Cleavant Derricks Jr. (born May 15, 1953) is an American actor and Tony Award winning singer-songwriter, who is best known for his role of Rembrandt Brown on ''

Sliders Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

''.

Biography

Derricks was born in

Knoxville, Tennessee Knoxville is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Tennessee, Knox County in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States census, Knoxville's population was 190,740, making it the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Di ...

to a pianist mother Cecile G. and

Baptist Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...

preacher/composer Cleavant Derricks Sr., famous for his popular gospel music hymn

Just a Little Talk with Jesus "Just a Little Talk with Jesus" is a gospel music song published by Stamps-Baxter Music Company on January 1, 1937, written by Cleavant Derricks. In 1936, he sold the song to Stamps-Baxter in exchange for fifty songbooks, which he then sold for ...

. His twin brother is actor and musician Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Derricks began his career as a Nashville gospel songwriter. With his father, he wrote the gospel album ''Satisfaction Guaranteed''. He was the musical director and composer for the musical ''When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate''. Derricks went to New York City to study acting with

Vinnette Carroll Vinnette Justine Carroll (March 11, 1922 – November 5, 2002) was an American playwright, actress, and theatre director. She was the first African-American woman to direct on Broadway, with her 1972 production of the musical ''Don't Bother Me, I ...

at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in his Broadway shows, including ''But Never Jam Today''. He also won a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for creating the role of James "Thunder" Early in ''

Dreamgirls ''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. Based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Supremes, The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others,Gro ...

''. Off-Broadway he was in the

William Finn William Alan Finn (born February 28, 1952) is an American composer and lyricist. He is best known for his musicals, which include ''Falsettos'', for which he won the 1992 Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical, ''A New Br ...

musical ''

Romance in Hard Times ''Romance in Hard Times'' is a musical by William Finn. It ran briefly Off-Broadway in 1989 at the Public Theater. Productions An earlier version of the same show, '' America Kicks Up Its Heels'', received two staged readings from Playwrights Hor ...

'' in 1989. He also starred in the Broadway musical ''

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

'' as the Streetsinger. Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as ''

Moscow on the Hudson ''Moscow on the Hudson'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky which stars Robin Williams as a Soviet circus musician who defects while on a visit to the United States. It co-stars María Conchita ...

'',

Neil Simon Marvin Neil Simon (July 4, 1927 – August 26, 2018) was an American playwright, screenwriter and author. He wrote more than 30 plays and nearly the same number of movie screenplays, mostly film adaptations of his plays. He has received mo ...

's ''

The Slugger's Wife ''The Slugger's Wife'' is a 1985 romantic comedy film about a baseball star who falls for a singer. Written by Neil Simon, directed by Hal Ashby and produced by Ray Stark, the film stars Michael O'Keefe, Rebecca De Mornay, and Randy Quaid. It wa ...

'' and recently,

Wes Craven Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...

's ''Carnival of Souls''. He was a series regular on the short-lived television series '' Thea'' with

Thea Vidale Thea R. Vidale (born November 20, 1956) is an American stand-up comedian and actress. Vidale is perhaps best known for her role as Thea Armstrong-Turrell in the ABC sitcom '' Thea'', which originally aired from 1993 until 1994. Vidale is noted as ...

and

Brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

, and ''Good Sports'' with

Farrah Fawcett Farrah Leni Fawcett (born Ferrah Leni Fawcett; February 2, 1947 – June 25, 2009) was an American actress. A four-time Primetime Emmy Award nominee and six-time Golden Globe Award nominee, Fawcett rose to international fame when she playe ...

and

Ryan O'Neal Ryan O'Neal (born April 20, 1941) is an American actor and former boxer. He trained as an amateur boxer before beginning his career in acting in 1960. In 1964, he landed the role of Rodney Harrington on the ABC nighttime soap opera '' Peyton Place ...

. His role as Rembrandt Brown on ''

'' with

Jerry O'Connell Jerry O'Connell (born February 17, 1974) is an American actor and television host. He is known for his roles as Quinn Mallory in the television series ''Sliders'', Andrew Clements in ''My Secret Identity'', Vern Tessio in the film '' Stand by M ...

Sabrina Lloyd Sabrina Anne Lloyd (born November 20, 1970) is an American retired film and television actress. She is known for portraying Wade Welles in the science fiction series ''Sliders'', Natalie Hurley in the ABC sitcom '' Sports Night'' and Kelly in ''Fa ...

and

John Rhys-Davies John Rhys-Davies (born 5 May 1944) is a Welsh actor best known for portraying Sallah in the ''Indiana Jones'' franchise and Gimli in ''The Lord of the Rings'' trilogy. His other roles include Michael Malone in the 1993 series ''The Untoucha ...

was the only ''Sliders'' character to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as ''

Roseanne ''Roseanne'' is an American sitcom television series created by Matt Williams and Roseanne Barr which aired on ABC from October 18, 1988, to May 20, 1997, and briefly revived from March 27, 2018, to May 22, 2018. The show stars Barr as Roseann ...

'', ''

A Different World ''A Different World'' is an American sitcom (and a spin-off of ''The Cosby Show'') television series that aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987 to July 9, 1993. The series originally centered on Denise Huxtable ( Lisa Bonet) an ...

'', ''

Miami Vice ''Miami Vice'' is an American crime drama television series created by Anthony Yerkovich and produced by Michael Mann (director), Michael Mann for NBC. The series stars Don Johnson as James "Sonny" Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Ricardo ...

'', '' Spenser: For Hire'', ''

Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadcast ...

'', and many others. In 2019, Derricks took over the role of the Wizard of Oz in the 2nd U.S. tour of ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * ''Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' ser ...

''.

Filmography

* ''

Miami Magma Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at t ...

'' (2011) as Ray Jackson * ''

Rome & Jewel ''Rome & Jewel'' is a 2006 American hip-hop musical film adaptation of William Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet'' set in Los Angeles that deals with interracial love. The film stars Nate Parker as Rome and Lindsey Haun as Jewel. The 2008 re-rele ...

'' (2008) as Reverend Q * ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' (2007) * ''

The Wedding Bells ''The Wedding Bells'' is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on Fox from March 2 to April 6, 2007. The series was greenlighted after the network became interested in a series centered on wedding planners. The network approache ...

'' (2007) * ''Basilisk: The Serpent King'' (2006) as Col. Douglas * ''

The Bernie Mac Show ''The Bernie Mac Show'' (often shortened to ''Bernie Mac'' in syndication) is an American sitcom television series created by Larry Wilmore, that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured Bernie ...

'' (2002) as Willie * '' World Traveler'' (2001) as Carl * ''

The Practice ''The Practice'' is an American legal drama television series created by David E. Kelley centering on partners and associates at a Boston law firm. The show ran for eight seasons on ABC, from March 4, 1997, to May 16, 2004. It won an Emmy in 1 ...

'' (2001) as Mr. Lees * ''

18 Wheels of Justice ''18 Wheels of Justice'' is an American crime drama series that aired from 2000 to 2001 on TNN. It starred Lucky Vanous as federal agent Michael Cates (posing as a truck driver, with a Kenworth T2000 semi-truck), and G. Gordon Liddy as Jacob Cal ...

'' (2000) as Harold Baines * ''

'' (2000) as Cleavant Wilson * ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American fantasy drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced b ...

'' (1999) as Robert *

's ''

Carnival of Souls ''Carnival of Souls'' is a 1962 American independent horror film produced and directed by Herk Harvey and written by John Clifford from a story by Clifford and Harvey, and starring Candace Hilligoss. Its plot follows Mary Henry, a young wo ...

'' (1998) as Sid * ''

'' (1995–2000) as Rembrandt 'Cryin' Man' Brown * ''

Something Wilder ''Something Wilder'' is an American sitcom television series starring Gene Wilder that ran on NBC from October 1, 1994 to June 13, 1995. The series was created by Lee Kalcheim and Barnet Kellman. A total of 18 half-hour episodes were produced ov ...

'' (1994–1995) as Caleb * '' Thea'' (1993–1994) as Charles * ''

Woops! ''Woops!'' is an American postapocalyptic sitcom that aired on the Fox network from September 27 to December 6, 1992. The series was created by Gary Jacobs, and produced by Witt/Thomas Productions in association with Touchstone Television. Synop ...

'' (1992) as Frederick Ross * ''

Drexell's Class ''Drexell's Class'' is an American sitcom that aired Thursday at 8:30 on Fox as part of its 1991–92 lineup. The show was created by Andrew Nicholls and Darrell Vickers. Synopsis ''Drexell's Class'' starred Dabney Coleman as Otis Drexell, a fif ...

'' (1991–1992) as George Foster * ''

Good Sports ''Good Sports'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on the CBS network from January 10 to July 13, 1991, starring Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. It was Fawcett's only scripted TV series after ''Charlie's Angels''. Synopsis The ...

'' (1991) as Jeff Mussberger * ''

Sibs ''Sibs'' is an American sitcom broadcast by ABC from September 17, 1991 until April 29, 1992. The series chronicled the relationship of three sisters, and the support the youngest two especially needed from their eldest married sister. ''Sibs'' w ...

'' (1991) * ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' (1991) as Mark Wright * ''

'' (1991) as Larry * ''

'' (1989) * " Sticks Henderson'' (1988) * ''

Moonlighting Moonlighting may refer to: * Side job, a job taken in addition to one's primary employment Entertainment * ''Moonlighting'' (film), a 1982 drama film by Jerzy Skolimowski * ''Moonlighting'' (TV series), 1985–1989 American television series, s ...

'' (1987) as Leonard Haven * '' Spenser: For Hire'' (1987) as Mac Dickerson * '' Bluffing It'' (1987) as Cal * ''

Mickey and Nora Mickey is a given name and nickname, almost always masculine and often a short form (hypocorism) of Michael, and occasionally a surname. Notable people and characters with the name include: People Given name or nickname Men * Mickey Andrews (bo ...

'' (1987) as Marvin * '' The Equalizer'' (1986) as Sonny Raines * '' Off Beat'' (1986) as Abe Washington *

's ''

'' (1985) as Manny Alvarado * ''

'' (1985) as David Jones * ''

'' (1984) as Lionel Witherspoon * ''

The Ambush murders ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1982) * ''

Fort Apache the Bronx ''Fort Apache, The Bronx'' is a 1981 American crime drama film directed by Daniel Petrie. The film is about a hard-drinking, lonely veteran cop, Murphy ( Paul Newman), and his young partner Corelli ( Ken Wahl), who work in a crime-ridden precin ...

'' (1981) as Suspect No. 4 * '' When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate'' (1979) * '' Cindy'' (1978) as Michael Simpson

Discography

* '' Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album'' (1982) * ''Beginnings'' (1999) * ''Brooklyn'' (2004)

References

External links

Cleavant Derricks official website
* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Derricks, Cleavant 1953 births Living people African-American male actors African-American musicians American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male television actors Drama Desk Award winners Identical twin male actors People from Knoxville, Tennessee Male actors from Tennessee Tony Award winners American twins 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American people