It’s that time of the year, as prognosticators at every level start handicapping the Academy Awards, which are set to take place on February 24 (nominations will be announced on Januray 15, 2013). As much as some of us might dismiss the Oscars as an indication of where black cinema is, or where blacks in cinema are, we can’t ignore their overall industry relevance. I can already hear the chants: who cares about the Oscars; they’re not for *us.* Well, a lot of folks in the industry (and out) do certainly care, and see value in the recognition. I plan to post a follow-up piece that looks at the history of the awards show, and how (or if) it’s impacted the careers of those black entertainers who’ve won trophies.Today, I’m focusing on black actors who just might make the short list of Oscar nominees in the Best Actor (male) category when they’re announced in January; and as you’d expect, there aren’t many of them.In fact, of the 600+ films that would have seen Oscar-qualifying USA theatrical releases by the end of this year, I counted a total of 19 that feature a black male actor in a leading role. How pathetic is that? Doing the math, that’s about 3% of total volume. It shouldn’t be shocking however; it’s a rare occurrence when we cover a film (especially a studio-backed project) that features a black man in the lead role. Very, very rare. 19 times rare. Actually it’s less than 19, because I’m also including indie features in that number.19 out of well over 600 films! It’s a white man’s world, in case you needed that clarification. The overwhelming majority of films with male leads (the bulk of movies made by studios today) star white male actors. And if you take a closer look at the list of 19 films, you’d very quickly dismiss most of them as potential Oscar contenders, given what we know of the criteria for Oscar-caliber movies. In fact, I’d say of the 19, only 3 really stand a chance of making the short list of nominees for Best Actor. First, here’s the list of 19: Red Hook Summer, The Magic of Belle Isle, Wuthering Heights, MIB 3, Safe House, Think Like a Man, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection, Flight, Red Tails, Tyler Perry’s Good Deeds, Alex Cross, A Thousand Words, The Man with the Iron Fists, The Intouchables, Woman Thou Art Loosed!: On the 7th Day, Unconditional, 2 Days in New York, The Last Fall, and Django Unchained.Am I forgetting any films? I used Box Office Mojo as my primary source. I don’t think there are any glaring ommissions though.And of those 19, the only 3 that I think have a shot at nominations are: Denzel Washington in Flight (he’s probably a sure-thing), Jamie Foxx in Django Unchained, and Omar Sy in The Intouchables.  The last 2 are Weinstein Company movies, and we all know how well Harvey Weinstein does when it comes to ensuring that movies he wants on the ballot, make it on the ballot.The Omar Sy pick might seem out of left field to you, but, as we’ve noted in past posts, there’s been a definite push to get him an Oscar nomination for his work in that film. He already won the French equivalent of the Oscar (the César) for Best Actor, so why not the Oscar as well.”We definitely think this is an Oscar movie, and we think that Omar, like Jean Dujardin before him, is in this race,” Harvey has said. Of course he’s referring to Jean Dujardin who won the Best Actor Oscar earlier this year, for his work in The Artist (one of the most over-rated movies I saw in 2011).Maybe he’ll make it a a double, with Omar Sy this year. I doubt it, given the competition; but a nomination isn’t entirely out of the question.But if I were to pick one of these 3 actors who I thought was guaranteed to make the short list of 5 nominees, I’d go with Denzel without any hesitation. Django Unchained isn’t out yet, but even when it is released, I don’t know if Jamie’s peformance will match the overwhelming buzz that’s surrounded Denzel’s work in Flight since it was released.And I think Omar Sy would need even more of a push. I’m not really hearing his name mentioned as a real contender.As for the other 16 films on the list, the only other title that I’d say has some potential is Wuthering Heights, which stars James Howson as Heathcliff. There just hasn’t been enough buzz to help elevate awareness of the film. It was released on October 5, and was met with mixed reviews. It hasn’t even reached $100,000 in box office, despite having been in theaters for over a month. And I haven’t Howson’s name mentioned at all as a potential awards contender. It would help if he’d been up for other awards, especially as the film traveled the festival circuit, but he hasn’t picked up any.

I should mention that I considered other films with black actors in starring roles, but none of them featured what would be traditionally referred to as a male lead, so I didn’t include them on the list of 19; these are roles that, if nominated, would likely be in the Best Supporting Actor category. For example: Omari Hardwick and David Oyelowo in Middle Of Nowhere (it’s really Emayatzy Corinealdi’s movie); I’d say the same for the male characters in Sparkle, and also Beasts Of The Southern Wild (specifically, Dwight Henry). CONTINUE READING..

So that’s it!

Denzel Washington. He’s awesome and he definitely deserves to be on the Chawncee list of gentlemen.

I think it’s funny when people debate on who is the better actor – Will (as in Smith) or Denzel? To me, that seems like a no brainer. I think a better debate is Morgan (Freeman) or Denzel? And even that one is still pretty easy. Denzel is obviously the better actor of the three. Smith is far overrated and Freeman has had his fair share of what-were-you-thinking roles. Washington, on the other hand, has done a good job of taking solid roles – some not as good as others – but still, solid roles.

So for those in question, the debate goes: 1. Denzel Washington, 2. Morgan Freeman, 3. Will Smith

I think he solidified himself as a top-tier actor in Training Day. That movie changed me as a kid. It opened a whole can of S#!t about corruption that, at the time, I had no idea about. Then came Deja Vu, Man on Fire, and Inside Man, and you knew he was for-real. Finally, came American Gangster. This was his best role, I mean absolute best. There is a lot of pressure playing a character like Frank Lucas. Unlike Traning Day, which was arguably his best role, American Gangster had history to it, where everybody who wanted to do research, could find out the ending before it happened. But that honestly made no difference. When you stepped into that threatre, you came out witnessing a work of art. He killed it. Made everyone who thought they knew, rethink their understanding of the story.

Denzel is Denzel. He’s a “G”.

Favorite Film: Training Day

Favorite Role: Frank Lucas (American Gangster)

Favorite Scene: King Kong scene (Training Day)

Jaye was asked what it was that made him choose Robert to be his photographer to do his head shots. Yes of course he liked the price ($100/Head Shot Special); definitely wasa factor. He also like the work that Robert’s done; he check out his website/portfolio end saw his previous work. But most importantly, he said even though he could have had his shots done for free he would rather pay for them to done right. He rather pay for some with experience & the creative skills to make his good pictures come out amazing.  ”A professional know how I should look and how the pictures should come out”, he says.

We choose to mention this because sometimes people don’t understand the value in paying an artist for what he/she is worth. They can’t see the value. Jaye Stover is a perfect example of someone who understands that if you want it done right you’ve got to pay for it; also, paying for it means that you can demand it too.

In life, you get what you pay for!

————————

Need head shots email Robert Silver | robert@getlivemedia.com

Daniel Craig may be getting ready to take on the box office this Friday as James Bond in Skyfall, but word on the street is Idris Elba is the people’s choice to play 007 next.

And as folks continue to drop Elba’s name around, it got us thinking about what other martini-swigging, suit-donning brothers could continue the franchise. Goodness knows Will Smith and Denzel Washington can’t hold it down for all of the brothers. So here are five others who come to mind:

Idris Elba: We might as well get this one out the way because it sounds like he’s just one step away from signing on the dotted line. And it seems like he would be a sure bet—tall, dark, handsome, and has a British accent that drives the ladies crazy. He’s pretty much the definition of a Bond. Oh, and he can act too. He’s already picked up a thing or two about living a double life as the lead character on his hit TV show, Luther. We’re pretty sure he could break some necks if fools got in his way, too, just like any good Bond. SEE THE REST

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Cast: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Jim Broadbent, Doona Bae, James D’Arcy, Zhou Xun, Ben Whishaw, Keith David, Susan Sarandon, Hugh Grant.

Running Time: 2hr. 43min.

Release date: Oct. 26, 2012

For book worms out there, you may want to pick up the Cloud Atlas novel by author David Mitchell (Currently reading).

While I was hesitant to see the movie before finishing the novel, I was inspired by a few good friends and fans of both the novel and the movie. So, I took a risk and decided to see the film beforehand.

Because of my bad time management skills, I arrived 10-15minutes into the movie. I’m a huge fan of previews, but I wasn’t going to let this ruin my experience. Besides, I was running late for the 12:30pm showing which meant that the next showing wasn’t going to occur until 4pm or so.

Okay! You came here for the movie review, so let’s get to it.

Cloud Atlas is described as “an exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.”

The film shows how six stories are connected over time (from the 19th Century to a very distant future). These stories are connected through the actions, mysteries, and romances of each character. Warning: each actor plays multiple roles in the film. I found this to be absolutely marvelous! Not only did it make the idea of the interrelatedness of human beings over time stand out, it also gave the actors a chance to become challenged. And there’s nothing like challenging the Academy Award winning veterans like Tom Hanks and Halle Berry, I’m sure. Without saying who, I will tell you that actors play different races and genders amongst other “creatures”. This film is definitely a thrill ride.

My take on the film.

I left the theater with “Academy Award…Award Award..Oscars” bouncing around in my head. While I DO NOT believe this film is for everyone. I do believe that the message is one that’s important and begs us to question who we are and are we where we’re suppose to be in life. According to Cloud Atlas, at this very moment, you are exactly where you’re suppose to be because the universe has a way of giving to us what we give to it. But that doesn’t imply that’s where you should end up. Instead, where you are now is preparing you for something greater.

It is a unique tale that provides one amazing mental workout. Yes, I will be seeing the movie again because once just isn’t enough. Four films come to mind when reviewing Cloud Atlas:The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Avatar, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and The Help. I think about these movies for various reasons: length, passion, beauty, empathy, complexity. Cloud Atlas is a very complex movie that explores links in time, place, people, race, and gender. Because of this, it’s beauty stretches across many areas of film that we don’t often see anymore.

Also, Cloud Atlas explores the ideas of freedom, love, and the freedom to love.

Honestly, I wish there was more that I could provide here without ruining the story. What I saw as a masterpiece…others may see as conglomerate of “mess”. But isn’t that the beauty of it all? It shows us that this movie falls somewhere in between.

So, if you want to be entertained or if you (like me) hope to explore the deeper meaning behind it all, then I say…go SEE IT!

Fun Fact:

On the set of V for Vendetta, Natalie Portman was reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Lana Wachowski (one of the directors, writers) started reading it too after Portman talked about it so much. Since then, Lana and her brother set out to bring it to the big screen.

Running time: 139minutes

Release date: November 2, 2012 (U.S. and Canada)

Without spoiling the movie, Captain Whip Whitaker (played by Denzel Washington) is a great pilot in the film. Arguably the best! After a night of “fun” with a hot woman on his side, the Captain, along with his crew and about 90 or so passengers, leave Florida for Atlanta. Unaware of the pilot’s wild night, it becomes “just an ordinary day”.

Everything is “perfect” until something goes terribly wrong with the plane. Under the leadership of Whip, the plane lands (with a few casualties). But HOW the plane landed is summed up to be an “act of God”. This holds true when other pilots try to recreate the moments leading up to the crash via flight simulation, but no one does it like Whip. No one even comes close!

Toxicology reports are taken from the crew immediately after the crash (protocol). Whip, however, is unaware of this. And this is where the movie takes a shift. It seems that Whip’s night of “fun” has come back to haunt him. Thus, the hero becomes the suspect for manslaughter, and for more counts than one.

What some may expect to see as an “airplane thriller” turns into more of one man’s struggle to face his demons. Is Whip an alcoholic? Is he a vessel being used by God? Is he a dead beat dad? Denzel’s character is portrayed as a man that looks at his life and thinks about what’s left for him to lose, that drinking didn’t already take.

The film is beautiful in the sense that it examines the human experience. In short, I was taken on a ride that dealt with spirituality/religion, addiction, family, ethics/law, death, and more. Does everything happen for a reason? Are people placed into our lives for a specific purpose?

Denzel does an astounding job and I may step out on the limb here and say that it’s one of his BEST performances ever. He convinced me that he was an arrogant S.O.B that didn’t care about much in the world…”living young and wild and free”. There were times when I cheered and other times when I cringed in my seat after seeing Whip give in to his vices. The emotional rollercoaster is intense, so if you can refrain from tossing your bag of popcorn at the screen or cursing aloud in the theater as Whip toils with your emotions, then go check it out!

This movie is great and if you pay close attention to the music, to the wall decor, and the lines…you’ll see there are more hidden treasures in this film that adds to it’s beauty.

Did I mention this film has the perfect blend of comedy? At the exact moment when you begin to feel for this “heavy drinker”, some how the comedic relief lightens the mood and makes you smile yet again.

See it or Leave it? See it!

Fun Facts:

• Filmed in Atlanta, GA (majority of it)
• Loosely inspired by crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 that ended with no survivors.

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2012/10/wood-harris-joins-angela-bassett-and-mary-j-blige-in-lifetime-film/#KSPSwdME3K8C0t73.99

http://www.LaPassProductions.com

Check out “The LaPass Report” with Lillia De Pass and never seen footage before now from last year’s UNCF 28th Annual Mayor Mask Ball in Atlanta, Ga. Dec. 17, 2011. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and a host of celebrities, dignitaries, civic and business leaders raised more than $1.2 million on Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011, at the 28th Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball, breaking last year’s record of $1.1 million. The money raised will benefit the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), the nation’s largest private provider of scholarships and educational support to minority and low-income students, and its 38 member colleges and universities. The Annual Mayor’s Masked Ball is one of metro Atlanta’s signature fundraising galas and premier social events of the holiday season. http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?recordid=598&page=672

Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and today’s Daniel Craig have all donned the suit and the suave attitude to play the most famous spy that the world has ever seen. But once Daniel Craig steps aside is the path paved for a black actor to take on one of the most famous cinematic roles in history? It certainly looks as though this is now a real possibility where it has never really been given any thought before. Skyfall Bond girl Naomie Harris has let is slip that a black actor has been met by producers to talk about taking on the part, despite Daniel Craig having a contract for another two films. The actor in question is the phenomenal Idris Elba, who would certainly be an inspired choice as his stock continue to grow in Hollywood after roles in huge blockbuster films such as Thor and Prometheus.

Harris is quoted in The Huffington Post as saying “it does seem like there is a possibility in the future that there could very well be a black James Bond. And I would have to vote for Idris because I just finished working with him and he’s a great guy”. I thoroughly believe that the colour of his skin should not be an issue for the casting choice but let’s not forget all the uproar that was caused when Daniel Craig was cast just because he had BLONDE hair! But this is something that Idris Elba has mentioned and spoken about before, in October 2011 he stated “I don’t want to be the black James Bond. Sean Connery wasn’t the Scottish James Bond, and Daniel Craig wasn’t the blue-eyed James Bond, so if I played him, I don’t want to be called the black James Bond”. This makes complete sense; it should be his ability to act as the famous James Bond character that should see him either accepted or declined for the role.

Unfortunately I have been on a few fan forums and a lot of James Bond fans seem to be against this idea with some even saying that this would lead to a ‘gay, then female’ James Bond. Some fans say that making Bond black would go against the creation of Fleming but things are changing in the modern cultural climate and character’s do not stay the same forever. M was once a man in the films, now is a woman. Although I do believe that film fans can be fickle and in the end, if Elba played the part well enough there would be a lot of people backtracking on their previously held opinions.

Let’s not forget that it does appear to be a kind of underlying rule that a Hollywood hero must be either white or Will Smith. This would be a great opportunity for James Bond to not only take their own franchise and name forward but help pave way for better roles for black actors and a more equal chance for actors despite what their race may be.

It is unclear when in time the meetings took place between Elba and the Bond producers, it could even have been before they signed Daniel Craig on to two more films or it could have been after. It is also unclear whether Elba is the only person producers have met with or whether there have been others (black or white actors) who have been approached with a view to replacing Daniel Craig when he eventually steps down. Although, with critics already calling Skyfall the best Bond ever you have to think that fans will want to see plenty more of Craig before any considerations get under way as to who will be next in line.

Bond 23 ‘Skyfall‘ is in cinemas tomorrow (26/10/2012)

“I’m really excited to be a part of this movie,” Banner says of his involvement. “The cast is absolutely astonishing and working with Mariah has been great. Lee Daniels is so amazing to work with and I thank him for choosing me for this role. This movie reminds us of what our ancestors have endured for us to have certain liberties which we have today. This movie is groundbreaking.”While expanding his acting resume, he continues to produce music for the likes of Lil Wayne, Ludacris, and Ne-Yo, among others.This holiday season, Banner will make other big screen appearances in the films 7500, and They Die By Dawn.

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Wonya Lucas is leaving TVOne. Alfred Liggins, CEO and President of Radio One, will assume her duties.

Wyclef Jean is doing an multi-episode arc on new ABC show Nashville.

Bruno Mars brings SNL’s highest ratings since last March, but the record for the last year still belongs to Charles Barkley’s January episode, which pulled a 7.4 overnight rating.

The Ghanaian-American thespian shared with us what it was like to portray a part of black history that is rarely seen — and how Copper speaks to political issues that persist today. The season finale of Copper will air on Sunday, October 21 on BBC America, but there is still time to get enthralled by the show’s engaging themes.

theGrio: How did you get into acting?

It’s a funny story. I was a chemical engineer and I did a play on a dare from my girlfriend at the time. Years later, when I found myself back in New York, I started taking acting classes and I loved it. My Ghanaian parents kind of went crazy. They were like, “why have you left this engineering degree and gone into acting?” It looked so out of the blue for them, but it was something that I’d been vying for after that one play. It was wonderful.

How did Dr. Matthew Freeman became a black medical doctor at that time?

He’s actually self-taught. When I heard that there was going to be a black doctor in the show, because of our country’s history I just didn’t believe it was possible. But I looked it up, and was told by executive producer and creator Tom Fontana that there were actually six black doctors back then. I found out about Dr. James McCune Smith, who was actually the first black doctor in America.

He had to be educated in Glasgow, Scotland because they wouldn’t take him in any universities in America due to racism. He actually lived in New York at the time of our show, but he was in about his sixties by this time. He went to Glasgow to get educated, came back with a medical degree and a pharmacology degree, and opened the first black-owned or run medical establishment, as well as a pharmacy. He treated white people as well as black people.

His story is fascinating. He wrote the introduction to the second autobiography for Frederick Douglass, he was an outspoken abolitionist, he wrote papers. Some of the papers that he wrote about the medical field he couldn’t even present because of racism, so some of his white colleagues had to present those papers for him. It was a great place to anchor my character.

A lot of people don’t know about the history of free blacks. What is the most surprising thing you learned for your character?

It was surprising and tragic. Luckily growing up in the times that have been earned for us now, I can’t imagine growing up in a period where just based on the color of your skin you could get killed. Our story begins around six or seven months after the draft riots, in which about 100 black people were lynched by Irish mobs. To exist in that time where at any point you could just be offed because you looked at somebody in the wrong way — it’s just an awful reminder of where we have come from and what we have gained over the last couple hundred years.

Your character has his work stolen, as Dr. James McCune Smith had his work presented by others. The character of detective Kevin Corcoran gets Dr. Freeman to do his deductive work, but takes the credit. Is that meant to be a statement by the creators of the show about this phenomenon in history?

If not directly, definitely intrinsically. It’s not even a statement, it’s just a reality, which is what I like about the show. They don’t try to sugar coat what happened back then. Imagine, the job that you have or the job that I have – not being able to profit from the fruits of our own hard work and labor. There must be something quite demeaning about that and quite frustrating for lack of a stronger word.

When white people come to your door in the first episode, your wife says, “it’s a white man.” And you get a gun. That’s kind of indicative of the race relations in New York City at the time.

Right.

At the same time, does the show draw parallels between the poor Irish and the blacks? Even though they’re at odds, is there some way that their lives are intertwined?

Yeah, inexorably intertwined. I feel that oppression is fueled by the strongest by putting oppressed people at odds with each other. The whole notion of the draft riots was basically – from the Irish side, this is the story I’ve heard – the Irish people who came over here back in those times, they got off the boat. They went to the first desk that basically said, “ok, you’re  a U.S. citizen. Now, go to the second desk.” And the second desk is the draft, and they say, “now you’re  going to go and fight for the Union Army.”

So these people are coming from their oppressed circumstances and now have to fight for other people who, because of the racism of the country, aren’t even allowed to fight for their own freedom. (They could fight in the Army, but they weren’t drafted because they weren’t considered citizens.)

So there’s this (for lack of a better word) ingenious way to foster hatred, which  takes everybody’s eye off the ball as to who’s actually generating all of this hate, which is usually the people at the top with the most money and the most power. They’re getting everybody else to fight against each other instead of concentrating on who is actually taking away their rights.

Five Points [where Copper is set] was this horrible place where they just squeezed all the Irish and Germans in, and had them live in squalor. Everybody needs a scapegoat unfortunately, so in this case it was, “well it’s the freed blacks who are going to come and take all of our jobs.” That’s an unfortunate thing that humans do to each other all the time. And we always fall for it.

Do you think the show is making a statement – even though it’s a period piece – about politics today?

I think you can draw definite parallels. I don’t know if they overtly made it for that purpose, but you can definitely draw parallels to what’s happening today between the haves and the have-nots and the growing gap between the two. I think there are definite parallels all throughout history that you can see.

As a piece of entertainment, what is the aspect that will draw viewers to watch Copper again and again?

I think what’s really fun about it is that things that you don’t expect the characters to do, they just do. It’s one of those sort of page-turners where you want to see what happens next, and on top of that you’re  getting this sort of intricate historical costume drama on top of it. Then they put in a procedural cop show. I remember reading one of the episodes, and when I got to the end, I threw the script down and started jumping up and screaming, because I was like, “oh, no,  no, no they did NOT do that, no way.” It just keeps you engaged in the show. That’s what’s fun about it to me: the storytelling.

Is your character like a black Sherlock Holmes?

He’s sort of turning into that. What I love about the character other than that is that he’s a great black character that is multi-dimensional. He has a real scientific, distinct curiosity to figure out what the truth is and that’s what drives him to work in these kinds of dangerous situations where he’s working with white people who could turn around and kill him, or if they find out what he’s doing could lynch him and his wife who he loves very much.

You’ll see in subsequent episodes, he’s also doing things to save his community and protect not just his community but the entirety of New York. So there’s a great, honorable thing that he’s doing and unfortunately it’s not recognized, or it’s too dangerous to be recognized.

You’re using your ability as an artist to illuminate this part of black history and doing it so lovingly. Do you feel comfortable speaking to the challenges of playing a black American from this time even though your ancestors did not experience that history?

By my history growing up in America, I definitely, always felt like I was between both worlds. When I go back to Ghana and visit my parents and my family and so forth, I’m American, even though I’ve grown up deep in Ghanaian culture. When I’m here in America, I’m still in some circles considered from somewhere else. So I think people like me – and I’m not saying this from an ego standpoint – have a unique perspective on this duality of what it means to be black: where you’re  from and the entire curiosity from both sides of the ocean about what the other is doing and what it means to be the other. I’m sure there’s somebody out there who would say, “well is he qualified to play a part that is not the history of him?” I would always say yes to any actor, because that’s what we’re supposed to be doing. But, that is a fascinating question, and I wish that there was  a forum in which we could have that conversation. I could go on for hours with this, with my own experiences growing up black, and growing up dark black, growing up with a funny African name, a lot of stuff that you wouldn’t expect I’ve experienced from my own people, whatever side of the Atlantic they are from.

What do you hope that audiences will take away from the show Copper?

I just hope they’ll take away that it’s a great piece of storytelling. I think that’s what’s most important. They will be taken away into this world and learn a little bit of something about the history of one of the greatest cities in the world, but also be transported into some great storytelling.

Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.

Joy Bryant

Bryant made her acting debut in Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001. Her breakthrough role was in Antwone Fisher. She appeared in Get Rich or Die Tryin. Bryant is currently starring in the television show, Parenthood. This year she also was in the film Hit and Run.

Michael B. Jordan

Best known for his roles in The Wire, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, Jordan started his career in Cosby. This year, he starred in George Lucas’ Red Tails and Chronicle.

Jordin Sparks

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks made her film debut in Sparkle, alongside the late Whitney Houston. Next year, she stars in The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.

Amandla Stenberg

This teen actress first appeared in a feature film playing a younger version of Zoe Saldana in Columbiana. Her breakout role was as Rue in The Hunger Games.

Jurnee Smollett

Smollett is well known for being on critically acclaimed TV series Friday Night Lights. She won an NAACP Image Award for The Great Debaters, and in recent years was on The Defenders.

Mehcad Brooks

Brooks, a former model, began acting in ABC’s TV drama Desperate Housewives. He also played Tia Mowry’s boyfriend, Jerome in The Game. Brooks had his breakout role in the second season of HBO’s True Blood. He’s now on the USA series Necessary Roughness.

John Boyega

The British-Nigerian actor is best known for playing Moses in the 2011 film, Attack the Block. This year, he was cast in the film version of Half of a Yellow Sun.

Eric West

Actor and Singer Eric West was in HBO’s Miraculous Year with Susan Sarandon. He also was on 30 Rock. West is currently busy working on World War Z alongside Brad Pitt.

Paula Patton

Patton got her first role in a small part in Hitch. She’s well known for her role in Precious, as a teacher and mentor and Jumping the Broom. She also landed the lead female role in Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol, alongside Tom Cruise.

Derek Luke

Luke made his debut in Antwone Fisher, which was directed and produced by Denzel Washington. In 2011, Luke was cast in Captain America: The First Avenger. This year, he was in Sparkle and Seeking A Friend for the End of the World.

words by: Stephanie Lauredent

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Joy Bryant

Bryant made her acting debut in Carmen: A Hip Hopera in 2001. Her breakthrough role was in Antwone Fisher. She appeared in Get Rich or Die Tryin. Bryant is currently starring in the television show, Parenthood. This year she also was in the film Hit and Run.

Michael B. Jordan

Best known for his roles in The Wire, Friday Night Lights and Parenthood, Jordan started his career in Cosby. This year, he starred in George Lucas’ Red Tails and Chronicle.

Jordin Sparks

American Idol winner Jordin Sparks made her film debut in Sparkle, alongside the late Whitney Houston. Next year, she stars in The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete.

Amandla Stenberg

This teen actress first appeared in a feature film playing a younger version of Zoe Saldana in Columbiana. Her breakout role was as Rue in The Hunger Games.

Jurnee Smollett

Smollett is well known for being on critically acclaimed TV series Friday Night Lights. She won an NAACP Image Award for The Great Debaters, and in recent years was on The Defenders.

Mehcad Brooks

Brooks, a former model, began acting in ABC’s TV drama Desperate Housewives. He also played Tia Mowry’s boyfriend, Jerome in The Game. Brooks had his breakout role in the second season of HBO’s True Blood. He’s now on the USA series Necessary Roughness.

John Boyega

The British-Nigerian actor is best known for playing Moses in the 2011 film, Attack the Block. This year, he was cast in the film version of Half of a Yellow Sun.

Eric West

Actor and Singer Eric West was in HBO’s Miraculous Year with Susan Sarandon. He also was on 30 Rock. West is currently busy working on World War Z alongside Brad Pitt.

Paula Patton

Patton got her first role in a small part in Hitch. She’s well known for her role in Precious, as a teacher and mentor and Jumping the Broom. She also landed the lead female role in Mission Impossible- Ghost Protocol, alongside Tom Cruise.

Derek Luke

Luke made his debut in Antwone Fisher, which was directed and produced by Denzel Washington. In 2011, Luke was cast in Captain America: The First Avenger. This year, he was in Sparkle and Seeking A Friend for the End of the World.

words by: Stephanie Lauredent

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Glance over any list of the highest-grossing, most popular films of all time and you’ll quickly notice that few, if any, had predominantly black casts. History tells us that movies deemed “too black” by Hollywood don’t get nearly the same level of respect or financial backing because the industry regards those movies as a hard sell to white audiences.

Individually, black actors and actresses have done well for themselves in recent years. Will and Jada Pinkett-Smith, Wesley Snipes, Halle Berry, Sanaa Lathan, Denzel Washington and Samuel Jackson are part of a growing list of blacks in the acting business that have gained widespread appeal for their success on the silver screen.

But even as they’ve crossed over, many of them have done so at the cost of their black audiences. I’ve noticed that years after making classic, black-themed movies, many black actors and actresses don’t return to the genre, and their later roles have consisted of characters that don’t strike me as being very imaginable or even likable. They started off playing roles that blacks could look up to but now it seems that they have lost their connections to their black audiences. I liken it to that of the unsung s of the long disbanded Negro Leagues of professional baseball.

Played during the Jim Crow era, Negro League baseball shined in the shadows of the “whites only” Major League Baseball, in run down parks in cities like Birmingham, Chattanooga, Brooklyn and Chicago. Despite its second-class status, the Negro Leagues produced some of the most talented players to ever play the game. Many of the white stars of that era had black “counterparts” in the Negro Leagues whose exploits rivaled or exceeded their own, and almost regularly the Negro League all-stars played and beat all-star teams from the major leagues in exhibition games.

Stars like Josh Gibson, who hit more home runs than Babe Ruth during his career, and James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell, who people swear was a better base stealer than Ty Cobb and Satchel Paige, who some claim was the most dominant pitcher of all time, played in the Negro Leagues, thus never becoming household names like Ruth, Gehrig and DiMaggio. Paige would end his career with more wins than Cy Young, but whose name is on the trophy awarded the best pitchers from the National and American Leagues today? The point is, Negro League baseball is not given its due for its contributions to the history of baseball.

Even as posthumous efforts to revive their legacies have become popular over the past 20-plus years, compared to the white stars they’re overlooked by the today’s casual black baseball fan whose most vivid memories of black baseball probably start with the legend of Jackie Robinson and perhaps tail off somewhere around Barry Bonds.

In all fairness to them the Negro League baseball legends never got the chance to lose their sense of connectedness to their black followings. All that was available to them were black roles, for black audiences, and that’s how their careers ended. The fact is, many of the Negro League stars could’ve beaten Jackie Robinson to the majors had they been allowed entrance. But, since they never got to star in the blockbuster called Major League Baseball, their accomplishments have largely been taken for granted.

So back to the original point. There were star Negro League players during Jim Crow that never got the credit they deserved, just like black Hollywood today doesn’t get the credit it deserves. And with that being said, I’ll see your Robert DeNiro and I’ll raise you Samuel Jackson. Tell me how great a movie Scarface is and I’ll give the same argument for New Jack City. Laugh as hard as you want at The Hangover 1 & 2, and I’ll be laughing just as hard at Friday and Next Friday. And brag about the money Tom Cruise makes all you want, but I’ll remind you that Will Smith makes similarly money per movie.

Check out this movie/actor/actress face off. What other actors or movies would you add to the list?

Harlem Nights/The Godfather: Hard to compare a comedy with a drama, but as far as all-time classics go these are definitely two of them. It’s always difficult to leave the house when they’re on TV.
New Jack City/Scarface: Is New Jack City the black Scarface or is Scarface the white New Jack City?
Paid in Full/Goodfellas: Nothing to not like about these gangster flicks. Must sees and instant classics
American Gangster/Blow: One movie depicts the flood of heroin in the U.S., the other, cocaine.
Friday & Next Friday/The Hangover 1&2: Hysterical movies that have become cult classics.
Trippin/American Pie: American Pie is the known commodity here, but Trippin provided similar youthful, sexual mischief from the black perspective.
Warriors/West Side Story: Warriors can’t be classified as a “black movie,” but it’s still a cult classic in the black community. The only thing separating these movies is the dancing and signing, and the skin tones of most of the actors.
Hoodlum/The Untouchables: Classic gangster flicks based on true stories taking place at similar times in history.
Red Tails/Star Wars: Uh, not even close. But George Lucas directed them both so at the very least a comparison is allowable.
Will Smith/Tom Cruise: Similar appeal, similar pay, classic movies.
Samuel Jackson/Robert DeNiro: Wanna see DeNiro play a subordinate role to Samuel? Check out the movie Jackie Brown.
Jamie Fox/Justin Timberlake: Actors who’ve made a considerable breakthrough coming from different parts of the entertainment industry.
Angela Bassett/Sandra Bullock: These leading ladies have long stood out on the big screen.
Sanaa Lathan/Jennifer Aniston: The second coming of Bassett and Aniston?
Wesley Snipes/Mark Wahlberg: The tough guy image really suits these guys just fine.
Denzel Washington/George Clooney: It wasn’t too long ago that Clooney was enjoying Denzel-like popularity. They look like the black and white counterparts of each other, that’s for sure.

 Ernest Pierce 

http://www.twitter.com/ernestpierce