Robert Townsend(I)
- Director
- Actor
- Producer
Robert Townsend transcends any medium he touches whether he's performing stand up,
acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as
one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30
years in the business, he has made an indelible mark in Hollywood with
an extensive list of credits. Robert's genius first revealed itself in
elementary school. As a kid Robert was always fascinated with
television, watching and studying it tirelessly, he began to practice
acting out scenes and impersonating famous characters. At his school
during a reading of Shakespeare's Oedipus Rex he dazzled the class with
his ability to transform effortlessly into character, as a result
Robert's remarkable versatile talent as a young actor was born and
caught the attention of Chicago's Experimental Bag Theatre. Robert made
an unforgettable mark in his hometown of Chicago, where he went onto
New York's renowned comedy club the Improvisation that initiated his
career as a stand-up comedian. Then for Robert it was on to Hollywood,
where he dabbled in a mixture of industries and found that with his
versatile talent, he was able to adapt easily from being a comedian to
a full-screen actor. Robert's first film appearance was (uncredited) in popular
urban classic, Cooley High (1975). His break came while performing on
various television comedy specials including Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (1986) and Uptown Comedy Express (1987). Although comedy had
been his forte during the early part of his career, he knew he was
destined to be on the big screen. He landed the role of a lifetime
co-starring opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier's Story (1984), and
appeared with Diane Lane in Streets of Fire (1984) and Kevin Costner in
American Flyers (1985).
Once in Hollywood, seeing the difficulty Black Actors had and the lack
of good work available in the film industry, left a burning desire for
Robert to step behind the camera. With his acting career in high gear,
Robert's career took a turn for the best when Robert Townsend the
"independent filmmaker" was born. He wanted to do something to fill
this void and without formal film education or outside funding (he used
his own credit cards to finance), Robert wrote, directed, produced and
starred in his own first film. The result was the critically acclaimed
Hollywood Shuffle (1987), a satire, depicting the trials and tribulations of
Black Actors in Hollywood. The success of this film forced "Hollywood"
to recognize and appreciate the visionary versatile talent of "Robert
Townsend", Tinseltown's newest, talented actor and filmmaker.
Following the success of "Hollywood Shuffle," film projects continued
to pour in. He was soon directing Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987).
His next film endeavor was the popular tearjerker classic The Five Heartbeats (1991)," a semi-autobiographical piece; reminiscent of the 60s R & B male groups and the ups and
downs of the music industry. This classic continues to be a favorite
amongst audiences and one of the most talked about films in the
industry. The Meteor Man (1993) that he also wrote, directed and starred in included a stellar cast: James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby and Eddie Griffin.
In between features, Robert created and produced his ground
breaking Cable Ace award-winning Partners in Crime (2005) variety specials
for HBO and highly praised Townsend Television (1993) for FOX television. He
also created and starred in the WB Network hit series The Parent 'Hood (1995).
Townsend has made history by being nominated for over 30 NAACP Image
Awards for film and television. At the 2001 NAACP Image Awards he
directed three performers nominated in the best actor/actress category
in three different films: Leon, for his role in NBC's Little Richard (2000);
Alfre Woodard in the Showtime Movie Holiday Heart (2000) (which also
garnered her a Golden Globe nomination) and Natalie Cole for her
gripping self-portrayal in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000)
(for which she won the coveted Image Award for best actress). Townsend
continued to helm films for the small screen: Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) for
MTV Films, starring Beyoncé (one of the highest rated shows for
MTV) and Image Award winner, 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002) for
Showtime, a highly acclaimed period piece about the Pullman porter
strike, starring Andre Braugher and Charles S. Dutton.
Robert has worked with some of the top talent in Hollywood including:
Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Louis Gossett Jr., Keenen Ivory Wayans and Chris Tucker, just to name a few and is responsible for discovering many of
Hollywood's A-List talent before they became household names. He is the
mastermind behind many of Hollywood's favorite and best-remembered
movies and hit series. Robert's body of work has been seen on MGM,
Disney, Fox, NBC, HBO, WB and MTV.
While busy as a performer and filmmaker, Robert always makes time to
participate in humanitarian efforts and speak to various organizations.
As a longtime speaker for the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP,
his concern for inner city youth takes him through out the country to
inspire young people to follow their dreams. In addition, Robert shares
his business expertise with various Fortune 500 companies. Townsend is
also a spokesman for the Milken Family Fund an organization created to
recognize outstanding educators in the country, and stress to children
the importance of education and respect for teachers. He has traveled
with The Milken Family Fund to Chicago, Boston, Sacramento,
Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Los Angeles to recognize deserving
teachers and inspire and motive students around the country.
Although he has many accolades, but none are more important than his
family. His four children are the center of his heart. Following in his
footsteps, his 3 daughters; Grace, Sierra and Skylar aka "The T Unit".
They have received their first TV credit for the "B5 Christmas Special"
aired on the BFC, a concept they came up with and pitched to their
father. Despite his demanding schedule, Robert makes sure he spends
quality time with his son, Max and his three daughters.
Always a pioneer, Townsend took the helm as President and CEO of Production for
The Black Family Channel (BFC) creating and spearheading production for
BFC's top rated shows. Where he ran the cable network for four years
before it was sold to the Gospel Music Channel in the Spring of 2007.
During his reign, he created unprecedented original programming for the
network. Showing his unstoppable genius, in his short time as a
television executive Townsend reached several milestones; he created
over 15 new shows for the network with limited financing; of which two
shows were nominated for a prestigious NAIMC Vision Award (National
Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications), The Thou$and Dollar
Bee and Lisa Knight and the Round Table), and he was voted one of the
Most Influential Minorities in Cable by Cable World Magazine.
Townsend has recently returned in front of the camera to star opposite
Angela Bassett in the faith based film Of Boys and Men (2008). He has also directed Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames in a biopic
about the troubled boxing legend Sonny Liston entitled Phantom Punch (2008).
Townsend also directed Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009), a comedy documentary on the history of African America Comedians from slavery to present, with interviews including such legends as Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Chris Rock and the Wayans. As a Hollywood Icon and humanitarian, Townsend's
mission is to create quality programming for everyone to enjoy and to
create a classic body of work that would be timeless.
acting, writing, directing, producing, or running a television network. A Chicago native, Townsend is often referred to as
one of the "Godfathers" of the Independent Film World." With over 30
years in the business, he has made an indelible mark in Hollywood with
an extensive list of credits. Robert's genius first revealed itself in
elementary school. As a kid Robert was always fascinated with
television, watching and studying it tirelessly, he began to practice
acting out scenes and impersonating famous characters. At his school
during a reading of Shakespeare's Oedipus Rex he dazzled the class with
his ability to transform effortlessly into character, as a result
Robert's remarkable versatile talent as a young actor was born and
caught the attention of Chicago's Experimental Bag Theatre. Robert made
an unforgettable mark in his hometown of Chicago, where he went onto
New York's renowned comedy club the Improvisation that initiated his
career as a stand-up comedian. Then for Robert it was on to Hollywood,
where he dabbled in a mixture of industries and found that with his
versatile talent, he was able to adapt easily from being a comedian to
a full-screen actor. Robert's first film appearance was (uncredited) in popular
urban classic, Cooley High (1975). His break came while performing on
various television comedy specials including Rodney Dangerfield: It's Not Easy Bein' Me (1986) and Uptown Comedy Express (1987). Although comedy had
been his forte during the early part of his career, he knew he was
destined to be on the big screen. He landed the role of a lifetime
co-starring opposite Denzel Washington in A Soldier's Story (1984), and
appeared with Diane Lane in Streets of Fire (1984) and Kevin Costner in
American Flyers (1985).
Once in Hollywood, seeing the difficulty Black Actors had and the lack
of good work available in the film industry, left a burning desire for
Robert to step behind the camera. With his acting career in high gear,
Robert's career took a turn for the best when Robert Townsend the
"independent filmmaker" was born. He wanted to do something to fill
this void and without formal film education or outside funding (he used
his own credit cards to finance), Robert wrote, directed, produced and
starred in his own first film. The result was the critically acclaimed
Hollywood Shuffle (1987), a satire, depicting the trials and tribulations of
Black Actors in Hollywood. The success of this film forced "Hollywood"
to recognize and appreciate the visionary versatile talent of "Robert
Townsend", Tinseltown's newest, talented actor and filmmaker.
Following the success of "Hollywood Shuffle," film projects continued
to pour in. He was soon directing Eddie Murphy in Eddie Murphy: Raw (1987).
His next film endeavor was the popular tearjerker classic The Five Heartbeats (1991)," a semi-autobiographical piece; reminiscent of the 60s R & B male groups and the ups and
downs of the music industry. This classic continues to be a favorite
amongst audiences and one of the most talked about films in the
industry. The Meteor Man (1993) that he also wrote, directed and starred in included a stellar cast: James Earl Jones, Bill Cosby and Eddie Griffin.
In between features, Robert created and produced his ground
breaking Cable Ace award-winning Partners in Crime (2005) variety specials
for HBO and highly praised Townsend Television (1993) for FOX television. He
also created and starred in the WB Network hit series The Parent 'Hood (1995).
Townsend has made history by being nominated for over 30 NAACP Image
Awards for film and television. At the 2001 NAACP Image Awards he
directed three performers nominated in the best actor/actress category
in three different films: Leon, for his role in NBC's Little Richard (2000);
Alfre Woodard in the Showtime Movie Holiday Heart (2000) (which also
garnered her a Golden Globe nomination) and Natalie Cole for her
gripping self-portrayal in Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story (2000)
(for which she won the coveted Image Award for best actress). Townsend
continued to helm films for the small screen: Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) for
MTV Films, starring Beyoncé (one of the highest rated shows for
MTV) and Image Award winner, 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002) for
Showtime, a highly acclaimed period piece about the Pullman porter
strike, starring Andre Braugher and Charles S. Dutton.
Robert has worked with some of the top talent in Hollywood including:
Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Denzel Washington, Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Alfre Woodard, Louis Gossett Jr., Keenen Ivory Wayans and Chris Tucker, just to name a few and is responsible for discovering many of
Hollywood's A-List talent before they became household names. He is the
mastermind behind many of Hollywood's favorite and best-remembered
movies and hit series. Robert's body of work has been seen on MGM,
Disney, Fox, NBC, HBO, WB and MTV.
While busy as a performer and filmmaker, Robert always makes time to
participate in humanitarian efforts and speak to various organizations.
As a longtime speaker for the United Negro College Fund and the NAACP,
his concern for inner city youth takes him through out the country to
inspire young people to follow their dreams. In addition, Robert shares
his business expertise with various Fortune 500 companies. Townsend is
also a spokesman for the Milken Family Fund an organization created to
recognize outstanding educators in the country, and stress to children
the importance of education and respect for teachers. He has traveled
with The Milken Family Fund to Chicago, Boston, Sacramento,
Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Los Angeles to recognize deserving
teachers and inspire and motive students around the country.
Although he has many accolades, but none are more important than his
family. His four children are the center of his heart. Following in his
footsteps, his 3 daughters; Grace, Sierra and Skylar aka "The T Unit".
They have received their first TV credit for the "B5 Christmas Special"
aired on the BFC, a concept they came up with and pitched to their
father. Despite his demanding schedule, Robert makes sure he spends
quality time with his son, Max and his three daughters.
Always a pioneer, Townsend took the helm as President and CEO of Production for
The Black Family Channel (BFC) creating and spearheading production for
BFC's top rated shows. Where he ran the cable network for four years
before it was sold to the Gospel Music Channel in the Spring of 2007.
During his reign, he created unprecedented original programming for the
network. Showing his unstoppable genius, in his short time as a
television executive Townsend reached several milestones; he created
over 15 new shows for the network with limited financing; of which two
shows were nominated for a prestigious NAIMC Vision Award (National
Association for Multi-ethnicity in Communications), The Thou$and Dollar
Bee and Lisa Knight and the Round Table), and he was voted one of the
Most Influential Minorities in Cable by Cable World Magazine.
Townsend has recently returned in front of the camera to star opposite
Angela Bassett in the faith based film Of Boys and Men (2008). He has also directed Golden Globe winner Ving Rhames in a biopic
about the troubled boxing legend Sonny Liston entitled Phantom Punch (2008).
Townsend also directed Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy (2009), a comedy documentary on the history of African America Comedians from slavery to present, with interviews including such legends as Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Chris Rock and the Wayans. As a Hollywood Icon and humanitarian, Townsend's
mission is to create quality programming for everyone to enjoy and to
create a classic body of work that would be timeless.