In a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a cast of characters in the boarding house where he lives in 1960s Lackawanna, New York.
02-12-2005
1h 35m
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Main Cast
Movie Details
Production Info
Director:
George C. Wolfe
Writer:
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Production:
HBO Films, Good Shepherd Entertainment
Key Crew
Original Music Composer:
Meshell Ndegeocello
Director of Photography:
Ivan Strasburg
Gaffer:
Randy Glass
Executive Producer:
Halle Berry
Locations and Languages
Country:
US
Filming:
US
Languages:
en
Main Cast
S. Epatha Merkerson
S. Epatha Merkerson (born Sharon Epatha Merkerson) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She has won a Golden Globe, Emmy Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, Obie Award, 4 NAACP Image Awards, and 2 Tony Award nominations.
She is best known for her role as NYPD Lieutenant Anita Van Buren (1993–2010) on the long-running NBC police procedural drama series Law & Order, as well as the Law & Order TV movie Exiled. She appeared in 390 episodes of the series, more than any other cast member.
She has a starring role as Sharon Goodwin on NBC's Chicago Med. She also had a recurring role as Reba (the mail carrier) on Pee-wee's Playhouse, and Ms. St. Marth on the TV series Here and Now.
She has appeared in feature films including She's Gotta Have It, Loose Cannons, Jacob's Ladder, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Random Hearts, Radio, Black Snake Moan, Lincoln (2012), and Peeples. She has also appeared in TV movies including A Place for Annie, A Mother's Prayer, Breaking Through, Lackawanna Blues, and The Gabby Douglas Story.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marcus Carl Franklin (born February 24, 1993) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying an incarnation of Bob Dylan who calls himself "Woody Guthrie" in the Bob Dylan biopic I'm Not There, written and directed by Todd Haynes. Franklin is seen as a young hobo, hitching rides on freight trains, while clutching a guitar case bearing the inscription "This Machine Kills Fascists" (this inscription adorned the guitar of Woody Guthrie). In the film, Franklin performs a rendition of Dylan's song "When the Ship Comes In." His performance is also on the soundtrack album of I'm Not There.
Franklin also was in Lackawanna Blues on HBO, which aired in 2005. He acted in the off-Broadway and Broadway productions of Caroline or Change.
Yasiin Bey (/jæˈsiːn ˈbeɪ/; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def, is an American retired rapper, singer-songwriter, and actor.
Regarded as one of hip hop's most introspective and insightful artists, Mos Def, has shaped a career that transcends music genres and artistic medium. With the release of "Universal Magnetic" (1996), he became an underground favorite in the hip-hop world, leading to his legendary collaboration with Talib Kweli. The two formed Black Star whose debut album, Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star, would become one of the most critically acclaimed hip-hop albums. He followed with his 1999 solo debut, Black On Both Sides, which was certified gold and credited by critics as bringing hip hop back to its soapbox roots.
He was a former child actor in television films, sitcoms, and theater, and continued acting as an adult after launching his rap career. He appeared in Spike Lee's Bamboozled, MTV's Carmen: A Hip Hopera, 2002's critically acclaimed Monster's Ball, Showtime, and the 2002 romantic comedy Brown Sugar, for which he received an NAACP Image Award nomination. He hosted Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007.
He completed his Broadway debut in 2002 in the Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize-winning, Topdog/Underdog. He then re-teamed with Topdog playwright, Suzan Lori Parks and director George Wolfe for the off-Broadway play Fucking A, for which he earned an Obie Award.
In 2003, he starred in The Italian Job alongside Ed Norton, Mark Wahlberg and Charlize Theron. In 2004, he starred opposite Alan Rickman in the critically acclaimed HBO movie Something the Lord Made, for which he received a 2004 Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie. He was also nominated for both a Golden Globe Award (Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture) and Golden Satellite Award (Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television) for the same role.
He continued his music career by releasing his highly anticipated and critically acclaimed sophomore solo release, The New Danger (2004). The first single, "Sex, Love and Money" earned him a 2005 Grammy nomination for Best Alternative/Urban Performance, and the album has been certified gold by the RIAA.
The following year, he appeared alongside Bruce Willis in the crime thriller 16 Blocks (2006), in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, and had a cameo appearance in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Also in 2006, he released his third solo album, True Magic.
The next year, he appeared in the 2007 PBS historical documentary, Prince Among Slaves, and in 2008 he played the role of Chuck Berry in Cadillac Records. In 2009, he released the album The Ecstatic, which proved to be his second highest-charting album to date. He then appeared in the urban comedy Next Day Air, and (as himself) in the 2010 mockumentary film I’m Still Here, starring Joaquin Phoenix.
Mos Def announced in September of 2011 that he changed his name to Yasiin Bey, and would go by it henceforth. In the first month of 2016, Bey declared his retirement from both the film and music industries.
In 2014, About.com listed him 14th on its "50 Greatest Rappers of All Time".
While still an adolescent, Carmen Ejogo made her feature film debut in the musical, "Absolute Beginners" (1986). Her big break came when she was cast in the title role of the television movie, "Sally Hemings: An American Scandal" (2000). Since that time she has built an impressive body of work in both feature films and on television.
Louis Gossett Jr. (born May 27, 1936 - March 29, 2024) was an American film and television actor, best known for his role as Gunnery Sergeant Emil Foley in the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" and as Fiddler in the television miniseries "Roots". He has won an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards in an acting career that spans over five decades.
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films Dead Presidents and Mr. Holland's Opus, Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles between 2004 and 2006. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Hustle & Flow.
Howard has had prominent roles in many other movies, including Winnie Mandela, Ray, Lackawanna Blues, Crash, Four Brothers, Big Momma's House, Get Rich or Die Tryin', Idlewild, Biker Boyz, August Rush, The Brave One, and Prisoners. Howard played James "Rhodey" Rhodes in the first Iron Man film. He starred as the lead character Lucious Lyon in the television series Empire. His debut album, Shine Through It, was released in September 2008.
Description above is from the Wikipedia article Terrence Howard, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Earnest Lee Hudson is an American actor and voice actor. He is most known for his roles as Winston Zeddemore in the Ghostbusters film series, Warden Leo Glynn on HBO's Oz, and Sergeant Albrecht in The Crow.
He's had recurring roles on several TV shows including St. Elsewhere, Twin Peaks, Law & Order, HBO's Oz, Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Franklin & Bash, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Modern Family, Graves, Grace and Frankie, APB, LA's Finest, Carl Weber's The Family Business, City on a Hill, and Quantum Leap (2022).
He's been in numerous films - most notably are the Ghostbusters series, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle, The Crow and its sequel The Crow: Stairway to Heaven, Miss Congeniality and its sequel Miss Congeniality 2, and You're Not You. He has also appeared in a few Hallmark movies.
Rosa María Perez (born September 6, 1964) is an American actress, community activist, talk show host, author, dancer, and choreographer. Her film breakthrough performance was her portrayal of Tina in Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing (1989), which she followed with White Men Can't Jump (1992). Among many honors, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Fearless (1993) as well as three Emmy Awards for her work as a choreographer on In Living Color (1990–1994). Perez has also performed in stage plays on Broadway, such as The Ritz, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, and Fish in the Dark. In addition, she was a co-host on the ABC talk show The View during the series' 18th season.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Rosie Perez, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Isaac Liev Schreiber (born October 4, 1967) is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and narrator. He became known during the late 1990s and early 2000s after appearing in several independent films, and later mainstream Hollywood films, including the first three Scream horror films (1996-2000), Ransom (1996), The Hurricane (1999), Kate & Leopold (2001), The Sum of All Fears (2002), The Manchurian Candidate (2004), The Omen (2006), Defiance (2008), X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), Taking Woodstock (2009), Salt (2010), Pawn Sacrifice (2014), Spotlight (2015), The 5th Wave (2016), and The French Dispatch (2021).
For his roles in television, he most notably portrayed the eponymous protagonist of the Showtime drama series Ray Donovan (2013–2020). The role has earned him five Golden Globe Award nominations and three Primetime Emmy Award nominations. He reprised the role in the television film Ray Donovan: The Movie (2022). He has lent his voice to animated films such as My Little Pony: The Movie (2017), Isle of Dogs, and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (both 2018). He also narrated the HBO series Hard Knocks, 24/7 and the HBO documentary Magic & Bird: A Courtship of Rivals, as well as various PBS programs.
He has performed in several Broadway productions. In 2005, he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the play Glengarry Glen Ross. That same year, he made his debut as a film director and writer with Everything Is Illuminated (2005), based on the 2002 novel of the same name.
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as U.S. Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing. He is also notable for his portrayal of Bail Organa in the Star Wars franchise, and Miguel Prado in Dexter.
Beginning in 1986, Smits played Victor Sifuentes in the first five seasons of the NBC television Steven Bochco legal drama L.A. Law, for which he was nominated for six Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, winning in 1990. In 1999, Smits received the HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors (HOLA).
He appeared in films including Switch (1991), My Family (1995), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007).
Smits appeared as Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002) and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005), in which the character becomes Princess Leia's adoptive father. He reappeared as Bail Organa in the game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed (2008) and the spinoff movie Rogue One (2016). He later reprised the role for Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022).
Smits played the role of Congressman Matt Santos of Houston, Texas, in the final two seasons of the NBC television drama The West Wing.
In Dexter season 3, he played the role of Miguel Prado, an assistant district attorney who befriends the title character. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for the role.
He portrayed the character Alex Vega in the CBS TV series Cane, which aired from September 25, 2007, to December 18, 2007, and was subsequently canceled by the network due to the 2007 Screen Writer's Guild strike.
In the fall of 2010, he starred in NBC's short-lived series Outlaw, about a U.S. Supreme Court justice who leaves the bench to return to practicing law. From 2012 to 2014, he joined the main cast of Sons of Anarchy as Nero Padilla. He also portrayed Elijah Strait in the short-lived NBC drama series Bluff City Law.
He starred in The Get Down, a musical drama television series which debuted in 2016 on Netflix. In 2021, He played Kevin Rosario in the musical film In the Heights.
He stars as Chief John Suarez on the CBS police drama East New York.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Patricia Wettig (born December 4, 1951) is an American actress and playwright. She is best known for her roles in the television series Thirtysomething, Prison Break and Brothers & Sisters. In film, she is known for her role in City Slickers.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Patricia Wettig licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Jeffrey Wright (born December 7, 1965) is an American actor. He is well known for his Tony, Golden Globe and Emmy winning role as Belize in the Broadway production of Angels in America and its acclaimed HBO miniseries adaptation. He has starred as Jean-Michel Basquiat in Basquiat; Felix Leiter in the James Bond films Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and No Time to Die; Valentin Narcisse in the HBO series Boardwalk Empire; Beetee Latier in The Hunger Games films; Isaac Dixon in the video game The Last Of Us Part II; and the Watcher in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) animated series What If...? Since 2016, he has starred as Bernard Lowe in the HBO series Westworld. He will portray Commissioner James Gordon in the superhero film The Batman (2022) by Matt Reeves.
Adina Elizabeth Porter is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Lettie Mae Thornton on the HBO fantasy horror series True Blood (2008–2014), Kendra James on the HBO drama series The Newsroom (2012–2014), and Indra on the CW science fiction drama series The 100 (2014–2020). She received further recognition for her roles as Sally Freeman, Lee Harris, Beverly Hope, Dinah Stevens, and Chief Burleson on the first, sixth, seventh, eighth, and tenth seasons of the FX anthology series American Horror Story (2011–present).
Ruben Santiago-Hudson is an American actor, playwright, and director who has won national awards for his work in all three categories. He is best known for his role of Captain Roy Montgomery from 2009 to 2011 on ABC's Castle.
Charlaine "Charlayne" Woodard (born December 29, 1953) is an American playwright and actress. She is a two-time Obie Award winner as well as a Tony Award and Drama Desk nominee.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Charlayne Woodard, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Michael Kenneth Williams (November 22, 1966 – September 6, 2021) was an American actor. He played Omar Little on the HBO drama series The Wire from 2002 to 2008 and Albert "Chalky" White on the HBO series Boardwalk Empire from 2010 to 2014. Williams was raised in the Vanderveer Projects in East Flatbush, Brooklyn and attended George Westinghouse Career and Technical Education High School. Later, Williams enrolled at the National Black Theatre in New York City.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Saul Williams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Delroy Lindo is an English director, writer and actor for stage and screen, best known for his film roles as West Indian Archie in Spike Lee's "Malcolm X", Catlett in "Get Shorty", Detective Castlebeck in "Gone in 60 Seconds", and Woody Carmichael in "Crooklyn". Born and raised in Lewisham, England, United Kingdom, until his teens when he and his mother, a nurse, moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. A little later, they moved to the United States, where Lindo would graduate from the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Lindo's contributions to both film and theatre, including his performances on Broadway, demonstrate his versatility and skill. His ability to portray complex characters with authenticity and gravitas has earned him critical acclaim, establishing him as a highly respected figure in the entertainment industry.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Barry Shabaka Henley (born Barry Joseph Henley; September 15, 1954) is an American character actor. Henley is a fixture in many films, most often the films of director Michael Mann, having worked with the director four times.
Henley played Herbert Muhammad in Ali. In Collateral he made an impression as a sensitive jazz musician living on borrowed time. He also starred in Steven Spielberg's The Terminal. In Miami Vice, Henley succeeded Edward James Olmos as superior officer, Lt. Martin Castillo. He also appeared in the short-lived television series, Robbery Homicide Division and Barbershop. From 2009, he has played the recurring character of FBI Agent Vreede in FlashForward, an ABC television series. He also played Buddy in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.
It was announced that Henley will have a role on Heroes as Detective Fuller. In 1999 Henley supplied the role of Pokerface in the Eddie Murphy/Martin Lawrence film Life.
As a stage actor, Henley's honors include the Drama Desk, Obie, and Olivier Awards. He was also a member of the West Coast Black Repertory Theatre and the San Francisco Mime Troupe.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Barry Shabaka Henley, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Lou Myers (September 26, 1935 – February 19, 2013) was an American actor. He was typically typecast as a grumpy old man, but he appeared in many movies, stage plays television sitcoms, and dramas. He got his first break as an understudy in the Broadway play, The First Breeze of Summer as Reverend Mosley. He is perhaps best known as the feisty Mr. Vernon Gaines in the sitcom A Different World. Myers was also an accomplished pianist.
Myers was born in Cabin Creek, West Virginia, the son of Dorothy Jeffries (née Brown).
Myers died at the Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia after battling pneumonia for several months.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Lou Myers (actor), licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Henry Oswald Simmons Jr. (born July 1, 1970) is an American actor, best known for portraying Alphonso "Mack" Mackenzie in the ABC superhero drama series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2014–2020) and Baldwin Jones in the ABC police drama series NYPD Blue (2000–2005).
His first acting job was the movie Above The Rim. He made his TV debut in a "Saturday Night Live" skit, that infamously starred Marin Lawrence. He then got numerous guest star roles on television, in film, and made his New York theater debut in William Inge's Boy In The Basement. This led to a continuous role on the soap opera "Another World" where he worked for two years. He then moved to Los Angeles and went on to star on NYPD Blue for six seasons.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Ryan Michelle Bathe (born July 27, 1976) is an American film and television actress.
Description above from the Wikipedia article Ryan Michelle Bathe, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia
Josef Cannon was born in Chicago, Illinois, USA as Josef B Cannon. He is an actor and producer, known for Feeling Goode (2015), Soldiers (2014), and Le jour du père (2014). He was previously married to Catherine Collins. They had a daughter Born Shelby Nicole Cannon, but now working in the entertainment field under the name Shay Nicole Collins. She (Shelby/Shay) has older half siblings Brandy Green-Pinder and Brandon Green. Three Grandchildren, Jacob, Julien and Bella
