Singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte has passed away at the age of 96. Along with his rich, prolific musical career, Belafonte leaves behind an impressive legacy on screen. From one of his earliest roles in Otto Preminger's "Carmen Jones" to his last appearance in Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman," Belafonte left an unforgettable impression. The actor worked with talented filmmakers like Robert Altman, Robert Wise, Ava DuVernay, and Sidney Poitier, and appeared in Lee's 2006 look at the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, "When The Levees Broke." But he and Lee would also work together one more time, in a role that the then-elderly Belafonte had to get approved by a doctor.
Belafonte's scene in "BlacKkKlansman" gives the darkly funny movie about a Black cop infiltrating the KKK a sense of gravity and history; in a nine-minute scene, Black students and activists sit rapt and engrossed around a seated Belafonte as he...
Belafonte's scene in "BlacKkKlansman" gives the darkly funny movie about a Black cop infiltrating the KKK a sense of gravity and history; in a nine-minute scene, Black students and activists sit rapt and engrossed around a seated Belafonte as he...
- 4/25/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Harry Belafonte, one of the most important and influential Black figures in entertainment, music, and throughout the last century of the civil rights movement, has sadly passed away at the age of 96. The news was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by Belafonte's spokesman Ken Sunshine, the cause of death resulting from congestive heart failure.
The actor, singer, musician, and activist had most recently appeared in a small but significant supporting turn in director Spike Lee's provocative "BlacKkKlansman" in 2018, where he portrayed a fictionalized civil rights activist. In one of the most pivotal scenes towards the end of the film, Belafonte recounts the horrific real-life lynching of Black teenager Jesse Washington in 1916 and draws a direct parallel to the production of director D.W. Griffith's racist propaganda movie "The Birth of a Nation." The astute choice to cast Belafonte for this particular role speaks to...
The actor, singer, musician, and activist had most recently appeared in a small but significant supporting turn in director Spike Lee's provocative "BlacKkKlansman" in 2018, where he portrayed a fictionalized civil rights activist. In one of the most pivotal scenes towards the end of the film, Belafonte recounts the horrific real-life lynching of Black teenager Jesse Washington in 1916 and draws a direct parallel to the production of director D.W. Griffith's racist propaganda movie "The Birth of a Nation." The astute choice to cast Belafonte for this particular role speaks to...
- 4/25/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Alcon Entertainment has joined Rtg Features and May 3rd Films for their upcoming docuseries on legendary basketball coach John Thompson.
Alcon is co-financing and co-producing alongside Rtg, the sister studio to global basketball media leader Slam, with Kirk Fraser (ESPN 30 for 30‘s Without Bias) directing and producing via his company, May 3rd. Also coming aboard the project as writer and creative producer is Jesse Washington, who collaborated with Thompson on his autobiography, I Came As a Shadow.
Passing away in late 2020, aged 78, Thompson was a pioneer credited with opening the door for a generation of African-American head coaches, with his commitment to education, racial justice and women’s rights setting him apart from his peers. He coached the Georgetown University men’s basketball team for almost 30 years, taking them to three Final Four appearances and one national championship, with his 1984 title being the first claimed by a Black head coach in college basketball.
Alcon is co-financing and co-producing alongside Rtg, the sister studio to global basketball media leader Slam, with Kirk Fraser (ESPN 30 for 30‘s Without Bias) directing and producing via his company, May 3rd. Also coming aboard the project as writer and creative producer is Jesse Washington, who collaborated with Thompson on his autobiography, I Came As a Shadow.
Passing away in late 2020, aged 78, Thompson was a pioneer credited with opening the door for a generation of African-American head coaches, with his commitment to education, racial justice and women’s rights setting him apart from his peers. He coached the Georgetown University men’s basketball team for almost 30 years, taking them to three Final Four appearances and one national championship, with his 1984 title being the first claimed by a Black head coach in college basketball.
- 9/7/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
ABC Owned Television Stations has partnered with Participant to produce the special “Our America: A Year of Activism,” which will stream beginning May 25 and feature three roundtable discussions of activism following the murder a year ago of George Floyd.
Prominent artists, activists and journalists featured in the discussions include Fred Hampton Jr., filmmaker Steve James, Ai-jen Poo, April Reign, ESPN senior writer Jesse Washington, Jimmie Briggs, Fredrika Newton, Marshall Hatch Jr., Steve James, Dr. Shamell Bell and Xaiver Brown.
ABC stations race and culture journalists Will Jones, TaRhonda Thomas and Julian Glover will moderating the panel discussions. Topics of the panels center on intergenerational activism, multiracial solidarity and media framing of racial justice issues, respectively.
“Our America: A Year of Activism” will stream on news apps for ABC stations ABC7/Wabc-tv New York, ABC7/Kabc-tv Los Angeles , ABC7/Wls-tv Chicago, 6Abc/Wpvi-tv Philadelphia, ABC7/Kgo-tv San Francisco, ABC13/Ktrk-tv Houston,...
Prominent artists, activists and journalists featured in the discussions include Fred Hampton Jr., filmmaker Steve James, Ai-jen Poo, April Reign, ESPN senior writer Jesse Washington, Jimmie Briggs, Fredrika Newton, Marshall Hatch Jr., Steve James, Dr. Shamell Bell and Xaiver Brown.
ABC stations race and culture journalists Will Jones, TaRhonda Thomas and Julian Glover will moderating the panel discussions. Topics of the panels center on intergenerational activism, multiracial solidarity and media framing of racial justice issues, respectively.
“Our America: A Year of Activism” will stream on news apps for ABC stations ABC7/Wabc-tv New York, ABC7/Kabc-tv Los Angeles , ABC7/Wls-tv Chicago, 6Abc/Wpvi-tv Philadelphia, ABC7/Kgo-tv San Francisco, ABC13/Ktrk-tv Houston,...
- 5/25/2021
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Final Oscar voting begins today, and Deadline is providing a last call to consider the films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. The hope is that these will remind voters how they felt when they saw these great films, and pull the focus away from the toxic narratives that have marred this long awards season. This started last week with Sean Penn’s impassioned column on Bradley Cooper and A Star Is Born. Next is BlacKkKlansman, nominated for six awards including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Adam Driver), Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Director for Spike Lee, who would be the first black filmmaker in film history to win the award. What follows is conversation with Harry Belafonte and Lee on how a long relationship led to one of the most chilling and stirring scenes in that or any other 2018 film.
Of all the powerful scenes Best Director nominee Spike...
Of all the powerful scenes Best Director nominee Spike...
- 2/12/2019
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
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