- Cleavant Derricks (actor)
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This article is about the Sliders actor. For his father, see Cleavant Derricks (songwriter).
Cleavant Derricks Born Cleavant Derricks, Jr.
May 15, 1953
Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S.Occupation Actor/Singer-songwriter Years active 1978–present Cleavant Derricks, Jr. (born May 15, 1953) is an American actor and singer-songwriter, who is best known for his role of Rembrandt Brown on Sliders.
Contents
Biography
Derricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee to a pianist mother and Baptist preacher/composer Cleavant Derricks, Sr.[1][2] 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 at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in her 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. He also starred in the Broadway musical Brooklyn as the Streetsinger.
Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as Moscow on the Hudson, Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and recently, Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls. He was a series regular on the television series Thea with Thea Vidale and Brandy, and Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. His role as Rembrandt Brown (known as the Crying Man) on Sliders with Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd and John Rhys-Davies is notable because Derricks is the only original Sliders actor to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as Roseanne, A Different World, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, Charmed and many others.
Filmography
- Cold Case (2007)
- The Wedding Bells (2007)
- Basilisk: the Serpent King (2006)
- The Bernie Mac Show (2002) as Willie
- World Traveler (2001) as Carl
- The Practice (2001) as Mr. Lees
- 18 Wheels of Justice (2000) as Harold Baines
- Charmed (2000) as Cleavant Wilson
- Touched by an Angel (1999) as Robert
- Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls (1998) as Sid
- Sliders (1995–2000) as Rembrandt 'Cryin' Man' Brown
- Something Wilder (1994–1995) as Caleb
- Thea (1993–1994) as Charles
- Woops! (1992)
- Drexell's Class (1991–1992) as George Foster
- Good Sports (1991) as Jeff Mussberger
- Sibs (1991)
- L.A. Law (1991) as Mark Wright
- A Different World (1991) as Larry
- Roseanne (1989)
- Moonlighting (1987) as Leonard Haven
- Spenser: For Hire (1987) as Mac Dickerson
- Bluffing It (1987) as Cal
- Mickey and Nora (1987) as Marvin
- The Equalizer (1986) as Sonny Raines
- Off Beat (1986) as Abe Washington
- Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife (1985) as Manny Alvarado
- Miami Vice (1985) as David Jones
- Moscow on the Hudson (1984) as Lionel Witherspoon
- The Ambush Murders (1982)
- Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) as Suspect #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
- ^ "Cleavant Derricks reveals his personal, professional soul". New York Amsterdam News. 8 February 1997. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-3294855.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
- ^ "Cleavant Derricks Biography". filmreference. 2008. http://www.filmreference.com/film/68/Cleavant-Derricks.html. Retrieved 2008-07-06.
External links
- Cleavant Derricks official website
- Cleavant Derricks at the Internet Broadway Database
- Cleavant Derricks at the Internet Movie Database
- "Exclusive Interviews: Cleavant Derricks". Earth Prime. http://earthprime.com/interviews/cleavant-derricks.html. Retrieved 2008-04-09.
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Ted Ross (1975) · George Rose (1976) · Ken Bichel / Michael Mark / John Miller / Joseph Saulter (1977) · Kevin Kline (1978) · Ken Jennings (1979) · Bob Gunton (1980) · Tony Azito (1981) · Cleavant Derricks (1982) · Charles Coles (1983) · Martin Vidnovic (1984) · René Auberjonois (1985) · Michael Rupert (1986) · Michael Maguire (1987) · Robert Westenberg (1988) · Michael Jeter (1990) · Bruce Adler (1991) · Scott Waara (1992) · Mark Michael Hutchinson (1993) · Jarrod Emick (1994) · Wilson Jermaine Heredia (1996) · Joel Grey (1997) · Gregg Edelman (1998) · Roger Bart (1999) · Stephen Spinella (2000)
Complete list · (1975–2000) · (2001–2025) Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical (1976–2000) Sammy Williams (1976) · Lenny Baker (1977) · Kevin Kline (1978) · Henderson Forsythe (1979) · Mandy Patinkin (1980) · Hinton Battle (1981) · Cleavant Derricks (1982) · Charles Coles (1983) · Hinton Battle (1984) · Ron Richardson (1985) · Michael Rupert (1986) · Michael Maguire (1987) · Bill McCutcheon (1988) · Scott Wise (1989) · Michael Jeter (1990) · Hinton Battle (1991) · Scott Waara (1992) · Anthony Crivello (1993) · Jarrod Emick (1994) · George Hearn (1995) · Wilson Jermaine Heredia (1996) · Chuck Cooper (1997) · Ron Rifkin (1998) · Roger Bart (1999) · Boyd Gaines (2000)
Complete list · (1947–1975) · (1976–2000) · (2001–2025) Categories:- 1953 births
- Living people
- African American actors
- African American musicians
- American film actors
- American musical theatre actors
- American television actors
- Drama Desk Award winners
- Identical twin actors
- Identical twins
- People from Knoxville, Tennessee
- Actors from Tennessee
- Tony Award winners
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