Way2Young

1. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Bryant won five NBA championships, ...

2. Nipsey Hussle

Soundtrack | Project Power

Airmiess Joseph Asghedom (August 15, 1985 - March 31, 2019), known professionally as Nipsey Hussle (often stylized as Nipsey Hu$$Le), was an American rapper. Emerging from the West Coast hip hop scene in the mid-2000s, Hussle independently released his first mix-tape, Slauson Boy Volume 1, to ...

3. Bernie Mac

Actor | The Bernie Mac Show

Bernard Jeffrey McCollough was born in 1957 in Chicago, the son of Mary McCullough and Jeffery Harrison. He grew up in the city, in a rougher neighborhood than most others, with a large family living under one roof. This situation provided him with a great insight into his comedy, as his family, ...

4. Gary Coleman

Actor | Diff'rent Strokes

Without a doubt Gary Coleman was THE child TV star of the late 1970s and early 1980s. A refreshingly confident little tyke with sparkling dark, saucer-like eyes and an ingratiating, take-on-anyone burst of personality, the boy charmed the pants right off of TV viewers the minute he was glimpsed in ...

5. Robin Harris

Actor | Do the Right Thing

Best remembered for his raunchy humor, Robin Harris became famous in supporting roles in movies such as Do The Right Thing as Sweet Dick Willie and House Party. He has left a legacy that fans and actors will truly miss due to his career which was cut by a massive heart attack at the age of 36. ...

6. Brittany Murphy

Actress | Clueless

Brittany Murphy was born Brittany Anne Bertolotti on November 10, 1977 in Atlanta, Georgia, to Sharon Kathleen Murphy and Angelo Joseph Bertolotti. Her father's ancestry is Italian, and her mother is of Irish and Slovak descent. Her father moved the family back to Edison, New Jersey as a native New...

7. Chadwick Boseman

Actor | Black Panther

Chadwick Boseman was an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of T'Challa / Black Panther in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from 2016 to 2019, particularly in Black Panther (2018), and for his starring roles as several pioneering Americans, Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013), James Brown in Get on...

8. Merlin Santana

Actor | The Steve Harvey Show

Merlin Santana was born in New York to parents from the Dominican Republic. His mother pushed him into a showbusiness career to keep him off the mean streets and out of trouble. He began as an advertising model for a fast-food chain at age 3, and soon became noticed as Stanley, one of Rudy ...

9. Richard Pryor

Actor | Superman III

Highly influential, and always controversial, African-American actor/comedian who was equally well known for his colorful language during his live comedy shows, as for his fast paced life, multiple marriages and battles with drug addiction. He has been acknowledged by many modern comic artist's as ...

10. Nate Dogg

Soundtrack | Real Steel

Nate Dogg was born on August 19, 1969 in Long Beach, California, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Real Steel (2011), I Spy (2002) and The Fast and the Furious (2001). He was married to La Toya. He died on March 15, 2011 in Long Beach, California, USA.

11. Daniel Dumile

Soundtrack | Ken Park

Daniel Dumile was born on January 9, 1971 in London, England, UK. He was a music artist and actor, known for Ken Park (2002), Hell Fest (2018) and Vacation Friends (2021). He was married to Jasmine. He died on October 31, 2020 in New York City, New York, USA.

12. Mike Evans

Writer | Good Times

Clean cut and smoothly handsome as a youth, Mike Evans got on board the Norman Lear TV train in the early 1970s and took a straight ride to sitcom stardom in both a landmark comedy series and its black-oriented spin-off. Born Michael Jonas Evans in Salisbury, North Carolina, on November 3, 1949, ...

13. Eric Dickey

Writer | One Night

Eric Dickey was born on July 7, 1961 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for One Night, Cappuccino (1998) and Friends and Lovers (2005). He died on January 3, 2021 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

14. Sammy Davis Jr.

Actor | The Cannonball Run

Sammy Davis Jr. was often billed as the "greatest living entertainer in the world".

He was born in Harlem, Manhattan, the son of dancer Elvera Davis (née Sanchez) and vaudeville star Sammy Davis Sr.. His father was African-American and his mother was of Cuban and African-American ancestry. Davis Jr....

15. John Ritter

Actor | Sling Blade

Jonathan Southworth Ritter was born in Burbank, California, on September 17, 1948. He was the son of legendary country singer/actor Tex Ritter (born Woodward Maurice Ritter) and his wife, actress Dorothy Fay (née Dorothy Fay Southworth). The couple married in 1941 and had their first child, Tom ...

16. Russell Clark

Fallen

Russell Clark was born on August 8, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Fallen (1998), The New Guy (2002) and Major Payne (1995). He died on November 12, 2002 in Hollywood, California, USA.

17. Howard E. Rollins Jr.

Actor | Ragtime

Howard E. Rollins Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1950. He was the youngest of four children born to Howard E. Rollins Sr. (steelworker) and Ruth R. Rollins (domestic worker). Rollins graduated from Towson State College, where he studied theater. His first break into acting came when a ...

18. Lorissa McComas

Actress | The Bare Wench Project

Lorissa McComas was born on November 26, 1970 in Columbus, Ohio, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for The Bare Wench Project (2000), Droid Gunner (1995) and Lap Dancing (1995). She died on November 3, 2009 in Waverly, Virginia, USA.

19. Jim Henson

Soundtrack | The Muppet Show

Jim Henson never thought that he would make a name of himself in puppetry; it was merely a way of getting himself on television. The vehicle that achieved it was Sam and Friends (1955), a late-night puppet show that was on after the 11:00 news in Washington DC. It proved to be very popular and ...

20. DMX

Soundtrack | Exit Wounds

Earl Simmons (December 18, 1970 - April 9, 2021), known by his stage name DMX ("Dark Man X"), was an American rapper and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album It's Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies...

21. Lucinda Dooling

Actress | 1941

Lucinda Dooling was born on April 19, 1954 in Puerto Rico. She was an actress, known for 1941 (1979), Lovely But Deadly (1981) and Hart to Hart (1979). She was married to David Schiff. She died on December 30, 2015 in Pacific Palisades, California, USA.

22. Roger C. Carmel

Actor | The Transformers: The Movie

Roger C. Carmel, who was born September 27, 1932, was named after his grandfather, Roger Charles, who carved the horses for the carousel in New York's Central Park. He became an actor and won television immortality by appearing as Harry Mudd in two classic Star Trek (1966) episodes, "I, Mudd" and "...

23. Tupac Shakur

Actor | Juice

Born in New York City, Tupac grew up primarily in Harlem. In 1984, his family moved to Baltimore, Maryland where he became good friends with Jada Pinkett Smith. His family moved again in 1988 to Oakland, California. His first breakthrough in music came in 1991 as a member of the group Digital ...

24. Le Tari

Actor | Amazon Women on the Moon

Le Tari was born on April 21, 1946 in Ohio, USA. He was an actor, known for Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), Jacqueline Susann's Valley of the Dolls (1981) and Diff'rent Strokes (1978). He died on April 4, 1987 in Los Angeles County, California, USA.

25. Thalmus Rasulala

Actor | New Jack City

Thalmus Rasulala was born on November 15, 1939 in Miami, Florida, USA. He was an actor and assistant director, known for New Jack City (1991), Above the Law (1988) and Roots (1977). He was married to Shirlyn Mozingo and Martha Roberts. He died on October 9, 1991 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.

26. Jaime Cardriche

Actor | Malcolm & Eddie

Jaime Cardriche was born on March 20, 1968 in Savannah, Georgia, USA. He was an actor, known for Malcolm & Eddie (1996), Freaked (1993) and Deep Cover (1992). He died on July 28, 2000 in Torrance, California, USA.

27. Vanessa Marquez

Actress | Stand and Deliver

Sweet-voiced California native Vanessa Marquez had a passion for acting from an early age and wanted to be a child actress like young starlets she admired, such as Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, and Bessie Love. She sent letters to producers and agents hoping to be noticed, and as they went ...

28. Michelle Thomas

Actress | The Young and the Restless

Michelle Thomas was born in Boston but raised in New York and New Jersey. She attended the Montclair School of Arts and the Broadway Dance Center. She is survived by her mother, Phynjuar Thomas (a stage actress and acting coach); her brother, David Thomas; her grandfather, Cecil G. Saunders, Sr.; ...

29. Kevin Peter Hall

Actor | Predator 2

This African American actor attended Penn Hills High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He started his junior year at 6' 5" and finished it at 6' 9"! He played basketball throughout his high-school years and won a scholarship. He averaged 18 points a game and 10 rebounds! He played basketball ...

30. Big Pun

Soundtrack | That Awkward Moment

Big Pun was born on November 9, 1971 in Bronx, New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor and composer, known for That Awkward Moment (2014), Vacation (2015) and Life of the Party (2018). He was married to Liza Rios. He died on February 7, 2000 in White Plains, New York, USA.

31. Patricia Mattick

Actress | The Beguiled

Patricia Mattick was born on July 31, 1951 in Denver, Colorado, USA. She was an actress, known for The Beguiled (1971), Tales of the Unexpected (1977) and Ransom for a Dead Man (1971). She died on December 6, 2003 in Tallahassee, Florida, USA.

32. Florence Griffith Joyner

Actress | Pacific Blue

Florence Delorez Griffith Joyner (December 21, 1959 - September 21, 1998), also known as Flo-Jo, was an American track and field athlete. She is considered the fastest woman of all time based on the fact that the world records she set in 1988 for both the 100 m and 200 m still stand and have yet to...

33. Cleavon Little

Actor | Blazing Saddles

Versatile, charismatic actor Cleavon Little was born on June 1, 1939, in Oklahoma but grew up in California and attended San Diego College. He earned a scholarship to Juilliard and moved to New York, then trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Art and was soon appearing off-Broadway. ...

34. Jonathan Brandis

Actor | The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter

Born in Danbury, Connecticut, USA, to Greg and Mary, Jonathan Brandis began his career at age 5, acting in several television commercials. He also appeared in small parts in several films and TV shows before his first starring role in the 1990 film The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990). ...

35. Young Dolph

Soundtrack | Keanu

Young Dolph was born on July 27, 1985 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He was a music artist and actor, known for Keanu (2016), Step Sisters (2018) and On My Block (2018). He died on November 17, 2021 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.

36. Suzzanne Douglas

Actress | School of Rock

Suzzanne Douglas is an award-winning actress of both screen and stage, whose work has led her through all walks of creative life. Driven by her desire to constantly grow as an artist, Suzzanne has developed a canon of enigmatic and complex roles, and hopes to encourage younger artists to do the ...

37. Bob Saget

Actor | Full House

Bob Saget was an American actor, stand-up comedian, and television host from Philadelphia. His best known role was playing pater familias Danny Tanner on the hit sitcom "Full House" (1987-1995). He played the character again in the sequel series "Fuller House" (2016-2020). Saget served as the ...

38. Harry Anderson

Actor | Night Court

Harry Anderson was born on October 14, 1952 in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. He was an actor and writer, known for Night Court (1984), It (1990) and Tales from the Crypt (1989). He was married to Elizabeth Morgan and Leslie Pollack. He died on April 16, 2018 in Asheville, North Carolina, USA.

39. Selma Diamond

Actress | It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Most familiar to TV audiences as the diminutive but feisty court bailiff on Night Court (1984), Selma Diamond's entrance into acting was not through the usual venue of vaudeville, stage work or modeling - she was a writer for TV shows, once having been nominated for an Emmy for Caesar's Hour (1954)...

40. Florence Halop

Actress | St. Elsewhere

Florence Halop was born on January 23, 1923 in Jamaica Estates, Queens, New York City, New York, USA. She was an actress, known for St. Elsewhere (1982), Night Court (1984) and George Burns Comedy Week (1985). She was married to George Gruskin. She died on July 15, 1986 in Los Angeles, California, ...

41. King Von

Soundtrack | F9

King Von was born on August 9, 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 November 6, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

42. William Frankfather

Actor | Mouse Hunt

William Frankfather was not an albino, but played one in his first movie role in Foul Play (1978). He was a long time Artistic Director for Theatre Forty, located in Beverly Hills, a graduate of New Mexico State University and got a M.F.A. from Stanford University. Bill was a talented actor, loving...

43. Moses J. Moseley

Actor | Queen of the South

Moses J. Moseley didn't begin to seriously pursue his dreams of modeling and acting until he reached his ideal weight. At the age of 16 he tilted the scales at 300 pounds. Two years later, through diet and exercise, he had lost over 150 pounds and his dreams of becoming a model and actor proved to ...

44. Michael Kenneth Williams

Actor | The Wire

Emmy-nominated actor and producer Michael Kenneth Williams was one of his generation's most respected and acclaimed talents. By bringing complicated and charismatic characters to life--often with surprising tenderness--Williams established himself as a gifted and versatile performer with a unique ...

45. Bert Belasco

Actor | For Prophet

Bert Belasco was born on October 26, 1982 in South Carolina, USA. He was an actor, known for For Prophet, Pitch (2016) and Justified (2010). He died on November 8, 2020 in Richmond, Virginia, USA.

46. Black Rob

Soundtrack | Training Day

Black Rob was born on June 8, 1968 in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. He was a composer and actor, known for Training Day (2001), Snatched (2017) and Money Talks (1997). He died on April 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

47. Martin Luther King

Soundtrack | Freedom Writers

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was the son of Alberta Christine (Williams), a schoolteacher, and Martin Luther King Sr. a pastor of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. For Martin the civil rights movement began one summer in 1935 when he was six ...

48. John Candy

Actor | Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Candy was one of Canada's greatest and funniest character actors. His well-known role as the big hearted buffoon earned him classics in Uncle Buck (1989) and Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987). His career has handed him some dry spells but Candy always rebounded.

Born in Newmarket, Ontario, in ...

49. Heavy D

Actor | The Cider House Rules

Dwight Arrington Myers (May 24, 1967 - November 8, 2011), known professionally as Heavy D, was a Jamaican-born American rapper, record producer, and actor. Myers was the leader of Heavy D & the Boyz, a group which included dancers/hype men G-Whiz (Glen Parrish), "Trouble" T. Roy (Troy Dixon), and ...

50. Bill Paxton

Actor | Aliens

Bill Paxton was born on May 17, 1955 in Fort Worth, Texas. He was the son of Mary Lou (Gray) and John Lane Paxton, a businessman and actor (as John Paxton). Bill moved to Los Angeles, California at age eighteen, where he found work in the film industry as a set dresser for Roger Corman's New World ...

51. Sage Stallone

Actor | Rocky V

Sage Stallone was an American actor and film director from Los Angeles. His best known role was Robert Balboa, Jr. (Rocky Balboa's son) in the sports drama film "Rocky V" (1990).

Stallone was the eldest son of actor Sylvester Stallone (1946-) and his first wife Sasha Czack. His parents married in ...

52. Lance Reddick

Actor | John Wick

Incisive, intense, multi-talented American actor Lance Solomon Reddick was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the younger of two sons, to Solomon Reddick and public schoolteacher Dorothy Gee. Having opted initially for a career in music, he attended first the Peabody Preparatory Institute and the Walden ...

53. Farrah Forke

Actress | Heat

Farrah Forke was born on January 12, 1968 in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA. She was an actress and producer, known for Heat (1995), Wings (1990) and Disclosure (1994). She died on February 25, 2022 in Texas, USA.

54. Matthew Perry

Actor | Friends

Matthew Perry was born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, to Suzanne Marie (Langford), a Canadian journalist, and John Bennett Perry, an American actor. His ancestry includes English, Irish, German, Swiss-German, and French-Canadian.

Perry was raised in Ottawa, Ontario, where he became a top-ranked ...

55. Keiji Fujiwara

Actor | Fainaru fantajî sebun adobento chirudoren

Keiji Fujiwara was born on October 5, 1964 in Tokyo, Japan. He was an actor, known for Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005), Fullmetal Alchemist (2003) and Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: The Movie (2013). He died on April 12, 2020 in Osaka, Japan.

56. Robert Urich

Actor | Lonesome Dove

Robert Urich grew up in Toronto, Ohio, one of four siblings of Slovak and Rusyn descent, raised Catholic by their parents, John P. Urich (died 1977) and Cecelia (née Halpate) Urich (died 2002). His athletic ability led to a four-year football scholarship at Florida State University (FSU). He earned...

57. Gangsta Boo

Soundtrack | Zola

Gangsta Boo was born on August 7, 1979 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was an actress and composer, known for Zola (2020), Gangsta Boo: Meet The Devil (2015) and Latto Feat. GloRilla & Gangsta Boo: FTCU (2022). She died on January 1, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA.