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The NAACP said Thursday that the Wayans family — Keenen Ivory Wayans, Damon Wayans Sr., Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Kim Wayans and Damon Wayans Jr. — will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame.

The honor will be bestowed February 22 at the 56th NAACP Image Awards, which will air live on BET and CBS from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

“For decades, the Wayans family has been at the forefront of comedy, breaking barriers and opening doors for waves of entertainers,” NAACP president and CEO Derrick Johnson said. “Their trailblazing work in television, film, and stand-up has transcended pop culture and cemented their legacy in the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. Recognizing their achievements with this induction is a celebration of a multi-generational legacy that continues to advance and uplift communities. The Wayans family has set a standard of excellence, and their influence resonates far beyond the stage and screen.

The best David Alan Grier movies and TV shows mostly feature several comedies and comedic series. However, he does have a few random dramatic roles to his name to show his versatility. Grier graduated from college with a Bachelor's degree in radio, television, and film from the University of Michigan and then got his Masters from the Yale School of Drama. It was an impressive education that paid off when he ended up starring in Broadway musicals to start his career, including the hit Dreamgirls.

This caught the attention of film legend Robert Altman (M*A*S*H), who cast him in the movie Streamers. While he started on Broadway and debuted in an Altman movie, Grier's comedic timing finally helped him break out. After taking a role in the Keenen Ivory Wayans-directed movie I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, he moved on to the cast of In Living Color, which is when his career exploded.

What are the defining traits of a character actor? Why is a shapeshifting virtuoso like Daniel Day-Lewis considered a full-blown movie star, while a chameleon-like genius like Giancarlo Esposito is routinely relegated to supporting player status? As previously discussed here at /Film, there are multiple factors at play: box office, deeply ingrained cultural notions of physical attractiveness, distinctive utility, and the Borgnine Paradox.

It should come as no surprise that my solo endeavor to arrive at a solid-ish definition of "character actor" is not the first in the history of the written word. There have been many, many attempts by whole groups of esteemed journalists to get at some kind of reasonable understanding of this term/concept, and, having read more than a few of them, I can assure you that there is no hard-fast rule. You could call just about everyone outside of Britney Spears a character actor --...

Exclusive: Kadeem Hardison has been set as a series regular in Ed Brubaker’s Prime Video graphic novel series Criminal. He joins the previously announced cast Adria Arjona and Richard Jenkins.

Criminal is an interlocking universe of crime stories based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series created by Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Hardison will portray the character Gnarly, an old friend of Leo and Ivan. Gnarly was his nickname as a boxer back in the 1970s and it’s all anyone calls him. He walks with a limp, an old one. Gnarly’s a local legend, and he can go from warm to fierce in a heartbeat. He commands respect, partly because he can inflict massive physical damage, even at his advanced age — and partly because he has the authority and gravitas to stop other men in their tracks.

As Deadline previously revealed exclusively, Ryan Fleck...

While innovations in technology have made it easier than ever to make a movie, it has become harder than ever to receive significant financial backing. Doubly hard when one is a director of an underrepresented background.

Black Americans have been a part of the film industry since the beginning, over a century ago, but one could argue that there were not any Black film directors given enough of a platform to become a household name until the 1990s. Though a diverse set of directors were able to breakthrough from that time through the aughts, the shift in focus toward solely blockbuster filmmaking has left many Black filmmakers out to dry.

In recent years, quite a few Black directors have seen a greater level of support and reverence, from “Get Out” director Jordan Peele to “Black Panther” director Ryan Coogler, “Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins to “Selma” director Ava DuVernay. And every...

NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.

Lincoln Center

NYFF Revivals continues with Abraham’s Valley, The Dupes, Household Saints, Un rêve plus long que la nuit, and shorts by Man Ray.

Museum of the Moving Image

Reverse Shot celebrates its 20th anniversary with a months-long programming run, continuing Friday and Sunday with Terence Davies’ The Deep Blue Sea on 35mm.

Roxy Cinema

The Double Life of Veronique, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, The Hills Have Eyes, and The Devil’s Rejects show on 35mm.

IFC Center

Frankenstein, The Holy Mountain, and Gregg Araki’s Nowhere play while Oldboy screens in a new restoration.

The post NYC Weekend Watch: NYFF Revivals, The Deep Blue Sea, The Double Life of Veronique & More first appeared on The Film Stage.

What would Hollywood be without a good ole Blaxploitation film? And now that “They Cloned Tyrone” has hit Netflix screens, conversations about the Blaxploitation movies that crawled so that “They Cloned Tyrone” could pimp walk have come to the forefront.

Juel Taylor’s film welcomes watchers to The Glen, a normal, everyday neighborhood where its predominately Black residents live out their lives shopping, going to church and enjoying the fruits of their labor. However, beneath the surface, but right in front of their eyes, the government is executing a plot to keep the community in an endless cycle of unhealthy behavior that ultimately blocks them from mental and financial wellness.

Like many Blaxploitation films, “They Cloned Tyrone” creatively calls out and highlights the systemic issues Black community faces while also celebrating Black culture and Black people’s perseverance.

When “They Cloned Tyrone” hit Netflix, people online began discussing the films that influenced it,...

If you’re wondering what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in June, the answer is a lot. The streamer has a solid slate of movies heading into summer 2023. From the first two “Creed” films to “Love, Rosie,” “Yours, Mine & Ours” and other clever romantic comedies, the streamer has a range of options for viewers with different tastes. Newer theatrical releases arriving on the streamer in June include “TÁR,” “Armageddon Time,” and “M3GAN.”

TV premieres to look forward to include Boots Riley’s “I’m A Virgo” and the fourth and final season of John Krasinski’s “Jack Ryan.” “Crazy Rich Asians” arrives early in June, followed by “Interstellar” for all Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey lovers. Even though “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” doesn’t release in theaters until November, all four “Hunger Games” films land on Prime Video this June. Perfect timing — maybe even with a reread...

With its list of new releases for June 2023, Prime is bringing a handful of Amazon Originals and many recent movie hits to the fold.

It’s actually quite a busy month for non-American programming in Amazon Originals department. Shows and movies like Deadloch, My Fault, and Medellín all originate from outside the U.S. and U.K. For the American and British crowd, however, the streamer is debuting two big tentpoles.

The first is I’m a Virgo on June 23. Acclaimed director Boots Riley’s TV followup to Sorry to Bother You will tale the surreal and satirical tale of a giant in Oakland. That will be followed by the more conventional (assumedly) fourth season of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on June 30.

The real fireworks this month come from a ludicrously deep bench of library TV and movie titles. Give them a look for yourself below but if we were to highlight just a few,...

The fourth and final season of “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” arrives on Prime Video on June 30. It finds Ryan — now the new acting CIA director — unearthing internal corruption and suspicious black ops that leaves the United States vulnerable to attack. John Krasinski stars as the tough-as-nails Ryan.

Watch the “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” trailer:

“Shiny Happy People: Duggar Family Secrets” is a new docuseries that reveals the truth behind the myth of the wholesome religious family and their involvement with the predatory Bill Gothard and The Institute in Basic Life Principles. The organization’s abusive practices — and the insidious long political game it plays — is revealed on June 2. The Duggars and their 19 “happy” kids are exposed as frauds, while also being manipulated by Gothard and enduring the scandal of Josh, their sexually abusive son.

Check out the “Shiny Happy People” trailer:

When a body is found on the beach in the Tasmanian town of Deadloch,...

Jim Brown was everything. He was the greatest football player of all time, a trailblazing Black movie star, a vital voice during the Civil Rights Movement, and a man around whom controversy persistently swirled because he did not give a single, solitary f**k ... to a fault.

Brown was a model of American manhood. He played nine seasons of football as the Cleveland Browns running back, and he made the Pro Bowl in every one. Brown averaged 5.2 yards per carry for his career (third-best of all-time) and did so by scrapping for every inch inbounds. He blasted into defenders with rib-cracking velocity. He took his lumps (which were bruisingly visible in his later years), but when you tackled Brown you got the worst of it. The man didn't believe in running to the sideline. He ran through you.

Brown was also a model of defiance at a time when Black...

Jim Brown has passed away at the age of 87. A titanic figure in the world of sports, the former Cleveland Browns fullback has been inducted into both the NCAA Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame. On top of his sports stardom, Brown was a staunch Civil Rights activist, a fact that was highlighted by the 2020 movie One Night in Miami, which depicted an evening he spent in the company of Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Muhammad Ali, in which he was played by Aldis Hodge.

A few years after being named the greatest college football player of all-time, a tragic post was shared on Brown's official Instagram account.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jim Brown (@jimbrown)

The post, seen above, contained a message from Brown's wife Monique Brown, who confirmed that he passed away last night at his home in L.A. at...

Some sad news has come in to end the week, as it has been announced that legendary NFL player-turned-actor Jim Brown has passed at the age of 87. His passing was announced by his wife on Instagram, with no cause of death being provided.

Born on February 17, 1936, in St. Simons Islang, Georgia, Brown is considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time. He was drafted out of Syracuse University by the Cleveland Browns in 1957, and spent all nine years of his NFL career with the team. Deadline notes that “his bruising running style redefined the running back position”. He was the first NFL player to make over 100 career rushing touchdowns and set single season and career rushing records. He was a three time Mvp, Rookie of the Year, eight time All-Pro, and eight time rushing leader. With him on the team, the Browns won the NFL championship...

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, has died. He was 87.

A spokeswoman for Brown’s family said he passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night with his wife, Monique, by his side.

One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown was chosen the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65.

We are heartbroken by the passing of the legendary Jim Brown.

One of the greatest players in NFL history, a true pioneer and activist. Jim Brown’s legacy will live on forever. pic.twitter.com/byBcZ0c7KG

— NFL (@NFL) May 19, 2023

Brown led the Cleveland Browns...

Jim Brown, among the NFL’s greatest players at any position who went on to star in Hollywood Films like “The Dirty Dozen” and “Any Given Sunday,” has died, his wife Monique Brown said Friday on Instagram. He was 87.

Brown’s singular dominance in the NFL of the late 1950s and 1960s was unmatched. Brown made the Pro Bowl in every season from 1957-1965, was a three-time Mvp, and won a championship with the Cleveland Browns in 1964. Of his nine seasons, he led the league in rushing yards for eight, and held most of the league’s major rushing records upon his retirement.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jim Brown (@jimbrown)

Brown was born in St. Simons Island, Georgia, the son of a pro boxer and a homemaker. He excelled at every sport he tried, from football and baseball to lacrosse and track. His average of 38 points per game,...

Jim Brown, the NFL Hall of Famer and Civil Rights activist who turned to acting and appeared in films and TV shows ranging from The Dirty Dozen and I Spy to Draft Day, Mars Attacks! and The A-Team, died Thursday night in Los Angeles. His wife, Monique Brown, said in an Instagram post that he died peacefully, but she did not provide a cause.

Brown is considered among the greatest football players of all time. Drafted sixth overall in 1957 by the Cleveland Browns out of Syracuse University, his bruising running style redefined the running back position. As a rookie, he ran for 237 yards in a game against the Los Angeles Rams — a record that would stand until the 1970s.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

Among his myriad NFL records and milestones, he was the first to top 100 career rushing touchdowns and set single-season and career rushing...

Jim Brown, the incomparable Cleveland Browns fullback who quit the NFL at the peak of his prowess to become a Hollywood action hero in such films as The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra and 100 Rifles, has died. He was 87.

A staunch advocate for civil rights, Brown died in his Los Angeles home Thursday night with wife Monique by his side, his family’s spokesperson told the Associated Press.

In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell praised Brown’s skills on the field, in addition to calling him a “cultural figure who helped promote change.” The message continued, “During his nine-year NFL career, which coincided with the civil rights movement here at home, he became a forerunner and role model for athletes being involved in social initiatives outside their sport. He inspired fellow athletes to make a difference, especially in the communities in which they lived.”

A synthesis of speed,...

Over 100 popular films are leaving HBO Max at the end of the month, but luckily you have the whole month to stream them.

They include cinema classics like “Ben Hur,” the winningest film in Oscars history

Leaving April 5

The Inside Story, 1948

Reminiscence, 2021 (HBO)

Leaving April 11

Adult Swim Yule Log (aka The Fireplace)

Leaving April 12

About Face: Supermodels Then and Now, 2012 (HBO)

Leaving April 13

The Last Duel, 2021

Game Theory With Bomani Jones, Season 1

Leaving April 18

The Lego Batman Movie, 2017

Leaving April 24

Tom and Jerry Cowboy Up!, 2022

Leaving April 27

Malignant, 2021 (HBO)

Leaving April 30

47 Ronin, 2013 (HBO)

3 Godfathers, 1948

Accepted, 2006 (HBO)

The Adventures of Robin Hood, 1938

A Private War, 2018 (HBO)

An American in Paris, 1951

The American President, 1995

Any Given Sunday, 1999

Australia, 2008 (HBO)

Before I Fall, 2017 (HBO)

Ben-Hur, 1959

Black Legion, 1937

Blade, 1998

Blood Diamond, 2006

Blow Out, 1981 (HBO)

The Bodyguard, 1992

Boogie Nights, 1997

The Book of Eli, 2010

The Bourne Identity, 2002 (HBO)

The Bourne Supremacy, 2004 (HBO)

Bringing up Baby,...

On March 12, 2023, Ruth E. Carter won her second Academy Award for her work on the costumes of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." It was Carter's second Oscar win after 2018's "Black Panther," making her the first costumer in history to win Academy Awards for a movie and its sequel. Her wins are both well-deserved. Extrapolating from the fictional country originally found in the pages of Marvel Comics, "Wakanda Forever" constructed the clothes and uniforms worn by the citizens of a high-tech central African nation that, thanks to their access to a rare miracle metal and an equally rare super-powered flower, allowed them to advance centuries beyond the rest of the world. Carter designed the clothes for Wakandan royalty, the royal guard, and the country's civilians. She also had to evoke Wakandan funerary rights, as the film opens with the funeral of the original Black Panther. Carter has said that Wakandan dress...

There have been many classic movie comedies over the years featuring Black stars, ranging from Eddie Murphy's Coming to America to Whoopi Goldberg's Sister Act. Those films are among the many that resonated with Black audiences even though they were directed by white filmmakers. Despite that, Hollywood has also had a long tradition of Black directors creating movies aimed specifically at Black audiences; trailblazer Oscar Micheaux, in fact, is regarded as the first major Black filmmaker, directing and producing more than 40 so-called "race films" between 1919 and 1948.

These days, as Hollywood executives increasingly come to realize the importance of Black directors telling Black stories, there's been an ever-growing number of Black directors engaging in big-screen filmmaking, a trend that has been evident not just in dramas but in comedies as well. In fact, some of the most beloved comedies with predominantly Black casts featured Black directors at the helm. For the full picture,...

Clu Gulager, a veteran character actor for nearly 70 years and 165 credits, has died. He was 93 and passed at home of natural causes, according to family posts on social media.

Gulager is best remembered for his portrayal of Burt in the 1985 horror-comedy The Return of the Living Dead, and Mr. Walsh in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge.

Gulager also appeared in The Killers, The Last Picture Show, Mystery in Dracula’s Castle, The Killer Who Wouldn’t Die, The Initiation, From a Whisper to a Scream, The Hidden, Uninvited, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka, Teen Vamp, Puppet Master 5, the Feast trilogy, Piranha 3Dd, Tangerine, Blue Jay, Children of the Corn: Runaway, and finally, in 2019’s Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

He is survived by his sons John Gulager and Tom Gulager. John Gulager directed his father in the horror films Feast 1-3, Piranha 3Dd,...

Click here to read the full article.

Cinematographer Tom Richmond, whose résumé included work on such films as Stand and Deliver, Killing Zoe, Little Odessa, Slums of Beverly Hills and Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, has died. He was 72.

Richmond died Friday in New York City, Anthony Jannelli, head of cinematography at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, told The Hollywood Reporter (Richmond also taught at NYU). The cause of death was not immediately available.

Richmond, who was the director of photography on nearly four dozen features, also shot Keenan Ivory Wayans’ I’m Gonna Git You Sucka (1988), Scott Silver’s Johns (1996), Rob Zombie’s House of 1,000 Corpses (2003) and Todd Solondz’s Palindromes (2004).

He won the best cinematography prize at Sundance in 2006 for his work on Right at Your Door, a drama about a terrorist attack involving chemical bombs.

He received Spirit Award nominations for Stand & Deliver...

Right now, the name Chris Rock is synonymous with one thing: The Slap at the March 27 Oscars. However, Rock’s career is a lot more varied than that one incident, though there are several clues in his work leading up to that moment.

May 20 marks the 35th anniversary of his movie debut as a parking valet in the 1987 “Beverly Hills Cop 2.”

Variety’s review described it as “noisy, numbing, unimaginative” and didn’t mention Rock. A year later, however, he got a shout-out in the Dec. 9, 1988, review of “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” with Variety enthusing, “Chris Rock turns a walk-on into a standout” as a customer in a rib joint.

Rock’s first big break came in 1984, when he booked a splashy standup gig in 1984 at Catch a Rising Star in New York. Eddie Murphy saw and mentored him, Rock continued to work, and soon he made his...

Damon Wayans (Fox’s Lethal Weapon) and Pam Grier (Jackie Brown) have signed on to star alongside Hailey Kilgore, David Iacono and Jeremie Harris in the noir thriller Cinnamon, which will debut exclusively on Fox’s free streaming service, Tubi, later this year.

The film currently in production in Atlanta follows a struggling small-town gas station attendant and aspiring singer, Jodi Jackson (Kilgore), whose life is sent into a tailspin when there’s a robbery at work. As previously announced, Iacono is playing Jodi’s fiercely devoted hustler boyfriend turned music manager, Eddie, with Harris as James Walker, a young gangster in the drug running business.

Grier will play Mama, the undisputed head of her family’s criminal organization, whose son James executes her wishes. Wayans will portray Wally, the owner of the convenience store that gets robbed. He’s a businessman who also owns a used car lot that...

Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter is partnering with Black and woman-owned, online vintage marketplace Thrilling on a Vintage Studio Services program, aimed at connecting stylists, designers and production companies with vintage and secondhand items for film and TV projects.

Nearly 1,000 shops across the U.S. will be accessible through the initiative, which is looking to help bolster small businesses, while encouraging eco-friendly and sustainable practices within entertainment.

As Thrilling’s first-ever brand ambassador, Carter has pledged to utilize the company and its new program in her upcoming projects for 2022. In celebration of the program’s launch, Thrilling has also unveiled a campaign comprised of styles inspired by Ruth’s work across 40+ film and television projects, which illustrates the role fashion plays in setting the stage for some of cinema’s most memorable scenes.

Naturally, Carter describes her partnership with the marketplace as “thrilling.

“I really want...

Sylvie’s Love, which is currently streaming on Amazon, is a visually stunning love story centered around an ambitious woman (Tessa Thompson) and an up-and-coming saxophonist (Nnamdi Asomugha) who reconnect years after a sweet summer romance.

Amidst debates about whether projects steeped in Black trauma are necessary or exploitive, the Emmy-nominated film from Eugene Ashe offers something different: a beautiful celebration of Black love with a hopeful ending in which its young couple finds their way back to each other.

More from TVLineIs First Wives Club Worth Staying Committed? Grade the BET+ Drama's Season 2 Premiere!TVLine Items: L Word Season 2 Trailer,...

Clarence Williams III, the actor who portrayed Linc Hayes on TV’s The Mod Squad as well as played Prince’s father in Purple Rain, has died at the age of 81.

Williams management confirmed the actor’s death to Variety, adding that Williams died following a battle with colon cancer.

The New York City-born Williams, the grandson of jazz great Clarence Williams, made his acting debut on Broadway and other theatrical productions in the mid-Sixties before he was cast in The Mod Squad, the influential counterculture police series that ran for five seasons on ABC.

Exclusive: Damon Wayans, who starred for three seasons as Roger Murtaugh in the Fox series Lethal Weapon, has signed with APA.

Wayans served as writer and star of the acclaimed, Emmy-winning series, In Living Color, for three seasons where he created some of the show’s most iconic sketch characters, including Homey the Clown, Handiman and gay film critic Blaine from Men on Film. His writing for the series earned him two Emmy Award nominations.

More from DeadlineShowrunner Matthew Wheeler Inks With Thruline & Apaapa Confronts Coronavirus With Salary Cuts, & Furloughs, No Layoffs'Grimm' Co-creator David Greenwalt Signs With Apa; Innovative Inks 'Sacred Lies' Actress Jordan Alexander

Wayans also starred in, co-created and executive-produced the hit comedy series My Wife and Kids, which received numerous awards including the 2002 People’s Choice Award for Favorite New Television Comedy Series and Favorite Male Performer in a New Television Series. He also created, executive-produced and...

(Updated with Norman Lear remarks) Just over two months after she wowed the crowd at ABC’s Live in Front of a Studio Audience: All in the Family & Good Times, Ja’net DuBois died suddenly today. She was 74.

As confirmed by her family and those close to the two-time Emmy winner, the seemingly healthy DuBois died early Tuesday in her sleep at her home in Glendale, CA.

She was known for making some of the greatest entrances in sitcom history week after week as neighbor Willona Woods on Good Times, the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom starring Esther Rolle, John Amos, Jimmie Walker and Janet Jackson. Back in December of last year, DuBois joined Walker and co-star Bern Nadette Stanis for an appearance on the latest live retelling of one of Norman Lear’s classic TV shows – and she stole the star-studded show with pure pizzazz.

Good Times wasn’t DuBois’ only connection to Learland.

Ja’Net DuBois, known for her turn as Willona Woods on “Good Times,” was found dead in her Glendale, Calif. home on Tuesday. The Pan African Film Festival, which she co-founded, said she “would be deeply missed.”

Her family told TMZ the actress died unexpectedly in her sleep. She was believed to be 74.

In addition to her role as the Evans family’s neighbor in the ’70s sitcom, she also appeared in a number of notable films and TV programs including “Roots,” Keenan Ivory Wayans’ “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” as Momma Bosley. DuBois was also known for her legendary voice. She composed and sang “Movin’ On Up,” the theme song for “The Jeffersons.” She also voiced the character of Mrs. Avery in “The PJs” as well as Mrs. Patterson in “As Told by Ginger.”

DuBois started her acting career in the 1960s. She starred in...

“Good Times” star Ja’net Dubois has died at the age of 74.

Dubois was found dead at her home in Glendale on Tuesday morning, Glendale police told USA Today. Her representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TheWrap.

The actress starred on the CBS sitcom “Good Times” for five years from 1974 to 1979 as Willona Woods, the gossipy divorcee and next-door neighbor of the Evans family. She went on to appear in a number of film and TV projects, including voicing one of the main characters on the stop-motion animated series “The PJs.”

Also Read: Hollywood's Notable Deaths of 2020 (Photos)

Dubois’s work on “The PJs” earned her two Emmys for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance in 1999 and 2001. She also earned a NAACP Image Award nomination in 1998 for a guest appearance on “Touched by an Angel.”

Her other credits include “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,” “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” Moesha,...

Ja’net DuBois, best known for her role as Good Times‘ Willona Woods, died on Tuesday at the age of 74, TMZ reports. A cause of death has not been disclosed.

DuBois rose to fame as Florida and James Evans’ next-door neighbor on the aforementioned Norman Lear sitcom, which ran from 1974-1979. She also co-wrote and sang the iconic Jeffersons theme song “Movin’ On Up.”

More from TVLineGood Times Recap: Was Viola Davis 'Dyn-o-mite'? Grade the Live EpisodeLive in Front of a Studio Audience: Patti Labelle and Anthony Anderson Sing Good Times Theme Song -- WatchLive Good Times Cast: Viola Davis, Andre Braugher,...

Almost 45 years after the original, a new look at the blaxploitation film “Dolemite” is making its way to Netflix. Featuring a star-studded cast including Eddie Murphy, Wesley Snipes, and Chris Rock, “Dolemite is My Name” follows the story of the original “Dolemite” star Rudy Ray Moore, whose stagnant entertainment career suddenly skyrocketed into blaxploitation fame after he appeared in the film.

Directed by D’Urville Martin, the 1975 “Dolemite” tells the story of a one-time pimp who, after his release from jail, seeks revenge on the drug dealers and corrupt cops who framed him by using a team of martial arts-skilled prostitutes called Dolemite Girls.

The action-packed blaxploitation genre spawned a number of reboot films and parodies, such as the late John Singleton’s reimagined version of “Shaft” starring Samuel L. Jackson and Keenan Ivory Wayans Jr.’s “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.” Much like Rudy Ray Moore’s Dolemite, characters like...

Keenen Ivory Wayans wasn't looking to do a TV show. In 1988, he was riding high on the success of his cult hit I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and contemplating his next movie. But he took a meeting with a fledgling network called Fox, which made an offer he couldn't refuse. "They told me I could do whatever I wanted," Wayans, 61, recalls. What he wanted was to do a show like Saturday Night Live only much, much edgier. Homey Da Clown, Homeboy Shopping Network, Men on Films — the skits Wayans and his mostly ...

The stars of the Fox sketch comedy series In Living Color took a walk back in time Saturday, to share details on how the 1990s hit came about during a special screening at the Tribeca Film Festival.

The hit comedy was a result of the then-fledgling Fox network’s desire to “push the envelope,” said Keenan Ivory Wayans, who created, wrote and starred in the program from 20th Century Fox Television.

During an onstage discussion, Wayans recalled meeting with Fox execs after showing them his 1988 feature, I’m Gonna Git You Sucka.

“The TV folks invited me to meet them. I wasn’t looking [to do TV], I wanted to make movies,” said Wayans who was joined by In Living Color alums Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans, Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier.

Wayans recalled that network execs bantered the idea of him creating a show. At one point, a network suit uttered words...

The estate of Bernie Casey -- a former NFL-star-turned actor -- is being sued by a woman claiming to be his widow, who alleges the 78-year-old violently tackled her to the ground just 1 week before his death.  The woman behind the suit is Cheryl Castillo -- who claims she and Bernie lived together in L.A. as husband and wife ... but things went south during an altercation on Sept. 10.  According to her lawsuit, Castillo claims...

Bernie Casey, the former NFL star turned actor, has died at the age of 78. The actor was best known for his roles in movies like Revenge of the Nerds and I'm Gonna Git you Sucka. Casey died of an illness in a Los Angeles hospital, but the specific illness has not yet been revealed.

A rep for Bernie Casey confirmed the news of his death to People, saying that he passed away with his family and loved ones by his side. The actor had spent the last few days at the hospital after coming down with an illness before passing away. His work in Hollywood spanned nearly four decades, with his final credited role being in 2007's Vegas Vampires.

Before transitioning into his life as a professional actor, Bernie Casey was a decorated and talented athlete. In his younger years, Casey was a record-breaking track and field athlete at Bowling Green University.

Bernie Casey, noted for his memorable roles in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Revenge of the Nerds, has died, The Hollywood Reporter reports. He was 78. A rep told THR that the athlete-turned-actor died following a brief illness on Tuesday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Casey launched his acting career in 1969 with his debut role in Guns of the Magnificent Seven, the sequel to The Magnificent Seven. Over the past four decades he starred in roles both on television and film, including acting in several Seventies blaxploitation films...

Bernie Casey, the beloved and iconic co-star in "Revenge of the Nerds" and "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," died in an L.A. hospital ... TMZ has learned. Bernie's rep tells us he died peacefully Wednesday, surrounded by loved ones. We're told he suddenly fell ill recently, and had spent the last few days hospitalized. He broke into Hollywood with roles in blaxploitation films, and went on to co-star in nearly 80 different projects -- most notably...

Mark Harrison Jul 1, 2016

Need a laugh? Here's our guide to 25 comedies that are on Netflix UK now, and are well worth your time...

Putting aside all of the chunter about VPNs and rising subscription costs for a moment, there are more hidden gems to be discovered on Netflix UK than you might expect, and we've been combing through the streaming site's current catalogue to find some of the most underappreciated comedies on offer.

We've come up with this fairly broad selection of films that varies on several fronts. We've picked out a mix of belly laughers and dark comedies, with a couple of dramedies thrown in for good measure. They're not all big Hollywood comedies, but neither are they all films that you're hearing about for the first time, though we've tried to order them according to how well known they may or may not be. What they all have...

Marlon Wayans has another spoof movie, and this time he's skewering Fifty Shades of Grey with his parody Fifty Shades of Black.  Though it's a Marlon movie, Wayans has often worked with some of his famous brothers, Shawn Wayans and Keenen Ivory Wayans, to poke fun at whatever films are popular at the moment. The Scary Movie franchise, the A Haunted House franchise, Dance Flick, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!, and Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood are among the comedies the Wayans family has given us that don't let big budget blockbusters off the hook without a little roasting. If a certain genre of movie is doing well, you can bet the Wayans have made...

The Blaxploitation films of the 1970's were always ripe fodder for satire, but it wasn't until some 15 years after their heyday when Keenan Ivory Wayans did it, when he starred, co-wrote and directed his 1988 film, "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka". United Artists/MGM, which produced and financed the low budget $3 million film, obviously didn't have a lot of confidence in it at first, not exactly sure of what they had. As a result, they gave the film a very limited opening during the 1988 Xmas holiday season. But when audiences enthusiastically responded to it, it forced the studio to open it wider the following January, and it became a sleeper box office hit. The film stars several of...

On Sunday, April 15, 1990, television viewers were introduced to a new half-hour comedy from Fox: In Living Color. The Hollywood Reporter's original review is below.

It's hip. It's cool. It's fabulous. It's Fox Broadcasting Co.'s In Living Color, the new half-hour ensemble comedy from comedian writer-producer Keenen Ivory Wayans (I'm Gonna Git You Sucka).

Drawing its inspiration from the streets, In Living Color represents comedy-variety in the '90s, much like The Jackie Gleason Show did for comedy in the '50s and the '60s.

Where Gleason had his June Taylor Dancers,...

In the summer of 1989, while Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" was sounding a thunderclap in cinemas, a troupe of largely black actors and comedians came together on a Fox sound stage in Century City to produce a sketch comedy show aimed at servicing a minority point of view that had been underrepresented by the medium. With producer Keenen Ivory Wayans at the helm, fresh off the success of his 1988 Blaxploitation parody film "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka," eight individuals — a then-unknown Jim Carrey along with Kelly Coffield, Kim Coles, Tommy Davidson, David Alan Grier, T'Keyah "Crystal" Keymáh and Wayans' siblings Damon and Kim — filmed the first episodes of "In Living Color." The show debuted on April 15, 1990, and 25 years later, Damon Wayans can't help but remember first and foremost that he had hair back then. "I remember the pain of getting fired from 'Saturday Night Live' and feeling that I needed redemption,...

I honestly didn't know Chris Rock had this in him. As a stand-up, Rock is one of the greats. The way he evolved was incredibly impressive, and by the time he released "Bring The Pain," he was in complete command of his craft. He knew how to ride an audience to victory. On film, though, I don't think Rock has ever even approached mastering things the way he has with live performance. He's done stuff I've enjoyed, and one of the things that made his early work noteworthy was just how extreme he was. His scene in "I'm Gonna Git You Sucka" was one of that film's biggest laughs for me. For literally years afterwards, the thought of "One rib!" would kill me all over again. He got to play with Eddie Murphy in "Boomerang," and I remember being excited to see the two of them in a scene, knowing...

Amongst other things, this weekend’s release of A Haunted House 2 might make you wonder: Why are the Wayans brothers? That's not an incomplete thought, but a reflection of the existential malaise the barely-were comedians now inspire. Between this movie, its predecessor, a pair of Scary Movies, White Chicks, Dance Flick, and Little Man, Marlon, Shawn, and Keenen Ivory have racked up an embarrassment of embarrassments. Still, at least one Wayans has produced a good movie. 1988’s I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, written, directed by, and starring Keenen Ivory, is everything their recent efforts are not. While both Scary Movies and both A Haunted House movies look down on the horror genre they send up, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka lovingly sends up tropes used in blaxploitation films like Shaft, Dolemite, and Super Fly. In his film, Keenen Ivory broke the genre down to a main theme: black protagonists'...

Angie Dickinson has the credentials to read television's female law enforcers their rights, having been one of the earliest.

The veteran actress went from star of such movies as the original "Ocean's 11" and "The Killers" to home-screen staple in "Police Woman," NBC's "Police Story" spinoff that ran four seasons (1974-78). The show came at a time when women typically weren't drama-series leads ... and when told that other actresses cite her as someone who opened gates for them, Dickinson replies to Zap2it, "It's nice to be a standard bearer."

Ironically, she might not have been the performer who would become Sgt. Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson. "I happen to know that they wanted Karen Black for the 'Police Story' episode," Dickinson reports, "and as we were shooting that, they said, 'This could make a series.' They didn't have a separate series in mind at all when we started.

In the immortal words of Danny Glover, I'm getting too old for this shit.Modus Operandi is one of the glut of new school exploitation films shot with tongue firmly in cheek in the wake of financial disaster that was the Tarantino/Rodriguez double feature, Grindhouse. There are a few films that have managed this feat effectively, but so far, very few. My favorite of the new breed is Black Dynamite, which manages to use all of the tropes of blaxploitation in a credible way, while still managing to get solid laughs. It is everything I'm Gonna Git You Sucka should have been. Modus Operandi is no Black Dynamite, shit, it's not even I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. The film is so far up its own ass,...

On Super Bowl Sunday, the best and baddest of the professional football world will lay it on the line for the biggest of prizes. But only a select few will go on to achieve an even greater glory: movie superstardom.

Okay, the odds of anybody from the NFL rubbing shoulders with Daniel Day-Lewis is somewhat slim, but there have been several former players who have acquitted themselves well on the big screen.

Join us as we salute these gridiron heroes-turned-silver screen stars. (Pros only, please: Sorry, former college star The Rock.)

13. Dan Marino, 'Ace Ventura: Pet Detective' (1994)

"Laces out, Dan!" As the object of place kicker-turned-psycho killer Ray Finkel's madness, former Dolphins Qb great Dan Marino plays a key role in the mystery that leads Jim Carrey's wacky title character into a multiple-murder mystery. But what's surprising is the manner in which Marino acquits himself as an actor,...

Kim Wayans Actress Kim Wayans attends the 2011 Governors Awards in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Hollywood, on Saturday, November 12. [Photo: Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S.] James Earl Jones (The Great White Hope, the voice of Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies) was a long-distance Honorary Oscar honoree, as he's co-starring with Vanessa Redgrave in Driving Miss Daisy on the London stage; veteran makeup artist Dick Smith (Starman, Altered States, The Exorcist), however, was present at the ceremony to receive his Honorary Oscar. TV celebrity Oprah Winfrey, a 1985 Best Supporting Actress nominee for Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple, was the recipient of the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. Among Wayans' movie credits are I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Talking About Sex, Critics and Other Freaks, and A Low Down Dirty Shame. Wayans was also a regular on the television series In the House and In Living Color.