I have noticed that I have not written any of my blogs on any female actresses. I feel very ashamed of myself. As a female African American actress myself a great deal of inspiration comes from Ms. Angela Bassett. She is one of the most talented woman and every time I watch a movie that she is in I am in awe at this feeling of commitment that she just gives off with each character she is interpreting. If you have not seen any of her work I suggest you do. Angela Bassett was the first African American to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress-Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Background:

Angela Bassett was born on August 16th, 1958 in Harlem, New York. After her parents separated she and her sister lived in WInston Salem, North Carolina, then St. Petersburg, Florida and lived with their social worker/civil servant mother. She attended Boca Ciega High School and later went on to get her B.A. in African American Studies from Yale University and then her M.F.A from the Yale School of Drama. She worked as a hair salon receptionist and photo researcher for a while before she moved back to New York to take part in New York Theatre. Her first stage performance was in 1985 in J.E. Franklin’s “Black GIrl”. Then she performed in two August Wilson plays, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, under the direction of her Yale instructor Lloyd Richards at the Yale Repertory Theatre. Mrs. Bassett then got the opportunity to star in another Wilson play, Fences, along side Lawrence Fishburne (who she later does collaborations with) at the Pasadena Playhouse in California. She married actor Courtney B. Vance in 1997 and they have two kids.

Career:

1. Doubletake-TV movie (1985)
2. Boyz N the Hood (1991)
3. Malcolm X (1992)
4. The Jackson’s: An American Dream (1992)
5. What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)
6. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
7. Strange Days (1995)
8. Waiting to Exhale (1995)
9. How Stella Got Her Groove Back (1998)
10. Unchained Memories-read from the WPA slave narratives (1998)
11. Music of the Heart (1999)
12. The Rosa Parks Story (2002)
13. Akeelah and the Bee (2006)
14. ER-joined cast (2008-2009)
15. Meet the Browns (2008)
16. Notorious (2009)

What I admire so much about Angela Bassett, is the fact that in a majority of her films her role is the single mother or wife or plays mother and supportive wife and no matter the situation she is strong. She represents the strong African American woman who does not let the odds get against her. She embodies women empowerment. To get a better picture at what I mean I suggest you watch numbers 2,3,4,5,8,12,13, 15, and 16. I suggest you see them all because she is amazing in all of them lol. In numbers 3,4,5,12,16 she portrays real women in history who had to over come obstacles and I think she captured their stories in it’s true essence.

Personal Life:

Mrs. Bassett is an active ambassador for UNICEF in the United States. She also a huge supporter of the Royal Theatre Boys and Girls Club in her hometown in St. Petersburg Florida. She annually attends events for children who have diabetes and who live in foster homes. On July 13, 2013 she was initiated as a honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Reflection:

If I could ever meet this woman and get advice from her it would be a great blessing. She is one of my favorite African American female actresses. A true talent and beauty to the world of acting.

TYLER PERRY: (I don’t know why the title keeps messing up, it’s suppose to be “Tyler Perry & Martin Lawrence”)

Tyler Perry is one of the most inspirational actor, directors, screenwriters and playwrights ever. Now if you have never seen a Tyler Perry play or movie, you absolutely have to. Now he is not the first man to disguise himself as a woman to portray a radical character but he surely on the map as one of the greatest. This character that he has created is Mable “Madea” Simmons. She is a elderly African American woman who is the true definition of old school discipline. If you have no sense she sure as hell knock it into you. His very first play that he wrote titled “I Know I’ve Been Changed” hit the stage in 1998. His first movie rendition of his play “Diary of a Mad Black Woman”, his theaters in 2005, where his feature character, Madea, starred. All of his plays and movies are very inspirational. They all take real life situations and show how the word of God will strengthen them and help them overcome their struggles and strifes. Some of these films have put me in tears and make you appreciate the things that you have in life and makes you evaluate yourself as a person. The other half of it that makes them so amazing is the comic relief; that is where Madea comes in. It is something that you just have to watch and you will completely understand where I am coming from. He has also has TV show’s  on TBS and Oprah Winfrey’s network OWN: “House of Payne”, “Meet the Browns”, “The Haves, and the Have Nots”, and “Love Thy Neighbor”. Here is a list of the films that Tyler Perry has created. I will only list the movies and years they came out, the plays have the same titles if you want to look them up to watch too.

Films:

1. Diary Of a Mad Black Woman-2005
2. Madea’s Family Reunion-2006
3. Daddy’s Little Girls-2007
4. Why Did I Get Married?-Fall 2007
5. Meet The Browns-Spring 2008
6. The Family That Preys-early Fall 2008
7. Madea Goes to Jail-2009
8. Star Trek-2009(first role outside his own projects)
9. I Can Do Bad All By Myself-2009
10. Precious-2009(teamed up with Oprah)
11. Why Did I Get Married Too?-2010
12. For Colored Girls-2010(Directed Film adaption to choreopoem, “For Colored Girls Who Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf”)
13. Madea’s Big Happy Family-2011
14. Alex Cross-2012
15. Good Deeds-2012
16. Temptation-Confessions of a Marriage Counselor-2013
17. Peeples-2013(Produced)
18. A Madea Christmas-December 13, 2013
19. Single Moms Club- May 9, 2014

MARTIN LAWRENCE:

Well if you don’t know, now you know! Everybody knows Martin Lawrence as the bad boy, the house party animal, and the old lady who is packing heat, but there was obviously a time period before that where he got his start. Martin Lawrence was born on April 16, 1965 in Frankfurt Germany. His father served in the U.S Military and was married to his mother Chlora Lawrence. After his parents divorced he and his mother lived in Maryland he went to Eleanor Roosevelt Creative and Performing Arts High School. He was a Golden Gloves contender and seriously considered a carrear in boxing until a eye injury made him reconsider the idea. When he moved to Denver Colorado he landed a spot at the Kings Woods comedy club where he won a performance on Star Search. He got to the final round before being voted off. This is where Columbia TriStar Television offered him the role of ‘Maurice’ on the television show “What’s Happening Now!”. After cancellation of that show he landed bit parts on films and various other sitcoms. His break through role was in Spike Lee’s film “Do the Right Thing”. Russell Simmons, entertainment mogul, invited him to host Def Comedy Jams on HBO where a lot of comedians like, Bernie Mac, Eddie Murphy, Chris Tucker, Dave Chappells, Mike Epps, and Cedric the Entertainer, got their exposure. His hit TV show ‘Martin’ aired in 1992 and continued till 1997.  He then landed second leading role and lead roles in comedy films and dramas. He like Tyler Perry, a other male actors took on a female persona. It is very comical

1. What’s Happening Now
2. Bad Boy’s
3. Bad Boy’s 2
4. Blue Streak
5. Nothing to Lose
6. National Security
7. Big Mama’s House
8. Big Mama’s House 2
9. Big Mama’s House: Like Father Like Son
10. Wild Hogs
11. College Road Trip

Johnny Depp….no words can properly describe what this man does for me emotionally as a actress. I have made my decision. Johnny Depp is number on my list of favorite actors. Want to know why? This man, in my opinion, always goes above and beyond what is expected of him when he is in films. Let’s just say you have never seen a Johnny Depp film, judging from the photo of him that I have posted on here could you see this man playing characters like Edward Scissor Hands, Willy Wonka, Barnabas Collins, Sweeney Todd, and the other quirky characters that he portrays? Well he did and that is what is so unique about him. A lot of these characters are the exact opposite of his personality and he draws on that. The results are amazing and he is a pure inspiration for me to continue acting. His best work I believe is when he collaborates with director Tim Burton. When the two of them get together it is just pure gold. I have a dark humor side to me that is satisfied when I watch a film that they have created together. Here is some background information about Mr. Depp

Background: Johnny Depp was born John Christopher Depp II in Owensboro Kentucky on June 9th 1963. He dropped out of high school a year after his parents divorced to pursue his dream of being a musician. When he tried returning his principle told him to go and pursue his dream. He played with a band called the “The Kids” who later changed their name to “Gun Shot Method” when they ventured to California hoping to get a record deal. However, the band broke up before they could. He collaborated with another band called “Rock City Angels” where he co-wrote one of their songs named “Mary”. He married Lori Anne Allison in 1983, who was the bass drummers sister. She was a makeup artist and Depp  worked odd jobs here and there. Lori introduced him to actor Nicolas Cage, who encouraged him to pursue a acting career.

Television: The TV show 21 Jump Street turned Depp into a teen idol during the late 80’s and in 2012 he and his co-stars did cameo appearances, which this production took on a more comic tone than the original layout of the TV series.

Tim Burton Collaborations: These are my favorite films with him in it

1. Edward Scissorhands (1990, started long lasting partnership)
2. Ed wood (1994)
3. Sleepy Hollow (1999)
4. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory(2005)
5. Corpse Bride (2005)
6. Sweeney Todd (2007)
   
7. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
8. Dark Shadows (2012)

Other Major Films: (Not all)

1. First major role in Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
2. Oliver Stone’s Platoon(1986)
3. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
4. Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise (2003, 2006, 2007, 2011)
5. Finding Neverland (2004)
6. The imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus (2009)
7. Rum Diary (2011)
8. Rango (2011)

Production Company: He started his own production company in 2004 called Infinitum Nihil. The first films from the company were ‘Rum Diary’ in 2011, Hugo in 2011, and Dark Shadows in 2012.

Versatility: Holding onto his love for music he has co write and worked with bands. He performed lead guitar and drums for a cover of Carl Simon’s “You’re So Vain”, which landed as a bonus track on some editions of Marilyn Manson’s 2012 album ‘Born Villian’. He was co-owner of a restaurant name Champs-Elysees. In July of 2012 he announced that he would be co-editor of a unpublished book by folk singer Woody Guthrie’s entitled ‘House of Earth’ that was released in February of this year.

Tattoos: Johnny has 13 tattoos. He has one over his heart that spells out his daughters name, his mothers name on his left bicep, a Native American in profile and a red ribbon reading “Wino Forever”, which was originally “Winona Forever”. Winona being the name of his ex, Winona Ryder.

Religion: He was quoted on the Larry King Live show saying, “Yes. I have faith in my kids. And I have—I have faith, you know, that as long as you keep moving forward, just keep walking forward, things will be all right, I suppose, you know. Faith in terms of religion, I don’t—religion is not my specialty, you know.”

Looking at his career as well as his personal life you get a sense that he likes to throw himself into projects that only interest him especially when it comes to his more “out-there” projects that he has been. That is what I think makes him such a great actor because even though a majority of the characters he plays are very quirky he brings something to each of them that makes it very relatable to his audience. In his movie “The Tourist” with co-star Angelina Jolie, it was a very different type of character that we usually do not see him do but it just goes to show that he can do quirky films with crazy looking characters, and more modern films where you can see another side of his acting abilities that we usually do not associate him with when he firsts comes to mind.

YES! This weeks blog post is about the very talented, the very sexy, can be the father of my children any day, Leonardo Dicaprio! Sorry to the guys that will probably read this post but this man is on my top five favorite actor list. Him and Johnny Depp are neck and neck for the number one slot, but lets be real, they are both dreamingly amazing at what they do. I chose Leonardo for this weeks post because I admire this man more than for his looks and charm. This amazing actor has devoted his life to acting and has never given up against what critics and common people say about him. This is what I have to say to the critics and common folk who are always going to be haters, “He makes more money than you ever will so be mad at yourself and stop hatin’!” Now the reason I say that is because he has been in the business for 25 years and has never won an Oscar….. Now he has been nominated for many awards like the Academy Awards, The Golden Globe, Screen Actor Guild Awards, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. But we are talking about the Oscars, the Academy Awards! That is the award that supersedes all others, in my opinion. In every single film he has been in he gives his all and does not falter from  his characters that he portrays. It burns me up lol. I haven’t seen any of his early work, like on the TV shows, but I have seen a lot of his films and I have always loved his acting. I find myself becoming mesmerized by him. One of the items on my bucket list is to either meet and have a conversation with him or star in a movie with him, preferably as lovers but I won’t push it lol. Now that I have splurged my love and admiration for this man I will give you some background informations about him and his career.

Background: Leonardo was born and raised in Los Angeles California. His mother is German and his father is half Italian and half German and his grandparents are Russian. It is said that he got his name when his mother was looking at a Leonardo Da Vinci painting when the unborn DiCaprio kicked from inside here.

Breaking into the Biz Films: (He also starred in some sitcoms and had a role in a soap opera for a while. And my favorite films are highlighted)

1. “Critters 3” 1991
2. “This Boy’s Life” 1992
3. “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape” 1993
4. “The Quick and the Dead” 1995

Critically Acclaimed Success:

1. “Titanic” 1997-MY FAVORITE FILM HE HAS BEEN IN!
2. “Celebrity” 1998
3. “The Man in the Iron Mask” 1998
4. “The Beach” 2000
5. “Catch Me If you Can” 2002
6. “The Aviator” 2004
7. “Blood Diamond” 2006
8. “The Departed” 2006
9. “Body of Lies” 2008
10. “Revolutionary Road” 2008
11. “Shutter Island” 2010
12. “Inception” 2010
13. “J Edgar” 2011
14. “Django Unchained” 2012
15. “The Great Gatsby” 2013

DiCaprio the Activist &Philanthropist: What is very humbling about this man, and another reason why I love him, is that he is a environmentalist and he works on alternative energy resources. At the 2007 Oscars him and Al Gore announced that the Academy Awards incorporated  environmental intelligent practices when it came to the production process  of the awards ceremony. I am going to list the different things he has donated money and time to.

1. Owns a Telsa Roadster, Fisker Karma plug in hybrid, and a Toyota Prius
2. He and mother donated $35,000 dollars for a computer lad named after him at a branch library in the neighborhood where  he grew up.
3. During filming of “Blood Diamond” he spent time with 24 orphans from the SOS Children’s Village in Maputo, Mozambique Africa.
4. Donated $1,000,000 to the Haiti relief efforts in 2010
5. Donated and campaigned for John Kerry in the 2004 election
6. Donated $2,300 to the Obama campaign in the 2008 election-the highest contribution that can be given by a individual in a election cycle
7. Donated $2,000,000 in 2010 to the Wildlife Conservation Society for Russia’s Tiger Summit
8. Joined Animal Legal Defense Fund’s,
9. He is a gay rights activist and donated roughly $61,000 to GLAAD to promote the image of LGBT people in the media.

Beyond that this man is a very talented actor, he is a person that makes a difference in this world. It brings this larger than life man down to our level, makes him personable. That is what I want to. I know for a fact that if I make it as a movie star I would use my fame and fortune to give back because that is the only way things will get better. You have to become invested in the things that you want to see a change in. In time, in money, it does not matter, as long as you do something. Even if I do not make it big, I want to make a difference in the world, I want to make things better for all.