release of the Barry Levinson comedy Envy (2004), the female-driven Western Guns and Roses (2000), and her new sitcom, All of Us (2003) which was ran from 2003-2007.- Lawrence Robinson is known for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999), Robbin (2024) and The Business of Christmas 2 (2021).
- Actress
- Producer
Brandee Evans is an accomplished actor, advocate, and businesswoman. She appears as a series regular on the Starz network show P-Valley, in the role of "Mercedes" - a performance critics describe as "wonderfully compelling," and for which she was considered the breakout star of the first season. The hit show enjoys record-breaking premiere viewership and cult popularity.
P-Valley's highly anticipated second season premiered in June, 2022 - breaking the network's growth record with an increase of viewership of over 1,000%, representing the largest season-over-season gain in the history of Starz. The show was renewed for a third season, which begins production soon. Brandee received two NAACP Image Award nominations in the 'Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series' category for her work on seasons one and two of the show.
Brandee's additional acting credits include the independent films Thirsty (2023), and B-Boy Blues (BET+, 2022), and television performances on Rolling Into Christmas (BET+, 2022), A Rich Christmas (BET, 2021), The Family Business (BET & BET+ 2020-2022), Games People Play (BET, 2019), Dear Santa I Need a Date (TVOne, 2019), Lethal Weapon (Fox, 2018), and The Bobby Brown Story (BET+, 2018).- Make-Up Department
Lawrence Davis, a native of Baltimore Maryland, hit the Entertainment scene in July of 2001, and hit it hard. After styling hair for 11 years in his hometown, he sold it all, moved to California, and never looked back. After looking at fashion magazines, television, and movies saying, "I can do that," he made it happen. Once establishing himself as a freelance hairstylist in Hollywood, he knew it would pay off.
Working for E! Entertainment Television since 2002 has opened numerous doors. His next goal was to become a union hairstylist in Hollywood, which he did in 2005. Lawrence came on board The Tyra Show in season one, and landed an Emmy award for Outstanding Achievement in hairstyling for daytime television in season two.
Positive thinking and great networking has been the key to his success. He has styled for numerous clients for movies, commercials, TV shows, ad campaigns and editorials including Instyle, Essence, Harpers Bazaar, Self, Newsweek to name a few. Making people look beautiful. Makes Lawrence feel good and he loves what he does...- Joey Harris is known for Halloween Ends (2022) and Lisa Frankenstein (2024).
- Make-Up Department
- Actress
- Producer
- Costume Designer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Francine Jamison-Tanchuck is known for The Color Purple (2023), Emancipation (2022) and One Night in Miami... (2020).- Director
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Matty Rich Bio
Matty Rich - Producer/Writer/ Director/Actor
Born and raised in the Red Hook housing projects in Brooklyn, NY, Matty Rich, became highly regarded as the pioneer of Black Filmmakers. Rich made his way onto the Hollywood scene in the early 90's. He gained major recognition as, 19 year-old acclaimed writer/director/producer with his award winning film, "Straight out of Brooklyn". After winning the Sundance Film Festival Award, Samuel Goldwyn Films distributed the movie. The film would go on to sweep the award season winning the prestigious Independent Spirit Award, the NAACP Image Award, The CEBA Award, The Big Apple Award, The Producer's Guild's "Most Promising Film Producer" award and the Nova Award. The movie, which was made for a mere $77,000, and became a worldwide box office success and a favorite that continues to play on television to this day!
Matty then landed a three-picture movie deal with Tri Star studios under the helm of studio chief Mike Medavoy. While at Tri Star, Matty developed the First Black Organize Crime family film "Forty Theives" and "Sunset Park" with stars such as Danny and others.
Next, Matty was headed for Disney studios where he was given a three picture deal from studio chief Jeffrey Katzenberg. Matty soon directed the summer splash movie, The Inkwell! for Touchstone Pictures. The star studded cast members of the Inkwell included Jada Pinkett-Smith, Larenz Tate, Joe Morton, Morris Chestnut and many other notable names. The Inkwell was made for on a modest $4 million budget and became a summer splash hit in the U.S box office.
After The Inkwell's success, Matty developed/produced and directed and developed several television and film projects, "Red Hook" as creator/producer/director of the drama series for Warner Brothers TV/Fox Network, the Tupac Shakur bio picture project for HBO, "Subway Scholar" with Whitney Houston as producer for Showtime Networks.
"Tommy Morris vs Ray Mercer" Matty produced, directed the boxing documentary pieces for HBO pay per view, "Free At Last" feature film screenplay for the Weinstein Company and Edmonds Entertainment, "The Kool Moe Dee" Variety Show" for Buena Vista/Disney television.
Matty soon headed for Paris, France where he served as Creative Director and Artistic director for the video game, 187 Ride or Die. Matty lead a team of over 100 artists, game designers and programmers. Matty also wrote/directed the 187 Ride or Die 3D animation game cinematics overseeing an animation team in Hong Kong, China.
After the release of 187 Ride or Die, Matty formed Matty Rich Games, a Los Angeles based gaming development company that creates games for Apple and Android mobile phones and tablets.
Matty hasn't forgotten his filmmaking roots, he is now developing film and television properties that will also feature games under his Matty Rich Games brand.
Matty has been a featured speaker in Hollywood's most prominent Video Games conferences; The Ayzenberg A-List Gaming Summit (2011-13).Variety Magazine's 3D Entertainment Summit (2011-2013) Variety Magazine's 3D Gaming Summit (2010-2013). Matty was also the official host for the AT &T gaming & technology exhibition during the 2014 BET Awards Fan Fest weekend in Los Angeles.- Actor
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- Actress
- Composer
- Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robyn Melrose is known for To Dream (2016).- Producer
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- Soundtrack
Morten Ristorp is known for Fifty Shades Freed (2018), The Reunion (2011) and My Little Pony: The Movie (2017).- Make-Up Department
Carol Rasheed is an Emmy nominated department head with a career spanning across of three decades. Her upcoming work can be seen as the make-up department head in Warner Bros' musical adaption of The Color Purple Reimagined, as well as in David E. Kelley's and Regina King's Netflix series A Man in Full.
Rasheed's most recent credits include the film Three Months for Paramount+, as well as the Showtime series The First Lady, starring Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic).
Rasheed began her career in film and television as a makeup artist, where she worked on several feature films including Craig Brewer's 'Footloose,' Francis Lawrence's The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Solace, starring Anthony Hopkins, and Dirty Grandpa, starring Robert De Niro and Zac Efron.
Rasheed's credits as makeup department head include the Tupac biopic All Eyes on Me, Fist Fight, starring Ice Cube, Charlie Day and Tracy Morgan, and A24's Barely Lethal, starring Jessica Alba and Samuel L. Jackson. Additionally, her television credits include OWN's Delilah and Greenleaf and HBO's television movie The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne.- Actress
- Publicist
Jasmine Sanders is known for D.L. Hughley Uncut, The Big Scoop with Coop (2014) and The D.L. Hughley Show (2019).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Tiffany Elle Burgess is a trained actress, writer, and producer. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Hampton University in 2001 and a Master of Public Health degree from Emory University in 2002. She launched her acting career through the Premier Actors' Network in Atlanta, Georgia, and is represented by People Store Talent Agency. Ms. Burgess has appeared in short films (including the award-winning short film, Glitter Ain't Gold, produced by rapper/actor, Common), commercials, web series, and ABC's The Wonder Years. She made her big screen debut in the film adaptation of the Broadway musical, The Color Purple, in the role of Olivia, Celie's daughter. Ms. Burgess is also a published author. She released her first children's book, Skin Like Mine, in 2016. Skin Like Mine was well received and featured in the February 2017 issue of Essence magazine among other publications. She subsequently released an animated short film based on the book. Ms. Burgess released her second children's book, The Adventures of Junior and Baby Brother: Spencer's Special Gift in 2019 and her third children's book, Decisions, Decisions, in 2023. Ms. Burgess has contributed articles to Huffington Post and Blavity. Ms. Burgess is one-third of the film production team, Tyler Street Films. Her partners, Jack Manning, III and Lawrence "LAW" Watford, are also Hampton University alums. Ms. Burgess has written screenplays for the production company. The trio's short films--Flipped, Catharsis, and Skin Like Mine Animated Short Film--have been screened in festivals all over the country and internationally.- Actor
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Raheem DeVaughn was born on 5 May 1975 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He is an actor and composer, known for A Thousand Words (2012), The Empty Walls (2021) and Underground Kings (2014).- Actress
- Executive
Storm Reid is an Emmy-nominated actress, producer, and current student at USC. With numerous credits to her name, Reid has emerged as one of Hollywood's most sought-after young actors. She recently earned her first Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series" for her work as Riley in the Max hit series THE LAST OF US.
Previous film projects include: TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE (2013), SLEIGHT (2016), A HAPPENING OF MONUMENTAL PROPORTIONS (2017), A WRINKLE IN TIME (2018), DON'T LET GO (2019), THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020), THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021), ONE WAY (2022), MISSING (2023). Previous television projects include: WHEN THEY SEE US (2019), EUPHORIA (2019-), THE BRAVEST KNIGHT (2019), THE LAST OF US (2023).
In 2013, Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson launched A SEED & WINGS Productions, an independent multimedia production house rooted in narratives that forge multi-cultural conversations, entertain, educate, and uplift. Their desire is to create authentic storytelling that is impactful, honest, and reflects the perspectives of all people. In 2021, Reid starred in Facebook Watch's "Chop it Up," a conversation series by way of cooking. The series was created and produced by Reid and her mother, Robyn Simpson, through their production company. It was announced that Reid will star and produce, alongside Simpson under their banner, the Paramount feature BECOMING NOBLE.
Additionally, Reid created the brand ArashiBlu, which she continues to expand and now includes her philanthropic endeavor, ArashiBlu 1720. Reid launched ArashiBlu 1720 with the intent to advocate and support the next generation of creators by being of service to her community. Reid recently launched 1720 ONE PARK AT A TIME, a new initiative under ArashiBlu 1720, with the mission to restore parks and playgrounds in underprivileged neighborhoods across the country. The first park being restored is Brownwood Park in Reid's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. Reid held a groundbreaking event at the park with partners Coco Gauff and New Balance in July 2023.
Reid's next film project, Warner Bros' THE NUN 2, is set to be released in theaters on September 8, 2023.- Actor
- Music Department
- Producer
D-Nice was born on 19 June 1970 in The Bronx, New York, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Girls Trip (2017), Luke Cage (2016) and Ghost in the Machine (1993). He was previously married to Malinda Williams.- Actress
- Producer
Jennifer Freeman was born on 20 October 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for You Got Served (2004), My Wife and Kids (2000) and Johnson Family Vacation (2004). She was previously married to Earl Watson.- Sarah Jakes Roberts is known for Angelina (2022), Recipe for Change (2021) and 23rd Annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration (2022). She has been married to Touré Roberts since 23 November 2014. They have one child. She was previously married to Robert Henson.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Deborah Joy Winans was born on 6 September 1983 in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is an actress, known for Greenleaf (2016), The Final Say (2023) and Don't Waste Your Pretty (2021). She has been married to Terrence Willams since 2013. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
Adetinpo Thomas is an actor and award winning filmmaker from Carson, California. She received her undergraduate degree in Theatre from the University of Georgia and an M.A. in Acting from the University of Connecticut. Her projects Clean Slate (2021) & The Earth Will Not Swallow Us (2021) have shown in festivals from San Diego to Barcelona. On screen she is best known for her work in The Color Purple, Hawkeye (Disney+) & Black Lightning (CW).- Actress
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Slender, attractive actress Margaret Avery, spellbinding in her role of Shug in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple (1985), is certainly no "one-hit wonder". Although filmgoers may be able to trace her back only to that once-in-a-lifetime part, Margaret has been a talented player on the large and small screens for well over three decades.
Born on January 20, 1944, in Mangum, Oklahoma, the daughter of a Navy man, she was raised in San Diego, California, where she completed high school. Margaret demonstrated a certain passion for acting while in her teens but decided to pursue a more stable career in teaching. Graduating from San Francisco State University, she joined the Los Angeles public school system as a substitute teacher, but the "acting bug" continued to nibble away at her. She auditioned for commercials on the sly and managed to also segued into stage work and singing jobs. Her early 1970s L.A. plays included "Revolution", "Sistuhs", and 1973's "Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie?", the last for which she nabbed the Los Angeles Drama Critics Award. Her skills as an actress helped her to move into TV roles, appearing in such established 1970s and 1980s series as The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1971), Kojak (1973), Sanford and Son (1972), Kolchak: The Night Stalker (1974), The Rookies (1972), Baby... I'm Back! (1977), Murder, She Wrote (1984), Miami Vice (1984), Spenser: For Hire (1985), a recurring part in Harry O (1973), and a regular role in the short-lived series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1977).
Her film career ignited during the popular "blaxploitation" era. She somehow managed to avoid the pitfalls of many a black actress of that time, however, despite her sexy and revealing roles in her first two films, Cool Breeze (1972) starring Thalmus Rasulala and Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Hell Up in Harlem (1973), in which she found herself in the clutches of brawny former footballer Fred Williamson. Margaret carried on with Magnum Force (1973) (as a hooker) and the comedies Which Way Is Up? (1977) and The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh (1979), establishing herself as a solid, reliable actress.
Music was never far away from Margaret as attested by her roles in Louis Armstrong - Chicago Style (1976), starring Ben Vereen as "Satchmo", and Scott Joplin (1977), which showcased Billy Dee Williams. However, it was her riveting supporting turn as the drug-riddled, fly-by-night singer Shug Avery in The Color Purple (1985) that put her on the map. Stories have long circulated that Spielberg wanted a star singer in the role and that Margaret received the role only after both Patti LaBelle and Tina Turner were approached and turned it down. She had previously worked with Spielberg in her first TV movie Something Evil (1972). He remembered her from this and cast her. Earning an Academy Award nomination for "Best Supporting Actress", it was expected that her career would hit major cinematic heights. Unfortunately, Margaret didn't make another film for three years, when she played a jazz singer in the little-seen Blueberry Hill (1988) with Carrie Snodgress.
On TV she continued to grace episodes of Amen (1986), The Cosby Show (1984), Roc (1991), JAG (1995), MacGyver (1985), Bones (2005), enhanced such commendable made-for-TV movies as Heat Wave (1990) with Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones, and has been seen sporadically in films. She co-starred in The Return of Superfly (1990) -- a nod to her old blaxploitation days--Lightning in a Bottle (1993), White Man's Burden (1995) with John Travolta, the Mario Van Peebles feature Love Kills (1998)
Into the millennium, Margaret has been seen in Waitin' to Live (2006), directed by Travolta's brother, Joey Travolta; Welcome Home, Roscoe Jenkins (2008) as well as Meet the Browns (2008) with Martin Lawrence and Angela Bassett, respectively; the crime drama Proud Mary (2018) and the family comedy Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019). She also appearing regularly alongside Gabrielle Union and Richard Roundtree on BET's Being Mary Jane (2013).
Divorced (74-80) from director Robert Gordon Hunt, Margaret has one daughter, Aisha.- Actress
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- Music Department
Halle Bailey was born on 27 March 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for The Little Mermaid (2023), The Color Purple (2023) and Last Holiday (2006).- Writer
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- Script and Continuity Department
Phylicia Pearl Mpasi was born on 16 November 1993 in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. She is a writer and actress, known for The Color Purple (2023), We Stay Looking (2020) and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (2023).- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Dominique Fishback was born on 22 March 1991 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), Project Power (2020) and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023).- Actress
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Paula Abdul grew up in the San Fernando Valley, California. She began taking dance lessons when she was eight. She attended Van Nuys High School, where she was senior class president and head cheerleader. After graduating in 1980, she started college at Cal State-Northridge, majoring in TV and radio. After joining the L.A. Lakers cheerleaders, she became head cheerleader/choreographer after only a few months, eventually dropping out of college to dance and choreograph full-time. She was recruited by The Jacksons to choreograph their 1984 "Torture" video, the first in a long list of videos and movies she would choreograph. She branched out into singing with her first CD, "Forever Your Girl", which had lackluster sales until the single "Straight Up" exploded onto the charts in December 1988 and she has been a popular singer/dancer ever since, enhanced by her stint as a judge on the hit series American Idol (2002).- Additional Crew
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As the New York Times notes, Fatima Robinson is "one of the most sought-after hip-hop and popular music choreographers in the world". Fatima is a three time Emmy Award nominee for choreographing the highly regarded Beyonce performance "Be Alive" at the 2022 Oscars/Academy Awards and as a producer for both the 2021 and 2022 Grammy Awards. Fatima's film resume reads like a who's who of Hollywood having choreographed the critically acclaimed Dreamgirls, Coming 2 America 2, The Harder They Fall, American Gangster, Public Enemies, Ali, Confessions of a Shopaholic, Space Jam 2 as well as working with stars like Will Smith, Halle Berry, Eddie Murphy, Colin Farrell, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, The Rock, Sandra Bullock, Thandie Newton, Queen Latifah, and Academy Award winning directors such as Michael Mann, Mike Nichols, Ridley Scott, and the list goes on.
She has choreographed many memorable television performances including five different Academy Awards performances. Fatima's television choreography has been featured on such popular shows as Queens, Blackish, Grownish, American Soul, The Voice, Dancing with the Stars, So You Think You Can Dance, American Idol and NBC's live musical The Wiz. Fatima also notably choreographed the 2011 Super Bowl Halftime Show with the Black Eyed Peas and several Coachella performances including the Tupac Hologram, Kendrick Lamar, Major Lazer , Brockhampton, and Halsey.
Fatima's unique vision expands beyond just the steps of the choreography and into the outstanding overall look of these events as producer. She recently executive produced "Taking the Stage: Changing America", the concert honoring the opening of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She was also invited to teach a master class at the White House to celebrate African American Women and Dance. Fatima has also been the creative director behind such notable events as Fashion Rocks, The BET Awards, The American Music Awards, and The Grammy's. Renowned for her ability to blend classic dance-styles with her distinct hip hop flavor, Fatima has choreographed for notable spots including Gucci, Chanel, Burberry, Target, H&M, Pepsi, Gap, Apple, Nissan, Verizon, Motorola and Heineken. In addition, through her work with artists such as Britney Spears, Meghan Trainor, Pharrell Williams, Black Eyed Peas, Fergie, Gwen Stefani, Lana Del Rey, Usher, Sade, Prince, Rihanna, Major Lazer, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J Blige.
Named one of Entertainment Weekly's "100 Most Creative People in Entertainment," she has received numerous MTV VMA nominations for Best Choreography. Her work as a choreographer and video director for the Black Eyed Peas earned her a win for Best Hip Hop Video for "My Humps" and Best Choreography for "Hey Mama". Fatima was also the creative force behind artist Meghan Trainor and was the director of "All About That Bass" (over 2 billion You Tube hits and counting), "Dear Future Husband" and "No". Fatima was also nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Choreographer - Off-Broadway, for her theatrical debut, Radiant Baby, a musical based on the life of artist Keith Haring, produced and directed by George C. Wolfe at the New York Public Theater.
Recent highlights include Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour as Director of Choreography and the 2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Upcoming work includes the highly anticipated Warner Bros. musical The Color Purple.- Actor
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David Alan Grier was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Aretas Ruth (Dudley), a schoolteacher, and William Henry Grier, a psychiatrist and writer. He trained in Shakespeare at Yale University, where he received an MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Grier began his professional career on Broadway as Jackie Robinson in "The First", for which he earned a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and won the Theatre World Award (1981). He then joined the Broadway cast of "Dreamgirls", before going on to star opposite Denzel Washington in "A Soldier's Play", for which both actors reprised their roles in the film adaptation titled A Soldier's Story (1984). He appeared in Robert Altman's Streamers (1983) as "Roger", a role for which he won the Golden Lion for Best Actor at the Venice Film Festival (1983).
His television work is highlighted by a turn as a principal cast member on the Emmy Award-winning In Living Color (1990) (1990-1994), where he helped to create some of the show's most memorable characters, "DAG" (2000-2001) and "Life with Bonnie" (2002-2004), for which he earned Image and Golden Satellite nominations. David also created, wrote and executive-produced a show for Comedy Central called Chocolate News (2008). Grier also won America's votes as a smooth, debonair, and outrageously irreverent contestant on ABC's smash hit, Dancing with the Stars (2005), in 2009. But Grier didn't hang up his dance shoes just then - he later appeared in the Wayans Brothers' spoof movie, Dance Flick (2009), which hit theaters in May 2009.
In Grier's first book, "Barack Like Me: The Chocolate Covered Truth" (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster; October 6, 2009), the acclaimed comedian expounds on politics, culture and race while recounting his own life story in this edgy, timely, timeless, and hilarious memoir and look at all things Barack Obama.
Grier returned to his theatrical roots 2009/2010; he starred in David Mamet's acclaimed play, "Race", opposite James Spader and Kerry Washington, at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway for which he received a Tony Award nomination.
He has been named one of Comedy Central's "100 Greatest Stand-ups of All Time".- Actress
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Niecy Nash was born on 23 February 1970 in Palmdale, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Reno 911! (2003), Guess Who (2005) and Claws (2017). She has been married to Jessica Betts since 29 August 2020. She was previously married to Jay Tucker and Don Nash.- Actress
Daughter to Emmy winner Niecy Nash-Betts, Dia Nash started 2024 filming the lead in Lifetime's Sister Wife Murder. She recently recurred in Ryan Murphy's Netflix series Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story and ABC's The Rookie: Feds. Nash's guest starring roles include CBS's The Neighborhood, Netflix's Never Have I Ever, Freeform's Good Trouble, and Comedy Central's Reno 9-1-1. Her budding singing and songwriting career reached a viral following with the release of her first single Dance To The Rhythm, and the still trending Indica. Nash continues to make music, television, and film her top priorities with audiences excited to see what's next.- Actress
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Jessica Care Moore was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. She is known for Def Poetry (2002) and Letter 24 (Home) (2020).- Actor
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Carrying talent, the requisite good looks, and plenty of on-screen charisma, Jay Hernandez was born in Morelia, Mexico and grew up in Los Angeles, California, to Isis (Maldonado), an accountant and secretary, and Javier Hernandez, Sr., a mechanic. He is of Mexican descent. Jay had a serendipitous experience that led to his career. While riding an elevator in a high-rise building in Los Angeles, the young man was approached by talent manager Howard Tyner, who suggested Hernandez had what it took to have a successful career in Hollywood. In 1998, he made his TV series debut as "Antonio Lopez", one of the high school basketball players in the NBC Saturday morning teen sitcom, Hang Time (1995), and stayed with the show for two seasons. Departing NBC, Hernandez moved to MTV with the short-term role of pizza delivery guy "Eddie" on the popular late-night serial, Undressed (1999), before segueing to the big screen. In 2001, Hernandez co-starred with Kirsten Dunst in the teen romance, Crazy/Beautiful (2001), portraying stalwart, straight-A high school student "Carlos Nunez", whose plans to attend the US Naval Academy are threatened by his growing attraction to a self-destructive rich girl, (Kirsten Dunst). He next appeared in Disney's surprise hit film, The Rookie (2002), as high school baseball team captain Joaquin "Wack" Campos. He also had a supporting role in the video-game-ish action flick, Torque (2004). Also in 2004, he was in the action-packed drama, Ladder 49 (2004), as "Keith Perez", and in the other action-packed drama, Friday Night Lights (2004). In 2006, he next starred in Eli Roth's Hostel (2005), a brutal horror flick about two American college buddies (Hernandez and Derek Richardson) lured to an out-of-the-way hostel in a Slovakian town rumored to house desperate, but beautiful Eastern European women. Following their wrong heads, both Americans get trapped in a truly sinister situation that plunges them into the dark recesses of human nature.- Director
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Blitz Bazawule is a Filmmaker and Musician born in Ghana and based in New York. Blitz's feature directorial debut 'The Burial Of Kojo' premiered on Netflix in 2019 via array. He co-directed Beyoncé's Black Is King which earned him a Grammy nomination in 2020. Blitz is directing 'The Color Purple Musical' for Warner Bros produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Quincy Jones and Scott Sanders. Blitz is the founder of Africa Film Society and the recipient of the Guggenheim Fellowship, the TED Fellowship and the Vilcek Prize.- Actress
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Quinta Brunson is a writer, actress and Stand-Up Comedian living in LA. Born and raised in Philadelphia PA, Quinta started studying comedy in Chicago at the Second City. She moved to LA in 2013. Her 2014 viral series "The Girl Who's Never Been on a Nice Date" launched her into viral fame, eventually leading her to a relationship with BuzzFeed Motion pictures. She now develops shows in traditional and digital entertainment and performs stand up around the country.- Producer
- Actress
- Composer
Multi-Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter and Nationally Syndicated Radio Host, Erica Campbell, is one of the most respected inspirational recording artists in music. She has released two solo albums as well as seven albums with her sister as part of the dynamic duo "Mary Mary." Campbell has received numerous awards and accolades. Her debut solo album, "Help," won a 2015 Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album as well as eight Stellar Awards. Last year, she made a strong return with the release of her single, "Positive." The powerful record earned Campbell her first solo #1 Billboard Gospel Airplay chart placement along with a 2023 Grammy Nomination for Best Gospel Song Performance, a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Gospel/Christian Song and three Stellar Award nominations. She continues in her success releasing another #1 Billboard Gospel Airplay song, an upbeat and hope-filled anthem titled "Feel Alright (Blessed)".
In addition to her dynamic music career, Campbell celebrated a 7-year milestone as the host of nationally syndicated radio show "Get Up! Mornings with Erica Campbell." It can be heard weekdays 6am-10am EST in about 40 markets via Reach Media/Radio One, while ministering internationally. She is an actor and TV personality seen in Lifetime's Pride: A Seven Deadly Sins Story, Bounce TV's Saints & Sinners, TV One's We're The Campbells, and WE tv's Mary Mary show.
Erica Campbell is the author of the book "More Than Pretty: Doing the Soul Work that Uncovers Your True Beauty" which is available now. In the book, Campbell speaks to women of all shapes and sizes, demonstrating that true beauty is found not in external appearances, but in celebrating the person God made you to be.
Campbell is married to Grammy Award-winning producer and pastor of California Worship Center, Warryn Campbell II, and they have three children - Krista, Warryn III and Zaya. Stay connected to all things Erica Campbell on all major social media platforms.- Producer
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Tina Atkins is known for Superstar (1999), The Fighting Temptations (2003) and Marshal's Law (2012). She has been married to Teddy Campbell since 2000. They have two children.- Actor
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David Oyelowo also known as 'David O', is a classically trained stage actor who has quickly become one of Hollywood's most sought-after talents. He graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA), and received the "Scholarship for Excellence" from Nicholas Hytner in 1998.
David most notably starred as Martin Luther King Jr. in Paramount's drama Selma (2014). Directed by Ava DuVernay and produced by Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt's Plan B, the film follows Dr. King's struggle to secure voting rights for black people culminating in the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama and President Lyndon Johnson's signing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Oyelowo received Golden Globe and Film Independent Spirit Award nominations and won the NAACP Image Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Dr. King. The film also received an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
More recently, David's leading roles have included: Jack Radcliff in Blumhouse's Don't Let Go (2019) alongside Storm Reid, Javert in BBC and PBS Masterpiece's six-part adaptation of Les Misérables (2018) where he also served as executive producer, joining Rose Byrne and Domhnall Gleeson in Sony's Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021), and opposite Angelina Jolie as the father and mother duo to Alice and Peter, the two beloved characters from the well-known fairy tales Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.
David has also been seen in Christopher Nolan's sci-fi adventure Interstellar (2014), J.C. Chandor's crime drama A Most Violent Year (2014), Paramount's true-life crime thriller Captive (2015) with Kate Mara, A United Kingdom (2016) with Rosamund Pike, Disney's Queen of Katwe (2016) opposite Lupita Nyong'o for which he earned an NAACP Image Award nomination and Simon Brand's Default (2014), and STX and Amazon Studio's Gringo (2018) also starring Joel Edgerton and Charlize Theron.
Additional film credits include The Butler (2013), [linknm0000229]'s Academy Award nominated drama Lincoln (2012), with Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones, the critically acclaimed independent drama Middle of Nowhere (2012), which earned David individual NAACP Image Award and Independent Spirit Award nominations, Jack Reacher (2012) opposite Tom Cruise, Lee Daniels' The Paperboy (2012) opposite Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron, the British made for television movie Complicit (2013), George Lucas' produced WWII drama Red Tails (2012), which won "Best Motion Picture" at the 2013 NAACP Image Awards, Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) alongside James Franco and Freida Pinto, the Academy Award nominated drama The Help (2011), 96 Minutes (2011), which premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival, Kevin MacDonald's The Last King of Scotland (2006) opposite Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy, Who Do You Love (2008), in which he played the iconic Muddy Waters, A Sound of Thunder (2005) fro Warner Brothers, Derailed (2005) for Miramax, and Shoot the Messenger (2006) for BBC2.
Oyelowo first impressed audiences on the stage when he starred in "The Suppliants" at the Gate Theatre playing King Palasgus, for which he received the Ian Charleson Award commendation. Following this he played the title role of "Henry VI", becoming the first black actor to play an English king for the RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company). The role won him the Ian Charleson Award and an Evening Standard Award nomination. Other theatre credits include an acclaimed performance in Richard Bean's "The God Botherers" at the Bush Theatre, the title role in Aeschylus' "Prometheus Bound', which was Off-Broadway for which David received rave reviews, and most recently, appeared in New York Theatre Workshop's Off-Broadway production of Othello with Daniel Craig and Rachel Brosnahan.
Beyond theatre, David starred in the BAFTA Award winning series MI-5 (2002) playing Danny Hunter also known as "MI:5" which aired in the United States on BBC America as well. Additionally, he won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor and was also nominated for a BAFTA Award for the same role for his work on Small Island (2009). David also starred in the BBC1 original television movie Born Equal (2006) opposite Colin Firth as well as ABC's production of A Raisin in the Sun (2008), alongside Sanaa Lathan and Sean 'Diddy' Combs. Another small screen role which garnered him attention was HBO's film, Nightingale (2014), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination and two Emmy Award nominations, including one for his work as executive producer.
He will be making his directorial debut with the feature The Water Man (2020), written by Emma Needell and produced by Shivhans Pictures. David's production company, Yoruba Saxon, will also produce alongside Harpo Films. Not only will David O direct and produce, but star in the film as well with Rosario Dawson, Lonnie Chavis, Amiah Miller, Alfred Molina, and Maria Bello.
In 2015, in association with The Geanco Foundation, Oyelowo established the David Oyelowo Leadership Scholarship to fully fund the education and rehabilitation of girls who have been directly affected by terrorism in Nigeria. He has continued to raise support for the Leadership Scholarship over the last four years, which is now providing thirty-two girls with an education in Nigeria.
Oyelowo was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2016 New Year Honours for his services to drama.- Actress
- Casting Department
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Aba Arthur was born in Washington DC to parents Appianda Arthur and Aba Enim. She developed a love of film, television, and pop culture at an early age. This love of creative arts would soon turn into a focused career in the entertainment industry.
Aba attended the University of Colorado-Boulder and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Performing Arts along with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. During her time at the university, Aba co-created a successful dance troupe called BAM! (Bust A Move), where she also served as choreographer.
Upon graduation, Aba moved to L.A. and was cast in several commercials and feature films, some of which were screened overseas. Ever the fervid writer, Aba continued to write during those years, a passionate pursuit she still maintains to this day. She wrote her first published book, titled, 'The 21 Day Ex-Boyfriend Cleanse' and quickly developed a love of screenwriting.
After creating more than 20 script concepts, Aba was inspired to start her own production company, The Ohemaa Project. She launched her first stage production in 2008 for her solo show titled, 'Landing in Love,' and worked with visual artists in her stage production, 'Breathing Art' (which toured from 2016-2018). Classically trained for both stage and screen, she has also appeared in notable plays including, 'Proof,' and 'For Colored Girls.'
After years of living and working in L.A., Aba relocated to Atlanta, Georgia and continued her writing, performing, and acting career. She was cast in various television shows, including the upcoming 'Bad Monkey,' starring Vince Vaughn, 'Cobra Kai,' and the popular American fantasy Netflix drama, 'Legacies.' She appeared in the NBC show, 'Southland,' and the comedic show, 'Boomerang.' She was cast as Nicole in the ABC television series, 'Queens' and played Miss Gold in 'Respect,' a biopic of Aretha Franklin, starring Jennifer Hudson. In 2018, Aba wrote, produced, and co-directed her first film titled 'The Womb.' In November 2022, Aba will appear in the highly anticipated sequel to Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Most recently, Aba has been cast in the role of Abena, in the new Oprah Winfrey adaption of 'The Color Purple,' due to release in 2023.- Sy'rai Iman Smith was born on 16 June 2002 in Tarzana, California, USA. She is a composer, known for Brandy Feat. Chance the Rapper: Baby Mama (2020) and Brandy: Special Delivery (2002).
- Jamaal Avery Jr. is known for The Color Purple (2023), No Right Way (2023) and Young Jedi Adventures (2023).
- Actor
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Stephen Hill is an award winning actor (Best Male Actor, ABFF Star Project 2010), known for solid work in a variety of roles in film, TV, theater, web series, etc. Recently cast in the lead role of York in the HBO mini-series, Lewis & Clark, he is also on HBO, in Pete Chatmon's BlackCard, and in the fifth season of Boardwalk Empire in the recurring role of Clarence, right hand man to Jeffrey Wright's, Dr. Narcisse. On Netflix, in Kiara Jones' Christmas Wedding Baby, Stephen gives a heartfelt and truthful performance in the lead role of Issac. Look out for him on Law & Order SVU, Blue Bloods, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Louie, Political Animals, and Unforgettable. Hill can also be seen embodying the role of Jackie Robinson in the award winning documentary, Jackie Robinson: My Story. Watch Stephen online in the soulful film Runaway, starring opposite Grammy nominated vocalist Carolyn Malachi, and in the hilarious series Fort Knox. Stephen considers it a privilege and and honor to play make believe for a living.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jane Handcock is known for Traffik (2018), Ganjapreneurs: Daddy's Little Girl (2016) and Snoop Dogg Presents: Shot in the Dark (2023).- Composer
- Music Department
- Producer
Kris Bowers is known for Green Book (2018), Haunted Mansion (2023) and The Color Purple (2023). He has been married to Briana Henry since 6 June 2020. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
Briana came all the way from Miami Florida to attend the University of Southern California. There she graduated with her BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in Theatre Acting and confirmed for herself this was the career she was passionate about pursuing. Having not had much acting experience prior to graduating high school, she entered a "Poetry Out Loud" competition where she performed two poems, made it to state finals and fell in love with the exchange that takes place when an artist and an audience are in the same space. Growing up with a mother who was a Jazz singer, and a father who always had the dream of becoming a writer, she never really stood a chance of not becoming an artist. Having been inspired by the competition, her father found a month long acting program at USC where she would then seek the opportunity to audition for the program that next year.
While attending USC, Briana was given the opportunity to become a recurring character on the well-known Soap Opera, The Young and the Restless. Having originally landed a role for just one episode, her character was expanded to 16. The Young and the Restless opened the door to a series of other opportunities on several different shows. Some of those shows being NBC's Undateable, CW's Jane the Virgin, ABC's Stitchers, and most recently HBO's Insecure and The Morning Show on Apple +. She is currently a series regular on the long running Soap Opera General Hospital.
Briana dabbled in the fitness world for a while, having been an athlete her whole life, she was able to find a home being a Soul Cycle instructor with the very popular Indoor Cycling Company. She spent 2.5 years with the company when she decided she needed to rededicate all of her time to acting.- Composer
- Soundtrack
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Blu June was born in Tallahassee, Florida, USA. She is known for Scream (2022), Little (2019) and The High Note (2020).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
In 2023, Mr. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play as a producer for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham. Colman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Domingo has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award and the Atlanta's Out On Film Icon Award. Colman Domingo stars in the Netflix, Higher Ground film Rustin as Bayard Rustin slated for the fall of 2023. He also stars as Mister in the Warner Brothers, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg produced The Color Purple musical motion picture. A two time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice and NAACP award nominee, he won a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series/Anthology and an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work in Euphoria. Domingo is a Tony®, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominated, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer. Colman received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is on the faculty of University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts as a Professor of acting, after having served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. Colman has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma, Nia DaCosta's Candyman and Janicza Bravo's Zola.- Producer
- Actress
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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- Writer
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Perry was born and raised in New Orleans, to Willie Maxine (Campbell) and Emmitt Perry, Sr. His mother was a church-goer and took Perry along with her once a week. His father was a carpenter and they had a very strained and abusive relationship, which led Perry to suffer from depression as a teenager.
In 1991, he was working an office job, when he saw an episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986) discussing the therapeutic nature of writing. This inspired him to begin writing and he worked through his bad experiences by writing letters to himself. He adapted his letters into a play, "I Know I've Changed", about domestic abuse. Unfortunately, after renting a theater in Atlanta to put on the play, he failed to attract audiences.
He took on a series of odd jobs and found himself living in his car. But, in 1998, he was given a second chance to stage his play and, this time, he was more business-savvy with his marketing. The play was sold-out and drew attention from investors.
Tyler has gone on to established a successful career as a writer, director and producer for stage, television and film.- Producer
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One of the most influential personalities in the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg is Hollywood's best known director and one of the wealthiest filmmakers in the world. He has an extraordinary number of commercially successful and critically acclaimed credits to his name, either as a director, producer or writer since launching the summer blockbuster with Jaws (1975), and he has done more to define popular film-making since the mid-1970s than anyone else.
Steven Allan Spielberg was born in 1946 in Cincinnati, Ohio, to Leah Frances (Posner), a concert pianist and restaurateur, and Arnold Spielberg, an electrical engineer who worked in computer development. His parents were both born to Russian Jewish immigrant families. Steven spent his younger years in Haddon Township, New Jersey, Phoenix, Arizona, and later Saratoga, California. He went to California State University Long Beach, but dropped out to pursue his entertainment career. Among his early directing efforts were Battle Squad (1961), which combined World War II footage with footage of an airplane on the ground that he makes you believe is moving. He also directed Escape to Nowhere (1961), which featured children as World War Two soldiers, including his sister Anne Spielberg, and The Last Gun (1959), a western. All of these were short films. The next couple of years, Spielberg directed a couple of movies that would portend his future career in movies. In 1964, he directed Firelight (1964), a movie about aliens invading a small town. In 1967, he directed Slipstream (1967), which was unfinished. However, in 1968, he directed Amblin' (1968), which featured the desert prominently, and not the first of his movies in which the desert would feature. Amblin' also became the name of his production company, which turned out such classics as E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg had a unique and classic early directing project, Duel (1971), with Dennis Weaver. In the early 1970s, Spielberg was working on TV, directing among others such series as Rod Serling's Night Gallery (1969), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969) and Murder by the Book (1971). All of his work in television and short films, as well as his directing projects, were just a hint of the wellspring of talent that would dazzle audiences all over the world.
Spielberg's first major directorial effort was The Sugarland Express (1974), with Goldie Hawn, a film that marked him as a rising star. It was his next effort, however, that made him an international superstar among directors: Jaws (1975). This classic shark attack tale started the tradition of the summer blockbuster or, at least, he was credited with starting the tradition. His next film was the classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a unique and original UFO story that remains a classic. In 1978, Spielberg produced his first film, the forgettable I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), and followed that effort with Used Cars (1980), a critically acclaimed, but mostly forgotten, Kurt Russell/Jack Warden comedy about devious used-car dealers. Spielberg hit gold yet one more time with Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), with Harrison Ford taking the part of Indiana Jones. Spielberg produced and directed two films in 1982. The first was Poltergeist (1982), but the highest-grossing movie of all time up to that point was the alien story E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Spielberg also helped pioneer the practice of product placement. The concept, while not uncommon, was still relatively low-key when Spielberg raised the practice to almost an art form with his famous (or infamous) placement of Reese's Pieces in "E.T." Spielberg was also one of the pioneers of the big-grossing special-effects movies, like "E.T." and "Close Encounters", where a very strong emphasis on special effects was placed for the first time on such a huge scale. In 1984, Spielberg followed up "Raiders" with Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), which was a commercial success but did not receive the critical acclaim of its predecessor. As a producer, Spielberg took on many projects in the 1980s, such as The Goonies (1985), and was the brains behind the little monsters in Gremlins (1984). He also produced the cartoon An American Tail (1986), a quaint little animated classic. His biggest effort as producer in 1985, however, was the blockbuster Back to the Future (1985), which made Michael J. Fox an instant superstar. As director, Spielberg took on the book The Color Purple (1985), with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, with great success. In the latter half of the 1980s, he also directed Empire of the Sun (1987), a mixed success for the occasionally erratic Spielberg. Success would not escape him for long, though.
The late 1980s found Spielberg's projects at the center of pop-culture yet again. In 1988, he produced the landmark animation/live-action film Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). The next year proved to be another big one for Spielberg, as he produced and directed Always (1989) as well as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Back to the Future Part II (1989). All three of the films were box-office and critical successes. Also, in 1989, he produced the little known comedy-drama Dad (1989), with Jack Lemmon and Ted Danson, which got mostly mixed results. Spielberg has also had an affinity for animation and has been a strong voice in animation in the 1990s. Aside from producing the landmark "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", he produced the animated series Tiny Toon Adventures (1990), Animaniacs (1993), Pinky and the Brain (1995), Freakazoid! (1995), Pinky, Elmyra & the Brain (1998), Family Dog (1993) and Toonsylvania (1998). Spielberg also produced other cartoons such as The Land Before Time (1988), We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story (1993), Casper (1995) (the live action version) as well as the live-action version of The Flintstones (1994), where he was credited as "Steven Spielrock". Spielberg also produced many Roger Rabbit short cartoons, and many Pinky and the Brain, Animaniacs and Tiny Toons specials. Spielberg was very active in the early 1990s, as he directed Hook (1991) and produced such films as the cute fantasy Joe Versus the Volcano (1990) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991). He also produced the unusual comedy thriller Arachnophobia (1990), Back to the Future Part III (1990) and Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990). While these movies were big successes in their own right, they did not quite bring in the kind of box office or critical acclaim as previous efforts. In 1993, Spielberg directed Jurassic Park (1993), which for a short time held the record as the highest grossing movie of all time, but did not have the universal appeal of his previous efforts. Big box-office spectacles were not his only concern, though. He produced and directed Schindler's List (1993), a stirring film about the Holocaust. He won best director at the Oscars, and also got Best Picture. In the mid-90s, he helped found the production company DreamWorks, which was responsible for many box-office successes.
As a producer, he was very active in the late 90s, responsible for such films as The Mask of Zorro (1998), Men in Black (1997) and Deep Impact (1998). However, it was on the directing front that Spielberg was in top form. He directed and produced the epic Amistad (1997), a spectacular film that was shorted at the Oscars and in release due to the fact that its release date was moved around so much in late 1997. The next year, however, produced what many believe was one of the best films of his career: Saving Private Ryan (1998), a film about World War Two that is spectacular in almost every respect. It was stiffed at the Oscars, losing best picture to Shakespeare in Love (1998).
Spielberg produced a series of films, including Evolution (2001), The Haunting (1999) and Shrek (2001). he also produced two sequels to Jurassic Park (1993), which were financially but not particularly critical successes. In 2001, he produced a mini-series about World War Two that definitely *was* a financial and critical success: Band of Brothers (2001), a tale of an infantry company from its parachuting into France during the invasion to the Battle of the Bulge. Also in that year, Spielberg was back in the director's chair for A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001), a movie with a message and a huge budget. It did reasonably at the box office and garnered varied reviews from critics.
Spielberg has been extremely active in films there are many other things he has done as well. He produced the short-lived TV series SeaQuest 2032 (1993), an anthology series entitled Amazing Stories (1985), created the video-game series "Medal of Honor" set during World War Two, and was a starting producer of ER (1994). Spielberg, if you haven't noticed, has a great interest in World War Two. He and Tom Hanks collaborated on Shooting War: World War II Combat Cameramen (2000), a documentary about World War II combat photographers, and he produced a documentary about the Holocaust called Eyes of the Holocaust (2000). With all of this to Spielberg's credit, it's no wonder that he's looked at as one of the greatest ever figures in entertainment.- Executive
- Actor
- Producer
As President and CEO, David Zaslav sets the strategy and oversees all operations for Discovery's global suite of brands across pay-TV, free-to-air, direct-to-consumer and other digital platforms. Under his leadership, Discovery began trading as a public company in 2008 and became a Fortune 500 company in 2014. More recently under Zaslav, Discovery acquired Scripps Networks Interactive, in a transaction which closed in 2018. The new Discovery comprises nearly 20% of ad-supported pay-TV viewership in the U.S. and nearly 7 billion monthly video views, making it #1 pay-TV portfolio in the U.S.
Its assets now form a collection of world-class brands and global IP that create the foundation for one of the company's most-ambitious initiatives ever, discovery+. The definitive real-life subscription streaming service launched in the U.S. in January 2021 with more than 55,000 episodes, and internationally, continues its rollout to more than 25 markets.
Zaslav has led Discovery since 2007, executing a number of initiatives that have focused the organization on growth, operational efficiency and its pivot to direct-to-consumer. He also directed a strategic effort to clarify and strengthen Discovery's world-class brands with a renewed focus on superfan content categories and IP ownership.
Since Zaslav took the helm, Discovery has launched some of the fastest-growing cable networks in the U.S., including Investigation Discovery, a leading network for women in total day delivery; and OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, a top network for African American women. Under his leadership, Discovery networks have hit numerous milestones, with TLC breaking all cable viewing trends and recording its most-watched year ever in primetime for 2020. Brands including HGTV, Food Network, TLC and ID regularly rank among the most-popular networks for their core demo of female viewers.
The company's global distribution platform has, under Zaslav's leadership, expanded to 3 billion cumulative worldwide viewers with a diverse set of brands, creating an unmatched international portfolio for viewers, advertisers and distributors. Zaslav has diversified Discovery's content offering with investments such as Discovery Kids in Latin America, the leading preschool network across the region. Discovery has further strengthened its presence in key international markets through numerous transactions including the acquisition of Eurosport, which led to the groundbreaking agreement with the International Olympic Committee making Discovery and Eurosport the home of the Olympic Games across Europe through 2024.
Zaslav has received multiple awards for his contributions to the media industry as well as his philanthropic work, including the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award, the UJA-Federation of New York's Steven J. Ross Humanitarian Award, Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Fred Dressler Leadership Award, and the Association of Frontotemporal Degeneration's Susan and S.I. Newhouse Award of Hope. He was inducted into the prestigious Cable Hall of Fame in 2017 and into the Cable TV Pioneers Class of 2018.
At Discovery, Zaslav spearheaded the launch and growth of Discovery Impact, the company's corporate social responsibility program. In 2016, Zaslav led the creation of the company's latest global conservation initiative, Project C.A.T.: Conserving Acres for Tigers, to help double the global wild tiger population by 2022.
Prior to joining Discovery, Zaslav had a distinguished career at NBCUniversal, where he was instrumental in developing and launching CNBC and also played a role in the creation of MSNBC. He was previously an attorney with the New York firm of LeBoeuf, Lamb, Leiby & MacRae and graduated with honors from Boston University School of Law.
Zaslav serves on the boards of Sirius XM Radio, Inc., Lionsgate Entertainment, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, The Cable Center, Grupo Televisa, Partnership for New York City and USC Shoah Foundation. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Paley Center for Media, the Mount Sinai Medical Center and previously served as an adjunct professor at Fordham University, where he created and taught a graduate-level course on the business of cable television.- Scott Sanders was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA. Scott is a producer, known for In the Heights (2021), The Color Purple (2023) and The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012). Scott has been married to Brad Lamm since 20 September 2008.
- Producer
- Executive
Kristie Macosko Krieger is a Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award, PGA Award, Emmy Award and BAFTA-nominated producer. She serves on the Executive Committee of AMPAS' Producers branch, the PGA's National Board of Directors, the Peabody Awards' Board of Directors - West Coast, and as a member of the Board of Directors of Amblin Partners. Macosko Krieger recently produced The Fabelmans alongside close collaborator Steven Spielberg, and Bradley Cooper's upcoming film, Maestro. She recently produced Steven Spielberg's Oscar-nominated West Side Story, and executive produced Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-nominated The Trial of the Chicago 7 and the Emmy-nominated HBO film Oslo.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Ariana DeBose is an American actress, dancer, and singer. Known for her performances on stage and screen, she has received multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Golden Globe Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
DeBose made her television debut competing on the sixth season of So You Think You Can Dance in 2009, where she finished in the top 20. She then made her Broadway debut in Bring It On: The Musical in 2011 and continued her work on Broadway with roles in Motown: The Musical (2013) and Pippin (2014). From 2015 to 2016, she originated the role of The Bullet in Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton, and appeared as Jane in A Bronx Tale (2016-2017). In 2018, she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Donna Summer in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. In 2022, she hosted the 75th Tony Awards.
DeBose appeared in the Netflix musical film The Prom (2020) and the Apple TV+ musical comedy series Schmigadoon! (2021), before gaining widespread recognition for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg's musical West Side Story (2021). For her performance, she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first queer woman of color to receive an Oscar in an acting category.- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
Dan Laustsen is a Danish cinematographer. He is best known for Crimson Peak (2015), John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017) and The Shape of Water (2017) for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
He studied at the National Film School of Denmark from 1976 to 1979, to pursue a career of cinematography. Laustsen has been involved in the production of feature films, documentaries, and advertisements, and is a member of the Danish Society of Cinematographers.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
H.E.R. was born on 27 June 1997 in Vallejo, California, USA. She is a music artist and actress, known for Judas and the Black Messiah (2021), The Color Purple (2023) and Yes Day (2021).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Lil Rel Howery is a movie star. His role as TSA agent Rod Williams in the Oscar-winning instant classic Get Out (2017), written and directed by Jordan Peele ushered Howery into superstar status. His keen ability to mesh humor and honor resonated so deeply with audiences that Howery became not only the breakout star but a cultural champion. Winner of the Best Comedic Performance in a Movie at the MTV Movie & Television Awards, nominated for IMAGE Award for Best Supporting Actor and crowned Bernie Mac Comedy King of the Year, Howery is experiencing success at a rate bestowed upon few in Hollywood's history. As Howery ascends, he also had the lead role in the film Uncle Drew, and guest stars alongside Issa Rae in the fearlessly funny HBO smash comedy series Insecure as Quentin.
From the impressionable age of eleven, Milton "Lil Rel" Howery set out to make the world laugh. With influential comedians like Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, and Louie Anderson in their prime, Lil Rel spent the early '90s tuned into classic programs like Def Comedy Jam and Raw. While other young adolescents in his West Side Chicago neighborhood were doing typical juvenile things, he was studying and mastering the art of comedy. Now a well-respected comedian, actor and writer, Lil Rel has become a comedic staple in Chicago and a star nationally.
As a teen who sought worldwide fame and success, Lil Rel wanted much more than to tell jokes to his family and loved ones. He was immediately drawn to the production and performance aspects of entertaining. At seventeen years old, Lil Rel wrote original comedic scenes for one of the most critical audiences he'd face: his high school peers. After starring in the school play and effortlessly delivering side-cramping laughs, his impact was undeniable. His peers and teachers offered enthusiastic approval that left Lil Rel humbled and reflective.
After finishing high school, Lil Rel set out in search of the comedy spot that would offer him a chance to perform. He found that opportunity at The Lion's Den in Chicago's East Side. Too young to get in, he arrived earlier than most in hopes that the owner would bend the rules. He did. After walking out on to the stage, Lil Rel delivered his routine. An apparent hit, Lil Rel became a weekly regular at The Lion's Den, before continuing on to become one of Chicago's most prominent comedians and hosts at an innumerable amount of comedy clubs and showcases.
As Lil Rel's fan base grew, so did his opportunities. He submitted a performance tape to BET's Comic View casting department and was offered his first paid television spot in 2001. Proving to be a natural comedian with an undeniable stage presence, he was invited to perform again on the following season. With Comic View at its peak of popularity, the exposure launched him to the next phase of his career. By earning the respect of powerful show executives through his hilarious story-telling and knowledgeable off-stage demeanor, Lil Rel became a regularly featured comedian all over television and the nation.
With small appearances like his national film debut in MGM Studio's "Barbershop 2" along with featured roles in urban hits like TV One's "Bill Bellamy's: Who Got Jokes" and HBO's "Diddy's Bad Boys of Comedy," Lil Rel has been a welcome guest in inner-city homes for years. One of Lil Rel's most valuable television appearances was NBC's Last Comic Standing. Though he did not win the show, his memorable characters (including the infamous "neighborhood hoodrat") resonated well with at-home viewers. His crossover appeal landed him a spot on NBC's Diversity Showcase, as well as his hometown's second largest comedy experience, the "Just for Laughs Chicago Festival."
In 2009, Lil Rel began his first business, The Lil Rel Company. Initially launched as the holding company for his stand-up comedy material, The Lil Rel Company now houses the entire Lil Rel brand. Lil Rel continues to perform at comedy clubs, showcases, and colleges around the country. In July of 2010, he appeared on Comedy Central's "Russell Simmons Presents: Stand-up at the El Rey." His new CD, "I Know You Hear Me, But Are You Listening," is available on iTunes.
Lil Rel starred in the critically-acclaimed weekly primetime NBC comedy series The Carmichael Show, appearing alongside fellow cast members Loretta Devine and David Alan Grier as star Jerrod Carmichael's brother "Bobby." Rel also was a executive produced, wrote and starred in the "gleefully absurd" (Chicago Sun Times) weekly sketch comedy show Friends of the People on TruTV. Rel's first hour standup special RELevent premiered two years ago on Comedy Central. The hour was Executive Produced by superstar comedian and actor Kevin Hart and was named one of "The 10 Best Stand-Up Specials of 2015" by Vulture. Once making the leap to Netflix, RELevent rapidly became a must watch on Netflix. There audiences paired the power of his pen with the might of their cultural icon. Howery's comedy was rediscovered by millions, marrying the might of who he is with what he does. RELevent is bonafide and showcases Rel's captivating story-telling style. His uncanny ability to transport audiences into his hilarious world of loveable & outrageously fleshed-out characters makes Howery one of comedy's finest. Lil Rel Howery, is the one to watch. With "Rel" in the works for Fox and four new movies slated to hit theatres in 2018, Howery shows Hollywood how!- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Nafessa Williams was born on 4 December 1989 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. She is an actress and writer, known for Black and Blue (2019), Black Lightning (2018) and A Holiday Chance (2021).- Actress
- Composer
- Director
Chloe Bailey was born on 1 July 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and composer, known for Praise This (2023), Last Holiday (2006) and A Wrinkle in Time (2018).- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Amber Riley was born on 15 February 1986 in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Glee (2009), The Wiz Live! (2015) and Glee: Director's Cut Pilot Episode (2009).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Taraji Penda Henson is an American actress and singer. She studied acting at Howard University and began her Hollywood career in guest roles on several television shows before making her breakthrough in Baby Boy (2001). She played a prostitute in Hustle & Flow (2005), for which she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination; and a single mother of a disabled child in David Fincher's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), for which she received Academy Award, SAG Award and Critics Choice Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress. In 2010, she appeared in the action comedy Date Night, and co-starred in the remake of The Karate Kid.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Ciara Princess Harris was born on October 25, 1985 in Fort Hood, Texas to Jackie Harris (née Smith) & Carlton Clay Harris. Due to her father being in the United States Army, she grew up on army bases in Germany, New York, Utah, California, Arizona & Nevada. During her teens, Ciara and her family settled in Atlanta. Ciara said that watching Destiny's Child perform on a television program, while staying home from school, inspired her to pursue a career in music. Later on, Ciara would join a girl group called Hear'Say and worked on her songwriting. The group recorded demos, but began to have differences. Eventually, she left the group, got a publishing deal and found a "musical soul mate" when she met producer, Jazze Pha. Ciara graduated from Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia in 2003 and was signed by LaFace Records executive, L.A. Reid with the help of Jazze Pha. She then began production on her debut album, Goodies. Ciara co-wrote a demo with songwriter Sean Garrett, who was co-writer of Usher's international hit, Yeah!.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Corey Hawkins was born on 22 October 1988 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Straight Outta Compton (2015), Kong: Skull Island (2017) and BlacKkKlansman (2018).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Danielle Brooks was born on 17 September 1989 in Augusta, Georgia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Peacemaker (2022), Orange Is the New Black (2013) and Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia (2021). She has been married to Dennis Gelin since 13 January 2022. They have one child.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Nicole Ari Parker Kodjoe is an American actress and model. She made her screen debut with a leading role in the critically acclaimed independent film The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995) and went on to appear in Boogie Nights (1997), directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Parker has starred in a number of movies, including Blue Streak (1999), Remember the Titans (2000), Brown Sugar (2002), Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008), Black Dynamite (2009), and Almost Christmas (2016). On television, Parker starred in the short-lived UPN romantic comedy Second Time Around (2004-05) and the ABC drama Time After Time (2017). In 2017, she joined the cast of Fox's prime-time soap opera Empire playing Giselle Barker. She appears as a recurring character in Chicago P.D. as Deputy Superintendent Samantha Miller and in And Just Like That... as Lisa Todd Wexley.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Composer
Alicia Keys was born in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, to Terria Joseph (née Teresa M. Augello), a paralegal who was also an occasional actress, and Craig Cook, a flight attendant. Her father is African-American and her mother, who is Caucasian, is of Italian and English/Irish/Scottish ancestry. Alicia began taking piano lessons at age 7 at her mother's insistence. She proved to be such a prodigy that she was later accepted into the prestigious Professional Performance Arts School of Manhattan, where she majored in choir. Not only her musical talent but also her grades proved to be so exceptional that she was allowed to graduate, as valedictorian, at age 16. In 1998, she signed with Arista Records, and wrote, produced, and recorded her own albums. In 1999, she left Arista to join J Records, headed by legendary music impresario Clive Davis, and her success has been meteoric. Her 2001 debut album, "Songs in A Minor," sold 6 million copies and garnered five Grammys. Her album "Diary" won her four more Grammys in 2005.- Music Artist
- Actress
- Music Department
Singer and actress Andra Day had her on-screen break on The Fashion Fund, during which she went as Chromat's date to the awards show. Founded by the legendary Anna Wintour, The Fashion Fund is a documentary-style TV show featuring behind-the-scenes action from the Council of Fashion Designers of America and the Vogue Competition for young designers.
Though what Ms. Day is most notably known for is her breathlessly beautiful smash hit song "Rise Up," which has been featured in various productions, as well as her other wonderfully composed and performed songs. A rich, soulful, and smoky tone, and seemingly effortless vocal control rises up Andra Day to the forefront of one's memory, where she will surely stay for decades to come. As well, Andra starred as Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021), a performance for which she won a Golden Globe and received an Academy Award nomination.- Actress
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Lupita Amondi Nyong'o was born March 1, 1983 in Mexico City, Mexico, to Kenyan parents, Dorothy Ogada Buyu and Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Her father, a senator, was then a visiting lecturer in political science. She was raised in Kenya. At age 16, her parents sent her back to Mexico for seven months to learn Spanish. She read film studies at Hampshire College, Massachusetts and, after working as a production assistant on several films, graduated from the Yale School of Drama's acting program. In 2013, she impressed cinema audiences in her film debut, as brutalized slave Patsey in acclaimed director Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave (2013). She was also the lead in MTV's award-winning drama series, Shuga (2009), appeared in the thriller Non-Stop (2014) and had roles in the big-budget films Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) and The Jungle Book (2016).
Lupita's stage credits include playing "Perdita" in "The Winter's Tale", (Yale Repertory Theater), "Sonya" in "Uncle Vanya", "Katherine" in "The Taming of the Shrew", as well as being in the original production of Michael Mitnick's "Elijah".
Lupita played the female lead, Nakia, in the 2018 superhero film Black Panther (2018).- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
Alex Wolff, an award-winning actor, musician, singer, and composer, was born on November 1, 1997 in New York, New York. He is the son of actress Polly Draper and jazz pianist Michael Wolff. His elder brother is actor and musician Nat Wolff.
He is most known for his work on The Naked Brothers Band (2007), Mr. Troop Mom (2008), In Treatment (2008), Hair Brained (2013), Stella's Last Weekend (2018), Patriots Day (2016), Hereditary (2018), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and The Cat and the Moon (2019).- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Captivating, gifted, and sensational, Angela Bassett's presence has been felt in theaters and on stages and television screens throughout the world. Angela Evelyn Bassett was born on August 16, 1958 in New York City, to Betty Jane (Gilbert), a social worker, and Daniel Benjamin Bassett, a preacher's son. Bassett and her sister D'nette grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida with their mother. As a single mother, Betty stressed the importance of education for her children. With the assistance of an academic scholarship, Bassett matriculated into Yale University. In 1980, she received her B.A. in African-American studies from Yale University. In 1983, she earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the Yale School of Drama. It was at Yale that Bassett met her husband, Courtney B. Vance, a 1986 graduate of the Drama School.
Bassett first appeared in small roles on The Cosby Show (1984) and Spenser: For Hire (1985), but it was not until 1990 that a spate of television roles brought her notice. Her breakthrough role, though, was playing Tina Turner, whom she had never seen perform before taking the role, in What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). Bassett's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination and a Golded Globe Award for Best Actress.- Actor
- Producer
- Soundtrack
From studying history at Harvard, and acting at Yale Drama School, to making history in Hollywood, Courtney B. Vance has carefully cultivated an exceptional career that showcases his passion, talent, and intellect. His penchant for successfully finding the dignity and honor in each character exploration has made this Tony and Emmy award-winning actor a powerful presence from the theatrical boards to the silver screen.
Courtney was awarded the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series; the Critics Choice Award for Best Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series; and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Limited-Series or Dramatic Special for his stunning portrayal of Johnnie Cochran in the FX series The People vs. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. He also earned SAG and Golden Globe nominations for his critically acclaimed performance.
Most recently, Courtney co-starred in Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions' Ben is Back, directed by Peter Hedges, alongside Julia Roberts and Lucas Hedges. He will also appear as a pivotal character in HBO's upcoming drama horror series Lovecraft Country and wrapped production on the Netflix film, Uncorked, with Niecy Nash and Mamoudou Athie. The film is a father-son story inspired by the family of Prentice Penny, Insecure EP and showrunner. Also, Courtney has been announced as joining the cast of the Universal/Will Packer romantic drama, The Photograph, with Issa Rae and LaKeith Stanfield, directed by Stella Meghie.
Other credits include his Tony Award winning performance in Nora Ephron's Lucky Guy and noteworthy films such as The Hunt for Red October, The Preacher's Wife, Space Cowboys, and Terminator Genisys.
Courtney and his wife, actress Angela Bassett co-wrote the book, FRIENDS: A LOVE STORY. The inspirational book is their personal love story and chronicles their story about healthy relationships. A native of Detroit, Michigan, he is a proud Ambassador for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America. He resides in Southern California with his wife and their twins, Bronwyn Golden and Slater Josiah.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Acting Career - Hailing from the Windy City, Kel Mitchell began his acting career at the young age of 12 with the ETA Creative Arts Foundation. Young Kel wowed audiences with his on-stage performances in Chicago theatrical productions such as "Kasimu & the Coconut Palm" and "Dirt." But it was his outstanding performance in "Eden" at the historic Victory Gardens Theater, which caught the attention of a prominent talent agent. At the age of 14, Kel got the opportunity of a lifetime. He flew to Florida to be on a TV show on the then new network for kids, Nickelodeon. Kel beat out thousands of other kids and was cast in what soon became a groundbreaking TV show. Mitchell was an original member on Nickelodeon's "All That" from 1994-1999. He and co-star Kenan Thompson also starred in the spin-off series "Kenan & Kel" from 1996-2000, as well as a 1997 major motion picture, titled "Good Burger", which is the movie version of one of his sketches from "All That". The duo also appeared together in episodes of "Sister Sister" and "The Steve Harvey Show" Kel Mitchell starred in the 1999 comedy "Mystery Men" with Ben Stiller and William H. Macy and in 2000, "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle" with Robert De Niro, Jason Alexander and Rene Russo. Mitchell was also the voice of a mild-mannered and playful dog named T-Bone in the children's cartoon series "Clifford the Big Red Dog", alongside the late John Ritter from 2000 to 2003. In 2004, he also made an appearance in the Kanye West music video "All Falls Down" as a luggage collecting hotel valet. In 2005, Mitchell portrayed Manny Sellers in the sitcom "One on One" with Kyla Pratt, and in 2007 Kel starred in BET's new series "Take the Cake" Some of his other credits include in 2007 "Honeydripper" directed by John Sayles, with Danny Glover, Lisa Gay Hamilton, and Charles S. Dutton and in 2008, Mitchell appeared in two Detroit-based stage productions, "Affairs" and "Laundromat", the latter written by Carlos Faison and also starred comedian Buddy Lewis and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons of R&B group SWV. In 2009 Kel became the voice of Ant on "The Ant and the Ardvark" new cartoon series from MGM studios "Pink Panther and Pals" for Cartoon Network. He has also filmed his writing and producing movie debut called "Dance Fu" in which he also stars as the lead role. It was directed by Cedric the Entertainer and also starring Tommy Davidson, Rodney Perry, Katerina Graham, and Affion Crockett. Kel voices Dutch in the animated series "Motorcity" on Disney XD and Jay-Jay in the animated series WildGrinders on Nicktoons. Mitchell most recently made is directorial debut with a short film that he also wrote called, "She Is Not My Sister" & starred as "D-Rock" on the CW's new web series called, "Stupid Hype" alongside of "Heart of Dixie's" Wilson Bethel.
Music Career - In 1996 he was a featured rapper on IMX's Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 hit "Watch Me Do My Thing" as his "Good Burger" character, Ed. In 1997 he wrote and performed "Were All Dudes" feat Less then Jake, the title song for the "Good Burger" movie. In 1999 his rap group with his two childhood friends wrote and performed "Who Are Those Mystery Men" on the "Mystery Men" movie soundtrack. In 2000 He was a featured rapper on Youngstown's "Pedal to the Steel" for the Disney television movie "Alley Cat Strike". In 2006 he and Dru Hill's Jazz wrote and performed "Up the game" for the movie "Like Mike 2: Streetball", and in 2008 he wrote and performed "Pray Together" for the gospel film "Don't Touch If You Aint Prayed 2" He has also done several parodies of hit songs, Kel has parodied celebrities such as Prince, 50 Cent and Michael Jackson just to name a few on a DVD called "Kel Videos Live" and in 2009 Mitchell directed Pop Artist Colby O'Donis's music video "Let You Go". He has voiced and wrote music for the animated cartoon called "Freaknik: the Musical" executive produced by T-Pain on Adult Swim.
Philanthropist - Kel motivates kids by giving speeches at many junior high and high school's, he has a genuine interest in the youth and mentoring them to be future leaders. He is a spokesperson for and works with organizations like Nccsa: National Center for Child Safety and Awareness, The Boys & Girls Club, The National College Association from the producers of The Black College Expo, LA's Best After School Enrichment Program, Young Visionaries, Black Carson Chambers of Commerce and many more. Kel also host's a web-series called "Ask Pastor Zeigler" with his Pastor from Spirit Food Christian Center Church teaching youth how to use the words of the Bible and how to put there Godly faith to work. Mitchell also puts on a live dance competition each month for the inner city youth called "The Back House Party" he executive produces the show along with his wife, designer and Christian rap artist Asia Lee. They put on the show at "The Dream Center Gallery" located in Compton, California.
Mitchell was honored with a Cable Ace Award in 1997 for Best Actor in a comedy series for his work in the Nickelodeon series "Kenan and Kel" and also honored with a Kids Choice Award in 1999 for Best Actor in a comedy series for both Nickelodeon series "All That" and "Kenan and Kel". Mitchell later earned two Daytime Emmy Award nominations for his voice work as the lovable "T-Bone" in the award winning PBS series and book series "Clifford the Big Red Dog" in 2001 and again in 2002. Most recently, Mitchell provides voice work for his character as skateboarding germaphobe, "Jay-Jay" on the Rob Dyrdek creation & Nicktoons cartoon series, "Wild Grinders" and as cool teen mechanic "Dutch" on the Disney XD cartoon series "Motorcity".
Having a genuine understanding of today's youth and roots in kid's television, Mitchell speaks to youth across the country encouraging them to follow their dreams, to walk by faith and not by sight and live a Godly lifestyle. Kel is involved in putting on and hosting uplifting concerts in inner cities teaming up with major Gospel and Christian music artist. Mitchell is also the spokesperson for "The Black College Expo" providing numerous scholarships for students through out the year. Mitchell and his wife Asia Lee-Mitchell were recently honored with an award from the "Carson Black Chambers of Commerce" for their work in the city of Compton, California, providing a safe program for kids to show off their creative talents in a dance variety live show created by the couple called, "The Back House Party". Hopeful in reducing Bullying in school's, Mitchell has written and directed a faith-based film that both teachers and youth pastors use to teach their students about how to eliminate bullying by using the principles of forgiveness and unconditional love.
Mitchell is also a music video director. He directed the high-octane video called, "Battery". He directed this video for Clear sight music's Christian Pop artist "V.Rose" featuring Billboard top charting Christian hip-hop artist "Flame". Mitchell's recent acting in television includes, TV One's "Love That Girl" CW's "Stupid Hype", Disney's "Good Luck Charlie", "First Family" and BET's "The Game".- Actor
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- Director
Boris Frederic Cecil Tay-Natey Ofuatey-Kodjoe, better known as Boris Kodjoe, is a German actor known for his roles as Jason in the 2000 film Love & Basketball (2000) and sports-courier agent Damon Carter on the Showtime drama series Soul Food (2000).
Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria to of Ursula, a German psychologist of partially-Jewish descent, and Eric Kodjoe, a Ghanaian physician who is of the Nzema people. He was named after Russian poet and writer Boris Pasternak. Kodjoe's great-grandmother was Jewish and died in the Holocaust; his maternal grandmother survived the war in hiding. Kodjoe's parents divorced when he was six years old. Kodjoe is fluent in German, English, and French, and speaks some Spanish. He has a brother named Patrick and two sisters named Nadja and Lara.- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Teyonah Parris was born on 22 September 1987 in Hopkins, South Carolina, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Dear White People (2014), Chi-Raq (2015) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018). She is married to James Parris.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Demi Singleton (born February 27, 2007) is an actress, singer and dancer originally from New Orleans, LA. She moved to New York City at the age of three and began training in the arts with New York's finest teachers in music, dance and acting. She has studied classical ballet since the age of three and began playing the cello when she was four. Demi studied at a rigorous music conservatory for children in Brooklyn, NY for 6 years where she learned to play instruments by ear through the Suzuki Method.
At nine, she attended a Broadway musical featuring child performers and decided that she also wanted to pursue a career as a stage performer. At ten years old, she joined the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "School of Rock- The Musical" on Broadway for nearly a year before joining Disney's "The Lion King" on Broadway as Young Nala. Before leaving "The Lion King", Demi joined the cast of "Godfather of Harlem", led by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker, as his character's granddaughter (Margaret Johnson).
Demi was recently cast as Serena Williams in the Will Smith led Warner Bros. biopic "King Richard" which tells the story of how tennis super stars Serena and Venus Williams rose to success from the planning and coaching of their father, Richard Williams.
Demi enjoys listening to pop, jazz, and hip-hop, traveling the world and learning about different cultures and languages. She is studying Mandarin, learning Spanish and looks forward to learning many more languages. Her family is from the Central American country of Honduras and the West Indian island of Dominica. She hopes to one day become a philanthropist to aid in world hunger, poverty and childhood education in the arts. She most enjoys spending time with her family and friends.- Actor
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J'Lamar Nichols is known for Quarantine Love and Married at First Sight: Couples Couch (2023).- Actress
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Kym Whitley was born in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Khartoum, Sudan (Africa). Kym knew she was blessed with the gift to make people laugh, after a chance encounter with Redd Foxx, who told her "she had the Comedic Goods". Kym began living her dream as a stand up comedian in Hollywood. Kym Whitley became Hollywood's go-to-girl with her smooth transition as a talented, comedic actress in numerous TV shows, namely, ABC's "My Wife and Kids", CBS's "Two Broke Girls", Disney's "That's So Raven", TV Land's "Soul Man" and HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Kym completed production of her docu-series, "Raising Whitley" on the OWN network. You have seen Kym in the following films: "Haunted House 2", "We Bought A Zoo", "Fun with Dick and Jane", "College Road Trip", "The Nutty Professor" and "Next Friday" to name a few.
Kym Whitely was nominated for a 2017 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Guest Actress for her portrayal as Big Candi, in the Emmy Nominated, "The Bay, The Series", Digital Daytime Drama Series. In addition, Ms. Whitley co-stars alongside Angela Bassett, in the 2017 Primetime Emmy Winning episode of "Master of None" written by the Emmy Winning Writers, Lena Waithe, and Aziz Ansari.
Kym starred in Freeform's (formerly ABC/Family) sitcom "Young & Hungry" for five years, which wrapped in 2017. Kym is also an accomplished voice-over actress. Ms. Whitley has voiced the character, Honeybee on "Black Dynamite: The Animated TV Series", and the character, Melonee in the Animated feature film, "Rango."- Actor
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With an authoritative voice and calm demeanor, this ever popular American actor has grown into one of the most respected figures in modern US cinema. Morgan was born on June 1, 1937 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Mayme Edna (Revere), a teacher, and Morgan Porterfield Freeman, a barber. The young Freeman attended Los Angeles City College before serving several years in the US Air Force as a mechanic between 1955 and 1959. His first dramatic arts exposure was on the stage including appearing in an all-African American production of the exuberant musical Hello, Dolly!.
Throughout the 1970s, he continued his work on stage, winning Drama Desk and Clarence Derwent Awards and receiving a Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Mighty Gents in 1978. In 1980, he won two Obie Awards, for his portrayal of Shakespearean anti-hero Coriolanus at the New York Shakespeare Festival and for his work in Mother Courage and Her Children. Freeman won another Obie in 1984 for his performance as The Messenger in the acclaimed Brooklyn Academy of Music production of Lee Breuer's The Gospel at Colonus and, in 1985, won the Drama-Logue Award for the same role. In 1987, Freeman created the role of Hoke Coleburn in Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Driving Miss Daisy, which brought him his fourth Obie Award. In 1990, Freeman starred as Petruchio in the New York Shakespeare Festival's The Taming of the Shrew, opposite Tracey Ullman. Returning to the Broadway stage in 2008, Freeman starred with Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher in Clifford Odets' drama The Country Girl, directed by Mike Nichols.
Freeman first appeared on TV screens as several characters including "Easy Reader", "Mel Mounds" and "Count Dracula" on the Children's Television Workshop (now Sesame Workshop) show The Electric Company (1971). He then moved into feature film with another children's adventure, Who Says I Can't Ride a Rainbow! (1971). Next, there was a small role in the thriller Blade (1973); then he played Casca in Julius Caesar (1979) and the title role in Coriolanus (1979). Regular work was coming in for the talented Freeman and he appeared in the prison dramas Attica (1980) and Brubaker (1980), Eyewitness (1981), and portrayed the final 24 hours of slain Malcolm X in Death of a Prophet (1981). For most of the 1980s, Freeman continued to contribute decent enough performances in films that fluctuated in their quality. However, he really stood out, scoring an Oscar nomination as a merciless hoodlum in Street Smart (1987) and, then, he dazzled audiences and pulled a second Oscar nomination in the film version of Driving Miss Daisy (1989) opposite Jessica Tandy. The same year, Freeman teamed up with youthful Matthew Broderick and fiery Denzel Washington in the epic Civil War drama Glory (1989) about freed slaves being recruited to form the first all-African American fighting brigade.
His star continued to rise, and the 1990s kicked off strongly with roles in The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), and The Power of One (1992). Freeman's next role was as gunman Ned Logan, wooed out of retirement by friend William Munny to avenge several prostitutes in the wild west town of Big Whiskey in Clint Eastwood's de-mythologized western Unforgiven (1992). The film was a sh and scored an acting Oscar for Gene Hackman, a directing Oscar for Eastwood, and the Oscar for best picture. In 1993, Freeman made his directorial debut on Bopha! (1993) and soon after formed his production company, Revelations Entertainment.
More strong scripts came in, and Freeman was back behind bars depicting a knowledgeable inmate (and obtaining his third Oscar nomination), befriending falsely accused banker Tim Robbins in The Shawshank Redemption (1994). He was then back out hunting a religious serial killer in Se7en (1995), starred alongside Keanu Reeves in Chain Reaction (1996), and was pursuing another serial murderer in Kiss the Girls (1997).
Further praise followed for his role in the slave tale of Amistad (1997), he was a worried US President facing Armageddon from above in Deep Impact (1998), appeared in Neil LaBute's black comedy Nurse Betty (2000), and reprised his role as Alex Cross in Along Came a Spider (2001). Now highly popular, he was much in demand with cinema audiences, and he co-starred in the terrorist drama The Sum of All Fears (2002), was a military officer in the Stephen King-inspired Dreamcatcher (2003), gave divine guidance as God to Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty (2003), and played a minor role in the comedy The Big Bounce (2004).
2005 was a huge year for Freeman. First, he he teamed up with good friend Clint Eastwood to appear in the drama, Million Dollar Baby (2004). Freeman's on-screen performance is simply world-class as ex-prize fighter Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris, who works in a run-down boxing gym alongside grizzled trainer Frankie Dunn, as the two work together to hone the skills of never-say-die female boxer Hilary Swank. Freeman received his fourth Oscar nomination and, finally, impressed the Academy's judges enough to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. He also narrated Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds (2005) and appeared in Batman Begins (2005) as Lucius Fox, a valuable ally of Christian Bale's Bruce Wayne/Batman for director Christopher Nolan. Freeman would reprise his role in the two sequels of the record-breaking, genre-redefining trilogy.
Roles in tentpoles and indies followed; highlights include his role as a crime boss in Lucky Number Slevin (2006), a second go-round as God in Evan Almighty (2007) with Steve Carell taking over for Jim Carrey, and a supporting role in Ben Affleck's directorial debut, Gone Baby Gone (2007). He co-starred with Jack Nicholson in the breakout hit The Bucket List (2007) in 2007, and followed that up with another box-office success, Wanted (2008), then segued into the second Batman film, The Dark Knight (2008).
In 2009, he reunited with Eastwood to star in the director's true-life drama Invictus (2009), on which Freeman also served as an executive producer. For his portrayal of Nelson Mandela in the film, Freeman garnered Oscar, Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Award nominations, and won the National Board of Review Award for Best Actor.
Recently, Freeman appeared in RED (2010), a surprise box-office hit; he narrated the Conan the Barbarian (2011) remake, starred in Rob Reiner's The Magic of Belle Isle (2012); and capped the Batman trilogy with The Dark Knight Rises (2012). Freeman has several films upcoming, including the thriller Now You See Me (2013), under the direction of Louis Leterrier, and the science fiction actioner Oblivion (2013), in which he stars with Tom Cruise.- Producer
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Martin Charles Scorsese was born on November 17, 1942 in Queens, New York City, to Catherine Scorsese (née Cappa) and Charles Scorsese, who both worked in Manhattan's garment district, and whose families both came from Palermo, Sicily. He was raised in the neighborhood of Little Italy, which later provided the inspiration for several of his films. Scorsese earned a B.S. degree in film communications in 1964, followed by an M.A. in the same field in 1966 at New York University's School of Film. During this time, he made numerous prize-winning short films including The Big Shave (1967), and directed his first feature film, Who's That Knocking at My Door (1967).
He served as assistant director and an editor of the documentary Woodstock (1970) and won critical and popular acclaim for Mean Streets (1973), which first paired him with actor and frequent collaborator Robert De Niro. In 1976, Scorsese's Taxi Driver (1976), also starring De Niro, was awarded the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and he followed that film with New York, New York (1977) and The Last Waltz (1978). Scorsese directed De Niro to an Oscar-winning performance as boxer Jake LaMotta in Raging Bull (1980), which received eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is hailed as one of the masterpieces of modern cinema. Scorsese went on to direct The Color of Money (1986), The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), Goodfellas (1990), Cape Fear (1991), The Age of Innocence (1993), Casino (1995) and Kundun (1997), among other films. Commissioned by the British Film Institute to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of cinema, Scorsese completed the four-hour documentary, A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995), co-directed by Michael Henry Wilson.
His long-cherished project, Gangs of New York (2002), earned numerous critical honors, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Director; the Howard Hughes biopic The Aviator (2004) won five Academy Awards, in addition to the Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for Best Picture. Scorsese won his first Academy Award for Best Director for The Departed (2006), which was also honored with the Director's Guild of America, Golden Globe, New York Film Critics, National Board of Review and Critic's Choice awards for Best Director, in addition to four Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Scorsese's documentary of the Rolling Stones in concert, Shine a Light (2008), followed, with the successful thriller Shutter Island (2010) two years later. Scorsese received his seventh Academy Award nomination for Best Director, as well as a Golden Globe Award, for Hugo (2011), which went on to win five Academy Awards.
Scorsese also serves as executive producer on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire (2010) for which he directed the pilot episode. Scorsese's additional awards and honors include the Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival (1995), the AFI Life Achievement Award (1997), the Honoree at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's 25th Gala Tribute (1998), the DGA Lifetime Achievement Award (2003), The Kennedy Center Honors (2007) and the HFPA Cecil B. DeMille Award (2010). Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio have worked together on five separate occasions: Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), Shutter Island (2010) and The Wolf of Wall Street (2013).- Actor
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George Timothy Clooney was born on May 6, 1961, in Lexington, Kentucky, to Nina Bruce (née Warren), a former beauty pageant queen, and Nick Clooney, a former anchorman and television host (who was also the brother of singer Rosemary Clooney). He has Irish, English, and German ancestry. Clooney spent most of his youth in Ohio and Kentucky, and graduated from Augusta High School. He was very active in sports such as basketball and baseball, and tried out for the Cincinnati Reds, but was not offered a contract.
After his cousin, Miguel Ferrer, got him a small role in a feature film, Clooney began to pursue acting. His first major role was on the sitcom E/R (1984) as Ace. More roles soon followed, including George Burnett, the handsome handyman on The Facts of Life (1979); Booker Brooks, a supervisor on Roseanne (1988); and Detective James Falconer on Sisters (1991). Clooney had his breakthrough when he was cast as Dr. Doug Ross on the award-winning drama series ER (1994), opposite Anthony Edwards, Noah Wyle and Julianna Margulies.
While filming "ER" (1994), Clooney starred in a number of high profile film roles, such as Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn (1996), and One Fine Day (1996), opposite Michelle Pfeiffer. In 1997, Clooney took on the role of Batman in Joel Schumacher's Batman & Robin (1997). The film was a moderate success in the box office, but was slammed by critics, notably for the nipple-laden Batsuit. Clooney went on to star in Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight (1998), Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line (1998), and David O. Russell's Three Kings (1999).
In 1999, Clooney left "ER" (1994) (though he would return for the season finale) and appeared in a number of films, including O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000), The Perfect Storm (2000) and Ocean's Eleven (2001). Collaborating once again with Steven Soderbergh, Ocean's Eleven (2001) received critical acclaim, earned more than $450 million at the box office, and spawned two sequels: Ocean's Twelve (2004) and Ocean's Thirteen (2007).
In 2002, Clooney made his directorial debut with Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002), an adaptation of TV producer Chuck Barris' autobiography. This was the first film under the banner of Section Eight Productions, a production company he founded with Steven Soderbergh. The company also produced many acclaimed films, including Far from Heaven (2002), Syriana (2005), A Scanner Darkly (2006) and Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005). Clooney won his first Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Syriana (2005), and was nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005).
In 2006, Section Eight Productions was shut down so that Soderbergh could concentrate on directing, and Clooney founded a new production company, Smokehouse Productions, with his friend and longtime business partner, Grant Heslov.
Clooney went on to produce and star in Michael Clayton (2007) (which earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor), directed and starred in Leatherheads (2008), and took leading roles in Burn After Reading (2008), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2009), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), and Jason Reitman's Up in the Air (2009). Clooney received critical acclaim for his performance in Up in the Air (2009) and was nominated for several awards, including a Golden Globe Award and Academy Award. He didn't win that year, but took home both Best Actor awards (as well as countless nominations) for his role as a father who finds out his wife was unfaithful as she lays in a coma in Alexander Payne's The Descendants (2011). Through his career, Clooney has been heralded for his political activism and humanitarian work. He has served as one of the United Nations Messengers of Peace since 2008, has been an advocate for the Darfur conflict, and organized the Hope for Haiti telethon, to raise money for the victims of the 2010 earthquake. In March 2012, Clooney was arrested for civil disobedience while protesting at the Sudanese embassy in Washington, D.C.
Clooney was married to actress Talia Balsam, from 1989 until 1993. After their divorce, he swore he would never marry again. Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman bet him $10,000 that he would have children by the age of 40, and sent him a check shortly after his birthday. Clooney returned the funds and bet double or nothing he wouldn't have children by the age of 50. Although he has remained a consummate bachelor, Clooney has had many highly publicized relationships, including with former WWE wrestler Stacy Keibler. In 2014, he married lawyer and activist Amal Clooney, with whom he has two children, twins.- Writer
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Best known for his cerebral, often nonlinear, storytelling, acclaimed Academy Award winner writer/director/producer Sir Christopher Nolan CBE was born in London, England. Over the course of more than 25 years of filmmaking, Nolan has gone from low-budget independent films to working on some of the biggest blockbusters ever made and became one of the most celebrated filmmakers of modern cinema.
At 7 years old, Nolan began making short films with his father's Super-8 camera. While studying English Literature at University College London, he shot 16-millimeter films at U.C.L.'s film society, where he learned the guerrilla techniques he would later use to make his first feature, Following (1998), on a budget of around $6,000. The noir thriller was recognized at a number of international film festivals prior to its theatrical release and gained Nolan enough credibility that he was able to gather substantial financing for his next film.
Nolan's second film was Memento (2000), which he directed from his own screenplay based on a short story by his brother Jonathan Nolan. Starring Guy Pearce, the film brought Nolan numerous honors, including Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay. Nolan went on to direct the critically acclaimed psychological thriller, Insomnia (2002), starring Al Pacino, Robin Williams and Hilary Swank.
The turning point in Nolan's career occurred when he was awarded the chance to revive the Batman franchise in 2005. In Batman Begins (2005), Nolan brought a level of gravitas back to the iconic hero, and his gritty, modern interpretation was greeted with praise from fans and critics alike. Before moving on to a Batman sequel, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and produced the mystery thriller The Prestige (2006), starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as magicians whose obsessive rivalry leads to tragedy and murder.
In 2008, Nolan directed, co-wrote, and produced The Dark Knight (2008). Co-written with by his brother Jonathan, the film went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the worldwide box office. Nolan was nominated for a Directors Guild of America (D.G.A.) Award, Writers Guild of America (W.G.A.) Award and Producers Guild of America (P.G.A.) Award, and the film also received eight Academy Award nominations. The film is widely considered one of the best comic book adaptations of all times, with Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker receiving an extremely high acclaim. Ledger posthumously became the first Academy Award winning performance in a Nolan film.
In 2010, Nolan captivated audiences with the Sci-Fi thriller Inception (2010), starring Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role, which he directed and produced from his own original screenplay that he worked on for almost a decade. The thought-provoking drama was a worldwide blockbuster, earning more than $800,000,000 and becoming one of the most discussed and debated films of the year, and of all times. Among its many honors, Inception received four Academy Awards and eight nominations, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. Nolan was recognized by his peers with a W.G.A. Award accolade, as well as D.G.A. and P.G.A. Awards nominations for his work on the film.
As one of the best-reviewed and highest-grossing movies of 2012, The Dark Knight Rises (2012) concluded Nolan's Batman trilogy. Due to his success rebooting the Batman character, Warner Bros. enlisted Nolan to produce their revamped Superman movie Man of Steel (2013), which opened in the summer of 2013. In 2014, Nolan directed, wrote, and produced the Science-Fiction epic Interstellar (2014), starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain. Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. released the film on November 5, 2014, to positive reviews and strong box-office results, grossing over $670 million dollars worldwide.
In July 2017, Nolan released his acclaimed War epic Dunkirk (2017), that earned him his first Best Director nomination at the Academy Awards, as well as winning an additional 3 Oscars. In 2020 he released his mind-bending Sci-Fi espionage thriller Tenet (2020) starring John David Washington in the lead role. Released during the COVID-19 pandemic, the movie grossed relatively less than Nolan's previous blockbusters, though it did do good numbers compared to other movies in that period of time. Hailed as Nolan's most complex film yet, the film was one of Nolan's less-acclaimed films at the time, yet slowly built a fan-base following in later years.
In July 2023, Nolan released his highly acclaimed biographic drama Oppenheimer (2023) starring Nolan's frequent collaborator Cillian Murphy- in the lead role for the first time in a Nolan film. The movie was a cultural phenomenon that on top of grossing almost 1 billion dollars at the Worldwide Box office, also swept the 2023/2024 award-season and gave Nolan his first Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, D.G.A. and P.G.A. Awards, as well as a handful of regional critics-circles awards and a W.G.A. nomination. Cillian's performance as quantum physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer was highly acclaimed as well, and became the first lead performance in a Nolan film to win the Academy Award.
During 2023, Nolan also received a fellowship from the British Film Institute (BFI). In March 2024, it was announced that Nolan is to be knighted by King Charles III and from now on will go by the title 'Sir Christopher Nolan'.
Nolan resides in Los Angeles, California with his wife, Academy Award winner producer Dame Emma Thomas, and their children. Sir Nolan and Dame Thomas also have their own production company, Syncopy.