FOREWORD
This book will reward academics and aficionados of cinema with its scholarly but straightforward overview of the contribution of African Americans and others to cinema. It also provides support for the role of academe as a viable path to success, which is especially significant for a population of readers who may be unaware of the rigor that supports success in the field. It is an informative and engaging read.
—Dr. Barbara Rhodes, Emeritus Professor of Africana Studies
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A list of cinematic occupations is represented in the field of acting, directing, screenwriting, and cinematography. Although some profiled have been awarded honorary degrees, all listed had to have “earned” at least one accredited college-level degree. For each, there is a brief description that includes where he or she went to school, their major, and a brief background summary that includes a partial list of awards and movie-and-television work. The profiles in this book are employed primarily in cinema and may have television credits listed in the filmography. Artists who primarily and exclusively work in television require another worthwhile book. Referenced is a brief summary of how those who inspire, inform, and entertain achieved their cinematic goal.
Gabrielle Union (1972), actress, producer. Union was on the path to becoming a lawyer when she was recruited to be a model while working as a student office worker at a modeling agency.
She took on modeling assignments to pay student loans after earning a BS in Sociology with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles. Little did she know that modeling would change the trajectory of her original career goal. Modeling led to guest-starring television appearances followed by being cast in a succession of youth-cultured films such as She’s All That in 1999 then Love & Basketball and Bring It On in 2000. Movie blockbuster Bad Boy II in 2003 cast Union in the role of Syd. In the television series Being Mary Jane (2013–18), Union plays lead character Mary Jane Paul. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Union is an advocate for finding a cure for cancer and victims of assault.
Awards: CinemaCon, USA (2018), Image Award (2014), Palm Beach International Film Festival (2006), BET Comedy Award (2004), American Black Film Festival Award (2003), Black Reel Award (2001), Young Hollywood Award (2001)
Movies (actress): Breaking In (2018), The Public (2018), Almost Christmas (2016), Top Five (2014), Think Like a Man Too (2014), Think Like a Man (2012), In Our Nature (2012), Good Deeds (2012), Cadillac
Records (2008), Meet Dave (2008), Daddy’s Little Girls (2007), Neo Ned (2005), Breakin’ All the Rules (2004), Bad Boys II (2003), Cradle 2 the Grave (2003), Deliver Us from Eva (2003), Two Can Play That Game (2001), The Brothers (2001), Bring It On (2000), Love & Basketball (2000), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), She’s All That (1999)
Television movies (actress): With This Ring (2015), Little in Common (2011), Body Politic (2009), Football Wives (2007), Something the Lord Made (2004), Close to Home (2001), H-E Double Hockey Sticks (1999), 1973 (1998)
Television (producer, actress): Being Mary Jane (2013–18)
Television (actress): The Lion Guard (2016-18), Flashforward (2009–10), Life (2009), Night Stalker (2005–06), City of Angels (2000), 7th Heaven (1996–99)
INDEX
ACTORS:
Ali, Tatyana………………………………..1
Allen, Debbie……………………………..2
Amos, John…………………………………3
Avery, Margaret…………………………..4
Aytes, Rochelle……………………………5
Bassett, Angela……………………………6
Beach, Michael…………………………….7
Beals, Jennifer……………………………..8
Bell, Darryl…………………………………..9
Bellamy, Bill…………………………………9
Bledsoe, Tempest…………………………10
Boseman, Chadwick……………………..10
Braugher, Andre…………………………….11
Brooks, Golden……………………………..12
Browne, Roscoe Lee………………………12
Calloway, Vanessa Bell………………….13
Cedric The Entertainer…………………..14
Charles, Gaius………………………………..15
Cheadle, Don………………………………….16
Chestnut, Morris…………………………….17
Cumbuka, Ji-Tu……………………………….18
Davis, Viola…………………………………….19
Dee, Ruby………………………………………20
Devine, Loretta……………………………..22
Diggs, Taye……………………………………23
Dixon, Ivan……………………………………24
Dobson, Tamara…………………………..25
Duke, Bill……………………………………..26
DuPois, Starletta………………………….27
Dutton, Charles……………………………28
Ealy, Michael………………………………..30
Elise, Kimberly……………………………..30
Fox, Vivica A………………………………….31
Franklin, Carl………………………………..32
Freeman Jr., Al………………………………33
Givens, Robin……………………………….34
Gossett Jr, Louis……………………………35
Grier, David Alan…………………………..36
Gunn, Moses…………………………………38
Hall, Arsenio…………………………………39
Hall, Regina………………………………….39
Hamilton, Lisa Gay……………………….40
Hardwick, Omari…………………………..41
Harewood, Dorian………………………..42
Harper, Hill…………………………………..42
Harris, Steve………………………………..44
Harris, Wood………………………………..44
Hayes, Reginald
“Reggie” C……………………………………45
Haysbert, Dennis………………………..45
Henson, Taraji P………………………….47
Hooks, Robert…………………………….48
Hudson, Ernie……………………………..49
Jackson, Samuel L……………………….50
James, Steve………………………………..51
Jenkins, Terrence “J”……………………52
Johnson, Anne-Mari……………………52
Johnson, Dwayne
“The Rock” Johnson……………………53
Jones, James Earl………………………..54
Jones, Rashida…………………………….56
Kelly, Paula………………………………….57
Kodjoe, Boris………………………………58
La Salle, Eriq……………………………….58
Lathan, Sanaa…………………………….59
Lennix, Harry………………………………60
Lindo, Delroy……………………………….61
Little, Cleavon……………………………..62
Lumbly, Carl…………………………………62
Mackie, Anthony…………………………..63
Merkerson, S. Epatha……………………64
Moore, Melba………………………………..65
Moore, Shemar……………………………..66
Morton, Joe…………………………………..67
Nicholas, Denise…………………………..67
Nunn, Bill……………………………………..68
Oduyle, Adepero…………………………..69
Parker, Nate…………………………………..69
Parker, Nicole Ari…………………………..70
Parker, Paula Jai…………………………….71
Patton, Paula…………………………………72
Peete, Holly Robinson…………………..72
Poitier, Sydney Tamiia…………………..73
Pulliam, Keshia Knight………………….74
Rashad, Phylicia…………………………….75
Reid, Daphne a.k.a Reid,
Daphne Maxwell…………………………….76
Reid, Tim…………………………………………77
Rhames, Ving………………………………….78
Richardson, LaTanya………………………79
Richardson, Sy………………………………..80
Robinson, Wendy Raquel……………….81
Ross, Tracee Ellis…………………………….81
Rudolph, Maya………………………………..82
Sharp, Keesha…………………………………83
Simmons, Henry……………………………..83
Smith, Anna Deavere………………………84
Smith, Kellita…………………………………..85
Smith, Roger Guenveur……………………86
Snipes, Wesley…………………………………87
Spencer, Octavia………………………………87
Taylor, Regina…………………………………..88
Thigpen, Lynne…………………………………89
Thomas, Sean Patrick………………………90
Torry, Guy………………………………………….91
Torry, Joe…………………………………………..91
Toussaint, Lorraine,………………………….92
Union, Gabrielle………………………………..93
Vance, Courtney B……………………………..94
Van Peebles, Mario…………………………..95
Warren, Michael………………………………..96
Washington, Denzel…………………………..97
Washington, Kerry……………………………..98
Wayans, Kim………………………………………99
Whitaker, Forest………………………………..100
Whitfield, Lynn…………………………………..102
Williams, Cynda…………………………………103
Williams, Vanessa L…………………………..103
Woodard, Alfre…………………………………..105
Wright, Jeffrey……………………………………106
Early Pioneers of Cinema
Hurston, Zora Neale………………….115
Moten, Etta………………………………..115
Norman, Maidie…………………………116
Robeson, Paul…………………………….117
Whipper, Leigh……………………………118
From Athlete to Cinema
Abdul-Jabbar, Kareem………………..109
Brown, Jim……………………………………110
Crews, Terry………………………………….111
O’Neal, Shaquille………………………….111
Weathers, Carl………………………………112
Williamson, Fred…………………………..113
The Independent Filmmakers
Burnett, Charles……………………………161
Davis, Zeinabu……………………………….162
Du Vernay, Ava……………………………….163
Gerima, Haile…………………………………164
Grant, Laurens……………………………….165
Lynch, Shola…………………………………..165
Rees, Dee……………………………………….166
Smith, Cauleen……………………………….167
Van Peebles, Melvin……………………….167
Willmott, Kevin………………………………169
Woodberry, Billy…………………………….169
International Talent Established
In the United States
and Indigenous African Cinema
(Folk Life)
Akinnuoye-Agbaje Adewale……………121
Faye, Safi………………………………………….121
Sanaa Hamri…………………………………….122
Harewood, David………………………………123
Jean-Baptiste, Marianne…………………..123
Kabore’, Gaston………………………………….124
Gugu, Mbatha-Raw…………………………….125
McQueen III, Steve……………………………..125
Nacro, Fanta Regina……………………………126
Newton, Thandie…………………………………127
Nyong’o, Lupita…………………………………..128
Ouedraogo, Idrissa……………………………..129
Oyelowo, David…………………………………..130
Palcy, Euzhan………………………………………130
Pounder, CCH……………………………………….131
Sinclair, Madge…………………………………….132
Producers, Directors, Screenwriters,
and Cinematographers
Akil, Mara Brock……………………………………135
Akil, Salim……………………………………………..136
Allain, Stephanie…………………………………..136
Bythewood, Reggie “Rock”……………………137
Chase, Debra Martin……………………………..138
Coogler, Ryan………………………………………..139
Cundieff, Rusty………………………………………139
Dash, Julie……………………………………………..140
Dickerson, Ernest…………………………………..141
Edmonds, Tracey…………………………………….142
Fanaka, Jamaa………………………………………..143
Hudlin, Reginald…………………………………….143
Hudlin, Warrington…………………………………144
Isaacs, Cheryl Boone………………………………145
Jackson, George……………………………………….145
Jakes, T.D………………………………………………….146
King, Jr., Woodie……………………………………….147
Lee, Spike…………………………………………………148
Martin, Darnell ………………………………………..150
McHenry, Doug…………………………………………150
Mitchell, Elvis……………………………………………151
Parks, Suzan-Lori……………………………………..151
Prince-Blythewood, Gina………………………….152
Ridley, John……………………………………………….153
Sayeed, Malik Hassan……………………………….154
Singleton, John………………………………………….154
Story, Tim…………………………………………………..155
Tillman Jr., George……………………………………..156
Wesley, Richard………………………………………….157
Williams, Abdul………………………………………….157
Winfrey, Oprah…………………………………………..158