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- Actress
- Producer
In film, television, and theater, DeWanda Wise has established herself as one of the industry's most consistently critically acclaimed artists.
Of her work as Kayla Watts in Jurassic World Dominion, she's been nearly universally considered a standout of the sixth installment with critics noting her magnetism, swagger, wit, and charisma. Entertainment Weekly notes,
"Dominion's most memorable star might be its newest: DeWanda Wise, who joins the series as high- flying pilot Kayla Watts...Playing a daring pilot, (she) is basically starring in a one- woman Raiders of the Lost Ark in her head. Let's get that concept to the sequel writers stat."
In Sony's Fatherhood directed by Paul Weitz, Wise plays Lizzie Swan. Her performance was similarly singled out for her depth of characterization, charm, and grace. While Variety noted that Swan was, "Saucy, gorgeous, so-supportive-she's-saintly," The Wrap observed how
"Lizzie Swan is the kind of ideal romantic partner that might seem eye-rollingly implausible were it not for the efforts of actor DeWanda Wise who makes Swan's healthy outlook and emotional patience seem like hard-earned positive qualities of a healthy, real human being."
As Erin Kennedy in Jennifer Kaytin Robinson's subversive rom com, "Someone Great," Variety declared,
"It's Wise who's this film's MVP, wittily delivering many hilarious, quotable one-liners with effervescence and charm."
Largely considered her breakout role, In the Netflix adaption of "She's Gotta Have It," created by Spike Lee, Wise appears as the iconic Nola Darling. Following its season one release, the series acquired great critical acclaim, and as a result, won an African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) award as one of the "Top 10 Television Shows." The Hollywood Reporter calls Wise's work "superb," while Deadline exclaimed, "With a star revealing herself before us, Underground alum Wise hits nothing but high notes." Other critics describe her performance as "fiery," "complex," "brilliant," and "moving."
Other acclaimed television work includes CBS All Access "The Twilight Zone," FOX's drama "Shots Fired," and WGN's hit historical drama "Underground."
Additional film credits include the 2016 Sundance romantic-comedy hit, "How to Tell You're a Douchebag," by Tahir Jetter. A film in which Wise both starred in and executive produced..
In 2016, Wise expanded her talents into screenwriting and wrote the short film entitled, "Where You Go," which premiered at Cannes in the "Short Film Corner."
Stage credits include Atlantic Theater Company's "Fireflies," by Donja R. Love, a performance universally acclaimed. Sara Holdren at Vulture states:
"Wise's smoldering, taut-as-a-bowstring Olivia is almost part animal. It's an electrically charged performance, the kind that you imagine an actor passing out after. Wise has extraordinary bright hazel eyes, cat-like in their intensity: They're the eyes of a domestic creature that should have been wild, a creature that's never at rest, whose small body contains a whole history of life before walls, before cages, before dependence."
Previous stage credits include a host of theater roles, notably originating the role of 'Nina' in acclaimed playwright Dominique Morisseau's "Sunset Baby." Ben Brantley of The New York Times stated,
"...it's the woman who's the toughest of them all. Ms. Wise, a beauty, makes us see and feel just how ugly Nina is...she also insists we understand why."
The Village Voice called her Nina, "commanding and severe," while The New Yorker described her performance as "Brutal and riveting."
Other praised performances include her work as Susan in the west coast premiere of David Mamet's "Race" with Center Theater Group, Mercy in "Flight," at City Theatre, and Abigail, a Zimbabwean wife grappling with an HIV diagnosis, in Danai Gurira's heartbreaking "In the Continuum" at Playmakers, Chapel Hill.
DeWanda Wise graduated from New York University with honors as a double major in Drama and Urban Social and Cultural Analysis with a minor in Community-based Theater and Performance. She is a Tisch Scholar Award recipient, the Atlantic Achievement in Studio Award recipient, and the BFA Representative of her graduating class of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to Billboard, Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His musical style has been defined as polyhedral, with his R&B being characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly hip hop and pop music. His lyrics develop predominantly over themes of sex, romance, fast life, desire, regret, and emotional conflict. Brown has gained a cult following, and wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his stage presence.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Trey Songz was born on 28 November 1984 in Petersburg, Virginia, USA. He is a music artist and actor, known for Texas Chainsaw (2013), American Honey (2016) and Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009).- Music Artist
- Actor
- Producer
Aubrey Drake Graham was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Dennis Graham, an African-American musician born in Memphis, Tennessee, and Sandi (Sher) Graham, a Canadian Jewish educator. As a young man, Drake appeared in several commercials, for such retailers as Sears and GMC. In 2001, Drake rose to fame playing the role of "Jimmy Brooks", a character on Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001), a basketball star who is confined to a wheelchair after being shot by a classmate. In 2006, Drake launched his music career by releasing his first mix tape, "Room for Improvement". Three years later, his third mix tape, "So Far Gone", garnered him critical and commercial success, and, the following year, he released his official debut album, "Thank Me Later", to generally positive reviews. Aubrey Drake Graham has established himself as a multi-talented young Canadian, and the entertainment industry has great expectations for him.- Music Artist
- Actor
- Composer
Kendrick Lamar is a hip-hop artist from Compton, California. He's signed with Dr. Dre's label, Aftermath. Kendrick also has his own label, known as 'Top Dawg Entertainment', with includes artists such as Jay Rock, ScHoolboy Q and Ab Soul. Kendrick's major label debut album, 'good kid m.A.A.d city' is already known as a classic and was only released in late 2012. His Music is influenced by the great artists such as Snoop Dogg, 2 pac, Lil wayne and many more.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
The multi-talented Donald Glover is a writer, actor, musician, comedian, producer and director, who performs under the stage names Childish Gambino and mcDJ. He was born Donald McKinley Glover at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and was raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia. His mother, Beverly (Smith), ran a daycare center, and his father, Donald Glover, is a retired postal worker. He is not, despite rumors, related to actor Danny Glover. He has a younger brother, Stephen Glover, a screenwriter and producer. Donald graduated from New York University with a degree in Dramatic Writing in 2006.
In 2006, at age 23, while still living in the NYU dorms, Glover joined the writing staff of NBC comedy 30 Rock (2006), for which he received a Writers Guild of America Award nomination in 2009. Later credited as an executive story editor, he also had several cameos in front of the camera. In 2009, he left "30 Rock" for a role on the comedy series Community (2009), in which he played an athlete in a rather odd study group, opposite Chevy Chase and Joel McHale. The show ran for six seasons.
Glover is the creator, writer, producer, director and star of the series Atlanta (2016), which debuted on FX in 2016. The series was an immediate critical and commercial hit, winning the 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Series and Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series (Musical or Comedy) for Glover. At the 2017 Primetime Emmy Awards, Glover won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, while the show also earned four other nominations: Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for Glover (for the episode B.A.N. (2016)) and his brother, Stephen (for the episode Streets on Lock (2016)).
His first stand-up special aired on Comedy Central in March 2010. As Childish Gambino, Glover has released the studio albums "Camp" (2011), "Because the Internet" (2013) and "Awaken, My Love!" (2016). In 2015, he was nominated for Grammy Awards in 2015 for Best Rap Album for "Because the Internet" and Best Rap Performance for his single "3005" In 2018, he was nominated for five Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for "Awaken, My Love!" and Record of the Year for the hit "Redbone," winning the Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance.
On the big screen, Glover's credits include Magic Mike XXL (2015), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), and The Martian (2015). He will star as the young Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018) and will provide the voice of Simba in a remake of The Lion King (2019).
In April 2017, Glover was named among Time Magazine's "100 Most Influential People in the World."- Chelita Salvatori was born to a wealthy white Trinidadian family - her mother, Connie, was English, and her father's family were from Corsican origin. As a girl, Chelita was sketched by Pablo Picasso, and was educated at the Lycee in South Kensington, London, and in Paris, from where she ran away because, as her childhood friend Barry Powell recalls, "she hated the nuns". When she was 18, her father died from burns after his yacht had blown up.
Returning to London in 1963, Chelita Salvatori was taken up by the photographer Norman Parkinson, a family friend whose introductions helped launch her into the fluid 1960s society. Parkinson also introduced her to Harpers Bazaar, beginning a career in journalism during which she worked for IPC (as features editor for Woman), and as fashion editor of Nova. She also met and married the pop manager Tony Secunda. In 1966, when the designer Ossie Clark's collection combined blue and green, Secunda "dyed her hair blue to celebrate and became her PR". She joined Clark and Alice Pollock's venture, Quorum, as promoter of Clark's designs, and would work with Sir Mark Palmer in his model agency, English Boy. Soon Chelita was on phone number terms with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, and was responsible for hiring such models as Amanda Lear. She pre-empted glam rock with her "mad rainbow eye make-up - green and orange, her cheeks highlighted in pink, and over that, reflective diamonds and sequins". In 1970 Chelita was engaged by Marc Bolan's wife June as PR for Bolan's group T. Rex. In 1972 Chelita made a cameo appearance in Bolan's film, Born to Boogie (1972), dressed as a nun. She was T.Rex' Mickey Finn's lover during the heyday of T.Rex, and like him she battled serious addiction to heroin for many years.
In 1979 Chelita left London for Trinidad with the intention of "escaping the smack stigma and setting up a small hotel," She did recover, attending Narcotics Anonymous; in 1988 she went to the Wiltshire clinic "Clouds", and kicked the habit. In the mid-1980s she became the London correspondent for the Parisian magazine City; and later performed the same role for the influential Japanese magazine Hanatsubaki. Derek Jarman gave her a part in his 1986 film Caravaggio (1986).
Chelita organized the Alternative Miss World competitions for Andrew Logan, who had known her since the early days. Logan's 1987 portrait shows her clad in a bright yellow turban, with a heart containing a portrait of her daughter, Tallulah. Chelita had only recently moved to Marrakesh, where she had been working single- handedly to open a hotel, an effort which may have brought on the heart attack that killed her. - Chelita Novarro is known for Erin éreintée (1967).
- Actress
- Producer
Chelita Bon is known for Southern Cross (1999) and The Best Revenge (1996).- Shelita Blache is known for Under Lock and Key (1995).
- Kenisha Awasthi was born on 31 March 1993 in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. She is an actress, known for The Incomplete Man (2021), Hasmukh (2020) and Raktanchal (2020).
- Actress
- Producer
Kenishia Green, born on August 19th, in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, later came to the United States at the age of 10. While attending High School in Reading, Pennsylvania, she developed a love for performing. She later went on to study Acting and Directing at DeSales University, where she graduated and eventually went on to pursue her craft in New York City.
Since relocating to the big city, Kenishia has been the host of the highly popular New York music television show, Video City TV for the past three years. She has had key acting roles in Shilo Media's South Brooklyn(Bounce TV), Money and Violence (Tidal), Brain Games (Discovery Channel), Deadly Devotion (Discovery Channel), and Unfaithful (Own Network).
Kenishia's current project includes "Mirror Game," streaming on Netflix, true crime drama feature, "Wisper," she portrays Belinda Ali in the Chuck Wepner Biopic, "Brawlers", playing in selected theaters, and playing Gabrielle on the popular digital Series, Situationships, streaming on BET.COM. Kenishia is a TV/Film and stage actress.- Actress
- Producer
- Director
- Actress
- Casting Director
- Production Manager
- Kenisha Myree is known for How to Commit Fraud (2013).
- Actress
- Sound Department
- Soundtrack
Sarah Hagan was born on 24 May 1984 in Austin, Texas, USA. She is an actress, known for Freaks and Geeks (1999), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997) and Jess + Moss (2011).- Actress
- Writer
- Casting Director
Molly Hagan was born the seventh child of Jack and Betty Hagan in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the age of 4 the entire family moved to Ft. Wayne, Indiana. She grew up among cornfields and limestone quarries. Molly always wanted to be an actor. She toiled with her sister, Lucy Hagan, to create the best living room theatre a family could watch. But had her first real break as Glinda the good witch in "The Wizard of Oz" at St. Therese's Elementary School. After crushing it, doing the best Billie Burke she could, Molly went on to be kicked out of High School drama. She then attended Northwestern University.- Kelly Hagan is known for Good Morning America (1975).
- Billy Hagan was born on 29 January 1889 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Scanty Panties (1961). He was married to Anna Toebe. He died on 11 June 1986 in Carmichael, California, USA.
- Kelly Hagan is known for Monsters (2016).
- Kelly Hagan is known for On the Other Hand (2015).
- Additional Crew
Kelly Huffman is known for Broken Star (2018).- Kelly Hagan is known for Lovesick (2014).
- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Kasi Lemmons was born on 24 February 1961 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. She is an actress and director, known for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Harriet (2019) and Candyman (1992). She has been married to Vondie Curtis-Hall since 19 August 1995. They have two children.- Art Department
- Animation Department
- Director
Tara Whitaker is known for Wander Over Yonder (2013), Infinity Train (2019) and Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Rob Morgan was born on 24 February 1973 in New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, USA. He is an actor, known for Mudbound (2017), Don't Look Up (2021) and Bull (2019).- Producer
- Director
- Writer
Rob Margolies was born on 28 February 1983 in Rumson, New Jersey, USA. He is a producer and director, known for She Wants Me (2012), In Fidelity and Immortal (2019).- Born and raised in the Bronx, and spent most of his formative years hanging out in New York City, Kirk Acevedo, who is of Puerto Rican descent, received his BFA from SUNY Purchase and founded a theater company called The Rorschach Group. After guest-starring on several television shows like New York Undercover (1994) and Law & Order (1990), he landed his best-known role as Alvarez, a morose and violent prisoner struggling for redemption on HBO's notoriously gritty Oz (1997). Though he was nominated for a Cable Ace award and an ALMA award for his work on Oz (1997), it was Acevedo's role as Pvt. Tella in The Thin Red Line (1998) that won him an ALMA.
- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
Kirk Jones better known by his stage name Sticky Fingaz, is an American hardcore rapper, record producer, and actor best known as a member of multi-platinum hardcore rap group Onyx. Sticky Fingaz was discovered by Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C., who signed Onyx on his label JMJ Records provided that Sticky would be in the group. His signature lazy eye, raspy voice, and boundless energy brought attention to the group, and he became the frontman. Onyx went on to release three top-selling albums before Sticky Fingaz began his solo career.- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Malik Yoba was born on 17 September 1967 in Bronx, New York, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Cool Runnings (1993), New York Undercover (1994) and Cop Land (1997). He has been married to Cat Wilson since 21 December 2003. He was previously married to Trisha Mann.- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jamie Foxx is an American actor, singer and comedian. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, for his work in the biographical film Ray (2004). The same year, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the action film Collateral (2004). Other prominent acting roles include the title role in the film Django Unchained (2012), the supervillain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), and William Stacks in the modern version of Annie (2014).
Jamie Foxx was born Eric Marlon Bishop in Terrell, Texas, to Louise Annette Talley and Darrell Bishop, who worked as a stockbroker and had later changed his name to Shahid Abdula. His mother was an adopted child. When her marriage to his father failed, his maternal grandparents, Mark and Estelle Talley, stepped in and, at age seven months, adopted Jamie too. He has said that he had a very rigid upbringing that placed him in the Boy Scouts and the church choir. During high school, he played quarterback for his high school team and was good enough that he got press in Dallas newspapers. He studied music in college. He released a music album, "Peep This" (1994), and sings the theme song for his movie, Any Given Sunday (1999). However, in 1989, his life changed when a girlfriend challenged him to get up onstage at the Comedy Club. In fact, he says he took his androgynous stage name because he learned that women got preference for mike time on open stage nights. That led to his being cast on Roc (1991) and In Living Color (1990).
Foxx had his own WB television show from 1996 to 2001, the sitcom The Jamie Foxx Show (1996), in which he played Jamie King Jr. Foxx is also a Grammy Award-winning musician, producing four albums which have charted highly on the US Billboard 200: "Unpredictable" (2005), which topped the chart, "Intuition" (2008), "Best Night of My Life" (2010), and "Hollywood: A Story of a Dozen Roses" (2015). In 2012, Foxx starred in the title role of the Quentin Tarantino written and directed Django Unchained (2012). Foxx starred alongside his Ray co-star Kerry Washington, as well as Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson. In 2013, Foxx was cast as President James Sawyer in White House Down (2013) alongside Channing Tatum. The following year, Foxx appeared as the villain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), and co-starred with Quvenzhané Wallis in Annie (2014), Sony's Will Smith and Jay-Z produced update of the comic strip-turned-musical.
He has two children, including Corinne Foxx, (born 1994), who resides with her mother.- Actor
- Composer
- Producer
For nearly two decades, Omarion has vibrantly painted the entertainment landscape as a chart topping, multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Recording Artist, Producer and Actor. Among the ranks of R&B's elite, his unmistakable sound has driven the success of multiple Gold and Platinum albums and singles from O, 21, and Face Off with Bow Wow to radio favorites Ice Box, Entourage, Touch, I'm Up (featuring French Montana & Kid Ink), and his triple-platinum 2015 Billboard hit "Post To Be" (featuring Chris Brown & Jhené Aiko). Omarion has also left an indelible mark on Pop Culture outside of his music by starring in the millennial cult classic You Got Served, a fan favorite celebrity judge on America's Best Dance Crew and joining the cast of the guilty pleasure franchise, VH1's Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood: Seasons One and Two. Throughout his long standing music and acting careers, Omarion has been recognized with multiple BET Awards and a Grammy Award nomination for "Best Contemporary R&B Album". On stage, the pop icon continues to electrify audiences worldwide with his charismatic energy and signature dance moves. Following the success of his 2017 International hit, "Distance", in which Omarion invited fans to feel good and dance again, Omarion has been in the lab skillfully crafting and reigniting his annual Care Package EP with his 4th installment aptly titled, "CP4". The lead single, "Open up" written by Omarion and produced by Anatii immediately captivates the listener setting off an undeniable urge to dance to this infectious syncopated rhythm track. CP4 also offers tracks, Flight and Been Around produced by Smash David, and Soul produced by Neenyo, inviting fans to lyrically and sonically experience new intimate levels of Omarion, curating a feel good vibe, inspiring dance and harmonizing a deeper personal connection with the Artist. Learning his 5th Album installment "Reasons" was inexplicably held hostage, Omarion made the critical decision to become the master of his own destiny, venturing out on his own to foster an unrestricted and direct creative connection with his fans through his music and visuals. Dedicated to his most loyal fan base, Omarion established Omarion Worldwide, the official hub for all things Omarion: Music, Video, Original Content and Signature Merchandise. Omarion is expanding his global reach as a triple-threat Entertainer and Mega-Star through an interactive platform determined to give the fans what they have been missing. In March 2019, responding to the unrelenting demand of fans worldwide, Omarion front man for the Multi-platinum R&B group B2K , will reunite with B2K for a limited engagement tour, entitled "The Millennium Tour." B2K was the quintessential R&B Boys Group of the 2000' whose impact on the culture has remained steadfast. The stage is set. The journey continues. Get ready for the triumphant return of B2K.- Actor
- Producer
- Production Manager
Jarell Houston was born on 11 August 1985 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Step Up 2: The Streets (2008), The New Guy (2002) and You Got Served (2004).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Marques Houston was born on 4 August 1981 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for You Got Served (2004), Fat Albert (2004) and Sister, Sister (1994). He has been married to Miya Dickey since 24 August 2020. They have one child.- Director
- Writer
- Producer
Chris Stokes Bio
Entrepreneur Christopher B. Stokes has made a name for himself in the music industry with the discovery of such stars as Brandy, Immature, B2K, Jhene Aiko, Sevyn Streeter, Mila J, Kevin McHale (Glee), Omarion & Marques Houston. A Los Angeles native, Stokes has been immersed in the music business since the age of seventeen. Known for his ingenuity behind chart-topping success stories such as multi-platinum selling groups "B2K" and "Immature" and solo artists "Omarion" (former lead singer of "B2K") and Marques "MH" Houston (former lead singer of "Immature"/"IMX"), Stokes continues his meteoric rise in the music.
Stokes began his career in music at the young age of 12, singing in different groups and talent shows. His mother Irene "Mama Stokes" was an actress/comedienne, which gave Stokes his early interest in the entertainment industry. Stokes later realized that his passion was in the management field. He knew he had a great eye for new talent when he landed his first record deal with a group he was managing called "Next Issue." That situation didn't work out, but it gave Stokes the experience and determination to make his stamp in the music industry as a force to be reckoned with. As his career furthered, Stokes went on to discover the 90's Boy Group sensation Immature. While working with Immature, Stokes was introduced to singer, rapper and dancer Mila J. Later signed by Stokes, Mila J and her two group members landed a deal with the MCA label in 1995 under the name Gyrl. Gyrl disbanded and Mila J went on to be in another Stokes created girl group called Dame Four. In 2006, Mila J was signed as a solo act at Motown under the direction of music mogul Sylvia Rhone to work on what was set to be her first solo album, Split Personality. However, due to creative differences, the album was not released. In late 2012, Mila J went into the studio and put out a mix tape of 5 songs. The mix tape exploded obtaining over 600,000 downloads, causing a stir within industry insiders who then took note. In 2013, Mila J was the talk of every major label in town, but decided to re-sign to Motown. Her first single under Motown "Smoke, Drink, Break-Up" was released in February 2014 and immediately began climbing the R&B Chart. In the 00's Stokes also founded the hit boy group B2K. It was during this time that Stokes discovered and began working with Jhene Aiko. Stokes met the young songstress when she was only 5 years old. He instantly knew that she was a star and would one day be a huge success in the music business. Stokes artist developed Jhene until she was ready and old enough to take her place in the industry which began with Stokes getting her signed to Epic Records through his then production company TUG (The Ultimate Group). Some time after leaving Epic she and Stokes mutually decided to part ways. Taking some time to further develop herself Jhene Aiko released a very successful mixtape called "Sailing Souls" and on to a chart topping R&B hit "The Worst". Stokes also served as Vice President of A&M/Interscope Records. During his tenure at A&M/Interscope, Stokes assembled the girl group TG4 and signed them to T.U.G. Entertainment, where Stokes served as their manager. He offered Amber (Sevyn) Streeter the first spot in the group after she opened for B2K and IMX at a concert in Orlando, Florida in early 2001. The group later went on to be signed by A&M records. Unfortunately the group did not achieve the success that Stokes had hoped for and they later disbanded. Amber (Sevyn) Streeter went on to pursue a career in songwriting where she wrote several chart topping hits for artists like Chris Brown and Ariana Grande. She also began a successful solo career under the name Sevyn Streeter. Stokes also helped actor/singer Glee star Kevin McHale get his start in the business. Stokes discovered Kevin back in 2001 at the age of 13. Stokes helped mold him into a solid performer and put him into the boy band NLT, which led to Kevin's major role as Artie Abrams on the hit Fox television show Glee. Involved in every step of the creative process with his artists, Stokes is an accomplished songwriter as well. He has contributed to tracks for superstar groups Destiny's Child, B2K, BBD and Immature, and has also written and produced for Bobby Brown, Omarion and Marques Houston.
Without a doubt one of the most influential players in R&B music, Stokes' creative ventures extend well beyond his music roots. In 2003, Stokes made his feature writing/directing debut with the super successful "You Got Served". That film surprised Hollywood, opening at #1 and continuing to dominate even in its 2nd weekend. "You Got Served" went on to gross more than $150 million worldwide in box office and DVD combined. The dance film and it's success ignited a spark throughout the dance community and gave a breath of life to the dance culture in the industry and worldwide. Stokes has also directed more than 150 music videos for artists on his label as well as artists from other labels.
If that wasn't enough, Stokes ventured into the Clothing industry for a bit with Christopher Brian, a high-end apparel line. Stokes gave mega reality TV star Kim Kardashian her first multi-million dollar modeling job as the spokes model for Christopher Brian Apparel. E! did a news special on Chris Stokes and his clothing line featuring very racy, sexy but tasteful pictures of a topless Kim wearing just the CB jeans. The special also included Kim Kardashian. Shortly after, Kim Kardashian and her family went on to do the hit series "Keepin Up With The Kardashians". Chris Stokes has been the creative director for the line since its inception, and it represents his vision of luxurious, beautiful clothes for men and women. Deemed "the brand for the million-dollar man," the collection was a huge success at the MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas in 2007. Hundreds of celebrities packed Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel to launch the line, which featured a special performance from super producer Timbaland. A year after starting, Stokes inked a lucrative deal to sell the popular line.
In 2007 Stokes directed the horror film "Somebody Help Me" which starred Omarion and Marques Houston. In addition to directing the film, Stokes also wrote the script. The film was released to DVD on November 13, 2007 and made a television premiere on BET on Halloween 2007. In 2010, Stokes went back to his experience in the horror genre and wrote and directed the sequel to "Somebody Help Me", "Somebody Help Me 2". The sequel reunited Stokes with Sonny King (Corbin), Omarion (Darryl) and Marques Houston (Brendan) and picks up where the first installment left off. The film made it's television premiere on BET on October 29, 2010 and did really well on DVD. The success of the horror genre continued for Stokes with the Grindstone/Lionsgate release of his new film "No Vacancy". Stokes also continued with the Dance genre in 2012 with the hit kids dance battle film "Battlefield America". The film featured the introduction of young star Camren Bicondova who Stokes also discovered. "I remember I had to convince Camren and her mother to let her act in the film." Says Stokes. "Camren was hired as a dancer, but I felt like she was a mega star. So I wrote her into the film as one of the characters. She was very nervous because she had never acted before, or even thought about it. But I finally convinced her mother to let her do it. The ending result was great. We all were very happy with her performance." Camren is now one of the breakout stars of Fox's new hit TV series "Gotham" as Selina Kyle.
In 2014, Stokes set his eyes on entering into the world of television and is launching his new Film and Television Production Company Footage Films. Since it's inception Stokes' Production Company has produced and released a number of films over several different mediums. The most recent of which come from a three picture deal Stokes had with media giant Viacom in 2018. In 2018, Stokes directed three films. The first film was a suspense/drama titled We Belong Together which starred Draya Michele, Charles Malik Whitfield and Elise Neal. We Belong Together aired on BET in July 2018. The second film was a political drama titled Running Out Of Time which starred Tasha Smith and RonReaco Lee. Running Out Of Time aired on BET in December 1, 2018. To round out the trifecta, the third film, Fall Girls which starred Amara La Negra and Tammy Roman aired on BET in January 2019. All of Stokes' films can also be found on Netflix and all digital platforms, several of them have trended as "most popular" on the streaming service.
With 2019 in his sights, Stokes promises to deliver more entertaining content while building the Footage Films brand.- Actress
- Producer
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Vera Mindy Chokalingam is an Indian-American actress, comedienne, producer, writer and director from Cambridge, Massachusetts known for playing Kelly Kapoor in The Office, Disgust in Inside Out, and creating The Mindy Project. She also appeared in Wreck-It Ralph, Despicable Me, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Ocean's 8, and Monsters at Work. She has two children.- Actor
- Producer
- Casting Department
Jermaine Williams was born on 31 December 1982 in Rialto, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for The Great Debaters (2007), World's Greatest Dad (2009) and Bulworth (1998).- Producer
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Pete Docter is the Oscar®-winning director of "Monsters, Inc.," "Up," and "Inside Out," and Chief Creative Officer at Pixar Animation Studios. He is currently directing Pixar's feature film "Soul" with producer Dana Murray, which is set to release June 19, 2020.
Starting at Pixar in 1990 as the studio's third animator, Docter collaborated and help develop the story and characters for "Toy Story," Pixar's first full-length animated feature film, for which he also was supervising animator. He served as a storyboard artist on "A Bug's Life," and wrote initial story treatments for both "Toy Story 2" and "WALL.E." Aside from directing his three films, Docter also executive produced "Monsters University" and the Academy Award®-winning "Brave."
Docter's interest in animation began at the age of eight when he created his first flipbook. He studied character animation at California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) in Valencia, California, where he produced a variety of short films, one of which won a Student Academy Award®. Those films have since been shown in animation festivals worldwide and are featured on the "Pixar Short Films Collection Volume 2." Upon joining Pixar, he animated and directed several commercials, and has been nominated for eight Academy Awards® including Best Animated Feature-winners "Up" and "Inside Out" and nominee "Monsters, Inc.," and Best Original Screenplay for "Up," "Inside Out" and "WALL.E." In 2007, "Up" also was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.- Animation Department
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- Producer
Mike Johnson hails from Austin, Texas where he spent a large part of his childhood bending and breaking plastic dinosaurs in a futile attempt to re-create scenes from his favorite Ray Harryhausen films.
Many years later, Johnson graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in Film/Animation/Video and moved to San Francisco where he got his big break as a rigging assistant on Tim Burton's animated classic The Nightmare Before Christmas. After Nightmare, Johnson went on to animate for various stop-motion productions such as James and the Giant Peach and the Emmy Award-winning children's series Bump in the Night.
In 1996, Johnson set up his own animation company, Fat Cactus Films, and over the next few years produced and directed an eclectic and critically acclaimed mix of stop-motion projects including commercials, music videos and short films. His award winning animated short The Devil Went Down to Georgia has been screened in film festivals around the world.
In 1998, Johnson moved to Portland, Oregon to direct three episodes of Eddie Murphy's Emmy Award winning television series, The P.J's.
In 2002 things came full circle when Tim Burton asked Johnson to join him in directing the stop-motion feature, Corpse Bride.- Producer
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- Director
Timothy Walter Burton was born in Burbank, California, to Jean Rae (Erickson), who owned a cat-themed gift shop, and William Reed Burton, who worked for the Burbank Park and Recreation Department. He spent most of his childhood as a recluse, drawing cartoons, and watching old movies (he was especially fond of films with Vincent Price). When he was in the ninth grade, his artistic talent was recognized by a local garbage company, when he won a prize for an anti-litter poster he designed. The company placed this poster on all of their garbage trucks for a year. After graduating from high school, he attended California Institute of the Arts. Like so many others who graduated from that school, Burton's first job was as an animator for Disney.
His early film career was fueled by almost unbelievable good luck, but it's his talent and originality that have kept him at the top of the Hollywood tree. He worked on such films as The Fox and the Hound (1981) and The Black Cauldron (1985), but had some creative differences with his colleagues. Nevertheless, Disney recognized his talent, and gave him the green light to make Vincent (1982), an animated short about a boy who wanted to be just like Vincent Price. Narrated by Price himself, the short was a critical success and won several awards. Burton made a few other short films, including his first live-action film, Frankenweenie (1984). A half-hour long twist on the tale of Frankenstein, it was deemed inappropriate for children and wasn't released. But actor Paul Reubens (aka Pee-Wee Herman) saw Frankenweenie (1984), and believed that Burton would be the right man to direct him in his first full-length feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985). The film was a surprise success, and Burton instantly became popular. However, many of the scripts that were offered to him after this were essentially just spin-offs of the film, and Burton wanted to do something new.
For three years, he made no more films, until he was presented with the script for Beetlejuice (1988). The script was wild and wasn't really about anything, but was filled with such artistic and quirky opportunities, Burton couldn't say no. Beetlejuice (1988) was another big hit, and Burton's name in Hollywood was solidified. It was also his first film with actor Michael Keaton. Warner Bros. then entrusted him with Batman (1989), a film based on the immensely popular comic book series of the same name. Starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, the film was the most financially successful film of the year and Burton's biggest box-office hit to date. Due to the fantastic success of his first three films, he was given the green light to make his next film, any kind of film he wanted. That film was Edward Scissorhands (1990), one of his most emotional, esteemed and artistic films to date. Edward Scissorhands (1990) was also Burton's first film with actor Johnny Depp. Burton's next film was Batman Returns (1992), and was darker and quirkier than the first one, and, while by no means a financial flop, many people felt somewhat disappointed by it. While working on Batman Returns (1992), he also produced the popular The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), directed by former fellow Disney Animator Henry Selick. Burton reunited with Johnny Depp on the film Ed Wood (1994), a film showered with critical acclaim, Martin Landau won an academy award for his performance in it, and it is very popular now, but flopped during its initial release. Burton's subsequent film, Mars Attacks! (1996), had much more vibrant colors than his other films. Despite being directed by Burton and featuring all-star actors including Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close, Pierce Brosnan and Michael J. Fox, it received mediocre reviews and wasn't immensely popular at the box office, either.
Burton returned to his darker and more artistic form with the film Sleepy Hollow (1999), starring Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci and Casper Van Dien. The film was praised for its art direction and was financially successful, redeeming Burton of the disappointment many had felt by Mars Attacks! (1996). His next film was Planet of the Apes (2001), a remake of the classic of the same name. The film was panned by many critics but was still financially successful. While on the set of Planet of the Apes (2001), Burton met Helena Bonham Carter, with whom he has two children. Burton directed the film Big Fish (2003) - a much more conventional film than most of his others, it received a good deal of critical praise, although it disappointed some of his long-time fans who preferred the quirkiness of his other, earlier films. Despite the fluctuations in his career, Burton proved himself to be one of the most popular directors of the late 20th century. He directed Johnny Depp once again in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), a film as quirky anything he's ever done.- D Brown is known for Murder City (2020).
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- Producer
Robert Ri'chard was born on 7 January 1983 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Coach Carter (2005), House of Wax (2005) and One on One (2001).