birth name	Sanaa McCoy Lathan
birth date	September 19, 1971
birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
yearsactive	1996–present
occupation	Actress/Voice actress }}

Sanaa McCoy Lathan (born September 19, 1971) is an American actress and voice actress. She has starred in numerous movies, including the box-office hits ''Love & Basketball'', ''Alien vs. Predator'', ''Something New'', and ''The Family That Preys''. Lathan was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance on Broadway in ''A Raisin in the Sun''. In 2010 she starred in the all-black performance of ''Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'' at the Novello Theatre in London.

Early life[link]

Lathan was born in New York City and attended Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics. Her first name means "brilliance" in Arabic and "work of art" in Swahili. She is of African American descent. Her mother, Eleanor McCoy, was an actress and dancer who performed on Broadway with Eartha Kitt. Her father, Stan Lathan, worked behind the scenes in television for PBS, as well as a producer on shows such as ''Sanford & Son'' and Russell Simmons' ''Def Comedy Jam''. Her brother is Tendaji Lathan (a DJ).

She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in English. Lathan contemplated a career in law, but instead enrolled at the Yale School of Drama.

Career[link]

Following her training at Yale, where she studied with Earle R. Gister and performed in a number of Shakespeare's plays, Lathan earned acclaim both off-Broadway and on the Los Angeles stage. Encouraged by her father to make Los Angeles her professional base, the young actress found early television roles on episodes of such shows as ''In the House'', ''Family Matters'', ''NYPD Blue'', and ''Moesha''. During that same period, she won raves and a Best Actress nod from the Los Angeles NAACP Theatrical Award Committee for her performance in ''To Take Arms''.

In 1998, Lathan earned a degree of recognition with her role as the mother of Wesley Snipes' title character in ''Blade''. She followed this the subsequent year with a role in ''Life'' with Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy and back-to-back turns in ''The Best Man'' and ''The Wood''. ''The Best Man'' was a comedic ensemble film, starring Taye Diggs, Nia Long, Harold Perrineau Jr., and Morris Chestnut. ''The Best Man'' went on to become one of the top ten highest grossing African American films in history and Lathan received a NAACP Image Award nomination for her performance. ''The Wood'', another ensemble film starring Diggs and Omar Epps, cast her as the love interest of Epps. Lathan and Epps were reunited onscreen in Gina Prince-Bythewood's ''Love & Basketball'', this time playing a couple as passionate about basketball as they are about each other. In reality, the couple was also dating at the time. The film served as a break-out role for Lathan, who played a leading character instead of the girlfriend of one. Her performance in Love & Basketball earned her the 2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture, as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress and a BET Award.

In 2000, Lathan appeared in the Off-Broadway production of "The Vagina Monologues" along with Teri Garr and Julianna Margulies.

In 2001, Lathan earned additional acclaim for her work in the multicultural comedy ''Catfish in Black Bean Sauce''. Next was her second collaboration with Prince-Bythewood: ''Disappearing Acts''; it is based on a novel by Terry McMillan. In the HBO movie, Lathan is cast as an aspiring singer/songwriter in love with a carpenter, played by her ‘’Blade’’ co-star Wesley Snipes. For her work in the film, Lathan earned an Essence Award for Best Actress, as well as the added assurance of a very busy work schedule. That year, she was named by ''Ebony'' magazine as one of its ''55 Most Beautiful People'' and was honoured by ''Essence'' magazine and Black Entertainment Television.

In 2002, Lathan starred in the romantic comedy, ''Brown Sugar'', alongside Diggs, Queen Latifah, and Mos Def. Lathan’s performance earned an NAACP Image Award Nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. The film also received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Motion Picture.

In 2004, Lathan starred on Broadway in ''A Raisin in the Sun'' with Sean Combs, Audra McDonald, and Phylicia Rashad. Lathan received a Tony Award nomination for Best Performance by a Featured Actress for her portrayal of Beneatha Younger. Several years later, Lathan reprised the role in a critically acclaimed ABC Network production of ''A Raisin in the Sun''.

Lathan subsequently starred in several major Hollywood films, including ''Alien vs. Predator'', which was Lathan's biggest role to date. ''Alien vs. Predator'' was a major success grossing over $171 million worldwide. ''Out of Time'' was also an important role for Lathan as she played the plot-twist antagonist, sharing the screen with protagonist Denzel Washington.

In 2006, Lathan co-starred with Simon Baker in ''Something New'', a romantic comedy about an interracial relationship. Lathan appeared in a recurring role as Michelle Landau in another interracial relationship as the much younger wife of a Texas businessman (Larry Hagman) during the fourth season of the television series, ''Nip/Tuck''.

Lathan played Andrea in Tyler Perry's ''The Family That Preys''. The film also features Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates; it was released in the U.S. on September 12, 2008.

In 2009, Lathan co-starred with Matthew Broderick in the drama ''Wonderful World''. She also began voicing the character Donna Tubbs on ''The Cleveland Show''.

Lathan is currently playing the title role in Second Stage Theatre's ''By The Way, Meet Vera Stark'' by Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage co-starring Stephanie J. Block, and David Garrison closing June 12.

In 2011, Lathan co-starred in the Stephen Soderbergh thriller ''Contagion'' alongside Matt Damon, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne.

Filmography[link]

Title ''Blade (film) ''The Wood'' ''Love & Basketball'' ''Brown Sugar (2002 film) ''Out of Time (2003 film) ''Alien vs. Predator (film) ''The Golden Blaze'' ''Something New (film) ''A Raisin in the Sun (2008 film) ''Wonderful World (film) ''The Cleveland Show'' ''Family Guy'' ''Contagion (film)

Year	|	Role	Other notes
rowspan="2"	1998	Blade'' ||	Vanessa Brooks
''Drive (1998 film)	Drive''	Carolyn Brody
rowspan=4	1999	|	Alicia
''The Best Man (1999 film)	The Best Man''	Robin
''Catfish in Black Bean Sauce''	Nina
''Life (film)	Life''	Daisy
rowspan=2	2000	|	Monica Wright, Monica Wright-McCall
''Disappearing Acts''	Zora Banks
2002	Brown Sugar'' ||	Sidney 'Sid' Shaw
2003	Out of Time'' ||	Ann Merai Harrison
2004	Alien vs. Predator'' ||	Alexa Woods
2005	|	Monica (voice)
rowspan=2	2006	Something New'' ||	Kenya McQueen
''Nip/Tuck''	Michelle Landau
rowspan=2	2008	A Raisin in the Sun'' ||	Beneatha Younger
''The Family That Preys''	Andrea Pratt-Bennett
rowspan=2	2009	Wonderful World'' ||	Khadi
''Powder Blue (film)	Powder Blue''	Diana
2009–present	|	Donna Tubbs (voice)	cast member
2010–present	|	Donna Tubbs (voice)	various episodes
2011	Contagion'' ||	Aubrey Cheever

Awards and nominations[link]

BET Award

:* 2001, Best Actress: (Winner)

Black Movie Awards

:* 2006, Best Actress: ''Something New'' (Nominated)

Black Reel Award

:* 2008, Best Actress: ''The Family That Preys'' (Nominated) :* 2006, Best Actress: ''Something New'' (Nominated) :* 2004, Best Actress: ''Out of Time'' (Winner) :* 2003, Best Actress: ''Brown Sugar'' (Nominated) :* 2001, Best Actress: ''Love & Basketball'' (Winner) :* 2001, Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series: ''Disappearing Acts'' (Nominated) :* 2009, Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie/Mini-Series: ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (nominated) :* 2007, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: ''Something New'' (Nominated) :* 2007, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: ''Nip/Tuck'' (Nominated) :* 2004, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: ''Out of Time'' (Nominated) :* 2003, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: ''Brown Sugar'' (Nominated) :* 2001, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: ''Love & Basketball'' (Winner) :* 2000, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: 'The Best Man' (Nominated)

Independent Spirit Awards

:* 2001, Best Female Lead: ''Love & Basketball'' (Nominated)

Theatre World Award

:* 2004 ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (Winner)

Tony Award

:* 2003, Best Featured Actress in a Play: ''A Raisin in the Sun'' (Nominated)

References[link]

External links[link]

Sanaa Lathan at AskMen.com

;Interviews

Essence Interview (September, 2008)

MSNBC interview (February 2, 2006)

MetroMix interview (February 2, 2006)

BlackFilm interview (January, 2006)

Latino Review interview (August, 2004)

BlackFilm interview (August, 2004)

Category:1971 births Category:Actors from New York City Category:African-American film actors Category:African-American television actors Category:American stage actors Category:American voice actors Category:Living people Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni Category:Yale School of Drama alumni

ar:سانا لاثان de:Sanaa Lathan es:Sanaa Lathan fr:Sanaa Lathan gl:Sanaa Lathan it:Sanaa Lathan sw:Sanaa Lathan pl:Sanaa Lathan pt:Sanaa Lathan ru:Латан, Сэна sr:Сана Лејтан sh:Sanaa Lathan

name	Keyshia Cole
background	solo_singer
alias	The Princess of Hip-Hop Soul, Keyshia Gibson
birth date	October 15, 1981
origin	Oakland, California, U.S.
instrument	Vocals
genre	R&B;, hip hop, soul, hip hop soul
occupation	Singer–songwriter, actress
years active	2004–present
label	Geffen
website	keyshiacole.com }}

Keyshia Cole (born October 15, 1981) is an American singer–songwriter and actress. She gained nationwide acclaim when her 2005 debut album, ''The Way It Is'' went platinum. Her second album ''Just Like You'' went into production shortly after that and was released in September 2007. Her third studio album, ''A Different Me'' was released on December 16, 2008 and is certified Gold for selling 900,000+ units in the United States. She also achieved moderate success for her reality/documentary series ''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is'' which aired on BET from 2006-2008 which gave a close look at Cole's career and personal life with her biological mother and sister. In December 2010, she released her fourth studio album, ''Calling All Hearts''.

Biography[link]

1981-03: Early life and career beginnings[link]

Keyshia Cole was born on October 15, 1981 in Oakland, California, where she was raised. Cole was born to Francine "Frankie" Lons and Sal, her now deceased father. She was later adopted by family friend Yvonne Cole and raised by Yvonne's husband's family and friends from the age of two. Yvonne learned that Cole could sing when she was five. At a school function, she snuck away from her mother and the next thing she knew, Cole had won a talent show. Along with her brother Sean, Cole was first introduced to the music industry at the age of 12, when she met and recorded with MC Hammer. She later formed a friendship with Tupac Shakur, who promised to help start her singing career before he died unexpectedly. Cole remembers Shakur as "really outspoken and really bright. He was definitely a guy who gave off a superstar vibe." Cole moved to Los Angeles when she was 18 to pursue a music career. During this time, Cole collaborated with artists from her native Bay Area, among them D'Wayne Wiggins of Tony Toni Tone and Messy Marv. In 2002, she was introduced to A&M; Records executive Ron Fair, who signed her and began mentoring her after hearing her singing a verse of her hit song "Love".

In anticipation of her debut album, Cole and DJ Green Lantern released a mixtape, ''Team Invasion Presents Keyshia Cole'', in June 2005. It featured appearances by Shyne, Remy Ma, Fat Joe and Ghostface Killah. The mixtape was composed mostly of songs recorded over popular hip-hop instrumentals, including 2Pac's "I Get Around", Nas' "Ether", Mobb Deep's "Shook Ones (Part II)" and Scarface's "Guess Who's Back", among others. The singles "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", a remix of "I Changed My Mind", "I Should Have Cheated", and "Love" were also included.

2004–05: ''The Way It Is'' and marriage proposal[link]

Cole's debut single, "Never", featuring Eve, was released on March 23, 2004 to promote the soundtrack to the film, ''Barbershop 2: Back in Business''. The single failed to chart, and Cole proceeded to record her debut album for the rest of 2004 and into early 2005. "Never" eventually became the final song on ''The Way It Is''. On November 9, 2004, Cole released her first official single, "I Changed My Mind", featuring Kanye West. The single reached #71 in the US, and was not a huge hit for Cole. The second single from the album, "(I Just Want It) To Be Over", was released on April 5, 2005, and reached #1 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 (#101). Cole completed her debut album in early 2005. ''The Way It Is'' was released on June 21, 2005. It debuted at number six on the ''Billboard'' 200, selling 89,000 copies in the first week of release. It has since sold 1.6 million copies in the US, receiving a Platinum certification from the RIAA. The third single from the album, "I Should Have Cheated" was released on August 3, 2005, and reached #30 on the Hot 100. The fourth and final single, "Love" was released on January 6, 2006 and reached #19 on the Hot 100 and #3 on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. It has been regarded as Cole's "breakthrough single" by many.

From early 2005 to late 2007, Cole dated rapper Young Jeezy, but the relationship ended after she declined a marriage proposal from him.

2006–07: ''Just Like You'' and ''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is''[link]

Cole began work on her second album in early 2006, shortly after the release of her debut album. She was featured on the single "Last Night" by Diddy, which was the third single from his fourth studio album, ''Press Play''. The recording of her second album was documented on her reality TV show, ''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is'' in late 2006 and early 2007. Cole's second album, ''Just Like You'', was due for a release on July 8, 2007, but wasn't released until September 25, 2007. It spawned three #1 singles, "Let It Go featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, "I Remember", and "Heaven Sent" which stayed at #1 on the US Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart for 9 weeks. Other guest artists included Too $hort, Anthony Hamilton, Young Dro, T.I., and Cole's artist, Amina, on the top ten single "Shoulda Let You Go". ''Just Like You'' debuted at #2 on the US ''Billboard'' 200 chart, selling 281,000 copies in its first week, and has proceeded to sell 1.6 million copies in the US, earning a Platinum certification from the RIAA, like her debut. The album was nominated for four Grammys, Best Contemporary R&B; Album and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2008 Grammy Awards and Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance and Best R&B; Song at the 2009 Grammy Awards.

The lead single from the album, "Let It Go", featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim, was released on June 19, 2007. The single is Cole's most successful single to date, as it reached #7 in the US and #1 on US Hip/Hop R&B; charts. The second single, "Shoulda Let You Go", featuring and introducing Cole's best friend Amina, was released on October 19, 2007, and was mildly successful, by reaching #41 in the US. The third single from the album, "I Remember" was released on December 5, 2007. The single was highly successful, by reaching #24 in the US. The fourth and final single was the critically acclaimed "Heaven Sent", was released on March 7, 2008. It reached #1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart for nine weeks, and #28 in the US. Cole was featured on Jaheim's third single, "I've Changed", off his fourth album, ''The Makings of a Man'' and Keith Sweat's "Love U Better" which was featured on the ''Why Did I Get Married?'' soundtrack and his ninth studio album ''Just Me''.

In 2006, BET broadcast a reality show/documentary entitled ''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is'' to show Cole's life in making music, touring, and being with her family. Although being a rating success, the show failed to promote her debut, ''The Way It Is'' as the album stayed at selling 1.5 million units. In conjunction with her second album release, ''Just Like You'', BET began airing the second season on October 30, 2007. The show premiered to record breaking ratings for BET. It is the top returning series premiere in BET history, as well as the number one original series premiere of the year. A reported 2.9 million viewers and 2.0 million households watched the season 2 finale. It is now the #1 series telecast in BET history. Season 3 of the series was filmed in Summer 2008 and premiered on November 11, 2008 and featured the process of recording and touring for Cole's third album, ''A Different Me''. The show was rumored to be having a fourth season, however; Cole has concluded that there will not be a fourth season. On Tuesday, August 25, 2009, Cole's mother and sister debuted their own reality show titled ''Frankie & Neffe'' on BET. Their show's season finale aired on Tuesday, October 6, 2009.

2008–09: ''A Different Me'' and collaborations[link]

In 2008, Cole made guest appearances on songs such as "I Got a Thang for You" with rapper Trina on her album ''Still Da Baddest'' and "Boyfriend/Girlfriend" with hip-hop band C-Side on their album ''Class In Session''. She also made a guest appearance in the music video for "She Got Her Own", by singers Ne-Yo Jamie Foxx and in the song "Game's Pain" by Compton-based rapper The Game. Cole is also featured on the charity song "Just Stand Up", which was released in August 2008 and raises money for cancer research along with various pop, hip-hop, and R&B; artists that year. As a result of SU2C fund raising endeavors, the SU2C scientific advisory committee, overseen by the American Association for Cancer Research was able to award 73.6 million dollars towards novel, groundbreaking cancer research. Cole embarked on the I Am Music Tour with Keri Hilson, Lil' Wayne, and T-Pain from December 2008 to February 2009.

She released her third studio album, ''A Different Me'', on December 16, 2008. It debuted at number two on the US ''Billboard'' 200, selling 322,000 copies in its first week. The album has gone on to sell over 1,020,000 copies in the US, and receiving a platinum certification from the RIAA. The album was preceded by lead single "Playa Cardz Right", featuring the late rapper 2Pac, which was released on October 28, 2008, and reached #63 on the Hot 100. The second single from the album, "You Complete Me", was released on January 20, 2009, and reached #62 on the Hot 100, making the first and second singles mild hits. Cole released the third and final single from the album, "Trust", a duet with Monica, on May 5, 2009, and reached #5 on the Billboard Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs chart, and #70 on the US Hot 100. The fourth single from ''A Different Me'' was confirmed as "This is Us", and was due for a release in September 2009, but it was never released. For promotion towards ''A Different Me'', Cole went on her first headlining tour, A Different Me Tour in summer of 2009 with opening acts, Keri Hilson, The-Dream, and Bobby Valentino. Cole was on the cover of the March 2009 issue of ''Vibe'', and was on the cover of the Summer 2009 final double-cover issue of ''King''. Keyshia and Yvonne Cole appeared on the June issue of ''Sister 2 Sister'' magazine. In 2009, she also made a guest appearance on Keri Hilson's "Get Your Money Up" from her debut album ''In a Perfect World…''. Cole began work on her fourth studio album in early 2009 also with Jasmyne. In September 2009, Cole was featured on the remix of R. Kelly's single "Number One" along with T-Pain. She is also currently listed as one of the inspirations for Pepsi: We Inspire. Cole also worked with Gucci Mane on the song "Bad, Bad, Bad" from ''The State vs Radric Davis''.

2010–11: ''Calling All Hearts'', marriage and motherhood[link]

On June 27, 2010 she returned to the spotlight for her first televised appearance since the birth of her son, filling in for Hayley Williams to sing the chorus to B.o.B.'s "Airplanes (Part II)", featuring Eminem during the 2010 BET Awards. Cole featured on Faith Evans album ''Something About Faith''. In August 2009, Cole announced that she was beginning work on her fourth studio album ''Calling All Hearts'' which was released on December 21, 2010. This album contains featured tracks from artists such as Timbaland, Nicki Minaj, Tank and Faith Evans. As a special feature, Cole's mother, Dr. Yvonne Cole, is featured on the album as well. In September 2010, Cole stated that her fourth studio album would be released on December 21, 2010. ''Calling All Heart''s first single, entitled "I Ain't Thru", features Minaj and was released by Cole herself via Twitter on October 15, 2010. She released the video to "I Ain't Thru" on ''106 and Park'' along with "Long Way Down" which Interscope Records did not release as a commercial single. In February 2011, Cole released her second single from ''Calling All Hearts'', "Take Me Away", to urban radio after being chosen in a poll by her fans on Twitter. Cole performed the single on January 19, 2011 on ''Conan'' after releasing Imani Entertainment as her management. The single's video, directed by Taj Stansberry, premiered on VEVO on April 18, 2011 and was also released on ''106 and Park'' on the same day. The song has since then peaked on the Billboard US Hot R&B;/Hip Hop Songs at #27. To promote ''Calling All Hearts'', Cole was a part of the Love Letter tour with R. Kelly and Marsha Ambrosius.

In March 2009, Cole began dating Daniel Gibson of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. and became engaged to him on January 1, 2010. On February 4, 2010, the pregnant Cole was hospitalized for precautionary reasons. On March 1, 2010 Cole was admitted into the hospital with labor pains. One of Cole's closest friends, R&B; singer Monica, confirmed the labor situation via her official Twitter page. On March 2, 2010, Cole gave birth to her first child, a boy, named Daniel Hiram Gibson Jr. On May 21, 2011, Cole and Gibson went to Cleveland for a private wedding ceremony. On September 24, 2011, Cole and Gibson held a big wedding ceremony in Hawaii, which will be aired on their show Family First. Cole currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio and Johns Creek, Georgia.

2011–present: ''Woman to Woman'' and ''Family First''[link]

Cole started development on this project shortly after her 2010 release, ''Calling All Hearts''. She has disclosed that she was working with writer Ester Dean. She has also collaborated with producers Boi-1da, Cool & Dre, Bangladesh, J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, Toxic and Earl Powell. This is Cole's first album to be released without A&R; Executive Ron Fair. Cole says this album is not like any other album she has released becoming her most evolved album thus far. Cole has stated that she would like to have R&B; singers Brandy and Monica on this album. She also tweeted that long awaited collaborator Trey Songz would likely be on the album. Cole tweeted on October 14, 2011 that the first single from her forthcoming new album ''Woman To Woman'' will be released during the first week of January. The album is believed to have 15 tracks to be chosen. It is slated to be released commercially in the spring of 2012.

She is featured on a song called "Legendary" by DJ Khaled, also featuring Chris Brown and Ne-Yo. It is the fourth single from Khaled's fifth album ''We the Best Forever''. Cole was nominated for an MP3 Music Award in October 2011 and won in December 2011 for her R&B; hit "Take Me Away".

In mid-July, Cole tweeted that she, her husband Daniel, and James DeBose will be launching a new reality TV show, entitled ''Family First'', which began shooting shortly after the announcement. During the six episode series, Cole will be crafting her follow up album to ''Calling All Hearts''. "I just kind of lay out all my emotions then we start from there. I usually work with big name producers and stuff like once all from my heart and soul is out that I need to get out," Cole said. Aside from a look into the making of her yet to be titled album, Cole and husband, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson, re-wed during the taping of Family First. The show is currently in production and will premiere in the third quarter of 2012.

Artistry[link]

Musical style and voice[link]

Cole is known differently for the way she uses her vocals. She is a soprano with a 2.5/3 octave. Her voice is favored because it is said, mostly by critics, that it is powered by angst. Cole found herself positioned alongside fellow young urban female singers like Brandy, Monica, and Beyoncé. Yet Cole had an edge over her peers—a street edge. Having grown up in Oakland and lived there most of her young life, she knew life wasn't all glitter and gold like it was in Hollywood. She knew the streets, and that inner-city viewpoint informs many of her songs, which are generally a bit rougher and less naïve than those of your typical young female urban vocalist.

Influences[link]

Cole grew up listening to mentors such as Tupac Shakur and Faith Evans. She cites Mary J. Blige and Brandy as the biggest of her musical inspirations and influences. In an interview Cole spoke about artists from the 1980s that influenced her, "Anita Baker, Her voice is incredible and her lyrics are deep, really listen to them. Big Daddy Kane, The original...you can’t think Brooklyn or door knockers and not think Big Daddy Kane, smooth operator: One of hip hop’s pioneers. LL Cool J, One of the first Mc’s to really dissect lyrics and turn them inside out; and he made it sexy! MC Lyte, The female MC that rhymes in such a way that you don’t care if she was male or female...her voice tone is crazy, and her lyrical game bananas. Queen Latifah, She represented the strong female MC, she showed us and taught us about flow and lyrical dexterity. Kid N' Play, They showed you how to take your rap game to the next level...movies!".

Discography[link]

''The Way It Is'' (2005)

''Just Like You'' (2007)

''A Different Me'' (2008)

''Calling All Hearts'' (2010)

''Woman to Woman'' (2012)

Tours[link]

Sweatsuit Tour (opening for Nelly) (2005)

Dreamin' Tour (performing with Young Jeezy) (2007)

Double Up Tour (opening for R. Kelly) (2007)

I Am Music Tour (opening for Lil Wayne) (2008)

A Different Me Tour (headliner) (2009)

Love Letter Tour (opening for R. Kelly) (2011)

Filmography[link]

Television

Year	Title
2005	''All of Us'' (Guest appearance)
2006	''The Shop'' (Guest appearance)
2006–2008	''Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is''
	''Snoop Dogg's Father Hood'' (Guest appearance)
''Paris Hilton's My New BFF'' (Guest appearance)
''BET's 106 and Park'' (Guest appearance)
''BET Awards

Films

''How She Move'' (2008) - Herself

Awards and nominations[link]

style="background:#B0C4DE;"	Year	Award/nomination
rowspan="3"	2005
Vibe Award Nomination for ''R&B; Voice of the Year'' & ''Vibe Vixen''
NAACP Image Awards Nomination for ''Best New Artist''
	BET Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B; Artist'' & ''Viewer's Choice''
Soul Train Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B;/Soul Single'' & ''Best Female R&B;/Soul Album''
American Music Awards Nomination for ''Favorite Female Artist''
	Soul Train Music Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B;/Soul Single''
Urban Music Awards Nomination for ''Best Collaboration 2007''
BET Awards Nomination for ''Best Collaboration''
Win ASCAP Award for ''R&B;/Hip Hop Song'' ("Love")
	Grammy Awards Nomination for ''Best Rap/Sung Collaboration'' ("Let It Go")
Grammy Awards Nomination for ''Best Contemporary R&B; Album'' (Just Like You)
BET Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B; Artist''
BET Awards Nomination for ''Best Collaboration'' ("Let It Go")
BET Awards Nomination for ''Viewer's Choice Award''
Early Entertainment Awards Win for ''Video of The Week'' (Heaven Sent)
	Grammy Awards Nomination for ''Best R&B; Song'' (Heaven Sent)
Grammy Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance'' (Heaven Sent)
BET Awards Nomination for ''Best Female R&B; Artist''
American Music Award Nomination for ''Favorite Female R&B;/Soul Artist''
Soul Train Music Award Nomination for ''Best Collaboration'' (Trust feat. Monica)
Win Mp3 Music Awards for ''The JSB Award'' (Take Me Away)

References[link]

External links[link]

Official website

Category:1981 births Category:Living people Category:African-American film actors Category:African American female singer-songwriters Category:American adoptees Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American sopranos Category:Hip hop singers Category:Keyshia Cole Category:Musicians from California Category:People from Oakland, California Category:Reality television participants

ar:كيشيا كول bg:Кийша Коул de:Keyshia Cole el:Κίσια Κόουλ es:Keyshia Cole fr:Keyshia Cole ko:키샤 콜 hi:कीशिया कोल it:Keyshia Cole sw:Keyshia Cole nl:Keyshia Cole ja:キーシャ・コール no:Keisha Cole pl:Keyshia Cole pt:Keyshia Cole ro:Keyshia Cole ru:Коул, Кейша simple:Keyshia Cole fi:Keyshia Cole sv:Keyshia Cole tr:Keyshia Cole

name	Nia Long
name	Nia Long
birth date	October 30, 1970
birth place	Brooklyn, New York, United States
yearsactive	1986–present
occupation	Actress }}

Nia Talita Long (born October 30, 1970) is an American actress. She is best known for her roles in the television series ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' and ''Third Watch'', and the films ''Boyz n the Hood, Boiler Room'', ''Soul Food'', ''Love Jones'', ''The Best Man'', ''Big Momma's House'', and ''Are We There Yet?''.

Early years[link]

Long was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Talita, a teacher and printmaker, and Doughtry "Doc" Long, a high school teacher and poet. Her family is of Afro-Trinidadian descent. Her name, Nia, is one of the seven days of Kwanzaa, which means ''purpose'' in Swahili. Long was only two years old when her parents were divorced. She moved to Iowa City, Iowa, where her mother studied fine arts. Long subsequently moved to a South Los Angeles neighborhood when she was seven year old, where her mother was supposed to get married. The wedding was called off, but Talita had fallen in love with L.A. and they stayed. Long's father currently resides in Trenton, New Jersey. Long's half-sister is comedienne Sommore, one of the stars of ''The Queens of Comedy''.

Long attended the Roman Catholic school St. Mary's Academy and studied ballet, tap, jazz, gymnastics, guitar, and acting. She graduated from Westchester High School in 1989. Due to the lack of employment opportunities in the arts in Los Angeles when Long and her mother first arrived there, Long's mother took various low-paying jobs (despite having two master's degrees). The family suffered through financial struggle for years.

Career[link]

Long's acting coach was Betty Bridges, better known as the mother of ''Diff'rent Strokes'' star Todd Bridges. Her earliest role was in the Disney television movie, ''The B.R.A.T Patrol'' alongside Sean Astin, Tim Thomerson and Brian Keith. Her first notable role on television was a three-year contract role as Kathryn "Kat" Speakes on the soap opera ''Guiding Light''. Long portrayed Kat from 1991 to 1994. From 1994 - 1995, she played Will Smith's girlfriend and fiancée Beulah "Lisa" Wilkes on ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air''. Jada Pinkett-Smith was originally supposed to play Lisa, but was too short for the role (opposite a 6'2" Will Smith), thus leaving Nia to take the part. In 2003, she joined the cast of the drama ''Third Watch'', where she played NYPD Officer Sasha Monroe, continuing until the series finale in 2005. In 2005 and 2006, Long appeared on ''Everwood'', and appeared on ''Boston Legal'' during its 2006-2007 season. Long also starred in ''Big Shots'' from 2007-2008 alongside Michael Vartan and Dylan McDermott.

Long appeared in supporting roles in a number of movies such as ''Boyz n the Hood'', ''Friday'', and ''Made in America''. Long played a leading role, or a member of the primary ensemble, in several films, including ''Soul Food'', ''Love Jones'', ''Boiler Room'', ''Big Momma's House'', ''Are We There Yet?'', and ''The Best Man''. Ice Cube has starred with her in four films, while (fellow Westchester High alum) Regina King has starred with her in two. Long starred alongside Michael Beach in ''Soul Food'' and in the TV series ''Third Watch''.

Long appears in the video for Kanye West's "Touch the Sky". She directed Yolanda Adams's music video for "This Too Shall Pass". She won a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2004 for her performance on ''Third Watch''. Long co-directed and appeared in Ashanti's music video, "Baby". She also made a guest appearance on the successful sitcom ''Living Single'' during its first season. She then got in contact with Gina Wilson because she wanted to become an actress also.

Personal life[link]

Long and her former long-time boyfriend and fellow actor Massai Z. Dorsey have a son, Massai Zhivago Dorsey II, born on November 26, 2000. Dorsey and Long were engaged to be married, but the pair have since ended their relationship.

With regard to being a working mother, Long says "she is up for the challenge so long as it does not require disturbing her family's well-being". "If I’m gonna hustle, I want to hustle in one place... I uprooted everything, moved to New York for two years, moved back and it was great but I really am enjoying the stability."

Nia Long gave birth to her second child, a boy named Kez Sunday Udoka on November 7, 2011. The baby's father is Long's boyfriend NBA Basketball player Ime Udoka.

Filmography[link]

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- align="center" ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | 1990 | ''Buried Alive'' | Fingers | |- | 1991 | ''Boyz n the Hood'' | Brandi | |- | 1993 | ''Made in America'' | Zora Mathews | |- | 1995 | ''Friday'' | Debra also known as Debbie | |- | rowspan=3|1997 | ''Love Jones'' | Nina Mosley | |- | ''Hav Plenty'' | Trudy | |- | ''Soul Food'' | Bird | |- | 1998 | ''Butter'' | Carmen Jones | |- | rowspan=5|1999 | ''In Too Deep'' | Myra | |- | ''The Best Man'' | Jordan Armstrong | |- | ''Stigmata'' | Donna Chadway | |- |''Held Up'' | Rae | |- | ''The Secret Laughter of Women'' | Nimi Da Silva | |- | rowspan=3|2000 | ''The Broken Hearts Club: A Romantic Comedy'' | Leslie | |- | ''Boiler Room'' | Abbie Halpert | |- | ''Big Momma's House'' | Sherry Pierce | |- | 2003 |''BAADASSSSS!'' | Sandra | |- | rowspan=2|2004 | ''The N-Word'' | herself | Documentary |- | ''Alfie'' | Lonette | |- |2005 | ''Are We There Yet?'' | Suzanne Kingston | |- | 2006 | ''Big Momma's House 2'' | Sherry Pierce-Turner | |- | rowspan=2|2007 | ''Premonition'' | Annie | |- |''Are We Done Yet?'' | Suzanne Kingston-Persons | |- | 2008 | Gospel Hill | Mrs. Palmer | |- |2009 | ''Good Hair'' | Herself | Documentary |- |2010 | ''Mooz-lum'' | Safiyah | |}

Television[link]

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- align="center" ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Year ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Film ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Role ! style="background: #B0C4DE;" | Notes |- | rowspan=2|1986 | ''227'' | Girl | 1 episode |- | The B.R.A.T. Patrol | Darla Perkins | |- | 1991–1993 | ''Guiding Light'' | Katherine 'Kat' Speakes | unknown episodes |- | 1991–1995 | ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' | Lisa Wilkes | 16 episodes |- | 1993 | ''Living Single | Stacey Evans | 1 episode |- | 1995–1996 | ''Live Shot'' | Ramona Greer | 1 episode |- | rowspan=2|1996 | ''Moesha'' | babysitter | 2 episodes |- |''ER'' |Christy Wilson | 1 episode |- |1998 | Black Jaq | Jaqueline 'Jaq' Blackman | (unsold pilot) |- | 2000 |''If These Walls Could Talk 2'' | Karen | "1972" segment'' |- | 2001–2002 | ''Judging Amy'' | Andrea Solomon | 6 episodes |- | 2002 | ''Sightings: Heartland Ghost'' | Lou | Television Movie |- | 2003–2005 | ''Third Watch'' | Officer Sasha Monroe | 45 episodes |- |2006 | ''Everwood'' | Cassie | 1 episode |- | 2007 | ''Boston Legal'' | Herself | 3 episodes |- | 2007–2008 | ''Big Shots'' | Katie Ghrham | 11 episodes |- | 2009–2010 | ''The Cleveland Show'' | Roberta Tubbs | 13 episodes |- |}

Awards and nominations[link]

BET Comedy Awards
! Year	! Category	! Result
2005	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Theatrical Film (Alfie)

Black Reel Awards
! Year	! Category	! Result
2005	Best Supporting Actress (Alfie)
2001	Best Supporting Actress (Boiler Room)
2000	Best Actress (The Best Man)

Image Awards
! Year	! Category	! Result
2005	Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama ("Third Watch")
2004	Outstanding Actress in a Television Drama ("Third Watch")
	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (Big Momma's House)
Outstanding Actress in Television Movie/Mini-Series (If These Walls Could Talk 2)
2000	Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture (The Best Man)

References[link]

External links[link]

Ask Men - Nia Long

Nia Long poses nude for PETA

Category:1970 births Category:Actors from California Category:Actors from New York Category:African American dancers Category:African-American film actors Category:African-American television actors Category:American music video directors Category:American people of Trinidad and Tobago descent Category:American soap opera actors Category:Living people Category:People from Brooklyn Category:People from Iowa City, Iowa

ar:نيا لونغ az:Nia Lonq de:Nia Long es:Nia Long eo:Nia Long fo:Nia Long fr:Nia Long it:Nia Long nl:Nia Long pl:Nia Long pt:Nia Long ru:Лонг, Ниа simple:Nia Long sr:Нија Лонг sh:Nia Long fi:Nia Long tl:Nia Long tr:Nia Long

name	Kevin Michael Richardson
birth date	October 25, 1964
birth place	The Bronx, New York, U.S.
height	6.0
alias	Kevin M. Richards, Kevin Michael Richards, Kevin M. Richardson, Kevin Richardson, KMR
occupation	Actor, voice actor
yearsactive	1991–present
spouse	Monica Richardson (2006–present)
website	http://www.kevinmichaelrichardson.com }}

Kevin Michael Richardson (born October 25, 1964) is an American actor and voice actor who is well known for his wide variety of voice work since the early 1990's. He is also known for being the voice of Tartarus in the video game ''Halo 2'', Robert Hawkins in ''Static Shock'' and as Captain Gantu in ''Lilo & Stitch''. He currently provides the voice of Cleveland Brown, Jr. in ''The Cleveland Show''.

Early life[link]

A classically-trained actor and a native of the Bronx, New York, Richardson first gained recognition as one of only eight U.S. high school students selected for the National Foundation for the Arts' "Arts '82" program. As a result of this he earned a scholarship to Syracuse University and a spot on a PBS special directed by the esteemed late John Houseman.

Career[link]

Richardson has usually portrayed villainous characters due to his deep and powerful voice.

His credits include Mr. Gantu from ''Stitch! The Movie'', Shnitzel from Chowder (The first episode; later replaced by John DiMaggio), Goro in ''Mortal Kombat'', the second voice of Skulker on ''Danny Phantom'', Sarevok in the ''Baldur's Gate'' series, Jolee Bindo in ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'', Crunch Bandicoot in two of the ''Crash Bandicoot'' games, Tartarus from ''Halo 2'', Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman Drek in ''Ratchet & Clank'', Antauri in ''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'', Openly Gator from ''Queer Duck'', Doctor Payne and other characters on ''The Proud Family'', Darth Laser (an obvious parody of Darth Vader) on ''Fairly Oddparents'', Maurice the Aye-Aye from ''The Penguins of Madagascar'', and the voice of Exile in the late 1990s cartoon ''Road Rovers''. Richardson replaced Keith David as the voice of Tombstone on ''The Spectacular Spider-Man''. In 2001, he voiced Barney Rubble on the TV animated movie ''The Flintstones: On the Rocks'', his version of Barney Rubble's voice was more similar to the early Mel Blanc voice than to the Ed Norton imitation, which Blanc later used on the original ''Flintstones''.

In 2004 he became the first African-American to voice the Joker for the Kids WB animated series, ''The Batman''.

In 2008, he did the voice of a hero, Bishop for ''Wolverine and the X-Men''. Later, he did the voice of Nick Fury on ''The Super Hero Squad Show''.

He often plays characters based on and satirizing comedian Bill Cosby, such as on ''Family Guy'' (with the voice of Jerome in "Jerome is the New Black") and ''The Boondocks''. He also voices Cleveland Brown, Jr. and Lester Krinklesac and numerous others on ''The Cleveland Show''.

Richardson's current voice roles (as of 2011) include Panthro in the 2011 ''Thundercats'' series, Martian Manhunter on ''Young Justice'', and Bulkhead, one of the lead characters on ''Transformers: Prime''.

He played Kilowog in ''Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters'', the video game sequel to the live-action film ''Green Lantern'', and later reprised the role in the animated series ''Green Lantern: The Animated Series''.

Personal life[link]

Richardson married his wife Monica in May 2006.

Filmography[link]

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Film ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 1991 | ''Felix the Cat: The Movie'' | Additional voices | rowspan = 2 | Voice |- | 1992 | ''Porco Rosso'' | Mamma Aiuto Gang |- | 1993 | ''Fatal Instinct'' | Bailiff |- | 1994 | ''Pom Poko'' | BuntaWonderland President |- | rowspan = "3" | 1995 | ''Mortal Kombat'' | Goro |- | '''' | Staff Member |- | ''Stuart Saves His Family'' | | uncredited |- | rowspan = "3" | 1996 | ''Spy Hard'' | "Michael Winslow" Security Guard | uncredited |- | ''All Dogs Go to Heaven 2'' | St. BernardOfficer Andrews |- | ''Bound'' | Cop #2 |- | 1998 | ''BASEketball'' | Peripatetic Player |- | rowspan = "2" |2000 | ''Whispers: An Elephant's Tale'' | Adult Whispers |- | ''Rugrats in Paris: The Movie'' | Sumo Singer |- | rowspan = "2"|2001 | ''Summoning'' | Bill |- | ''Recess: School's Out'' | Cop #2 |- | 2003 | ''Stitch! The Movie'' | Mr. Gantu | rowspan = "2" | Voice |- | rowspan = "4" | 2002 | '''' | Ojo TangoRocko Socko |- | ''Lilo & Stitch'' | Captain Gantu |- | '''' | Henry Dixon Taylor |- | '''' | Shaman Mnyambo | Voice |- | rowspan = "2" | 2003 | ''Elysium'' | Christopher |- | '''' | Deus Ex Machina |- | rowspan = "2" | 2004 | ''Adventures in Animation 3D'' | Coach |- | ''Teacher's Pet'' | Conductor |- | 2005 | ''Hoodwinked!'' | P-Biggie |- | rowspan = "3" | 2006 | '''' | Samson's Father |- | ''Clerks II'' | Police Officer | |- | ''Tales from Earthsea'' | Additional voices |- | rowspan = "2" | 2007 | ''Happily N'Ever After'' | Additional voices |- | ''TMNT'' | General Aguila | rowspan = "3" | Voice |- | 2008 | ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' | Jabba the Hutt |- | rowspan = "3" | 2009 | ''La Mission'' | Dee |- | ''Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'' | Prime #2Rampage |- | '''' | Ian the Gator |- |2011 | ''Phineas and Ferb The Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension'' | Normbots | Voice |- |}

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Television ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 1989–present | '''' | Security guardAdditional Voices | rowspan = "3" | Voice |- | 1991 | ''Rugrats'' | Additional Voices |- | 1995–1997 | '''' | Mayor Mortimer Tilton |- | rowspan = "2" | 1996–1997 | ''Homeboys in Outer Space'' | Vashti | Live action |- | ''Road Rovers'' | Exile (the Siberian Husky) | rowspan = "30" | Voice |- | 1996–2000 | ''Adventures from the Book of Virtues'' | Plato |- | 1998–2000 | ''Voltron: The Third Dimension'' | HunkZarkon |- | 1999–2001 | '''' | Poppa HudsonRasta Man |- | 1999–2001 | '''' | Garth |- | 2000–2001 | ''Cardcaptors'' | Clow card announcer |- | rowspan = "2" | 2000–2002 | ''Clerks: The Animated Series'' | Various characters |- | ''Max Steel'' | DogVarious Characters |- | 2000–2004 | ''Static Shock'' | Robert HawkinsKangor |- | 2001–2002; 2006 | ''Invader Zim'' | Various characters |- | 2001–2003 | '''' | The Minotaur |- | 2001–2005 | '''' | OmarDr. PayneAdditional Voices |- | 2001–present | '''' | AJ's DadDark LaserVarious |- | 2002–2008 | ''Codename: Kids Next Door'' | Cheese NinjaCheese Shogun RoguefortDr. LincolnIce Cream BeastIce Cream MenTeen Ninjas |- | rowspan = "2" | 2003–2006 | ''Lilo & Stitch: The Series'' | Mr. Gantu |- | ''Teen Titans'' | MammothSee-MoreTrigonRiver Guardian |- | 2003–2008 | ''All Grown Up!'' | Various |- | rowspan = "2" | 2004–2005 | ''Dave the Barbarian'' | Uncle OswidgeKing Throktar |- | ''Megas XLR'' | Glorft CommanderTinyGeorgie |- | 2004–2006 | ''Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'' | AntauriMorlath |- | 2004–2007 | ''Danny Phantom'' | Dragon GhostSkulker |- | rowspan = "2" | 2004–2008 | ''Higglytown Heroes'' | Uncle Lemmo |- | '''' | JokerJack Napier |- | 2005 | ''Danger Rangers'' | Burble |- | 2005–2006 | '''' | Melvin StinkletonMrs. CartflightUncle ZebGermy |- | 2005–2007 | ''Loonatics Unleashed'' | Slam TasmanianTech E. Coyote |- | rowspan = "2" | 2005–present | '''' | Martin Luther King, Jr.Additional Voices |- | ''American Dad!'' | Tank Bates (2005–2010)Nelson MandelaPrincipal Lewis |- | 2006–2007 | ''Shorty McShorts' Shorts'' | Admiral Bozzlebags (of Bozzlebags' Zip) |- | 2006–2009 | '''' | Additional Voices |- | 2007 | '''' | Rockefeller Butts | Live action |- | rowspan = "2" | 2008 | ''Transformers: Animated'' | Omega Supreme | Voice |- | '''' | Darnell McDowell | Live action |- | rowspan = "3" | 2008–2009 | ''Random! Cartoons'' | AnnouncerKrunchAlarm ClockRastamonPrince Charming DadZitApplause FishInfinite GoliahMechanek, HondoIce Monster | rowspan = "24" | Voice |- | ''Wolverine and the X-Men'' | Shadow KingBishop |- | '''' | Big Man/TombstonePrincipal DavisCoach Smith |- | rowspan = "2" | 2008–2010 | ''Ben 10: Alien Force'' | Highbreed CommanderForever KnightSir MortonShip (Giant Form) |- | '' | CammieAdditional Voices |- | rowspan = "3" | 2008–present | '''' | Maurice the Aye-AyeBing the GorillaPinky the FlamingoAdditional Voices |- | ''Batman: The Brave and the Bold'' | Black MantaB'Wana BeastDesperoGeneral SteppenwolfMonsieur Mallah |- | '''' | Donald the PostmanAdditional Voices |- | rowspan = "3" | 2009–present | '''' | Cleveland Brown, Jr.Lester KrinklesacVarious Others |- | '''' | Nick FuryScorpio |- | ''Fanboy and Chum Chum'' | Berry the Ice Monster |- | 2010 | ''Black Panther'' | WolverineAdditional Voices |- | rowspan = "6" | 2010–present | ''Adventure Time'' | DonnyGummy (The Silent King) |- | ''Zevo-3'' | Brett Ronson |- | ''Young Justice'' | Martian ManhunterDr. FateMal Duncan |- | ''Transformers: Prime'' | BulkheadMakeshiftDecepticon Warship |- | ''My Little Pony Friendship is Magic'' | Additional Voices |- | ''G.I. Joe: Renegades'' | RoadblockRoad PigAdditional Voices |- | rowspan = "3"| 2011-present | ''Young Justice'' | Martian ManhunterAdditional Voices |- | ''ThunderCats'' | PanthroAdditional Voices |- | ''Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness'' | Temutai |- | rowspan = "2"| 2012-present | ''Green Lantern: The Animated Series'' | KilowogMogo |- | ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' | Shredder |- |}

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Television films ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 1992 | ''Something to Live for: The Alison Gertz Story'' | Intern #2 |- | 2000 | ''Thrillseekers: Putt n' Perish | BartenderOttoPig |- | 2001 | '''' | Barney RubbleHectorJewel Guard | rowspan = "12" | Voice |- | 2003 | '''' | Business Man |- | 2004 | '''' | Adult AJMr. Turner's BossSnoopDonnie DonutAdditional Voices |- | rowspan = "2" | 2005 | ''Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama'' | Sumo NinjaDr. Gooberman |- | '''' | Sea BeastThe ManglerNarrator |- | rowspan = "3" | 2006 | '''' | Morgan FreemanAnti-Fairy |- | ''Casper's Scare School'' | Kibosh |- | ''Class of 3000: The Devil and Lil'D'' | Big D/The Devil |- | 2007 | ''Eggheads'' | |- | 2008 | '''' | Fish Balloon |- | rowspan = "2" | 2009 | ''Afro Samurai: Resurrection'' | BlacksmithTakimoto |- | '''' | Dark Laser |- | rowspan = "2" | 2010 | ''In Security'' | |- | ''Firebreather'' | Belloc | Voice |}

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Direct-to-video films ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 1996 | ''Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible'' | Additional Voices | rowspan = "14" | Voice |- | rowspan = "2" | 1998 | '''' | Brutus |- | ''Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald'' | GrimaceKing Gonga |- | 1999 | ''Alvin and the Chipmunks Meet Frankenstein'' | Bud Wiley |- | rowspan = "3"| 2000 | ''Tom Sawyer'' | Injun Joe |- | ''Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders'' | Max |- | ''Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins'' | Space Ranger |- | rowspan = "2" | 2002 | ''Tarzan & Jane'' | Merkus |- | ''Mickey's House of Villains'' | Chorus |- | rowspan = "5" | 2003 | ''Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire'' | Malcolm IlliwaraYowie YahooCrocodile |- | '''' | ThadeusAgent #2Cop |- | ''Stitch! The Movie'' | Mr. Gantu |- | ''George of the Jungle 2'' | Grouchy ApeChimp |- | ''Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman'' | Carlton Duquesne |- | 2004 | ''Comic Book: The Movie'' | Ice Tray | |- | rowspan = "5" | 2005 | ''Mulan II'' | Additional Voices | rowspan = "17" | Voice |- | ''Lil' Pimp'' | Smokey |- | ''Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story'' | Ray CharlesAdditional Voices |- | '''' | The Joker |- | '''' | DerekTuckerMayorToadyMan 2 |- | rowspan = "3" | 2006 | ''Queer Duck: The Movie'' | Stephen Arlo 'Openly' GatorAdditional Voices |- | ''Leroy & Stitch'' | Mr. Gantu |- | ''Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers'' | Red Pirate RonBlue Pirate BobPurple Parrot |- | 2007 | ''Doctor Strange: The Sorcerer Supreme'' | Baron Mordo |- | rowspan = "3" | 2008 | ''Batman: Gotham Knight'' | Lucius FoxAveryWounded ManBulky Man |- | '''' | Ray-RayCheeks |- | ''Dead Space: Downfall'' | Samuel IronsPendleton & Miner |- | rowspan = "4" | 2009 | ''Open Season 2'' | Roberto the Dog (sub voice)Roger the Cat (sub voice) |- | ''Scooby-Doo! and the Samurai Sword'' | SojoThe Black Samurai |- | '''' | Santa Baby |- | ''Dante’s Inferno: An Animated Epic | King Minos |- | rowspan = "2" |2010 | ''Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam'' | Mister Tawky Tawny |- | ''Batman: Under the Red Hood'' | Tyler Bramford |- | rowspan = "2" | 2011 | ''All-Star Superman'' | Steve Lombard | |- | ''Scooby-Doo! Legend of the Phantosaur'' | Bikers/Cops/Grad Students/Tex | |}

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Television guest appearances ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class = "unsortable" | Notes |- | 1997 | '''' | Mutant Leader | rowspan = "17" | Voice |- | 1998 | '''' | Boogie ManGiant Fishballoon |- | 1999 | ''Family Guy'' | Various characters |- | rowspan = "2"| 2000 | ''2000 Essence Awards'' | Announcer |- | ''Disney's Recess'' | Vince's Father |- | rowspan = "3" | 2001 | ''Disney's House of Mouse'' | Prince JohnCrow |- | '''' | Eldridge Johnson-Mayer |- | ''Time Squad'' | AnnouncerGeorge S. PattonGeorge WashingtonGeorge Washington CarverLance 9,000,000,000,000Time Squad OfficerTodd Washington Carver |- | rowspan = "3" | 2002 | ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' | King Neptune |- | ''¡Mucha Lucha!'' | Potato Patata, Jr. |- | ''What's New Scooby Doo?'' | Bruce WilkensonHenry HunseckerSafari Member |- | rowspan = "2" | 2003 | ''Xiaolin Showdown'' | Pandabubba |- | '''' | Deep Voice From The Microphone |- | 2004 | ''Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends'' | Uncle PocketsOmnizotFoul Larry |- | 2005 | ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' | TyroThe Big Bad HippoLion Turtle |- | 2006 | '''' | Kavo |- | 2008 | ''Back at the Barnyard'' | Don BlingSanta Claus |- | rowspan = "3" | 2009 | ''How I Met Your Mother'' | Stan "Stanley" | Live action |- | ''Phineas and Ferb'' | P. P. Otter | rowspan = "7" | Voice |- | ''Fairly Oddparents'' | Darth Laser |- | rowspan = "4" | 2010 | ''Sym-Bionic Titan'' | AnnouncerSoldier |- | ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' | Jabba the Hutt |- | ''Generator Rex'' | EnforcerKnuckles |- | ''Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes'' | Man-ApeN'Gassi |- | 2011 | ''Adventure Time'' | Lich-Prossessed Princess Bubblegum |}

{| class = "wikitable sortable" |+ Video game voice roles ! Year ! Title ! Role |- | 1996 | ''Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail!'' | JohnsonJudge GrahamJudge Paul |- | rowspan = "4" | 1998 | ''King's Quest: Mask of Eternity'' | Lord AzrieLucretoProphet Tree |- | ''Baldur's Gate | SarevokKoverasNarrator |- | ''Leisure Suit Larry's Casino'' | Johnson |- | ''Fallout 2: A Post Nuclear Role Playing Game'' | Commanding Officer |- | rowspan = "4" | 1999 | ''Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace'' | 2-3GCaptain RutgerGungan Citizen #1Race Fanatic #1Vek Drow |- | ''Star Trek: Starfleet Command'' | |- | ''Star Trek: New Worlds'' | |- | ''Revenant'' | LucasOgrok ChiefOgrok Torturer |- | rowspan = "8"| 2000 | ''Star Trek: Klingon Academy'' | Civil War Communications OfficerGarlockStarbase 1Tholian CommanderTutorial Instructor |- | ''Star Wars: Force Commander'' | Builder Shuttle PilotTorpedo Launcher DriverY-Wing Pilot |- | ''Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles'' | Jedi Master Mace Windu |- | ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Fallen'' | Benjamin Sisko |- | ''Sacrifice'' | Pyro |- | ''Star Wars: Demolition'' | PugwisTamtel Skreej |- | ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' | Sarevok AnchevGorgeig, Cohrvale |- | ''Star Trek: Starfleet Command II: Empires at War'' | |- | rowspan = "11" | 2001 | ''Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds'' | Boss NassRebel Trooper |- | ''Crash Bandicoot: The Wrath of Cortex'' | Crunch Bandicoot |- | ''Disney's Tarzan Untamed'' | |- | ''Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter'' | |- | ''Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel'' | |- | ''Star Wars: Super Bombad Racing'' | Boss Nass |- | ''Baldur's Gate II: Throne of Bhaal'' | Sarevok AnchevYaga-ShuraBhaalOdrenKa'rashur |- | '''' | Imhotep |- | ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty'' | Scott Dolph |- | ''Star Wars Rogue Squadron II: Rogue Leader'' | Transport Captain 4 |- | ''Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance'' | Sess'sth - Kolgrim |- | rowspan = "14" | 2002 | ''Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat'' | King Neptune |- | ''EOE: Eve of Extinction'' | Additional Voices |- | ''Star Wars: Jedi Starfighter'' | Mace WinduTF Refinery DroidTF Scarab Droid |- | ''Star Wars: Obi-Wan'' | Eeth KothMace WinduMale Citizen |- | ''Kingdom Hearts'' | Sebastian |- | ''Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast'' | Gran 2Kingpin Reelo Baruk |- | ''Disney's Stitch: Experiment 626'' | Captain Gantu |- | ''Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon'' | Byong ChuNikolaiAdditional Voices |- | ''Superman: Shadow of Apokolips'' | Darkseid |- | ''Law and Order: Dead on the Money'' | Mark Rawlins |- | ''Run Like Hell'' | Niles |- | ''Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance'' | Scott Dolph |- | ''Ratchet & Clank'' | Ultimate Supreme Executive Chairman DrekCommanderAnnouncerBouncer |- | ''Star Wars: Bounty Hunter'' | Alien Thug #3BartenderSebolto |- | rowspan = "12" | 2003 | ''Indiana Jones and the Emperor's Tomb'' | HomonculusTriad Ghoul |- | ''Freelancer'' | |- | ''Enter the Matrix'' | Thaddeus |- | ''RTX Red Rock'' | Digitzed Crewmember |- | ''Viewtiful Joe | Hulk DavidsonFire Leo |- | ''Lionheart'' | Beast Spirit |- | ''Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic'' | Jolee Bindo |- | ''Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader'' | |- | ''Law and Order: Double or Nothing'' | Mark Rawlins |- | ''True Crime: Streets of LA'' | Additional Voices |- | ''Crash Nitro Kart'' | Crunch BandicootAdvisor |- | ''Spawn: Armageddon'' | Al Simmons/Spawn |- | rowspan = "4" | 2004 | ''Fallout: Brotherhood of Steel'' | player character: CyrusNPCs: Blake and SoldierGhoul High PriestMutant Grunt |- | ''Champions of Norrath'' | |- | ''Galleon'' | BosunSorceror #1 |- | ''Halo 2'' | Tartarus |- | rowspan = "2" | 2005 | ''Teen Titans'' | MammothTrigon |- | ''Kingdom Hearts II'' | Sebastian |- | rowspan = "3" | 2006 | '''' | TerradorGaulConductor |- | ''Kingdom Hearts II'' | Sebastian |- | ''Avatar: The Last Airbender'' | Additional Voices |- | rowspan = "2" | 2007 | ''Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix+'' | Sebastian |- | '''' | TerradorGaulSniff |- | rowspan = "4" | 2008 | ''Star Wars: The Clone Wars'' | Jabba the Hutt |- | '''' | TerradorChief ProwlusHermit |- | ''Avatar: The Last Airbender - Into the Inferno'' | Additional Voices |- | ''Emergency Heroes'' | General Walters |- | 2009 | ''Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall'' | Demongo |- | 2010 | ''Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'' | Captain Gantu |- | rowspan = "2" | 2011 | ''Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure'' | Stump Smash |- | ''Star Wars: The Old Republic'' | Various |- | rowspan = "2" | 2012 | ''Transformers Universe'' | Bulkhead |- | ''Skylanders: Giants'' | Stump Smash |}

External links[link]

Category:1964 births Category:African-American film actors Category:African-American television actors Category:African-American voice actors Category:Living people Category:Actors from New York City Category:People from the Bronx Category:Syracuse University alumni Category:American video game actors Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors

an:Kevin Michael Richardson ca:Kevin Michael Richardson cy:Kevin Michael Richardson de:Kevin Michael Richardson et:Kevin Michael Richardson es:Kevin Michael Richardson eu:Kevin Michael Richardson fo:Kevin Michael Richardson fr:Kevin Michael Richardson ga:Kevin Michael Richardson gl:Kevin Michael Richardson ko:케빈 마이클 리처드슨 io:Kevin Michael Richardson id:Kevin Michael Richardson it:Kevin Michael Richardson sw:Kevin Michael Richardson ms:Kevin Michael Richardson ja:ケビン・マイケル・リチャードソン oc:Kevin Michael Richardson pl:Kevin Michael Richardson pt:Kevin Michael Richardson ro:Kevin Michael Richardson ru:Ричардсон, Кевин Майкл simple:Kevin Michael Richardson fi:Kevin Michael Richardson sv:Kevin Michael Richardson tl:Kevin Michael Richardson th:เควิน ไมเคิล ริชาร์ดสัน tr:Kevin Michael Richardson vi:Kevin Michael Richardson

name	Kevin Michael
background	solo_singer
birth date	October 22, 1985
Origin	Chester, Pennsylvania
genre	Pop / R&B;
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2007–present
birth name	Kevin Michael Seward
label	Independent
website	www.kevinmichael.com }}

Kevin Michael (born Kevin Michael Seward, October 22, 1985 in Chester, Pennsylvania) is an American pop artist that was signed to Downtown Records in 2007, the same year he released his self-titled debut album.

Early life[link]

Born in a Philadelphia suburb, Kevin grew up in a mixed-race family. His father is African-American and his mother is also bi-racial. This had quite an effect on him as a child growing up and would serve as one of his main messages in later musical work. He is a self-taught vocalist with a five octave range. Kevin cites artists like Prince, Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder as some of his biggest musical influences. At the age of 16 he wrote his first song, and has continued writing his own material throughout the years. Kevin says he loves writing music just as much as singing it.

2006–2009[link]

Kevin received attention from Virgin Records and Columbia Records while still a teenager, but ultimately signed with Atlantic Records and their Downtown Records imprint.

His first EP ''Ya Dig?'' was featured only on iTunes and the buzz single "We All Want The Same Thing" was highlighted on iTunes Store as the Single of the Week for May 8, 2007. "We All Want The Same Thing" featured rapper Lupe Fiasco and was featured in a Verizon Wireless V Cast Song ID commercial.

Kevin's first official single from his full length LP was "It Don't Make Any Difference", both produced by and featuring Wyclef Jean. In the song Kevin talks about interracial relationships and the product of being a bi-racial adult himself. A video for the song was shot in Brooklyn, NY in May 2007 directed by video collective Syndrome (James Larese). The video and song was received well by both MTV and VH1 Soul.

Kevin's performance was favorably reviewed on day two of the August 2007 Lollapalooza concert in Chicago, describing Kevin as a "young singer with the towering afro and a voice that mixes the soulful side of Michael Jackson with a hip-hop edge." He has also performed at MTV's 2007 Video Music Awards at The Palms Casino Pool in Las Vegas.

The debut album ''Kevin Michael'' was released on October 2, 2007. He was on separate tours with Lily Allen, and then Maroon 5 in 2007. In 2008, he toured with John Legend on the Pepsi Smash Tour.

Kevin appears in the 2009 romantic-comedy (500) Days of Summer as the wedding singer. His cover of Etta James' "At Last" was included on the movie's soundtrack.

2010 to present[link]

On June 10, 2010, Kevin resurfaced under the alias KofTHEY (K being the initial for his name, and THEY being a group acronym standing for THE Youth) and released THEY’s first single, "Areola" on their YouTube channel, KofTHEY.

On March 14, 2011, Kevin opened Twitter and Facebook accounts as KofTHEY.

On March 16, 2011, Kevin released the follow-up album International for a limited release in Japan.

On April 5, 2011, He launched the TeamTHEY website and released two new songs under KofTHEY.

On July 1, 2011, Kevin released 'Covers For You', a 9-song cover album. The album also includes one track from his International album.

Song Use In Pop Culture[link]

Song Title	Details
! We All Want The Same Thing		Step Up 2: The Streets
! We All Want The Same Thing		Prom Night (2008 film)
! We All Want The Same Thing		Lincoln Heights (TV series) Season 2: Episode 4
! Weekend Jumpoff		Entourage (TV series) Season 3: Episode 16
! Philadelphia		Dance! Online
! Stone Cold Killa		Dance! Online
! It Don't Make Any Difference		EA Sports: NBA Live 08
! Weekend Jumpoff		Just Wright
! At Last (Etta James Cover)		(500)_Days_of_Summer>(500) Days Of Summer

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions	Sales
!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"
		*Released: August 8, 2006	Atlantic Records>Atlantic	*Formats: Compact Disc
		*Released: March 22, 2011	JVC - Japan	*Formats: Compact Disc
		*Released: July 1, 2011	Independent	Music download>digital download
		*Released: January 20, 2012	Independent record label>Independent	Music download>digital download

EPs [link]

Year	Album details
	''Ya Dig?''	*Released: April 10, 2007	Music download>digital download

Singles[link]

Single	Year	Peak chart positions	Album
	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"	!width="30"
		—	—	—	—	—	—	—
	—	—	—	17	—	19	—
		—	—	64	—	43	—	74

Soundtrack appearances[link]

Song	Year	Other performer(s)	Film
"We All Want The Same Thing"			''Step Up 2: The Streets''
"At Last"			''(500) Days of Summer''
"Weekend Jumpoff"			''Just Wright

References[link]

External links[link]

Official website

Official Myspace page

Official Twitter account

Category:1985 births Category:African American musicians Category:American rhythm and blues singers Category:American soul singers Category:American musicians of Italian descent Category:Atlantic Records artists Category:Living people Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Chester, Pennsylvania Category:Songwriters from Pennsylvania

de:Kevin Michael