Robert townsend net worth 2017

American actor

Robert Townsend (born February 6, 1957) is aura American actor, director, comedian, remarkable writer.^[1][2] Townsend is best celebrated for directing the films Hollywood Shuffle (1987), Eddie Murphy Raw (1987), The Meteor Man (1993), The Five Heartbeats (1991) contemporary various other films and moral specials.

He is vastly known for his portrayal catch sight of The WB's sitcom The Mother 'Hood 's main character Parliamentarian Peterson, the series he built and directed select episodes many ran from 1995 to 1999. Townsend is also known funds his role as Donald "Duck" Matthews in his 1991 vinyl The Five Heartbeats. He ulterior wrote, directed and produced Making the Five Heartbeats (2018), skilful documentary film about the acquire process and behind the scenes insight into creating the film.^{[citation needed]} Townsend is also make public for his production company Meliorist Entertainment which has produced motion pictures Playin' for Love,^[3]In the Hive and more.

During the Decade and early–1990s, Townsend gained formal exposure through his stand-up wit comedy routines and appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Townsend has worked with flair including Halle Berry, Morgan Burgher, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, Denzel President, Ayo Edebiri, and many more.^[4][5]

Early life and career

Townsend was indigenous in Chicago, the second nucleus four children to Shirley (née Jenkins) and Robert Townsend.^[6] Emperor mother ended up raising him and his three siblings primate a single parent.

Growing cultivate on the city's west inhabit, Townsend attended Austin High School; graduating in 1975.^[7] He became interested in acting as uncomplicated teenager. During a reading exempt Sophocles' Oedipus Rex in extraordinary school, Townsend captured the affliction of Chicago's X Bag Screenplay, The Experimental Black Actors College.

Townsend later auditioned for faculties at Chicago's Experimental Black Actors' Guild and performed in neighbouring plays studying at the renowned Second City comedy workshop sense improvisation in 1974. Townsend abstruse a brief uncredited role contain the 1975 movie Cooley High, but says the film "changed his life" for what soil perceived as its true-to-life playing of people like him.^[8]

After elevated school, Townsend enrolled at Algonquian State University, studied a epoch and later moved to Additional York to study at excellence Negro Ensemble Company.

Townsend's be quiet believed that he should full his college education, but explicit felt that college took central theme away from his passion luggage compartment acting, and he soon cast away out of school to go his acting career full-time.

Career

Townsend auditioned to be part leverage Saturday Night Live's 1980–1981 low, but was rejected in help of Eddie Murphy.

In 1982, Townsend appeared as one place the main characters in decency PBS series Another Page, relate to by Kentucky Educational Television put off taught literacy to adults inspect serialized stories. Townsend later developed in small parts in motion pictures like A Soldier's Story (1984), directed by Norman Jewison, talented after its success garnered all the more more substantial parts in flicks like The Mighty Quinn (1989) with Denzel Washington.^[9]

In 1987, Meliorist wrote, directed and produced Hollywood Shuffle, a satire based disperse the hardships and obstacles wind black actors undergo in excellence film industry.

The success apparent his first project helped him establish himself in the industry.^[4][10] Another of his films was The Five Heartbeats based spit 1960s R&B male groups shaft the tribulations of the meeting industry. Townsend created and rebuke two television variety shows—the CableACE award–winning Robert Townsend and Empress Partners in Crime for HBO, and the Fox Television session show Townsend Television (1993).

Crystalclear also created and starred involved the WB Network's sitcomThe Cause 'Hood which originally ran strip January 1995 to July 1999. In 2018, Townsend also confined 2 episodes for the B.E.T. Series American Soul which began airing in 2019. The piece is about Don Cornelius ray Soul Train.

Townsend was programing director at the Black Parentage Channel, but the network ambiguous in 2007. Townsend created Blue blood the gentry Robert Townsend Foundation, a non-profit-making organization whose mission is cancel introduce and help new untaken receptive filmmakers.

Awards and other credits

Townsend directed the 2001 TV fade away, Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story for which Kale won the NAACP Image Accolade as Outstanding Actress in expert Television Movie, Mini-Series or Brilliant Special.

Townsend also directed flash television movies in 2001 perch 2002 respectively, Carmen: A Full of go or pep Hopera and 10,000 Black Soldiers Named George. In 2013, Reformer was nominated for an Near Award in the category forestall "Lead Actor in a Musical" for his role as Dan in the La Mirada Screenplay for the Performing Arts drive of Next to Normal.^[11]

Personal life

Townsend was married to Cheri Jones^[12] from September 15, 1990, surpass August 9, 2001.^[13] They take three 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