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1-40 of 40
- Actor
- Director
William Lucking was born on 17 June 1941 in Vicksburg, Michigan, USA. He was an actor and director, known for Red Dragon (2002), The World's Fastest Indian (2005) and Contraband (2012). He was married to Sigrid Insull and Mary Carolyn Linda Elizabeth "MiMi" Hawkins. He died on 18 October 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.- Manager
- Executive
- Actress
Jeanne Nicole Griffin was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and moved to Frankfurt, Germany when she was two with her parents, Jeanne and Eugene Griffin. After six years abroad, the family moved back to the US, to Virginia for a year, before settling in Wilmington, NC. Her father worked for the Army Corps of Engineers, and her mother is a nurse. At 10 years old, Nikki began modeling and spent 3 consecutive summers working in NYC, represented by Wilhelmina (Wee Willys) and then Ford Kids. She stopped growing at 15 years old and never reached the ideal model height, but began traveling to London to assist other aspiring models. Upon graduating from New Hanover High School, Nikki went to college in North Carolina, but never enjoyed it. In 2000, she got a role in the Freddie Prinze, Jr-Jessica Biel film, Summer Catch, and despite her scene being cut from the movie, she still got her SAG card. So, realizing she needed to move to Los Angeles to fully pursue an acting career, in 2001, Nikki packed up her car and drove out to Hollywood. Her first big break happened when Nikki won her first lead role, as the love interest of the Duke cousins. She followed that with an arc as drug-dealing party-girl from the right side of the tracks, Jess Sathers, on the hit show, The OC, and with a memorable role in the third installment of the Fast and Furious franchise, Tokyo Drift. 2012 brought an exciting opportunity to explore editorial writing, and she had several articles published in Geek Magazine, as well as on-line, at Marvel.com.
Most recently, leaning into her years of experience- both in front of and behind the camera- Nikki has stepped into the role of talent manager at the management group that first launched her own acting career. She looks forward to working with established actors to provide support, as well as discovering new talent, and says this move feels "very full-circle."- Beah Richards left her native Vicksburg, Mississippi, for New York City in 1950. She would not acquire a significant role on stage until 1955,when she appeared in the off-Broadway show "Take a Giant Step" convincingly portraying an 84-year-old grandmother without using theatrical makeup. In 1962 she appeared in writer James Baldwin's "The Amen Corner" directed by noted actor/director/activist Frank Silvera, who told Richards "Don't act, just be." She credited Silvera with helping her further develop the subtlety and quiet dignity that distinguished all of her performances.
A prolific actress, poet and playwright, her first authored play was "All's Well That Ends" that delved into the issues of racial segregation. Always ahead of her time, she defined herself as "Black" when the term "Negro" was the preferred ethnic/racial label of Black Americans. Richards would bring her salutary satisfaction with being "Black" and her immense acting talents to the role of the peacemaking mother in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), a role for which she was nominated for an Oscar. Additionally, she appeared in "Purlie Victorious" by Ossie Davis and "The Little Foxes" by Lillian Hellman.
In 1988, she won an Emmy Award for her performance in Frank's Place (1987). Although stricken with emphysema, she delivered a tour-de-force performance on the ABC legal drama The Practice (1997) in 2000; she received her second Emmy Award for this performance three days before her death in her native Vicksburg. - Actress
- Producer
- Soundtrack
Born in Mississippi, Bailess began studying classical dance at age four and competed in gymnastics, dance, and cheerleading. At 11 she began performing live on television as a dancer in the Miss Mississippi Pageant, which she continued for 7 years. After attending ballet workshops across the country, she won a scholarship to the Broadway Dance Center in New York and at Ann Reinking's Broadway Theatre Project in Florida. After focusing on dance and musical theatre at Marymount Manhattan College, she took the William Esper Studio's two-year intensive program.
She recently wrapped filming the new VH1 TV series 'Hit the Floor' as Kyle, a series regular, one of the elite Los Angeles 'Devil Girl' Professional Basketball Dancers. The show, created by James LaRosa, premiered over Memorial Day Weekend this year. Katherine is no stranger to television or film; she had recurring roles on a number of TV shows including 'Gilmore Girls,' 'One Tree Hill,' 'The Loop,' and 'Sordid Lives: The Series.' She has also appeared on shows like 'NCIS' and on the big screen in "From Justin to Kelly" and "Bring It On Again." She also has numerous independent films including "Below the Beltway," "Elle: A Modern Cinderella Tale," "Stone Markers," and "2 Dead 2 Kill." She has stepped in as co-host of "Afterbuzz TV" alongside Maria Menounos. She's now getting back to her Mississippi roots by writing and performing country music.- Actor
- Director
- Writer
John Cantwell was born on 15 December 1967 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Legally Blonde (2001), Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (2008) and The Veeg Sisters (2007).- Director
- Writer
- Cinematographer
Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi on April 13, 1944, Charles Burnett moved with his family to the Watts area of Los Angeles at an early age. He describes the community of having a robust mythical connection with the South as a result of having so many Southern transplants, an atmosphere which has informed much of his work. Burnett went to UCLA, where he earned his Masters of Fine Arts in Filmmaking. There, he was greatly influenced by professors Elyseo Taylor-creator of the Ethno-Communications department-and Basil Wright-the English documentarian famous for Night Mail and Songs of Ceylon. He became fast friends with fellow future greats like Haile Gerima (Sankofa), and Julie Dash (Daughters of the Dust), collaborating with them and others on many projects. Burnett cites Jean Renoir, Satyajit Ray, and Sidney Lumet (The Pawnbroker) as important influences. In 1988, Burnett received the prestigious John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship (also known as the "genius grant"), which helped him support his young family and concentrate on his then, newest script. With Danny Glover parlaying his success in Lethal Weapon, they wrangled funding for the production of Burnett's To Sleep With Anger. Glover, playing a vaguely supernatural Southern trickster overstaying his welcome while visiting family, found perhaps his most critically acclaimed role. It won the 1991 Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Screenplay for Burnett and Best Actor for Glover. The Library of Congress selected Killer of Sheep and To Sleep With Anger to be inducted into the National Film Registry. The National Society of Film Critics honored Burnett for best screenplay for To Sleep With Anger, making him the first African-American to win in this category in the group's 25year history. While the Los Angeles Times reported that Burnett's movie reminded viewers of Anton Chekov, Time magazine wrote: "If Spike Lee's films are the equivalent of rap music - urgent, explosive, profane, then Burnett's movie is good, old urban blues." The film also received a Special Jury Recognition Award at the 1990 Sundance Film Festival and a Special Award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Both Burnett and Glover were nominated for New York Film Critics Circle Awards. In 1997, the Film Society of Lincoln Center and the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival honored Burnett with a retrospective, Witnessing For Everyday Heroes, presented at New York's Walter Reade Theater of Lincoln Center. Burnett has been awarded grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts and the J. P. Getty Foundation. He is also the winner of the American Film Institute's Maya Deren Award, and one of the very few people ever to be honored with Howard University's Paul Robeson Award for achievement in cinema. The Chicago Tribune has called him "one of America's very best filmmakers" and the New York Times named him "the nation's least known great filmmaker and most gifted black director." Burnett has even had a day named after him - the mayor of Seattle declared February 20, 1997, as Charles Burnett Day. Burnett directed a documentary on Nat Turner and one chapter (Warming by The Devil's Fire) of the six part documentary, The Blues, a production of Martin Scorsese's CPA Productions with OffLine Entertainment and in November of 2017 Charles Burnett received an Academy Award for his life's work. His latest film is entitled, "The Power To Heal", a documentary about the integration of hospitals during the Civil Rights Era.- Actor
- Stunts
- Director
Kevin Beard was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Euphoria (2019), The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022) and Mr. Right (2015). He was previously married to Cheryl Ann Nick.- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
- Writer
Mart Crowley was born on 21 August 1935 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was a producer and writer, known for The Boys in the Band (2020), Hart to Hart (1979) and The Boys in the Band (1970). He died on 7 March 2020 in New York City, New York, USA.- Gordon Hurst was born on 30 December 1940 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor, known for The Last Picture Show (1971), Silver Streak (1976) and Drive-In (1976).
- Music Department
- Actor
- Composer
Blues legend Willie Dixon was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1915. His mother was a devoutly religious person who spent much of her time writing religious poems, which gave the young Willie exposure to rhyming and meter. At a young age he sang with a gospel group called the Union Jubilee Singers, who had a show on radio station WQBC in Vicksburg. He briefly gave up singing for a career as a boxer, but soon returned to his first love, music.
He left Mississippi in 1936 for Chicago, which had a vibrant music scene, but he also kept his hand in boxing; in 1937 he became the Illinois Golden Gloves Boxing Champion. He turned pro (and even sparred with heavyweight champion Joe Louis), but after just four professional fights he got into a brawl with his manager in the Illinois Boxing Commissioner's office over money he believed he was being cheated out of, and his boxing career--for all practical purposes--was over. Going back to his musical roots, he took up bass playing, and in 1939 he and guitarist Leonard Caston started a group called The Five Breezes. The group played in Chicago-area clubs and even made a few records, but in 1941 it broke up when Dixon, who had declared himself a conscientious objector, was arrested for refusing to serve in the military. He was tried, convicted and sentenced to prison.
After finishing his sentence he formed another group, The Four Jumps of Jive, which made the rounds of Chicago's clubs, and even cut a few singles for Mercury Records. He later formed yet another group, with his old friend Caston and Bernardo Dennis, called The Big Three. At the same time Dixon was playing in the city's South Side blues clubs with such greats as Muddy Waters. He was playing one night in 1948 at the Macomba Lounge when he met brothers Phil Chess and Leonard Chess, the club's owners who had just started up Chess Records. They offered Dixon a job at the label as a songwriter and producer, and he soon went to work for them full-time. Soon Chess artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf (aka "Howlin' Wolf") and Little Walter were recording songs written by Dixon, which met with great success. Dixon also recorded some singles on his own, but he wasn't as successful a recording artist as he was a songwriter.
In 1957 Dixon left Chess for Cobra Records, and worked with such legendary guitarists as Buddy Guy and Otis Rush. Unfortunately, Cobra went out of business after two years, and Dixon returned to Chess. In addition to his songwriting and producing chores, he also formed the Chicago Blues All-Stars and toured extensively with them.
In the 1970s and 1980s he got involved in composing film soundtracks, and he wrote the score for Martin Scorsese's The Color of Money (1986). In 1980 he was inducted into the Blues Foundation's Hall of Fame. He still played clubs, festivals and toured the US and Europe, in addition to his songwriting and producing work. By 1990, however, his health began to decline and he had to cut down on his touring and scale back his performances with the Chicago Blues All-Stars. He died of a heart ailment in Burbank, California, two years later.- Mary Thomas was born in 1923 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for ESPN SportsCentury (1999). She died on 13 January 2010 in Hinsdale, Illinois, USA.
- Rita Carlyle was born on 23 February 1869 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. She was an actress, known for The Vampire Bat (1933), Sing While You're Able (1937) and Waterloo Bridge (1931). She died on 24 August 1949 in Banning, California, USA.
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Melanie Noelle Sanders hails from the river city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. She is the daughter of Attorney Marshall Sanders and Deborah Pickett Sanders. Presently Melanie is a senior at Spelman College where she is majoring in Sociology Pre-law and plans to attend law school in the future.
In 1997, Melanie was chosen 1st Runner up in the Miss Mississippi TEEN USA pageant where she was later featured on the Learning Channel documentary entitled "The Secret World of...Beauty Pageants". This documentary landed Melanie a spot on Entertainment Tonight (1981). She was also filmed for a documentary on The Discovery Channel. However, Melanie's television appearances did not begin here, she also had an opportunity to appear on B.E.T., the The Oprah Winfrey Show (1986), and has done television commercial work.
In 1999, Melanie was crowned Miss Vicksburg and took on her personal platform issue entitled "Love For Kids in Foster Care". Melanie has worked with children in foster care for the past several years in different capacities. She has hosted the "Lookin' To the Future" statewide conference for four years and has worked with the "Luggage for Kids" campaign. Along with her love for children in foster care, as well as a love for singing, Melanie entered into the Miss America Pageant system placing 4th Runner-up and later 2nd Runner-up to Miss Mississippi.
Melanie's passion in life is her love for performing. Melanie has been performing since age eleven. Since this time she has been blessed to have sang onstage with the legendary Temptations and for celebrities such as WNBA star Cheryl Swoopes, and R&B sensation Montell Jordan. Recently, Melanie had the honor of being selected from 10,000 hopefuls auditioning for Fox's television smash American Idol (2002). She was chosen a Top 30 finalist and appeared before millions during the show's debut, and then later competed on the show's third episode.
Since then Melanie has performed at the MGM Grand Hotel for a two hour American Idol special entitled "American Idols in Las Vegas" which led to her making her second and third appearances on Entertainment Tonight (1981). Melanie has also been written about as well as featured in "TV Guide".
She is a member of AFTRA (American Federation of Television & Radio Artists), and has recently landed a role in an independent film entitled "Amora: The Inquisition", directed by Muta Ali, grandson of legendary actors Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. She is also a proud member of the Spelman College Jazz Ensemble, an all female jazz band directed by jazz musician Joseph Jennings. Each spring Melanie tours the East Coast with the ensemble for a six city tour that ends at Harlem's Schomberg Theatre. Just recently Melanie was a guest performer at the National Civil Rights Museum's 2002 "Freedom Awards" in Memphis, Tennessee, which honored Civil Right's pioneer 'Julian Bond' and Nobel Peace Prize winner 'Rigoberta Menchu-Tum'. She also performed at the "From Legend to Legacy" forum at the church of Bishop G.E. Patterson. Melanie lives by the motto, "With success comes challenge and with challenge comes success," and that battles of the world are never yours, but the Lord's.- Jerry Savelle was born on 24 December 1946 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Covenant Rider (1994), Praise (1973) and Believer's Voice of Victory (1985). He was married to Carolyn Savelle. He died on 15 April 2024 in Crowley, Texas, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Writer
Myrlie Evers-Williams was born on 17 March 1933 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. She is a writer, known for American Playhouse (1980), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996) and Our World (1986). She was previously married to Walter Edward Williams and Medgar Evers.- Spence Wil-Dee was born on 2 May 1937 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor, known for The Klansman (1974), Bewitched (1964) and Police Woman (1974).
- Often compared to Southern writers such as Tennessee Williams, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner, and Eudora Welty -- with whom she studied -- Ellen Gilchrist has been declared "a national treasure" by the Washington Post for her various works. She has received numerous awards for her novels, poetry, and memoirs, as well as a National Endowment for the Arts Grant in Fiction. Gilchrist is known for writing complex heroines who overcome or embrace their oppressive settings and her work often deals with marriage, family, and dreams.
She followed the success of her 1981 short story collection In The Land of Dreamy Dreams with Victory Over Japan, winner of the National Book Award for Fiction 1984. After a year on NPR's Morning Edition, her commentaries were published in 1987 as Falling Through Space: The Journals of Ellen Gilchrist. - Writer
- Producer
Cliff Freeman was born on 14 February 1941 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was a writer and producer, known for Wendy's: Where's the Beef? (1984), Lenny (1996) and Wendy's: Soviet Fashion Show (1985). He was married to Susan Kelner and Ann Angell. He died on 5 September 2021 in Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.- Larry Van Allen was born on 13 February 1973 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Actor
Stacey S. Mobley was born on 9 September 1969 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Gator King (1997), After (2012) and Justine: In the Heat of Passion (1996). He was married to Jessica Berry. He died on 23 April 2023 in Ferriday, Louisiana, USA.- Costume and Wardrobe Department
- Costume Designer
- Actress
Cristen Golias was born on 21 March 1980 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. She was a costume designer and actress, known for Spookt (2023), Dead by Midnight (11pm Central) (2018) and Dead by Midnight (Y2Kill) (2022). She died on 6 December 2022 in Douglasville, Georgia, USA.- Johnny Brewer was born on 8 March 1937 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Number One (1969), The NFL on CBS (1956) and 1967 East-West Pro Bowl (1967). He was married to Anita Wood Brewer. He died on 27 May 2011 in Madison, Mississippi, USA.
- Additional Crew
- Producer
Alfred N. Sack was born on 22 October 1898 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. Alfred N. was a producer, known for Policy Man (1938), Dirty Gertie from Harlem U.S.A. (1946) and Of One Blood (1944). Alfred N. died on 1 March 1969 in Dallas, Texas, USA.- Visual Effects
- Art Department
- Editorial Department
Henry Kline II was born on 16 September 1948 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is known for Maximum Risk (1996), Time Trax (1993) and Women Working on Mars: Science and Engineering on the Red Planet (2004). He has been married to Laura Lee Rochester since 2 April 1995.- Composer
- Producer
Roderick Coleman was born on 16 August 1976 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is a composer and producer, known for R3CKL3$$ the Mini Movie (2018), The NFL on CBS (1956) and NFL Monday Night Football (1970).- Music Department
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Hank Jones was born on 31 July 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Stardust Memories (1980), We Shall Return (1963) and Independent Lens (1999). He was married to Theodosia. He died on 16 May 2010 in The Bronx, New York City, New York, USA.- William David was born on 5 October 1882 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Here Comes the Bride (1919), The Girl Problem (1919) and Fog Bound (1923). He died on 10 April 1965 in East Islip, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Soundtrack
Terry Evans was born on 14 August 1937 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He died on 20 January 2018 in the USA.- Thomas Allen Rector was born on 22 July 1881 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is known for From the Deep (1916) and A Gentleman's Agreement (1915).
- John Thomson was born on 1 October 1973 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Roland Lakes was born on 25 December 1939 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He died on 5 March 2012 in Santa Clara, California, USA.
- Charlie T. Walker was born on 24 July 1933 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. Charlie T. was a producer, known for I'm Charlie Walker (2022). Charlie T. was married to Annette Walker. Charlie T. died on 26 January 2023 in San Francisco, California, USA.
- Ellis Burks was born on 11 September 1964 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Dmitri Young was born on 11 October 1973 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He is an actor, known for Home Run Showdown (2012), WWE Survivor Series (2005) and 1996 National League Championship Series (1996).
- Billy Shields was born on 23 August 1953 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Actor
- Music Department
- Additional Crew
Milt Hinton is an accomplished jazz bassist. He is most well known for being the bass player for late Cab Calloway. He is also a world-renowned jazz photographer, and has published several books of his photography. He currently suffers from Parkinson's disease and no longer plays music.- Jay Hopson was born on 13 October 1968 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Actor
- Soundtrack
Mark Gray was born on 24 October 1952 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA. He was an actor, known for Solid Gold (1980) and Sing Country (1971). He was married to Janice. He died on 2 December 2016 in Lebanon, Tennessee, USA.- Michael Myers was born on 20 January 1976 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.
- Eric Warfield was born on 3 March 1976 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA.