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1-50 of 368
- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Thomas Mikal Ford was born on September 5, 1964 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for "Martin" (1992), "Harlem Nights" (1989), and "Across the Tracks" (1990).
He recently completed four seasons as the hilarious Pope of Comedy on TV One's hit show "Who's Got Jokes?", hosted by Bill Bellamy.
In the past few years Tommy has starred in over 15 films and a new TV series, "Basketball Wives."
Recently, Tommy has been focusing on building a successful career behind the camera. He has directed and produced several webisodes, television dramas, and sitcom pilots: including "Blvd West", "Ancestors", "Comedy Camp", and "Flipping Bird", and "Bird & Brick." He directed and produced seven films, "Switching Lanes" being the most recent. Mr. Ford joined the cast of three wonderful television productions on Uplifting Network: "Sugar Mamas", "To Love and to Cherish", and "In the Meantime."
Whether playing Tommy on FOX's hit "Martin", displaying a versatile style on FOX's drama "New York Undercover," or recurring as the fun-loving father on UPN's "The Parkers" Ford constantly makes changes in his career and finds success in any endeavor he chooses to take on. Following a long- time dream, he launched a series of award-winning children's books designed to promote healthy, spiritual, and non-violent living while guiding young people to become better people.
He has been involved in numerous legitimate theater productions for which he has received tremendous critical acclaim for his producing, directing and acting efforts. Among those productions are "Jonin", "South of Where We Live" (Drama Logue Award, Image Award nominations), "Monsoon Christmas" (Drama Logue & Image Award), "Living Room" (Image Award nomination), and "Distant Fires" (Drama Logue & Image Award nomination) among others.
Tommy is excited to introduce two variety talk-shows and a documentary that he is filming in Atlanta: "Don't Be Stupid" is best described as "Bill Maher meets Chelsea Lately on collard greens"! And "Spoken Word With Hank Stewart the Poet" highlights amazing poets and spoken-word artists.
He's also filming a documentary entitled "Reverse the Lynch Curse", an empowering piece about breaking curses of fear distrust and envy.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Noted for portraying characters older than his actual age, Whitman Mayo was in his early 40s in the early 1970s when he first played the sexagenarian "Grady" on "Sandford & Son" -- a role that popularized the expression "Good Goobily Goop!" Nearly thirty years later his "Grady" role had just about caught up with him in terms of age and, in terms of Americana, had assumed something of a cult status. In 1996, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" hosted a tongue-in-cheek "Where's Grady" search for the actor who so well played the part. Though this single role tended to typecast his acting and contributions to the profession, Whitman Mayo did not let it define him. In fact, his professional growth took him some distance from the Watts junkyard of the ABC sitcom. He rounded out his career teaching drama at Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. He was born and grew up in Harlem and Queens, N.Y., moving at 17 to Southern California with his family. He served in the army from 1951-53, then did tours of study at Chaffey College, Los Angeles City College, and UCLA. He began doing a little acting at this time, but nothing stuck. He drifted and liked to boast that he played serious volleyball in Mexico for a year. During these times in his life of not being fixed in a career, he also worked as a probation officer counseling young people, picked grapes, waited tables, and other things for the railroad and a dairy, and not necessarily in that order. In the late 1960s, he joined the New Lafayette Theater repertory company in New York City and began settling down in an acting career. His call to "Sanford & Son" came shortly thereafter when a friend from the New Lafayette group who was by that time writing for Norman Lear recommended Mayo for a part in a single episode. His portrayal caught on and he lasted through the entire duration of the show, even filling in for Redd Foxx when Foxx took a leave. Having a plethora of experience with the tentative in his life, Mayo viewed his continuing success on the series as fleeting and ventured into other trades to assure financial stability; in 1975, for instance, he opened a travel agency in Inglewood, California. In 1994, "burned out," as he said, on Los Angeles, he continued to ply his trade in acting, but moved to Fayetteville, Georgia.- Actress
- Production Manager
- Producer
Sultry, glamorous blonde Venetia Stevenson was a British-born starlet of late 1950s Hollywood whose face was her initial fortune; the camera simply adored her and, in her early years, she dotted the covers of several magazines. Her acting talent, however, never measured up and, within a few years, she willingly retired.
Born in London on March 10, 1938, Venetia came from strong entertainment stock. Her mother, actress Anna Lee, was a well-known co-star of the British cinema, and her father, director Robert Stevenson, was well-respected for his directing of such classy Grade "A" motion pictures as Nine Days a Queen (1936), King Solomon's Mines (1937), Back Street (1941) and Jane Eyre (1943). Just prior to the beginning of WWII in Europe, the family moved to Hollywood. By 1944, her parents had divorced and Venetia, eventually, decided to live with her father and new stepmother.
Venetia's photogenic beauty was apparent from the start. As part of the youthful Hollywood scene, she was quickly discovered and moved with ease into junior modeling work. This, plus her parents' obvious connections, led to a natural progression into acting. Self-admittedly, she was never a confidant actress. Making her TV debut playing a corpse on Matinee Theatre (1955), she also appeared with her mother and the husband/wife team of Fernando Lamas and Arlene Dahl in a 1955 Arizona stage production of "Liliom", in order to gain experience. Signed with RKO, Venetia took acting lessons and posed for publicity stills but she made little progress there. Warner Bros. eventually took her on and she made several guest appearances on TV, including that of Ricky Nelson's girlfriend on the popular series, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952). Other WB series work included roles on Cheyenne (1955) and 77 Sunset Strip (1958).
Venetia made her film entrance with a decorous, second-lead femme role in the WB war picture Darby's Rangers (1958), starring James Garner, Peter Brown and Edd Byrnes. As part of the Hollywood dating swirl, there were obvious set-ups with such big stars as Tab Hunter, Anthony Perkins and, even, Elvis Presley. Such a set-up led to a 1956 marriage to up-and-coming actor/dancer Russ Tamblyn, but the bloom quickly fell off the rose and the couple divorced a year later.
For the most part. Venetia was cast as a beautiful distraction in action-adventure and crime movies. Her handful of hunky movie co-stars included Jeff Richards and Guy Madison. Such routine roles in Day of the Outlaw (1959), Island of Lost Women (1959), Studs Lonigan (1960), Seven Ways from Sundown (1960), The City of the Dead (1960), which was made in her native England and released here as "Horror Hotel", and The Sergeant Was a Lady (1961), her last, did little to boost her feelings of adequacy or her Hollywood ranking. Mother Anna Lee, who found renewed recognition as a daytime soap doyenne ("Lila Quartermaine" on General Hospital (1963)), appeared in support of her daughter in two films: Jet Over the Atlantic (1959) and The Big Night (1960). Divorced from Tamblyn, Venetia married one of The Everly Brothers, Don Everly, of "Wake Up, Little Susie" fame, in 1962. At this point, she had no qualms about retiring from the ever-competitive acting world and did so. The couple went on to have two daughters and a son. Stacy Everly and Erin Everly both dabbled in acting, and son Edan Everly delved into music as both a singer and guitarist. He also teaches music and produces/writes for other artists.
In later years, Venetia became a script reader for Burt Reynolds's production company and, subsequently, became vice-president of Cinema Group, a production company that made several films in the 1980s. Since her 1970 divorce from Everly, the still-beautiful lady, who enjoys horseback riding, has not remarried.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 - December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer, and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the honorific nicknames "Godfather of Soul", "Mr. Dynamite", and "Soul Brother No. 1". In a career that lasted more than 50 years, he influenced the development of several music genres. Brown was one of the first 10 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at its inaugural induction in New York on January 23, 1986.
Brown began his career as a gospel singer in Toccoa, Georgia. He first came to national public attention in the mid-1950s as the lead singer of the Famous Flames, a then-only Rhythm and blues vocal group founded by Bobby Byrd. With the hit ballads "Please, Please, Please" and "Try Me", Brown built a reputation as a dynamic live performer with the Famous Flames and his backing band, sometimes known as the James Brown Band or the James Brown Orchestra. His success peaked in the 1960s with the live album Live at the Apollo and hit singles such as "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag", "I Got You (I Feel Good)" and "It's a Man's Man's Man's World".
During the late 1960s, Brown moved from a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music-making, emphasizing stripped-down interlocking rhythms that influenced the development of funk music. By the early 1970s, Brown had fully established the funk sound after the formation of the J.B.s with records such as "Get Up (I Feel Like Being a) Sex Machine" and "The Payback". He also became noted for songs of social commentary, including the 1968 hit "Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud". Brown continued to perform and record until his death from pneumonia in 2006.
Brown recorded 17 singles that reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B charts. He also holds the record for the most singles listed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart that did not reach No. 1. Brown was inducted into the first class of the Rhythm & Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2013 as an artist and then in 2017 as a songwriter. He also received honors from several other institutions, including inductions into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame, and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. In Joel Whitburn's analysis of the Billboard R&B charts from 1942 to 2010, Brown is ranked No. 1 in The Top 500 Artists. He is ranked seventh on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Although best known for his role as "Detective Sgt. Neal Washington" on the long-running and critically acclaimed police drama Hill Street Blues (1981), Taurean Blacque was one of the best stage actors of his time. A long-time resident of Atlanta, Georgia, he performed in several productions at the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta. Among his notable roles were the James Baldwin play "The Amen Corner" opposite Carol Mitchell-Leon, Elizabeth Omilami and Crystal Fox; and as "Shealy" in the August Wilson play "Jitney" opposite such notables as John Lawhorn, John Beasley, Anthony Chisholm and Charles Canada. Both productions were directed by then-Alliance Artistic Director Kenny Leon. Noted for his involvement in the community as well, Blacque, who had two adult biological sons, adopted nine children in the late 1980s. A deeply spiritual man, he adopted the name "Taurean" from his astrological sign of "Taurus" and the name "Blacque" from his race.- Ji-Tu Cumbuka is one of the many U.S. African actors who overcame walls of adversity in the 60s. Born in Montgomery County, Alabama on March fourth, 1940 in an era of oppression, Ji-Tu did not let social norms hold him back from what he loved. Opportunities were slim; a U.S. African actor of the 40s and 50s held roles as house maids or were confined to the parody roles of minstrel shows. Being born in a society of black and white, Ji-Tu defined what the basis of the Civil Rights Movement was.
He saw his first movie "Shane" at the age of twelve years old which stimulated his desire to become an actor. Receiving discouragement from all sides, from teachers laughing at his aspirations and suggesting he be more realistic to his father, a Baptist minister who believed acting was "the devil's work". Inspired by his mother who believed he could achieve any dream with God's help, he left home and moved to New York. After several difficult years he joined the Army where he played football and ran track. Ji-Tu made All-Army in both sports. He was offered many college scholarships, but chose to attend Texas Southern University. After Texas Southern he felt it was time to move to California to continue to pursue his acting dreams. While working as an actor, Ji-Tu continued his education earning a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and a Masters Degree in Cinematography.
After three years of attending acting classes and acting in community plays and workshops he landed his first top role in the movie "Uptight" directed by the late director Jules Dassin. Cumbuka is famed for roles in movies such as the epic film "Roots", "Harlem Nights", "Brewster's Millions", "Mandingo" and "Bound for Glory", as well as minor appearances in thirty other films. In television, Cumbuka is acclaimed for roles in major shows as "Knots Landing", "The A-Team", "The Dukes of Hazard", "Walker Texas Ranger" and "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation". In total Ji-Tu has appeared in over a hundred films and television series.
Ji-Tu Cumbuka's journey is a reflection of fiery passion and strength that will burn everlasting. He is the author of several screenplays and is presently pursuing opportunities as a writer, producer and director. - Ricardo Milos was born on November 11, 1977, along with his twin brother, in Rio, Brazil. He is mixed, with both Brazilian and Irish heritage. However, he and his brother are adopted, with a Greek father and a Canadian mother. Ricardo is 5 foot and 8 inches tall, and weighs 190 pounds. Ricardo has been modeling for over 10 years and his father is a professional photographer who taught him how to take good photos as well as how to pose in photos.
Ricardo's hobbies are taking pictures, body building, jet skiing, rock climbing, dining out, bowling, collecting DVDs and mp3s, and collecting magnets. His favorite colors are red, green, and gold. He also likes Snoopy from The Peanuts.
Ricardo's dance enjoyed a resurgence in mid-2018 when it was posted to compete against TikTok dances, first in Russian websites and forums, and then in English-language websites in October.
His role in Gachimuchi
Ricardo Milos is a minor character, but he is used often in Gachimuchi videos humourously. Ricardo doesn't usually speak when he appears in videos. Despite this, he still has tons of videos including him in them. Ricardo, in which people or characters dance like him to the song Butteryfly (Upswing Mix) by the artist Smile.dk. - Ted Manson was born on 23 October 1926 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) and Runaway Jury (2003). He died on 1 June 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Born in Georgia, Byrd earned a bachelor of science degree in education from Morris Brown College and later received a master of fine arts degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts. He has starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theater's award-winning performance of "Spunk". He has also starred in "Home" by Samm-Art Evans, "Two Trains Running", "The Piano Lesson" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Alliance Theater, "Flyin' West", "Hamlet" and "Miss Evers' Boys" at the Indiana Repertory, and in other productions of "Flyin' West" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and at the Long Wharf Theater.- Actress
- Writer
Wanda Smith was born on 11 October 1966 in Miami, Florida, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for Madea Goes to Jail (2009), Madea's Witness Protection (2012) and The Drone That Saved Christmas (2023). She died on 12 October 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
- Production Manager
- Additional Crew
Jeff Kay was born on 11 April 1965 in Los Angeles, California. He was an assistant director and production manager, known for Courage Under Fire (1996), Powder (1995) and Gettysburg (1993). He died on 17 October 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.- Chase Tatum was born on 3 November 1973 in Kennesaw, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Who's Your Caddy? (2007), Creature from Black Lake (1976) and WCW Monday Nitro (1995). He died on 23 March 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Hiram Keller was born on 3 May 1944 in Moody Field, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Satyricon (1969), Orestes (1997) and The Survivors of the Bounty (1974). He was married to Kristina St. Clair. He died on 20 January 1997 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Lou Walker was born on 20 February 1928 in Bessemer, Alabama, USA. He was an actor, known for My Cousin Vinny (1992), The Firm (1993) and Hiding Out (1987). He died on 2 August 2004 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Stunts
- Actor
John Bernecker was born on 2 March 1984 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Black Panther (2018), The 5th Wave (2016) and Looper (2012). He died on 13 July 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Camera and Electrical Department
- Make-Up Department
- Sound Department
Albert Omstead was born on 20 September 1982 in Florida. He is known for Captain America: Civil War (2016), Baby Driver (2017) and Freaky (2020). He was married to Que Omstead. He died on 19 July 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Ed Ramey was born on 22 December 1918 in the USA. He was an actor, known for Deliverance (1972). He died on 28 January 1984 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Fred Crane was born on 22 March 1918 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Gone with the Wind (1939), General Hospital (1963) and The Gay Amigo (1949). He was married to Terry Lynn Halfacre, Anita Joan Cohen, Barbara Jeanne Garoutte, Ruth Ceder and Rose Marcelle Dudley Heaslip. He died on 21 August 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
King Von was born on 9 August 1994 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for F9: The Fast Saga (2021), PnB Rock Feat. King Von: Rose Gold (2021) and King Von: Robberies (2023). He died on 6 November 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Actor
- Animation Department
- Art Department
Clay Martin Croker was the son of Marion Winchell Croker (1924-2004) and Ouida Thelma Martin (1925-2017). He showed talent for drawing at a very early age; no blank piece of paper stayed that way long. His first love was of dinosaurs, then Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman and eventually comic book characters.
As a kid, Clay would recite Tex Avery and Chuck Jones cartoons verbatim - flawlessly providing all the accompanying voices.
As a teen, he was the part of a unique group of artists and full-time dreamers in the metro Atlanta area. They spent late nights in graveyards making home movies or passing a sketchbook around, each contributing their own art to what they called "the strip." For employment, they took over the airbrush booth at Six Flags Over Georgia. (Think Caddyshack but with art!) Those friends are still working as artists, producers and musicians to this day.
Clay's first animation gig was making the confederate soldiers carved on the side of Georgia's Stone Mountain gallop away, the big finish of the summer laser light show. He joked that many were happy to see them go.
He animated many national TV commercials and then arguably made Cartoon Network's Adult Swim what it is today with the success of Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Clay provided the animation as well as the voices for Zorak and Moltar. SG led to the Brak Show and Toonami, for which he provided voices and animation.
Later, Clay animated Aqua Teen Hunger Force and had a heavy hand in the development of the main characters, Frylock, Master Shake and Meatwad. He also provided the voices for Dr. Weird, Steve, and various characters. For a brief stint, he hauled his collection of 8 and 16 mm vintage cartoons to the Plaza Theatre, Atlanta's most popular indie movie house, for the Bizarro Saturday Morning show.
He became a fixture at various comic conventions and expos and was always humbled and flattered by the love and adoration of his fans.
In his untimely death, Clay leaves behind not only a legacy not to soon be repeated, but also a vast collection of personal art, priceless movie memorabilia and a trail of brokenhearted friends and colleagues. He died at his home on September 17, 2016.- Actor
- Additional Crew
- Soundtrack
Gregg Burge was born on 14 November 1957 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A Chorus Line (1985), Michael Jackson: Bad (1987) and School Daze (1988). He died on 4 July 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Jen Apgar was born on 21 May 1972. She was an actress, known for Cold Mountain (2003), The Skeleton Key (2005) and Sweet Home Alabama (2002). She was married to Jiri Vala. She died on 19 February 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
- Actor
- Producer
Dikembe Mutombo is a Congolese American retired professional basketball player. Mutombo played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Outside basketball, he has become well known for his humanitarian work.
The 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m), 260-pound (120 kg) center, who began his career with the Georgetown Hoyas, is regarded as one of the greatest shot blockers and defensive players of all time, winning the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award four times; he was also an eight-time All-Star. On January 10, 2007, he surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second most prolific shot blocker in NBA history, behind only Hakeem Olajuwon. He averaged a double-double for most of his career, and is 12th all-time in career double-doubles, and tied for second all-time in career triple doubles involving points, rebounds and blocks.
At the conclusion of the 2009 NBA playoffs, Mutombo announced his retirement. On September 11, 2015, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
He is the oldest player in NBA history to collect over 20 rebounds in a game (40 years old, March 2, 2007 vs. Denver Nuggets).- Actor
- Producer
Mikey Post was born on 29 April 1982 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. He was an actor and producer, known for Bedtime Stories (2008), Black Knight (2001) and Buttwhistle (2014). He died on 17 February 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.- Harry Ellerbe was born on 15 January 1901 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for House of Usher (1960), The Outer Limits (1963) and One Step Beyond (1959). He died on 2 December 1992 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.