When I first heard that yet another "Rocky" sequel was on the way, my first instinct was to frown & vomit. But upon learning that this one centers around the emergence of one Adonis Creed, son of Apollo Creed, that got me to paying attention. Add in learning that Michael B. Jordan, of whom I've been a long time fan, was cast to play Creed & then the excitement began to flow so much that I began writing this post before even watching the trailer. So here it goes. Enjoy! Oh by the way, the movie is scheduled to hit theaters on November 25th and also features Wood Harris & Phylicia Rashad.
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Far to often, the contribution of those who broke down barriers go unrecognized & stay under the radar. And after quietly having put in more than 30 years in the game, Don Cheadle certainly deserves to considered among the greatest talents Hollywood has ever seen. And he did it HIS WAY... Actor, Writer, Producer & Director. Don Cheadle has come a long way from his small reoccurring role on TV's "Fame" in 1986. Per imdb.com, Cheadle's first credited role came in the 1984 short Story "3 Days." By 1986 his acting career was in full swing, and as of 2015, Don Cheadle has a total of 78 Acting Credits (along with 9 as a Producer, 3 Director Credits, and 2 Writing Credits). While few would remember him as Henry Lee on "Fame," Cheadle definitely left his mark in the roles of Rocket in 1988's "Colors" and as Private Johnny Washburn in 1987's "Hamburger Hill." He also made cameos on several of the most popular television shows of that time, such as "Hill Street Blues," "L.A. Law" & "Night Court." Rolling into the nineties, Don would be all over both the Big & Small Screens with roles in "The Golden Palace" TV Series, "Meteor Man," "Devil In A Blue Dress," "Picket Fences," "Rosewood," "Boogie Nights," "The Rat Pack," "A Lesson Before Dying," and multiple others. Cheadle won a Los Angeles Film Critics Award for his role in "Devil In A Blue Dress." He won a Golden Globe Award & was nominated as Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his portrayal of Sammy Davis Jr in "The Rat Pack." He would also receive an Emmy Nomination for his role (with Cicely Tyson) in 1999's "A Lesson Before Dying." “I also believe that you are what you have to defend, and if you're a black man that's always going to be the bar against which you are judged, whether you want to align yourself with those themes or not. You can think of yourself as a colourless person, but nobody else is gonna.” In the new millennium, don's star only grew BRIGHTER, and now he he could focus energy on roles that could tell more effective stories of The Black Experience & more Positive Black Characters. Notable film & television appearances include: "Traffic" 2000 - "er" (TV Series) 2002 - "Crash" 2004 - "Hotel Rwanda" 2004 - "Ocean's Twelve" 2004 - "Talk To Me" 2007 - "Brooklyn's Finest" 2009 - "Iron Man 2" 2010 - "Flight" 2012 - "Iron Man 3" 2013 Cheadle would win Oscars for his roles in "Crash" & "Hotel Rwanda," and be nominated for several others. He continues to shine as Writer/Actor/Executive Producer on the Showtime Series "House Of Lies," and is set to appear in the Highly Anticipated upcoming Films "Avengers: Age of Ultron" & The Miles Davis biopic "Miles Ahead." Don Cheadle was born in Kansas City, Missouri on November 29, 1964 to a a school teacher & clinical psychologist; and has been honored for his work to bring attention to the crises in Rwanda & Darfur. “I've been doing this since I was 10 years old, inhabiting different people and playing different roles. Thirty years later, there's still the same sort of excitement I get from it. It's still fun to inhabit different characters and play different things, so it's all in that panoply of acting.” Misty Copeland is a Big Deal! Ground-Breaker, Stereotype Breaker. Insane Talent! At 32 Years Old Misty Copeland has risen to be known as "The Unlikely Ballerina," Superstar Ballet Soloist for the World Famous American Ballet Theatre. She is the first Black soloist for The American Ballet Theatre in Twemty Years, and One of Only Three Ever. Now transcending from the stage to the mainstream, She's been been featured on stage with Prince & more recently became the star of a now-viral Under Armour Advertising Campaign. That commercial, "I Will What I Want" blew up with more four million YouTube views in just one week!!! Misty Copeland's rise to the top was by no means easy. Only getting into dance at the age of 13, introduced to the art on a Los Angeles Boys And Girls Club Basketball Court, she was way behind her contemporaries that started years prior. She was told that she didn't have the right body type; but she pushed on & continuously drew attention in major dance contests over the next few years. Since that time, Misty Copeland went on to blaze a trail to create a new mold for what a ballerina does & looks like. She went on to win The 1997 Los Angeles Music Center Spotlight Award (awarded to the best dancer in Southern California), before joining The Studio company in 2000 & The Corps De Ballet in 2001. Elevating to the status of a featured soloist in 2007, Ms. Copeland continues to amaze. Standing at 5'2 inches, and chiseled like a goddess, she could have been anything (model, basketball player, even MMA Fighter), which is a far cry from the stereotypical tall-skinny prototype ballerina. Yet another hurdle she not only conquered; but crushed. In 2014, she capped off her year playing the Lead Role of Swanilda in "Coppelia" at the World Famous Metropolitan Opera House, in Australia playing the roles of BOTH Odette and Odile in "Swan lake," and published her biography "Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina." Let's watch to see what she does in 2015. Big Shout Out to My Wife for the assist on this post! For more information, check out her website: http://www.mistycopeland.com/home.html As we continue to celebrate the Life & Works of Our Dearly Departed Sister maya Angelou, let us also take a moment to embrace the legacy of one of Greats that is Still walking among Us-with a Intellectually gangsta Stride at that! The Glorious & Beautiful, Forever Young, Nikki Giovanni. Poet, Activist, Writer, Teacher & More... Born on June 7, 1943 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Nikki Giovanni has published 30 Books, received more than 20 Honorary Doctorates, and received Too Many other Accolades to Mention (she actually earned her undergraduate Degree from Fisk University-plus Graduate Studies at Penn & Columbia Universities). Most recently, she has served as a Professor of Literature at Virginia Tech University. She has always been known for her outspoken stances on the Black Struggle, The True Legacy of Our Black Heroes (i.e. Malcolm, Muhammad Ali-even, more recently, Tupac Shakur). I had the fortune of meeting, and taking a photo with, this Queen back in 1997. Her Aura, Grace, Beauty & Energy was so striking. I hold that moment close to my heart; and alway will. A few weeks ago, I passed down my copy of "Love Poems" to my 13 Year Old Daughter Elina-and she finished the book in that same afternoon. Mothers & Fathers, let's start teaching our children about Role Models of SUBSTANCE. Beyonce is cool; but Nikki Giovanni is BETTER!!! Join me as I Salute the Queen: Yolande Cornelia "Nikki" Giovanni. “Some people forget that love is tucking you in and kissing you "Good night" no matter how young or old you are. Some people don't remember that love is listening and laughing and asking questions no matter what your age. Few recognize that love is commitment, responsibility. No fun at all unless Love is You and Me” “There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.”
"INTRODUCING DOROTHY DANDRIDGE""Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" is the 1999 HBO Movie paying homage to one of the first Major Black Film Stars. The Ever So Lovely Pioneering Actress Dorothy Dandridge Enduring Racism, Sexism, and Class Warfare-as she rose from being a sexually abused teenager to becoming the first Black Actress to be nominated for an Best Actress Academy Award ("Carmen Jones" -1954). For all of her triumphs, Dorothy did live a troubled life of multiple failed marriages, bad business deals, and drug abuse. To this day, some still question whether or not her drug-induced death, in 1965, was an accident overdose or suicide. The film is based on the Same-Titled novel, written by Earl Mills, and features Teleplay by an Up & Coming Shonda Rhimes (Scandal, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice). Actress Halle Berry would go on to win an Emmy Award (along with a Screen Actors Guild Award & NAACP Image Award) for her portrayal of the woman that she has often identified as being one of her inspirations in life. The striking resemblance of the two ladies is just unreal. |
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