ATTN: CASTING African-American faces we want to see more of!
Come on casting directors, directors, and producers!!!! So tired of seeing the same black actors in everything. Please remember there are more than 10 qualified black actors in the business. Let's give some other people a chance, and let the "usual suspects" take a rest.
Here's a list of some familiar, and new faces, to help you get more creative!
Here's a list of some familiar, and new faces, to help you get more creative!
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Omari Latif Hardwick was born in Savannah, Georgia, to Joyce (Johnson) and Clifford Hardwick III, and grew up in Decatur, GA. His parents gave him a name to set a precedent, "Omari" meaning "most high," and "Latif" meaning "gentle." He shares, "I in no way believe that I am the highest or most high, but I feel like my name gives me something to strive for." Growing up, sports were Hardwick's world, but early on he knew he had a passion for the arts. By the age of fourteen, Hardwick was writing poetry on a regular basis, a passion he would carry with him into adulthood. In high school, he excelled at basketball, baseball, and football, and went on to play football at the University of Georgia. Although a star on the field, Hardwick never gave up his passion for acting, and minored in theatre in college. He shares, "I hugely attribute sports to my success in entertainment business. Being on the field taught me dedication and discipline - I already came from a strict household when I was growing up, sports just took that to another level. Whenever I approach a set, I always feel as though the cast, crew, director, are all part of a team. I have always married athletics and art, two huge parts of my life."
After graduation, Hardwick relocated to San Diego for a spot on the San Diego Chargers (NFL) however a knee injury cut his football career short. He decided to revisit his original passion for acting, and moved to New York to study his craft more extensively. In New York, Hardwick studied off Broadway until 2000, when he made the move to Los Angeles. As a struggling actor, he worked odd jobs to pay for acting classes, however the security gigs and substitute teaching at times were not enough to make ends meet, and at one point he lived out of his car. Hardwick shares, "what is so crazy, is that where I presently shoot my series 'Dark Blue,' is where I lived in my car when I first moved to Los Angeles. It is surreal at times."
Hardwick's first big break came in 2003, when he was cast in his first major role as a series regular in Spike Lee's Sucker Free City. Two years later, he landed the feature The Guardian and TNT's Saved - both of which he booked within a three-week span in 2005. He notes, "I felt like I had arrived when I went back to one of my odd jobs that had let me go several years prior, and I looked out over Sunset Boulevard right next to the Chateau Marmont, and saw myself plastered on a billboard overlooking the city. I had to break down a little at that point, it was a big moment for me." Throughout 2007 - 2009 Hardwick worked on various projects, including guest starring on several television series, and filming several movies including Summit Entertainment's Next Day Air and Touchstone Picture's Miracle at St. Anna. In 2008 he landed the role of "Ty Curtis" on the TNT series Dark Blue. Season 1 aired throughout 2009. His continued success came when he was cast as the lead of the Starz series Power. Omari's performance is critically lauded, and the show went on to produce multiple spinoffs for the network. Having reached a new level of stardom, Omari can most recently be seen in Boots Riley's critically acclaimed Sorry to Bother You, Nobody's Fool opposite Tiffany Haddish, Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead for Netflix, and opposite Toni Collette in Pieces of Her, also for Netflix. He'll next be seen in Netflix projects The Mothership, opposite Halle Berry, and The Mother, opposite Jennifer Lopez.
In addition to acting, Hardwick is a founding member of Plan B Inc. Theater Group, and a co-founder of Los Angeles Actor's Lounge. He has big plans for his production company, Bravelife, in 2010 as well, and plans on expanding the company. Hardwick also continues to work on his poetry, and has written over 4,000 poems.Handsome and talented!!- Actress
- Soundtrack
Sophie Okonedo is a British actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Tatiana Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda (2004).
Okonedo was born within London in 1968. Her parents were Henry Okonedo (1939-2009) and Joan Allman. Her father was British Nigerian employed as a government worker. Her mother was a British Jew employed as a Pilates teacher. Sophie's maternal grandparents were Yiddish-speaking emigrants to the United Kingdom, one from Poland and the other from Russia.
Henry Okonedo abandoned his family around 1973, when Sophie was 5. Joan raised her daughter as a single mother in the Chalkhill Estate, a large council estate within the Wembley Park district of the London Borough of Brent. The Chalkhill Estate consisted of "about 1900 houses and flats" and was located at a short distance from the Wembley Stadium. The Chalkhill Estate was often vandalized by football hooligans during during the 1970s and suffered from high crime rates from the 1970s to the 1990s. The Estate's buildings were eventually demolished in 2000.
Sophie was raised as a practicing Jew, and always had access to books despite her family's relative poverty. She chose to follow acting as a profession, and was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, one of the oldest and most prestigious drama schools in the United Kingdom.
Okonedo made her film debut at 23, in the coming-of-age film "Young Soul Rebels" (1991). The film was a historical fiction work, examining the youth culture of London in the late 1970s, and the interactions between different culture movements: the skinheads, the punks, and the soul-boys. Sophie Okonedo played Tracy, the girlfriend of the main character Chris (Valentine Nonyela).
In 1995, Okonedo gained the role of Moira Levitt in the first season of the prison drama "The Governor" (1995-1996). The series primarily concerned the lives of a prison's staff members. Also in 1995, Okonedo played the role of the Wachati Princess, Ace Ventura's love interest in the comedy film "Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls". In the film, the virgin princess of an African tribe has been engaged to a heir from another tribe, but disagrees with the arranged marriage and attempts to seduce pet detective Ace Ventura (Jim Carrey) instead. Ace has recently become a Buddhist monk and has taken an oath of celibacy, but feels tempted by the offer.
From 1996 to 1997, Okonedo played the main role of Kelly Booth in the medical drama series "Staying Alive". In 2000, Okonedo played a main role in the legal drama mini-series "In Defence". While originally planned to be a multi-season television series, the series was cut short due to poor ratings.
In 2000, Okonedo co-stared in the dramatic television film "Never Never". She was nominated for a "Royal Television Society Award for Best Actor - Female", for her role in the film. In 2002, Okonedo played the role of the prostitute Juliette in the social thriller film "Dirty Pretty Things", which depicted the lives of impoverished immigrants in London.
In 2003, Okonedo voiced the role of Alison Cheney in the flash-animated series "Scream of the Shalka", a spin-off of "Doctor Who". In the series, Alison is a barmaid at a Lancashire village who becomes the newest time-traveling companion of the Doctor (played by Richard E. Grant). Alison also befriends the Master (played by Derek Jacobi), an arch-enemy-turned-assistant of the Doctor who is permanently trapped within the time machine known as the Tardis.
In 2004, 36-year-old Okonedo had her breakthrough role as the co-star of the historical drama film "Hotel Rwanda", depicting the Rwandan genocide (1994). Okonedo played the historical figure Tatiana Rusesabagina (1958-), a professional nurse from the Tutsi ethnic group who helped over a 1000 individuals to escape the massacre. Okonedo won a Black Reel Award for Best Actress for her role. She was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, but the Award for that year was won by rival actress Cate Blanchett (1969-).
In 2005, Okonedo had the role of Sithandra in the science fiction film "Æon Flux". The film was set in the 25th century, within the fictional city-state of Bregna. The characters Æon Flux (played by Charlize Theron) and Sithandra are female assassins, tasked with assassinating Trevor Goodchild, the local head-of-state. But in the process, Æon finds out that the city-state's main rebel-organization is actually a tool for a coup d'état orchestrated by other politicians. And also discovers some dark secrets about the city's past. The film gained a worldwide box office total of 52 million dollars, smaller than its actual budget,
In 2006, Okonedo played the intelligence agent "Mrs. Jones" in the spy film "Stormbreaker", an adaptation of the "Alex Rider" novel series by Anthony Horowitz (1955-). In the film, Mrs. Jones (full name "Tulip Jones" in the novels) is an an agent of the Special Operations Division of MI6, and the de facto second-in-command of MI6. When subordinate agent Ian Rider gets assassinated by enemy agents, Mrs. Jones recruits Ian's nephew and surrogate son Alex Rider as a replacement agent. Blackmailing the boy by threatening to deport his housekeeper and primary caretaker Jack Starbright (played by Alicia Silverstone) if he refuses to serve the agency. The film gained about 24 million dollars at the international box office, receiving only a limited release in the United States.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Anna in the British comedy-drama film "Scenes of a Sexual Nature", an anthology film depicting seven loosely connected stories, all set in the nature reserve of Hampstead Heath within Greater London. Anna was depicted as a woman suffering from extreme mood swings, which convince her boyfriend to leave her alone in the nature reserve. The depressed Anna is approached by the weirdly-acting stranger Noel (played by Tom Hardy) who attempts to cheer her up and befriend her. Anna is at turns amused and annoyed by Noel, attempts to have sex with him, and then abruptly abandons him due to another sudden change in her mood. The film opened in niche cinemas.
Also in 2006, Okonedo played the role of Susie Carter in the mini-series "Tsunami: The Aftermath", which depicted the aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. In the film, Susie is a young mother who is searching for her daughter Martha Carter (Jazmyn Maraso). Martha was swept away by the tsunami, and her whereabouts are unknown for most of the series. Okonedo won an "NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special" for this role, and was nominated for a Golden Globe.
Okonedo's next films were the comedy-drama "Martian Child" (2007), the drama film "The Secret Life of Bees" (2008), and the biographical film "Skin" (2008). The last two films allowed Okonedo to be nominated for several Black Reel Awards, NAACP Image Awards, Satellite Awards, and British Independent Film Award. Despite the critical acclaim for her acting roles, Okonedo never actually won these awards.
In 2010, 42-year-old Okonedo was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire, a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences. The Order was established in 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom (reigned 1910-1936) and counts among its members several actors.
In 2010, Okonedo returned to the Doctor Who franchise, playing another character in the most recent "Doctor Who" television series. She was cast as Elizabeth X (nicknaned "Liz Ten"), a Queen regnant of the United Kingdom in the 29th century. In the series, Elizabeth is immortal, but has limited access to her own memories due to a series of mind-wipes. She was depicted as still alive and reigning in an episode set in the 52nd century, at which point she was over 2300 years old.
Okonedo was limited to television roles for much of the early 2010s, but returned to theatrical films with the post-apocalyptic science fiction film "After Earth" (2013). The film is set in the 31st century, when the planet Earth has long been abandoned by humanity. Most humans live in the colony world Nova Prime, which is protected from alien threats by the Ranger Corps. Okonedo was cast in the role of Faia Raige, wife of the General Cypher Raige (Will Smith), the commanding officer of the Rangers. Early in the film, Faia convinces Cypher to take their son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) with him in mission, as a bonding experience. Young Kitai's application to become a Ranger has already being rejected due to reckless behavior, Kitai suffers from survivor's guilt for playing a part in his sister's death, and his father sees him as a failure. Faia's request for a bonding experience results in father and son being left stranded on planet Earth, the only two humans alive on the planet. The film was poorly received by critics, but earned about 244 million dollars at the worldwide box office. Becoming the commercially most successful film in Okonedo's entire career at this point.
Okonedo's next film was the political drama "War Book" (2014). The film depicts British civil servants who participate in a war-game, concerning government reactions in a potential nuclear war. In 2016, Okonedo had a major role in the mini-series "The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses", depicting the historical Wars of the Roses (1455-1487), a series of English civil wars involving rival branches of the royal family. Okonedo was cast in the role of Queen consort Margaret of Anjou (1430-1482, terms as Queen 1445-1461, 1470-1471). The historical Margaret was the wife and consort of Henry VI of England (1421-1471, reigned 1422-1461, 1470-1471), the mother of Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales (1453-1471), and the mother-in-law of Anne Neville (1456-1485). Due to Henry's health problems and Edward's underage status, Margaret served as the de facto head of the House of Lancaster and the Lancastrian military faction in early phases of the war. The defeat of her army at the Battle of Tewkesbury (1471) caused the deaths of both her husband and her son, and allowed the rival House of York to dominate the English throne until 1485.
In 2018, Okonedo returned to voice acting. She voiced Kanga the kangaroo of the Hundred Acre Wood in the fantasy film "Christopher Robin", a sequel to the Winnie-the-Pooh novels of Alan Alexander Milne (1882-1956). The film depicts an adult Christopher Robin as a World War II veteran and aging businessman. He thinks that his childhood friends from the Hundred Acre Wood were imaginary, until said friends come searching for him. He has aged, but they have not. The film earned about 198 million dollars at the worldwide box office, becoming the highest-grossing film in Disney's Winnie the Pooh franchise.
In 2019, Okonedo played the seer Lady Hatton in the superhero film "Hellboy", the first superhero film of her career. The film earned about 40 million dollars at the worldwide box office, lower than its own budget. The film was criticized for its excessive gore, including an opening scene where King Arthur mutilates the corpse of his enemy Nimue.
Also in 2019, Okonedo was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2010, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2019., for her services in drama. She is living with her only daughter Aoife Okonedo Martin in Muswell Hill, a suburban district of north London. Aoife is employed as a Personal Trainer. At 51, Okonedo continues to work regularly in her chosen field.One of the best of our time!- Actor
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English actor, writer and director Chiwetel Ejiofor is renowned for his portrayal of Solomon Northup in 12 Years a Slave (2013), for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, along with the BAFTA Award for Best Actor. He is also known for playing Okwe in Dirty Pretty Things (2002), the Operative in Serenity (2005), Lola in Kinky Boots (2005), Luke in Children of Men (2006), Dr. Adrian Helmsley in 2012 (2009) and Dr. Vincent Kapoor in The Martian (2015).
Chiwetelu Umeadi Ejiofor was born on July 10, 1977 in Forest Gate, London, England, to Nigerian parents, Obiajulu (Okaford), a pharmacist, and Arinze Ejiofor, a doctor. Chiwetel attended Dulwich College in South-East London. By the age of 13, he was appearing in numerous school and National Youth Theatre productions and subsequently attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA).
Ejiofor caught the attention of Steven Spielberg who cast him in the critically acclaimed Amistad (1997) alongside Morgan Freeman and Anthony Hopkins. He has since been seen on the big screen in numerous features including Stephen Frears' Dirty Pretty Things (2002) (for which he won Best Actor at the British Independent Film Awards, the Evening Standard Film Awards, and the San Diego Film Critics Society Awards), Love Actually (2003), Woody Allen's Melinda and Melinda (2004), Kinky Boots (2005), Inside Man (2006), Children of Men (2006), American Gangster (2007) and Talk to Me (2007), for which his performance won him an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Ejiofor has balanced his film and television commitments with a number of prestigious stage productions. In 2008, his portrayal of the title role in Michael Grandage's "Othello" at the Donmar Warehouse alongside Ewan McGregor was unanimously commended and won him best actor at the 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards and Evening Standard Theatre Awards. He also received nominations in the South Bank Show Awards and the What's On Stage Theatregoers' Choice Awards in 2009. His other stage roles include Roger Michell's "Blue/Orange" in 2000 which received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Play, and the same year Tim Supple's "Romeo and Juliet" in which Ejiofor portrayed the title role.
Following his television debut in the series episode Deadly Voyage (1996), Ejiofor has complimented his film and theatre work on the small screen in productions including Murder in Mind (2001), created by the award-winning writer Anthony Horowitz, Trust (2003), Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003), and Canterbury Tales (2003). His television appearance in the hard hitting emotional drama Tsunami: The Aftermath (2006) alongside Toni Collette, Sophie Okonedo and Tim Roth earned him a nomination for a Golden Globe Award as well as an NAACP Image award.
Ejiofor also appeared in such notable films as Endgame (2009), Channel 4's moving drama set in South Africa for which his performance earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries; Roland Emmerich's action feature 2012 (2009), opposite John Cusack, Danny Glover and Thandiwe Newton; and Salt (2010), opposite Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. In 2013, he starred in Half of a Yellow Sun (2013) and 12 Years a Slave (2013), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for the latter film.- Actress
- Producer
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Linara Washington was born in the little town of Beaufort, SC to a beautiful Brazilian woman and an American son of a preacher man. Her mother spoke no English at the time, which has given Linara the added benefit of being fluent in Portuguese. She is currently adding German to her list of languages and is hoping to conquer French, Italian, Japanese, and Hebrew.
Her time in South Carolina was brief, as the next sixteen years were spent moving from college town to college town. All in all she has lived in over 14 states and short stint in Brasil when she was still a baby. During a three-year stop in St. Paul, Minnesota, Linara attended The Blake School where she began to cultivate her love of acting. While at Blake she had the pleasure of attending many shows at the famous Guthrie Theatre (which coincidentally was located just one block from the school) as well having participated in the Dudley Riggs Improvisational Theater's enrichment program for high school aged youth. Mighty Ducks 2 was filmed at the high schools skating rink and it was no surprise to anyone that Linara made every effort possible to be a part of the production. Though she was only an extra at the time the experience definitely left its mark helping to spark the desire to be in the movies.
An excellent math and science student, Linara initially decided to pursue those interests rather than acting. The oldest of three girls, her parents probably would have disowned her had she not pursued a more "practical" course of study and been a proper role model for her younger siblings. She was accepted at the prestigious University of Chicago where started her courses as a Pre-med Biology major. But, as with all things that are meant to be, she soon found herself taking a number of writing classes and participating in the campus's theater productions. One school year she actually directed two shows and performed in five shows, taking on a role three days before opening after another actress unexpectedly quit. Her beloved college mentors: poet, Elizabeth Alexander and director/professor, Curt Columbus, were so influential in her growth as an artist that she changed her major to English, took her MCAT money and purchased headshots, and did not tell her parents until graduation day that she was going to pursue acting. Her parents, thankfully, did not kill her.
Linara's gutsy move proved to be the right one. She has had the pleasure of working at a number of Chicago's most acclaimed theaters including The Steppenwolf, Lookingglass, Northlight, and the Tony Award winning Victory Gardens. She has appeared in over 30 commercials nationally and internationally. A supporting role as Keisha--the cute and sassy receptionist-- in Barbershop 2 motivated her move to LA where she has since enjoyed recurring roles on "American Dreams" and "E.R." as well as a number of guest star spots including "Cold Case", "Close To Home", and "Without A Trace." She most recently had the pleasure of working with Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and acclaimed director Marc Forster in the upcoming film "Stranger Than Fiction."
A perfectionist who enjoys getting involved in everything, when Linara isn't on stage or screen she enjoys dancing-especially samba-cooking, learning the guitar (a replacement for the 14 years of violin she gave up earlier in life), painting, making jewelry, reading, and writing among other things. She is currently working on two screenplays; one of which is an adaptation of a stage play she wrote seven years ago on The Hottentot Venus.I have been watching her for a while. She just did a movie with Brad Pitt!- Actress
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Donielle Artese was born in Los Angeles, California, USA. She is an actress, known for Insecure (2016), Mad Men (2007) and Jane the Virgin (2014).I saw her on a few episodes of Mad Men...she was awesome!- Actor
- Producer
- Additional Crew
Arlen Escarpeta was born in Belize, Central America as Arlen Alexander Escarpeta. He is known for his work on Whitney (TV Movie) (2015), Final Destination 5 (2011), Into the Storm (2014) and Friday the 13th (2009). He currently resides in Los Angeles, California and has been able to make a name for himself within the world of TV, film, voiceover and print.Excellent actor!!- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Jesse Wesley Williams born August 5, 1981 is a former high school teacher and activist turned actor/director. He's best known for his role as Dr. Jackson Avery on the ABC Television series Grey's Anatomy and his advocacy for the disenfranchised, highlighted by his internationally resonant acceptance speech for his 2016 BET Humanitarian Award. He also appears in the hit 2013 film Lee Daniels' The Butler as real life civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson. Previous roles include Holden in The Cabin in the Woods (2012), Officer Eddie Quinlan in Brooklyn's Finest (2009), as Leo, Lena's boyfriend, in the film sequel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and as Isaac "Ike" Singer in Jacob's Ladder (2019).- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Larenz Tate was born on the west side of Chicago to Larry and Peggy Tate, the youngest of three brothers. His brothers are actors Larron Tate and Lahmard J. Tate. In 1984, Larenz and his family moved to California. It was while living in California that Larenz's parents got him and his brothers involved in a drama program at the Inner City Cultural Center. At first, the boys were interested just to meet girls. However, when they saw classmate Malcolm-Jamal Warner get cast in the role of "Theo Huxtable" on The Cosby Show (1984), they began to take it more seriously. From then on, the brothers began getting other small roles. Larenz's career first took off in a Christmas episode of The Twilight Zone (1985), after which roles began pouring in. He has gone on to star in both television series and movies.- Actress
- Writer
Hails from New York, where she studied Educational Theater at NYU while on a scholarship for spring board diving. She started her career dancing for icons like Michael Jackson, Prince, and many others in the States and internationally. Eventually she made the transition to Los Angeles where she has been successfully working in Film and Television.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
...storyteller, dreamer, doer.
Shelli Boone has been working in Hollywood for over fifteen years, and she is currently recurring on CW's hit show "All American" and CBS' second season of "Why Women Kill". She has guest starred on popular shows such as "SWAT", "NCIS:LA", "Dear White People", "Entourage", "Castle", "Grey's Anatomy", "Private Practice", "Mr. Box Office" and Tyler Perry's "House of Payne." She was also a series regular on FOX's prime time drama soap "Saints and Sinners".
A regular on the film festival circuit, she played twins in the Lionsgate horror release "Holla", garnering her a Best Actress nom in the Chicago Film Festival. She was also proud to have starred in the short film "Wedlocked", focused on gay marriage rights, featured in over fifty festivals around the globe.
A lover of comedy, Shelli starred alongside Kevin Hart in the underground cult classic "Something Like a Business" and played Stacey Dash's bestie in "House Arrest". She recently appeared on Netflix's sketch comedy show "I Think You Should Leave Now", putting her improvisation skills to good use. She played a hilarious version of Nicole Richie in the parody "A Week in London" and also won a Best Actress award in the LAWebFest for her lead role in the series "Sistah Did What".
Shelli is also an accomplished singer, and she was nominated for an NAACP Best Actress Award for her stage portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge in "Dorothy and Otto". She also embodied the vivacious Josephine Baker in "When Divas Were Divas" which toured both nationally and in Europe. She has produced her own stage productions, "Out West: Women of the Plains" and "The Cell Block Seven", which premiered in Washington, DC and went on to earn another NAACP nomination for Best Ensemble.
Shelli has appeared in over twenty national and international commercials and modeled in print campaigns for Anheuser-Busch and Milkbone. She has voiced radio spots McDonald's, HBO and Chevrolet.
She has expanded her love of the craft by coaching actors herself - her clients have landed major roles in features and television. Shelli is also the Artistic Director of the Willie Agee Playhouse in Inglewood, bringing quality programming to a community that might otherwise be under served. She is proud of the productions and workshops she has developed right in her own backyard. Her faith, family and friends are her biggest sources of inspiration to continue to thrive as an entertainer and creator.Saw her on Grey's Anatomy!- Actress
- Producer
- Executive
Regina Hall was born December 12, 1970 in Washington, D.C., to Ruby, a teacher, and Odie Hall, a contractor. She graduated from Fordham University in 1992, and went on to earn a master's degree in journalism from New York University before shifting to an acting career. In 1997 at age 26, she began appearing in commercials, and then made the giant leap into movies. Her fame came with her role in the comedy-horror spoof Scary Movie, Regina Hall has frequented the big screen in roles that far from betrayed her age. Her recurring role in Scary Movie and the sequel Scary Movie 2 exhibited the 30-year-old's ability to maintain her youthful appearance, as she portrayed the high-school-aged Brenda Meeks. However, her first film role was in the 1999 film The Best Man. The following year, she made many other film appearances, including her starring role in Scary Movie in 2000. She first had a role in the movie Love and Basketball which also starred close friend Sanaa Lathan. In 2001, Hall's list of credits grew to include her first television role, as Corretta Lipp on the prime-time drama Ally McBeal, which was a recurring role for several episodes. Furthermore, in 2001 Scary Movie 2 was released, in addition to the Mandel Holland comedy The Other Brother, featuring Hall as Vicki. One year later, she starred in the action-drama Paid in Full, directed by Charles Stone III. She would later on start in other films such as;Malibu's Most Wanted, Scary Movie 3, The Honeymooners, and First Sunday.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Brandon Timothy Jackson was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the son of Beverly Yvonne (Bozeman) and Wayne Timothy Jackson. His parents are both pastors, and his maternal grandfather was a Pentecostal child preacher. He credits his sense of humor to both his father and his life straddling the fence between suburbia and the inner city.
Brandon held the title of "class clown" and grew his passion for comedy and acting by doing talent shows and performing at youth nights at his father's church. By age 14, Brandon's career as a stand-up comic evolved from local school shows and community projects, such as the "Motor City Youth Festival", to an appearance in Marc Cayce's film, Nikita Blues (2001).
Brandon took an internship at local Detroit radio station 93.1 FM and soon found himself as a guest host at 105.9 FM. Brandon's drive took him to Hollywood where, in 2001, he was cast as an extra in major movies such as Ali (2001), Bowling for Columbine (2002) and 8 Mile (2002). He began to get calls to open up and work with comedians, such as Chris Tucker and Wayne Brady.
After Brandon's performances at New York City's "Showtime at the Apollo" and BET's Comicview (1992), the 19-year-old actor/comedian was cast in his first major movie role as Shad Moss's (X) best friend, "Junior", in Roll Bounce (2005). He won Black Reel's 2006 Best Breakthrough Performance award for his performance.
Jackson starred opposite NBA basketball superstar Kevin Durant in Thunderstruck (2012) and'Martin Lawrence (I)' in the third incarnation of the highly profitable Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son (2011) franchise released by Fox in 2011. He played Lawrence's son and the two went undercover to solve a murder. Jackson is perhaps best known as Alpha Chino from the high- concept runaway hit Tropic Thunder (2008).
Jackson received rave reviews for his role as the satyr Grover Underwood, the best friend and protector of Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010), opposite Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario. Brandon co-starred in both Hulu's original series Deadbeat(2014) and Showtimes's _Californication (2008) (V)_.
He lives in Los Angeles.- Actress
- Producer
Benita Krista Nall is an actress and producer, best known for her role as Liz on "Hart of Dixie" (2015) created Leila Gerstein, "Minority Report" (2002) directed by Steven Spielberg starring Tom Cruise, "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) directed by Steven Spielberg starring Leonardo DiCaprio, "13 Going on 30" (2004) starring Jennifer Garner, as well as two episodes of "Criminal Minds" (2006) and (2012).- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Born in Pittsburgh, his mother had a dance company (the Pittsburgh Black Theater Dance Ensemble) and his father was a drummer, so entertaining is in his blood. His first acting role was as Martin Luther King in the 4th grade. He was in the drama club in 7th grade and then attended high school at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. He has an undergraduate degree in Information Technology and Business and his graduate degree in Education and Curriculum Development. He played basketball in college and semi-pro ball for a short time after that. Mr. Rucker is the oldest of 3 children, having a younger sister and brother. He is currently single, but involved with someone special. When he's not working, he enjoys working out, playing ball, going to the theater and travelling.- Actress
- Producer
Ryan Michelle Bathe was born on 27 July 1976 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for One for the Money (2012), Boston Legal (2004) and This Is Us (2016). She has been married to Sterling K. Brown since June 2007. They have two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Nate Parker was born on 18 November 1979 in Norfolk, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Birth of a Nation (2016), Arbitrage (2012) and Non-Stop (2014). He has been married to Sarah DiSanto since 2007. They have four children.He was amazing in The Great Debaters!- Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Jurnee Smollett is an award-winning actress and activist of rare talent and conviction. In the fall of 2020, she starred in J.J. Abrams, Jordan Peele and Misha Green's critically acclaimed drama for HBO, "Lovecraft Country." Smollett's performance was lauded by industry insiders and critics alike. Since the show's release, Smollett has earned a Critics Choice Super Award for "Best Actress in a Horror Series" and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award, a Critics Choice Award and an NAACP Image Award for "Best Actress in a Drama."
Additionally, in 2020, Jurnee played Black Canary in Warner Bros DC Universe's "Birds Of Prey." She wrapped production on the Netflix original film, "Escape From Spiderhead" alongside Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller in early 2021.
Jurnee made her breakthrough performance at the age of 11, starring in "Eve's Bayou" opposite Samuel L. Jackson for which she won the Broadcast Film Critics Award for Best Youth Performance and was cited by Interview Magazine as one of the five Hollywood stars to watch in the new millennium. Smollett starred in "The Great Debaters" with Forest Whitaker and Denzel Washington, who also directed the drama. In addition to receiving rave reviews, the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture and Jurnee won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Motion Picture. She also starred in Tyler Perry's film "Temptation" which was Perry's biggest grossing box-office hit outside of his "Madea" brand. Other film credits include the independent feature, "One Last Thing" alongside Wendell Pierce, "Hands Of Stone" opposite Robert DeNiro and Edgar Ramirez, "Roll Bounce", "Gridiron Gang", and "Beautiful Joe."
In addition to film, Jurnee has had several roles on the small screen. She was last seen starring in WGN's critically acclaimed drama "Underground" which followed the escape and risk filled travel along the Underground Railroad. The premiere of the show marked the highest rated original scripted program in the network's history. Other television credits include HBO's cult classic horror drama "True Blood", NBC's hit shows "Friday Night Lights" and "Parenthood," "House," "Strong Medicine," "NYPD Blue," and "Grey's Anatomy". She has also lent her voice to several episodes of the popular Disney Channel series, "Sofia The First."
In addition to acting, Smollett is an activist for HIV/AIDS causes and Time's Up. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Children's Defense Fund.- Actress
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Faune Chambers Watkins was born on 23 September 1976 in Florida, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Epic Movie (2007), White Chicks (2004) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008). She has been married to Fonzworth Bentley since 10 July 2010. They have two children.- Actor
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Jason George was born on 9 February 1972 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Fallen (1998), Sunset Beach (1997) and Breaking In (2018). He has been married to Vandana Khanna since 10 July 1999. They have three children.- Actor
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Casey Lee is an American Actor and Musician born and raised in the city of New York, South Bronx. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid '90s. He landed a job as DJ Twist on the hit Fox television show "In Living Color." During that time, he began to get involved in acting.
Known for delivering great unique character performances in whatever role he plays. Fast forward, Lee has guest starred on many television shows, from ABC, CBS, and FOX, as well as major motion pictures. He continues to train, believing acting is a continual learning process.- Writer
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Robin Thede is a comedy writer, sketch/improvisational comedian and actress. She attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, earning a B.S.J. degree in Broadcast Journalism and African-American Studies. After college, Robin studied improvisation, sketch and comedy writing at The Second City in Chicago.
She is the creator, executive producer and star of "A Black Lady Sketch Show" (HBO). Prior, she created, executive produced and hosted the critically acclaimed late night show, "The Rundown with Robin Thede" (BET). Robin was named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch in 2019.
Prior, she was head writer and correspondent for The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore (2015) and as the head writer for the White House Correspondents Dinner (2016), making her the first African-American woman head writer in late night history and for the WHCD. Robin was also head writer on The Queen Latifah Show (2013), and wrote on Kevin Hart's sitcom Real Husbands of Hollywood (2013). She was a writer/performer on the sketch comedy series "In The Flow With Affion Crockett" (FOX) and has appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies, including Difficult People, Key & Peele, A Haunted House, and more. She will next appear in the upcoming thriller feature "Bad Hair" from writer/director Justin Simien.
Robin has written for dozens of comedians, including Chris Rock, Kevin Hart, Anthony Anderson, Mike Epps, Jamie Foxx and more. She has written for numerous award shows and specials, including the MTV Video Music Awards, The BET Awards, UNCF: An Evening of Stars, BET Hip Hop Awards and BET Honors. She was also a regular contributor for Funny or Die, where she created several viral sketches, including the viral hit "Every Little Step" with Mike Tyson, Wayne Brady and Bobby Brown.- Actress
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Nefetari Spencer was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She is known for South Side (2019), Sherman's Showcase (2019) and Ted 2 (2015).I don't know why she doesn't have a picture, but she is really funny! She started an all black, female sketch group called Elite Delta Force...you should check them out!- Sydelle Noel was born in Hollywood, Florida, USA. She is an actress, known for GLOW (2017), Black Panther (2018) and Arrow (2012).
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Kent Masters King joined the cast of ABC's daytime drama Port Charles (1997) in June of 2003, just a few months after ABC Daytime President Brian Frons announced it was being canceled. Kent was born in Los Angeles, California, on August 5, 1974. She played Julie Williams in the long-running primetime soap Knots Landing (1979) from 1988 to 1992.
Kent earned a degree in Cinema-Television from the University of Southern California. She has made guest appearances in such TV shows as The Parkers (1999), The Steve Harvey Show (1996), Smart Guy (1997), The Jamie Foxx Show (1996), The Wayans Bros. (1995) and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990), In 2000 she subbed for Victoria Rowell on CBS' soap opera The Young and the Restless (1973).
She made her directing debut with "Manolias Funeral", which won the Black American Cinema Society Award for "Best Short Film."I've thought she was beautiful since Knots Landing!- Actor
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Isaiah Mustafa was born on 11 February 1974 in Portland, Oregon, USA. He is an actor and director, known for It Chapter Two (2019), Boy Kills World (2023) and Cross (2024). He has been married to Lisa Mitchell since 26 May 2018.- Actor
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Born in Kansas City, Missouri on September 19, 1982, Columbus Keith Short, Jr., started entertaining at the age of three, by putting on shows for his folks' enjoyment. Whether impersonating relatives, dancing or just making people laugh, everyone sensed something special about the boy. Fortunately, his family later relocated to Los Angeles where, by his early teens. His mother, Janette, runs a talent agency there.
Columbus landed work in such television commercial campaigns as "Mountain Dew", "Denny's Restaurant", "Nike" and "Pizza Hut", to name a few. As a senior in high school, he was offered an opportunity to graduate two months early in order to see the world with the traveling production of the Broadway show, "Stomp!" And, after a couple of years on the road with that famed dance troop, he would parlay his professional success into a stint as the choreographer of Britney Spears' "In the Zone" tour. Though a very versatile Renaissance Man who is also a writer, musician and director, Columbus came off the road to pursue his primary passion, namely, acting. His motion picture credits include You Got Served (2004), War of the Worlds (2005), Save the Last Dance 2 (2006). In addition, he has guest-starred on TV shows like ER (1994), Judging Amy (1999) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006). But, his big break arrived earlier this year, when he played the lead role of "DJ" in Stomp the Yard (2007), which was #1 at the box office two weeks in a row and grossed over $73.4 million. Now one of the most-sought emerging talents in Hollywood, Columbus can next be seen in a lead role, alongside Lauren London and Mekhi Phifer, in a holiday film called This Christmas (2007). Furthermore, he recently wrapped a starring role in the Warner Brothers thriller, Whiteout (2009), opposite Kate Beckinsale. When not working, Columbus loves football, basketball and snowboarding.- Rose Jackson is known for Dead Presidents (1995), The Crew (1995) and What's Love Got to Do with It (1993). She has been married to Michael G. Moye since 1996. They have one child.
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Award-nominated actress, writer, and director Keesha Sharp has become known in the entertainment industry for her innate ability to bring complex characters to life on screen, her steadfast professionalism, and her irrefutable beauty, inside and out. Keesha can be seen on season 3 of "Power Book II: Ghost" . Recently, Sharp starred as Trish Murtaugh in the international hit series "Lethal Weapon" for FOX, rebooting the hit movie franchise of the same name. Sharp stood out as Trish, a lawyer and devoted wife and confidante to Roger (Damon Wayans). "Lethal Weapon" became an instant hit in the US and overseas. Sharp was nominated for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series at the 2017 NAACP Image Awards for her work on the show. She also recently recurred on the hit FOX series "Empire" and the acclaimed "The Good Fight" (Paramount+).
On the film front this year, Sharp stars in the Psychological thriller "Dark My Light" (2023) with Albert Jones and Tom Lipinski. In addition, she stars in "Heist 88" (2023) with Courtney B. Vance and Keith David for Paramount+. This reunites her with her co-star from "The People Vs O.J. Simpson" (Vance) and August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" (David).
Sharp is also well known for her role as Dale Cochran, wife of defense attorney Johnnie Cochran (Courtney B. Vance), in the Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning limited series "The People V. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story," her series regular role as Gigi on the TBS/Syndicated comedy "Are We There Yet," and as Monica Charles Brooks on the hit CW series "Girlfriends," for which she was nominated for her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
In addition to her diverse acting credits, Keesha Sharp has become a force as a Director as well. Known for her preparation, meticulous dedication to the story and talent for communicating with actors, Sharp is a Director for different genres of television. After making her directorial debut on the multi-cam comedy "Are We There Yet" (TBS), she has gone on to direct dramatic action series "Lethal Weapon" (FOX) and "Black Lightning" (CW), the comedy "The Last OG" (TBS), dramas "Bel Air" (Peacock), "Found" (NBC), "All American: Homecoming" (CW), "Our Kind of People" (FOX) and sci-fi "Charmed" (CW).
Acting film credits include: "Marshall" starring opposite Chadwick Boseman in which Keesha earned an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture category for her standout role as Buster Marshall in the film. Other credits include "Why Did I Get Married?," indie films "Frozen Peas" and "Born Guilty," "The 636," for which she won Best Actress at the 2014 NYLA International Film Festival, "Shattered!", "Never Die Alone", and "American Adobo." Other television credits include: NBC's "The Player," The CW's "Significant Mother," CBS' "Bad Teacher," ABC Family's "Melissa & Joey," UPN's "Everybody Hates Chris," TV Land's "The Exes," CBS' "Elementary," "Cold Case," and many more.
Born in Rochester, New York, Sharp was immersed in music and studied the clarinet, piano, and cello at the prestigious Hochstein School of Music. Her enthusiasm for school theatre led her to apply to The Boston Conservatory, where she received a scholarship. After graduating Cum Laude with a B.F.A. from the Conservatory, Sharp set her sights on the stage. She performed in the Broadway National Tour of Carousel, debuted Off-Broadway in Michael Bradford's Living in the Wind and played eight different roles in the interactive comedy Eat the Runt. Other theatre performances include: Abyssinia, Aida, Thunder Knockin', Jitney, The Producers, Big Street, Suburb and Joe Turner's Come and Gone, in which Sharp read alongside playwright August Wilson himself.
In addition to her work on the screen and stage, Sharp has several other original projects in the works she has written or co-written. She continues to sing, and has a full-length album in production. When she isn't working in front of or behind the camera, or in the studio recording music, Sharp has a love for fitness and stays in shape boxing and studying Krav Maga.. She also enjoys playing piano, hiking and long road trips. Sharp resides in Los Angeles with family.- Actor
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Harris was born Sherwin David Harris in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Mattie Harris. However, he works under his nickname, "Wood". Attended New York University Graduate Acting Program at the Tisch School. Has performed in many films and various stage productions including plays by August Wilson, William Shakespeare and Tennessee Williams. He is one of the stars of the HBO series The Wire (2002), which was recently chosen by Time magazine as one of best TV shows of all time. He is regarded as one of the best actors of his generation. Wood is the younger brother of Steve Harris, star of the ABC legal drama The Practice (1997). Wood, like his brother, splits his time between New York and California.- Actress
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Gillian was born in Los Angeles, CA to parents, Victor and Cheryl Waters. She was raised in Altadena, CA. Her background is of African-American, Blackfoot Indian and Irish descent. An all around student athlete, Gillian was a star basketball player, Homecoming Queen and a honors student in high school. Gillian wanted to be an FBI agent and received a scholarship from the LAPD to attend Howard University and study Administration of Justice but later changed her major to Human Communication focusing on Intra/Interpersonal Relations and minored in Dramatic Arts.
A self-proclaimed "very cool, very hip nerd", Gillian has been in the business for over 20 years. Her first break was starring as LL Cool J's lover in his music video "Hey Lover" ft. Boyz II Men and then as Dr. Dre's wife and tango partner in his music video "Been There, Done That". She then moved on from music videos to television and got her first role in the feature film, "How To Be A Player" and then playing Cole's girlfriend on the hit show "Martin. She continued to book guest starring roles on sitcoms and dramas and smaller roles in feature films, like the Quentin Tarantino's classic Jackie Brown and Spike Lee's Bamboozled. Her favorite roles to date are playing the Amazon warrior, Amoria, on the show Xena: Warrior Princess which she filmed on location in New Zealand and the recurring villain, China Lee Arvin on the soap opera, Days of Our Lives.
Gillian married her best friend of 19 years and fiancé of 3 years, actor, director and martial arts star, Michael Jai White in a lavish but intimate ceremony in Thailand complete with a beautiful Thai couture dress, a parade of painted elephants, Thai drummers, exotic dancers throwing flower petals and a fireworks show. The two had just completed filming their new Sony Pictures film shot in Bangkok, Never Back Down 3, which they are both starring in. She has two daughters from a previous marriage, Alaia and Niahla and 3 stepchildren, Devin, Jai and Morgan from her new marriage. Michael and Gillian are quickly becoming Black Hollywood's newest IT couple because of their very public loving relationship that solely focuses on their family, health & fitness, upcoming projects and their genuine happiness together.