Chadwick Boseman was an American actor, playwright, and screenwriter hailing from Anderson, South Carolina. He graduated from Howard University and went on to study at the British American Dramatic Academy in Oxford. Boseman's play "Deep Azure" was nominated for a 2006 Joseph Jefferson Award for New Work. His breakout role was playing the lead Jackie Robinson in 2013's 42.
Boseman was best remembered for portraying T’Challa/Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He has portrayed the character in Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Nelsan Ellis (born c. 1978) was an award-winning American film and television actor and playwright, perhaps best known as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO's True Blood.
He died on July 8, 2017, in Los Angeles, California, from complications with heart failure at the age of 39.
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Dan Aykroyd, born in Ottawa, initially pursued studies in psychology, criminal sociology, and political science at Carleton University, where his comedy journey took off. He co-wrote sketches for a private cable company, igniting his passion for acting. At 20, he joined The Second City comedy troupe in Chicago and Toronto, marking the start of his career.
In 1975, Aykroyd joined "Saturday Night Live" as a founding member of the "Not Ready For Prime Time Players," crafting iconic sketches like "The Blues Brothers" with Belushi and "Two Wild and Crazy Guys" with Steve Martin. The success of "The Blues Brothers" sketch led to a full-length feature in 1980, with Aykroyd writing and producing the movie soundtrack, defying the disco and punk era.
His versatile talent shines in roles like Dr. Ray Stantz in "Ghostbusters," Jessica Tandy’s son in "Driving Miss Daisy," a single father in "My Girl," and an assassin in "Grosse Pointe Blank," showcasing both comedic and dramatic prowess.
Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is an American actress and producer. The recipient of numerous accolades, Davis is one of the few performers to have been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony (EGOT); additionally, she is the sole African-American to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting as well as the third person to achieve both statuses. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017, and in 2020, The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century.
Davis began her career in Central Falls, Rhode Island, appearing in small stage productions. After graduating from the Juilliard School in 1993, she won an Obie Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby McCollum in Everybody's Ruby. She played minor roles in film and television in the late 1990s and early 2000s, before earning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Tonya in the 2001 Broadway production of August Wilson's King Hedley II. Her film breakthrough came with her role as a troubled mother in the drama Doubt (2008), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Davis won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's play Fences.
For starring as a 1960s housemaid in the comedy-drama The Help (2011), Davis received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. From 2014 to 2020, she played lawyer Annalise Keating in the ABC drama series How to Get Away with Murder, for which she became the first black actress to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015. In 2016, Davis reprised the role of Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She played Amanda Waller in the DC Extended Universe, beginning with Suicide Squad (2016). In 2020, she portrayed Ma Rainey in the biopic Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, for which she received a fourth Academy Award nomination, becoming the most-Oscar-nominated black actress. Her performances in Widows (2018) and The Woman King (2022) earned her further nominations for the BAFTA Best Actress Award, making her the most-BAFTA-nominated black actress.
Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, are founders of a production company, JuVee Productions. Davis is also widely recognized for her advocacy and support of human rights and equal rights for women and women of color. She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017 and became a L'Oréal Paris ambassador in 2019. The audiobook narration of her 2022 memoir Finding Me earned Davis a Grammy Award in 2023.
Lennie James (born October 11, 1965) is an English actor and playwright known for his compelling performances across film, television, and theatre. Born in Nottingham, England, James has showcased his acting talent in diverse roles. He gained recognition for his performances in television series such as "Line of Duty" and "The Walking Dead," where his nuanced and intense portrayals stood out. James is also a prolific playwright, contributing to the stage with his writing skills. His ability to embody complex characters with depth and authenticity has earned him critical acclaim, establishing him as a respected and versatile figure in the entertainment industry.
Fred Melamed (born May 13, 1956 in New York City) is an American actor and writer. He received his theatrical training at Hampshire College and the Yale School of Drama. At Yale, he was a Samuel F. B. Morse College Graduate Fellow. He was also a nominee for the Irene Ryan Award, a prize conferred upon the most promising young actors in the United States. While still at Yale, he was an instructor at the well-known performing arts camp, Stagedoor Manor.
Scott was born on April 4, 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She grew up an only child in a North Philadelphia neighborhood, raised by her mother, Joyce Scott and grandmother. She recalls a happy childhood and was "very much a loved child". Scott was raised as a Jehovah's Witness.
After graduating the Philadelphia High School for Girls, Scott attended Temple University. While working two jobs, she studied secondary education. She planned to become a high school English teacher. However, after three years of study and then serving as a teacher's aide, Scott became disillusioned with a teaching career, and she dropped out of college.
Octavia Lenora Spencer (born May 25, 1970) is an American actress, author, and producer. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and three Screen Actors Guild Awards. She is one of two black actresses to have received three Academy Award nominations, the first black actress to receive two consecutive Academy Award nominations in back-to-back years, and the first black actress to receive an Academy Award nomination after previously winning.
Private Life: Born in Queens, New York, Sumpter studied at Marymount Manhattan College where she majored in communications. She began her career modeling and appeared in various commercials for products including Hewlett-Packard and Liz Claiborne's Curve fragrances.
Career: In 2004, she served as the co-host for the N network series Best Friend's Date. The following year she landed the role of Layla Williamson on One Life to Live.
Since January 2011, Sumpter has appeared on Gossip Girl as Raina Thorpe, the daughter of Russell Thorpe (Michael Boatman) and Chuck Bass' love interest.
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James DuMont (born August 12, 1965) is an American character actor and producer. DuMont's career includes a lead performance in the political thriller Enemies Among Us, opposite Eric Roberts and Billy Zane. DuMont has appeared in many TV shows, such as Numb3rs, House, and more recently, Treme. Major films DuMont has acted in are Catch Me if You Can, S.W.A.T., and Speed.
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Craig Phillip Robinson (born October 25, 1971) is an actor and stand-up comedian. He is best known for his roles on The Office as Darryl Philbin and in the films Pineapple Express, Zack and Miri Make a Porno and Hot Tub Time Machine.
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Brandon Mychal Smith (born May 29, 1989) is an American actor, singer, dancer, and rapper. He is best known for playing Bug Wendal in "Gridiron Gang", Li'l Danny Dawkins in "Phil of the Future", Nico Harris in "Sonny with a Chance" and "So Random!", Stubby in "Starstruck", Lord of da Bling in "Let It Shine", and Marcus in "One Big Happy". He received critical acclaim for his portrayal of Little Richard in the 2014 James Brown biopic "Get On Up".
Egbert Nathaniel Dawkins III, known professionally as Aloe Blacc, is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, actor, multi-instrumentalist and philanthropist.
William Joshua Hopkins is an American actor, best known as Raymond Millbury on Ally McBeal, Grayson Ellis on Cougar Town, and Liam O'Connor on Quantico.
Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor is an American producer, stage and screen actress, best known for her film roles in "Ray", "Undercover Brother", and on the television series "The Mentalist". She has an BA in African-American Studies from Brown University, and an MFA in Acting from the Tisch School of the Arts, New York University. Known for her work in several film and television productions, she has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and two Primetime Emmy
Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, is an American rapper and the lead MC of the Philadelphia-based hip hop group, The Roots, as well as an occasional actor.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Stacey Scowley is an American actress. She gained memorable attention from her appearance in a 2002 commercial for Kia Motors called "Boyfriend" which was heavily aired. She has also appeared in numerous television commercials for several companies which include Progressive Auto Insurance, Supercuts, Sony, and Bud Light. Additionally, she has appeared in several television shows, including appearances on Cold Case, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Monk, and in the original unaired pilot episode of Dollhouse. She later appeared on Dollhouse as Cindy Perrin, the wife of ambitious US Senator Daniel Perrin (Alexis Denisof).
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Allison Brooks Janney (born November 19, 1959) is an American actress. In a career spanning three decades, she is known for her performances across multiple genres of screen and stage. Janney has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, a Golden Globe Award, and seven Primetime Emmy Awards, in addition to nominations for two Tony Awards.
Born in Boston and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Janney received a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art following her graduation from Kenyon College. After years of minor and uncredited film and television appearances, Janney's breakthrough came with the role of C. J. Cregg in the NBC political drama The West Wing (1999–2006), for which she received four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2014, she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Margaret Scully on the Showtime period drama Masters of Sex. For her portrayal of Bonnie Plunkett, a cynical recovering addict on the CBS sitcom Mom (2013–2021), Janney received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won twice for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.
Janney made her professional stage debut with the Off-Broadway production Ladies (1989), and followed with numerous bit parts in various similar productions, before making her Broadway debut with the 1996 revival of Present Laughter. She won two Drama Desk Awards and has been nominated for two Tony Awards: for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge (1997), and for Best Actress in a Musical for her role in the original Broadway production of the musical 9 to 5 (2009).
Her film roles include Private Parts (1997), Primary Colors (1998), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), American Beauty (1999), Nurse Betty (2000), The Hours (2002), Hairspray (2007), Juno (2007), The Help (2011), The Way, Way Back (2013), Tammy (2014), The Rewrite (2014), Spy (2015), Tallulah (2016), The Girl on the Train (2016), Bad Education (2019) and Bombshell (2019). She voiced roles in Finding Nemo (2003), Over the Hedge (2006), Minions (2015), and The Addams Family (2019). For her performance in the black comedy I, Tonya (2017), Janney won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and a Golden Globe Award, all for Best Supporting Actress.
J.D. was born in the delta town of Greenville, Mississippi (also the birthplace of Muppets creator Jim Henson) on the same day Richard Nixon was elected president. He is of Irish-French-German-Cherokee-Choctaw decent, the oldest of 7 siblings, and attended 17 different schools (public and private) while moving back and forth between his mother and father. His great-great-great-great uncle was Horace Mann, the founder of the American Public School system. His father (Puddin - yep, that's what they call him) is a welder/artist/amateur archaeologist and inventor. His mother (Sally) has had many professions, including concert promoter and owner of a country/western nightclub called The Headless Horseman, where as a young child, J.D. spent many school nights until the wee hours of the morning hanging out backstage and on stage with the likes of Hank Williams, Jr., Juice Newton, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Paycheck, David Allen Coe, Ray Price, and many others.
After a short stint in college and a 15 month stint in the Marine Corps stationed at 29 Palms, California and after hanging out with some actors in L.A., J.D. thought he would give acting a shot. His only experience with acting had been playing the Prince in his pre-school production of The Nutcracker, and getting kicked out of his senior play, Oklahoma, after his second rehearsal because he and a friend drank a beer before hand. After the Marine Corps, he returned to Mississippi and worked as a debt collector for his mother's collection agency. After a year of hating his job, he decided to return to college and get a degree in theatre at The University of Southern Mississippi. Once on stage at college, he knew acting was what he had to do. His second year in theatre, he was one of 20 finalists in the state selected to attend SETC (Southeastern Theatre Conference). In 1995, a friend offered J.D. a $1,000 to come to Los Angeles and perform a lead role in his play "Dylan's Ghost" at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. J.D. took him up on the offer and left college a semester before graduating and since then has lived back and forth between Hollywood, California, Austin, Texas, and Oxford, Mississippi, where he just completed writing and directing his first independent feature Glorious Mail(2005).
Even though he appeared on the short-lived game show, Hollywood Showdown with Todd Newton and won nearly $12,000, his friends like to tell him that he's almost one lucky son of a gun. Mainly because he's come so close to landing lead roles in major films so many times, usually being the director's second choice. In 2004 his luck proved true once again when he purchased a $100 raffle ticket and was 1st Runner Up (2nd Choice) for a $250,000 house in United Way's New Home Giveaway, where instead he won an artist's print worth $80. IMDb Mini Biography By: JDsMOM
Ahna O'Reilly is an American actress known for starring in the 2011 award winning film The Help as Elizabeth Leefolt and for playing Chris-Ann Brennan in the 2013 film, Jobs.
Michael Papajohn is an American actor, director, writer, stuntman and producer.
He is best known for his roles in Law and Order, The Amazing Spider-Man, You Don't Mess With The Cohan, Spider-Man, Mississippi Grind and in Rachel Weisz' film of Jason Bourne's enemy film, The Bourne Legacy.
The Texas Rangers drafted him in 1985, but he chose instead to attend Louisiana State University on a baseball scholarship. He was the starting center-fielder on the first LSU team to go to the College World Series in 1986, and again in 1987.
While filming Charlie's Angels (2000), Michael was kicked in the jaw with a stiletto boot. He found himself in an emergency room, insisting that he was not the victim of domestic violence. The spousal abuse representatives had a hard time believing that he had been kicked by lead Cameron Diaz.
Kirk Bovill is an American actor. He graduated the University of Nebraska with a BS in Biology. He picked up an MA in Journalism from Louisiana State University.
