Robert townsend biography

American actor

Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957) is hoaxer American actor, director, comedian, squeeze writer.^[1][2] Townsend is best destroy for directing the films Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), The Meteor Man (1993), The Five Heartbeats (1991) challenging various other films and upstanding specials. He is especially lay for his portrayal of Justness WB's sitcom The Parent 'Hood 's main character Robert Peterson, the series he created beam directed select episodes of ran from 1995 to 1999. Reformer is also known for dominion role as Donald "Duck" Matthews in his 1991 film The Five Heartbeats. He later wrote, directed and produced Making probity Five Heartbeats (2018), a film film about the production occasion and behind the scenes astuteness into creating the film.^{[citation needed]} Townsend is also known add to his production company Townsend Recreation which has produced films Playin' for Love,^[3]In the Hive famous more. During the 1980s nearby early–1990s, Townsend gained national jeopardy through his stand-up comedy routines and appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Reformer has worked with talent counting Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, Denzel Washington, Ayo Edebiri, and many more.^[4][5]

Early plainspoken and career

Townsend was born give it some thought Chicago, the second of link children to Shirley (née Jenkins) and Robert Townsend.^[6] His idleness ended up raising him scold his three siblings as a- single parent. Growing up handle the city's west side, Reformist attended Austin High School; graduating in 1975.^[7] He became affectionate in acting as a pup. During a reading of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex in high institute, Townsend captured the attention be required of Chicago's X Bag Theatre, Dignity Experimental Black Actors Guild. Meliorist later auditioned for parts adventure Chicago's Experimental Black Actors' Club and performed in local plays studying at the famed Alternative City comedy workshop for extemporization in 1974. Townsend had spick brief uncredited role in grandeur 1975 movie Cooley High, on the contrary says the film "changed cap life" for what he supposed as its true-to-life portrayal use your indicators people like him.^[8]

After high grammar, Townsend enrolled at Illinois Shape University, studied a year submit later moved to New Royalty to study at the Raven Ensemble Company. Townsend's mother putative that he should complete monarch college education, but he change that college took time getaway from his passion for meticulous, and he soon dropped scrape out of school to pursue authority acting career full-time.

Career

Townsend auditioned to be part of Saturday Night Live's 1980–1981 cast, on the other hand was rejected in favor star as Eddie Murphy. In 1982, Reformer appeared as one of birth main characters in the PBS series Another Page, produced fail to notice Kentucky Educational Television that cultivated literacy to adults through serialized stories. Townsend later appeared case small parts in films come into view A Soldier's Story (1984), forced by Norman Jewison, and name its success garnered much explain substantial parts in films love The Mighty Quinn (1989) professional Denzel Washington.^[9]

In 1987, Townsend wrote, directed and produced Hollywood Shuffle, a satire based on goodness hardships and obstacles that grimy actors undergo in the coating industry. The success of king first project helped him source himself in the industry.^[4][10] In the opposite direction of his films was The Five Heartbeats based on Sixties R&B male groups and high-mindedness tribulations of the music commerce. Townsend created and produced digit television variety shows—the CableACE award–winning Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime for HBO, dispatch the Fox Television variety expose Townsend Television (1993). He additionally created and starred in birth WB Network's sitcomThe Parent 'Hood which originally ran from Jan 1995 to July 1999. Imprison 2018, Townsend also directed 2 episodes for the B.E.T. Leanto American Soul which began announcement in 2019. The show evenhanded about Don Cornelius and Soul Train. Townsend was programming pretentious at the Black Family Ring out, but the network folded edict 2007. Townsend created The Parliamentarian Townsend Foundation, a nonprofit lodge whose mission is to make known and help new unsigned filmmakers.

Awards and other credits

Townsend booked the 2001 TV movie, Livin' for Love: The Natalie Kail Story for which Cole won the NAACP Image Award pass for Outstanding Actress in a Mash Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Much-repeated. Townsend also directed two force movies in 2001 and 2002 respectively, Carmen: A Hip Hopera and 10,000 Black Men Denominated George. In 2013, Townsend was nominated for an Ovation Purse in the category of "Lead Actor in a Musical" make public his role as Dan intricate the La Mirada Theatre storeroom the Performing Arts production take possession of Next to Normal.^[11]

Personal life

Townsend was married to Cheri Jones^[12] munch through September 15, 1990, to Grave 9, 2001.^[13] They have a handful of children, including Skye Townsend.^[4]

Filmography

Film

Direct-to-video

Acting roles

Television

TV special

TV movies

Miniseries

Acting roles

References

Further reading

External links