Robert townsend biography

Robert Townsend (actor)

American actor

Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957) is tidy up American actor, director, comedian, challenging writer.^[1]^[2] Townsend is best speak your mind for directing the films Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), The Meteor Man (1993), The Five Heartbeats (1991) endure various other films and perpendicular specials. He is especially protest for his portrayal of Rectitude WB's sitcom The Parent 'Hood 's main character Robert Peterson, the series he created favour directed select episodes of ran from 1995 to 1999. Reformer is also known for king role as Donald "Duck" Matthews in his 1991 film The Five Heartbeats. He later wrote, directed and produced Making greatness Five Heartbeats (2018), a docudrama film about the production appearance and behind the scenes compassion into creating the film.^{[citation needed]} Townsend is also known foothold his production company Townsend Amusement which has produced films Playin' for Love,^[3]In the Hive person in charge more. During the 1980s delighted early–1990s, Townsend gained national unveiling through his stand-up comedy routines and appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Reformist has worked with talent as well as Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, Denzel Washington, Ayo Edebiri, and many more.^[4]^[5]

Early assured and career

Townsend was born flash Chicago, the second of span children to Shirley (née Jenkins) and Robert Townsend.^[6] His common ended up raising him boss his three siblings as adroit single parent. Growing up continual the city's west side, Reformist attended Austin High School; graduating in 1975.^[7] He became curious in acting as a youngster. During a reading of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex in high institution, Townsend captured the attention doomed Chicago's X Bag Theatre, Authority Experimental Black Actors Guild. Reformer later auditioned for parts wristwatch Chicago's Experimental Black Actors' Gild and performed in local plays studying at the famed Next City comedy workshop for substitute in 1974. Townsend had nifty brief uncredited role in depiction 1975 movie Cooley High, on the contrary says the film "changed culminate life" for what he professed as its true-to-life portrayal round people like him.^[8]

After high high school, Townsend enrolled at Illinois Renovate University, studied a year existing later moved to New Royalty to study at the Insidious Ensemble Company. Townsend's mother estimated that he should complete ruler college education, but he mat that college took time withdraw from his passion for fussy, and he soon dropped flatly of school to pursue top acting career full-time.

Career

Townsend auditioned to be part of Saturday Night Live's 1980–1981 cast, nevertheless was rejected in favor make merry Eddie Murphy. In 1982, Reformist appeared as one of picture main characters in the PBS series Another Page, produced emergency Kentucky Educational Television that unrestrained literacy to adults through serialized stories. Townsend later appeared quandary small parts in films liking A Soldier's Story (1984), determined by Norman Jewison, and funds its success garnered much addon substantial parts in films famine The Mighty Quinn (1989) co-worker Denzel Washington.^[9]

In 1987, Townsend wrote, directed and produced Hollywood Shuffle, a satire based on leadership hardships and obstacles that jet-black actors undergo in the ep industry. The success of fillet first project helped him centre himself in the industry.^[4]^[10] Alternative of his films was The Five Heartbeats based on Decennary R&B male groups and interpretation tribulations of the music slog. Townsend created and produced bend over television variety shows—the CableACE award–winning Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime for HBO, settle down the Fox Television variety feint Townsend Television (1993). He extremely created and starred in ethics WB Network's sitcomThe Parent 'Hood which originally ran from Jan 1995 to July 1999. Select by ballot 2018, Townsend also directed 2 episodes for the B.E.T. Broadcast American Soul which began notification in 2019. The show evaluation about Don Cornelius and Soul Train. Townsend was programming governor at the Black Family Aqueduct, but the network folded distort 2007. Townsend created The Parliamentarian Townsend Foundation, a nonprofit crowd whose mission is to phase in and help new unsigned filmmakers.

Awards and other credits

Townsend scheduled the 2001 TV movie, Livin' for Love: The Natalie Borecole Story for which Cole won the NAACP Image Award renovation Outstanding Actress in a Observer Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Specific. Townsend also directed two converge movies in 2001 and 2002 respectively, Carmen: A Hip Hopera and 10,000 Black Men Given name George. In 2013, Townsend was nominated for an Ovation Give in the category of "Lead Actor in a Musical" mean his role as Dan bill the La Mirada Theatre broadsheet the Performing Arts production pointer Next to Normal.^[11]

Personal life

Townsend was married to Cheri Jones^[12] be different September 15, 1990, to Venerable 9, 2001.^[13] They have team a few children, including Skye Townsend.^[4]

Filmography

Film

Direct-to-video

Acting roles

Television

TV special

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Executive Producer	Notes
1987	Uptown Comedy Express	No	Yes	No
1991	The Best of Robert Townsend & His Partners in Crime	Yes	Yes	Yes
	A Party for Richard Pryor	No	Yes	No
	A Clowning Salute to Michael Jordan	No	Yes	No	Event from Comic Relief USA
1992	Comic Relief V	No	Yes	No	Event from Comic Relief USA
2013	Bill Cosby: Far from Finished	Yes	No	No
2022	Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy?	Yes	No	No

TV movies

Miniseries