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Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling
''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' is a 1986 American biographical comedy-drama film directed, produced by and starring Richard Pryor, who also wrote the screenplay with Paul Mooney and Rocco Urbisci. ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling'' was Richard Pryor's first and only directorial effort, although he is credited as such on the screen version of his 1983 stand-up comedy concert film. Background Pryor plays Jo Jo Dancer, a popular stand-up comedian, who has severely burned himself while freebasing cocaine. The film came out six years after Pryor had set himself on fire while freebasing. Synopsis As Dancer lies hospitalized in a coma, his spiritual alter ego revisits his life, from growing up in a brothel as a child and struggling to beat the long odds to become a top-rated comedian. However, his success leads to extensive drug use and womanizing that takes its toll on his life. It affects every relationship, including his marriages. Jo Jo's spirit watches and attempts ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor Sr. (December 1, 1940 – December 10, 2005) was an American stand-up comedian and actor. He reached a broad audience with his trenchant observations and storytelling style, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential stand-up comedians of all time. Pryor won a Primetime Emmy Award and five Grammy Awards. He received the first Kennedy Center Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 1998. He won the Writers Guild of America Award in 1974. He was listed at number one on Comedy Central's list of all-time greatest stand-up comedians. In 2017, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked him first on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time.The 50 Best Stand-up Comics of All Time . Rollingstone.com, retrieved February 15, 2017. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alter Ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", " doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a different personality. The altered states of the ego may themselves be referred to as ''alterations''. A distinct meaning of ''alter ego'' is found in the literary analysis used when referring to fictional literature and other narrative forms, describing a key character in a story who is perceived to be intentionally representative of the work's author (or creator), by oblique similarities, in terms of psychology, behavior, speech, or thoughts, often used to convey the author's thoughts. The term is also sometimes, but less frequently, used to designate a hypothetical "twin" or "best friend" to a character in a story. Similarly, the term ''alter ego'' may be applied to the role or persona taken on by an actor or by other types of performers. Or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scoey Mitchell
Roscoe Mitchell Jr. or Scoey Mitchell (March 12, 1930 – March 19, 2022), usually credited as Scoey Mitchell, was an American actor, producer, writer and television director known for frequent appearances on 1970s game shows, including ''Match Game'' and ''Tattletales''. He starred in the short-lived series ''Barefoot in the Park'' (based on the Neil Simon play) and had a recurring role on '' Rhoda''. He created two short-lived NBC television series, ''Me and Mrs. C'' and ''13 East''. He appeared as Richard Pryor's father in the film ''Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling''. Early life and career Mitchell was born on March 12, 1930, in Newburgh, New York, as Roscoe Mitchell Jr. (the surname had three "L"s, and no "E"). He started his career on ''The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour'' in 1967. He appeared in ''What's It All About, World?'' as himself in 1969. He guest-starred in television series including ''The Mothers-in-Law'', ''Here Come the Brides'', ''That Girl'', ''The Odd ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael Ironside
Frederick Reginald Ironside (born February 12, 1950), known as Michael Ironside, is a Canadian actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He is known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, and has also portrayed sympathetic characters. Early life Ironside was born in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Robert Walter Ironside and Patricia June Ironside (' Passmore). His father was a street lighting technician and laborer and his mother a housewife. He is of English, Irish and Scottish descent, and is one of five children. Ironside attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto and at age 15 wrote a play, ''The Shelter'', which won the first prize in a university contest. He also won the Senior writing award at Riverdale Collegiate Institute in 1968. Career Ironside specializes in playing villains and tough guys. One of his first roles was as evil telepath Darryl Revok in ''Scanners'' (1981), an early film by David Cronenberg. He played the role of a serial killer, Colt Hawker, in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Wings Hauser
Gerald Dwight "Wings" Hauser (born December 12, 1947) is an American actor and occasional director. He received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his supporting role in '' Tough Guys Don't Dance'' (1987). Life and career Hauser was born in Hollywood, California, the son of Geraldine (née Thienes) and director and producer Dwight Hauser (1911–1969). His brother is actor Erich Hauser. In 1967, Hauser landed his first acting role as a marine rifleman in the World War II-drama ''First to Fight''. In 1975, Hauser released an album for RCA entitled ''Your Love Keeps Me Off the Streets''. For this LP, he used the name Wings Livinryte. Hauser first attracted notice in 1977 in ''The Young and the Restless'' as Greg Foster. He starred in the 1982 made-for-TV-movie '' Hear No Evil'' as Garrard. Hauser appeared in forty-one television series, including recurring roles in ''Beverly Hills 90210'', '' Murder, She Wrote'', and '' Roseanne'', and a cameo as a juror in the seaso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tanya Boyd
Tanya may refer to: * Tanya (Judaism),an early work of Hasidic philosophy by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. * Tanya (name), a given name and list of people with the name * Tanya or Lara Saint Paul (born 1946) * List of Mortal Kombat characters#Tanya * Tanya (horse) (1902–1929), the winner of the 1905 Belmont Stakes horse race * ''Tanya'' (1940 film), a Soviet musical comedy by Grigori Aleksandrov * ''Tanya'' (1976 film), a low-budget American comedy * ''Tanya'' (album), a 2002 album by Tanya Tucker * Hurricane Tanya, a storm in the 1995 Atlantic hurricane season * 2127 Tanya, an asteroid * "Tanya", a composition by Donald Byrd, on Dexter Gordon's album ''One Flight Up'' See also * Tania (other) * Tanja (other) * Tonia (other) * Tonya (other) Tonya may refer to: * Tonya (name), the given name, and people by that name * Tonya, Turkey, a town and district of Trabzon Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey * Tonya, Uganda * Ton'ya (問屋 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Debbie Allen
Deborah Kaye Allen (born January 16, 1950) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and a former member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. She has been nominated 20 times for an Emmy Award (winning five), two Tony Awards, and has also won a Golden Globe Award and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1991. Allen is best known for her work in the musical-drama television series ''Fame'' (1982-1987), where she portrayed dance teacher Lydia Grant, and served as the series' principal choreographer. For this role in 1983 she received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy and two Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography and was nominated for four Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Allen later began working as director and producer, most notably producing and directing 83 of 144 episodes of NBC comedy series ''A Different World ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carmen McRae
Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretation of lyrics. Early life and education McRae was born in Harlem, New York City, United States. Her father, Osmond, and mother, Evadne (Gayle) McRae, were immigrants from Jamaica. She began studying piano when she was eight, and the music of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington filled her home. When she was 17 years old, she met singer Billie Holiday. As a teenager McRae came to the attention of Teddy Wilson and his wife, the composer Irene Kitchings. One of McRae's early songs, "Dream of Life", was, through their influence, recorded in 1939 by Wilson’s long-time collaborator Billie Holiday.Brian Berger"Carmen McRae" HiLobrow, April 8, 2015. McRae considered Holiday to be her primary influence. Early career In her l ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diahnne Abbott
Diahnne Eugenia Abbott (born January 1, 1945) is an American actress and singer. She played supporting roles in films of the 1970s and 1980s, including ''Taxi Driver'' (1976). Abbott was married to actor Robert De Niro from 1976 to 1988. They had a son, Raphael, who was named after the hotel in Rome where he was conceived. De Niro adopted Drena, Abbott's daughter from a previous marriage. Drena has appeared in several of her father's films, including '' Showtime'' (2002), ''Wag the Dog'' (1997), ''City by the Sea'' (2002) and '' The Intern'' (2015). De Niro and Abbott divorced in 1988. Abbott portrayed the pornographic movie theatre box office clerk in Martin Scorsese's ''Taxi Driver'' (1976) opposite De Niro. She has a memorable cameo in the 1977 film ''New York, New York'', in which she sings Fats Waller's song, " Honeysuckle Rose". She also played the object of De Niro's affections in Scorsese's 1983 film, '' The King of Comedy'', as well as roles in the television serie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Eckstine
William Clarence Eckstine (July 8, 1914 – March 8, 1993) was an American jazz and pop singer and a bandleader during the swing and bebop eras. He was noted for his rich, almost operatic bass-baritone voice. In 2019, Eckstine was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award "for performers who, during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." His recording of " I Apologize" (MGM, 1948) was given the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. ''The New York Times'' described him as an "influential band leader" whose "suave bass-baritone" and "full-throated, sugary approach to popular songs inspired singers like Earl Coleman, Johnny Hartman, Joe Williams, Arthur Prysock, and Lou Rawls." Early life and education Eckstine was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, the son of William Eckstein, a chauffeur, and Charlotte Eckstein, a seamstress. Eckstine's paternal grandparents were William F. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Barbara Williams (actress)
Barbara Williams (born 1953) is a Canadian-American actress. Williams has starred in the 1984 Paramount film '' Thief of Hearts'', the 1988 film '' Watchers'' and the 1992 film '' Oh, What a Night''. She garnered a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the 21st Genie Awards for ''Love Come Down''. Early life Williams was born in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, the daughter of Simone and Jack Williams, a tugboat skipper and logger. She is the widow of social and political activist Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, authoring th .... Filmography Film Television References External links * 1953 births Living people Actresses from British Columbia People from Vancouver Island 20th-century Canadian actresses 21st-century Canadian actr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Art Evans (actor)
Arthur James Evans (born March 27, 1942) is an American actor who has made multiple film and television program appearances over three decades. Evans was born in Berkeley, California. His acting career, spanning almost 40 years, started with Frank Silvera's Theater of Being in Los Angeles. He took a starring role in ''The Amen Corner'' which transferred to Broadway in 1965. His first uncredited acting performance in film was ''Claudine'' in 1974. His first credited role was in ''Chico and the Man'' as Bubba in the episode "Too Many Crooks" which aired in 1976, and his talents for many instruments came in handy when playing Blind Lemon Jefferson in the movie ''Leadbelly'' (1976). One of Evans's early roles was the first victim in the John Carpenter film ''Christine'', based on the novel by Stephen King; Evans played a Detroit auto worker found dead on the assembly line after daring to flick cigar ash on Christine's upholstery. In 1984, Evans co-starred in the all-star African-A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
