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James Pickens, Jr.
James Pickens, Jr. (with Dawnn Lewis) at a charity golf tournament, 2008
Born	James Pickens, Jr. (1954-10-26) October 26, 1954 (age 57) Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Spouse	Gina Pickens

James Pickens, Jr. (born October 26, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for his starring role as Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC drama television series Grey's Anatomy, and for his supporting role as Deputy Director Alvin Kersh on later seasons of the Fox Network science fiction series The X-Files.

Early life[link]

Pickens was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and did not begin acting until he was a student at Bowling Green State University. His first acting role was in a campus production of Matters of Choice by Chuck Gordone.^[1] Pickens earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from BGSU in 1976.^[1]

Career[link]

Pickens started his acting career at the Roundabout Theatre in New York playing Walter Lee in A Raisin in the Sun.^[1] In 1981, Pickens performed in the Negro Ensemble Company's production of A Soldier's Play, starring alongside Denzel Washington and Samuel L. Jackson.^[1]

In 1990, Pickens moved to the West Coast and began his Hollywood career playing Zack Edwards on the soap opera Another World from 1986 to 1990. He went on to have recurring roles on "X-Files" as Deputy Director Kersh, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The West Wing, Roseanne, Beverly Hills, 90210, JAG, and Six Feet Under.

In 2002, Pickens had a cameo appearance as the male zoo doctor in the film Red Dragon.

In the February 28, 2007, all-star benefit reading of "The Gift of Peace" at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, he portrays a man whose life experiences lead him to volunteer in the peace movement, and plays alongside actors Ed Asner, Barbara Bain, Amy Brenneman, George Coe, and Wendie Malick. The play is an open appeal and fundraiser for passage of U.S. House Resolution,^[2] which seeks to establish a Cabinet-level "Department of Peace" in the U.S. government, to be funded by a two percent diversion of the Pentagon's annual budget.^[3]

In 2005, Pickens was chosen to play Dr. Richard Webber on the ABC medical drama Grey's Anatomy.

Personal life[link]

Pickens is married to Gina Taylor, a former member of Musique, and has two children. In his spare time Pickens can be found riding horseback and roping cattle. He is a member of the United States Team Roping Championship and competes in roping events across the country. He owns an American Quarter Horse named Smokey.

James' two children, Carl Tharps and Gavyn Picken, are both pursuing careers in show business. His son Carl is currently working on a Hip- Hop career and can be seen in various television appearances, including Hangin' with Mr. Cooper where he appeared alongside his long-time friend Omar Gooding.

Filmography[link]

Television[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• James Pickens, Jr. at the Internet Movie Database
• James Pickens, Jr. at Yahoo! Movies

{{Infobox person

| name = Chandra Wilson | birthname = Chandra Danette Wilson | birth_date = (1969-08-27) August 27, 1969 (age 42) | birth_place = Houston, Texas | spouse = }} Chandra Danette Wilson (born August 27, 1969) is an American actress and director, best known as Dr. Miranda Bailey in the ABC television drama, Grey's Anatomy.

Early life[link]

Wilson was born in Houston, Texas. She started her theater career at the age of five with the Houston-based Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS). Wilson attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and went on to the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, where she earned a BFA in drama.

Career[link]

Wilson's first regular network TV role was in the short-lived series Bob Patterson (2001), a post-Seinfeld vehicle for Jason Alexander. She also appeared on Law & Order SVU, Sex and the City, and The Sopranos, and had a small role in Lone Star (1996). Wilson also had career in theater, where she played Bonna Willis in The Good Times Are Killing Me, and was featured in the Tony-nominated musical Caroline, or Change. Wilson is an accomplished singer, and has sung in several productions.

Wilson worked as a temp at Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown where she made presentations for the investment banking units. She worked at the Banker's Trust location on 130 Liberty Street, right across the street from the South Tower of the World Trade Center through 9-11 when that building was lost to the terrorist attacks. Wilson was still working at a bank when she auditioned for the Grey's Anatomy pilot. She was cast as Miranda Bailey, a role initially envisioned as a blond Caucasian woman^[1] The show became a success. Wilson was nominated in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama. She was nominated and won the Screen Actors Guild Award in 2007 for Outstanding Female Actor in a Drama Series; she also won a SAG Award as part of the Grey's Anatomy cast, which won Best Ensemble in a Drama Series.

Wilson made her television directing debut with the episode "Give Peace a Chance", the 7th episode in season 6 of Grey's Anatomy. She also directed episode 17, "Push", of the same season and the fifth episode of season 7, "Almost Grown".

Personal life[link]

Wilson and her husband have three children; daughters Serena and Joy were born in 1995 and 1998, respectively, and son Michael was born on October 31, 2005. Her eldest daughter also attended a KIPP school in New York.^[2]

Credits[link]

Stage credits[link]

• The Good Times are Killing Me
• The Miracle Worker
• Paper Moon: the Musical
• The Family of Mann
• Believing
• Little Shop of Horrors

Broadway[link]

• Chicago (2009)
• Caroline, or Change (2004)
• Avenue Q (2003)
• On The Town (1998)

Television[link]

Film[link]

• Peer Pressure, Drugs and... You (1990)
• Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
• Philadelphia (1993)
• Lone Star (1996)
• Head of State (2003)
• A Single Woman (2008)
• Accidental Friendship (2008)
• Frankie and Alice (2010)

Awards and nominations[link]

• BET Awards
  • 2008, Best Actress: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
  • 2007, Best Actress: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
• Emmy Awards
  • 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or Movie: Accidental Friendship (nominated)
  • 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
  • 2007, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
  • 2006, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
• Image Awards
  • 2010, Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy - Give Peace a Chance (Winner)
  • 2010, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Actress in a Mini-Series/Television Movie: Accidental Friendship (nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)
  • 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)
  • 2007, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)
  • 2006, Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
• People's Choice Awards
  • 2008, Favorite Scene Stealing Star: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)
• Satellite Awards
  • 2008, Best Supporting Actress in a Television Vision/Mini-Series: Grey's Anatomy (nominated)
• Screen Actors Guild Awards
  • 2008, Outstanding Cast in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Nominated)
  • 2007, Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)
  • 2007, Outstanding Cast in a Drama Series: Grey's Anatomy (Winner)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Chandra Wilson at the Internet Movie Database
• Chandra Wilson at the Internet Broadway Database
• ABC biography

Blair Underwood
Underwood at the premiere for Earth in April 2009
Born	Blair Erwin Underwood (1964-08-25) August 25, 1964 (age 47) Tacoma, Washington, US
Years active	1985 – present
Spouse	Desiree DaCosta (1994-present; 3 children)
Website
http://www.blairunderwood.com/

Blair Erwin Underwood^[1] (born August 25, 1964) is an American television, film, and stage actor. He is perhaps best known as headstrong attorney Jonathan Rollins from the NBC legal drama L.A. Law, a role he portrayed for seven years. He has gained critical acclaim throughout his career, receiving numerous Golden Globe Award nominations, three NAACP Image Awards and 1 Grammy Award. In recent years, he has appeared on The New Adventures of Old Christine, Dirty Sexy Money and In Treatment and was in NBC's The Event.^[2]

Early life[link]

Underwood was born in Tacoma, Washington, the son of Marilyn Ann Scales, an interior decorator, and Frank Eugene Underwood, Sr., a United States Army colonel.^[3][4][5] As a result of his father's military career, Underwood lived on bases and Army Posts in the United States and Stuttgart, Germany, during his childhood.^[6] Blair attended Petersburg High School in Petersburg, Virginia. He went on to attend the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is an honorary member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.

Career[link]

Underwood at the 41st Emmy Awards, September 1989

Underwood's feature film debut was the 1985 movie Krush Groove. His 1985 appearance on The Cosby Show landed him a short stint on the ABC soap opera One Life to Live as Bobby Blue, which eventually led to his performance on the TV series L.A. Law, where he appeared from 1987 to 1994. In 1996 Underwood was featured in the July issue of Playgirl.

Underwood broke into film with roles in Just Cause (1995), Set It Off (1996) and Deep Impact (1998). He also had a supporting role as a geneticist in Gattaca. In 2000, he played the lead role in the short-lived television series City of Angels. In 2003, he guest starred in four episodes^[6] on the HBO series Sex and the City playing Cynthia Nixon's love interest. In 2004, he played the role of Roger De Souza opposite Heather Locklear in NBC's LAX.^[7] He gained acclaim as the sexy grade school teacher in the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine opposite Julia Louis-Dreyfus for two years. In 2007, he guest starred in an episode of the NBC series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.^[8] His latest role is as the recurring character Alex in the HBO series In Treatment.

Underwood has received three NAACP Image Awards, for his film work in Rules of Engagement, and his television work in L.A. Law, City of Angels, Murder in Mississippi and Mama Flora's Family.

Underwood was voted one of People's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2000, and one of TV Guide's "Most Influential Faces of the 90s".^[9]

In 2007, Underwood co-authored the novel Casanegra: A Tennyson Hardwick Novel with husband-and-wife team Steven Barnes and Tananarive Due.

In 2010–2011, Underwood portrayed United States President Elias Martinez in the NBC drama series The Event, which premiered in Fall 2010.^[10][11]

Underwood portrayed the role of "Saint Mark" in, "The Truth & Life Dramatized audio New Testament Bible," a 22-hour, celebrity-voiced, fully dramatized audio New Testament, based on the RSV-CE translation.

He is currently playing the lead role of Stanley in the Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire.

Personal life[link]

In 1989, Underwood co-founded Artists for a New South Africa, a non-profit organization dedicated to democracy and equality in South Africa.

Underwood is a part of several charitable organizations. He won the 1993 Humanitarian Award for his work with the Los Angeles chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. In 2003, along with Ashley Judd, he served as the spokesperson for YouthAIDS. Underwood also appeared in a 2004 public service announcement for The Fulfillment Fund.^[12] He is a Trustee for the Robey Theatre Company in Los Angeles, a non-profit theatre group founded by Danny Glover, focusing on plays about the Black experience.

He supported President Barack Obama's candidacy and spoke at campaign rallies for Obama. Underwood got to know Obama while researching his L.A. Law role at Harvard Law School, while Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review.^[13]

Underwood's DNA test showed that he is a descendant of the Babungo people of Cameroon.^[14] Additional DNA testing and genealogical research revealed that his African ancestry comes from the Bamoun, Brong, Yoruba, and lgbo tribes of Western Africa.^[15] The DNA test also connected Blair to a distant cousin in Babungo, Cameroon.^[15] The test also revealed that he is of 26% European and 74% Sub-Saharan African ancestry. These and other facts were made known about Blair Underwood's family history when the story of his family's lineage was featured on the third season of NBC's, Who do You Think You Are?, on Feb. 24, 2012.

On September 17, 1994, he married Desiree DaCosta, with whom he has three children, Paris, Brielle, and Blake.^[9]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

Television[link]

Video games[link]

He voiced Hunter in The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.

Awards/nominations[link]

• Golden Globes
  • 2009, Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series or Mini-Series or Television Special: "In Treatment" (Nominated)
  • 1991, Best Supporting Actor in a Television Series or Mini-Series or Television Special: "L.A. Law" (Nominated)

• Grammy Awards
  • 2009, Best Spoken Word Album: "An Inconvenient Truth" (Winner)

• Image Awards
  • 2011, Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: "The Event" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: "In Treatment" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: "Dirty, Sexy, Money" (Nominated)
  • 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (Nominated)
  • 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: "Dirty, Sexy, Money" (Nominated)
  • 2008, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (Nominated)
  • 2005, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: "Sex & the City" (Nominated)
  • 2004, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: "Sex & the City" (Nominated)
  • 2001, Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: "City of Angels" (Winner)
  • 2001, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Rules of Engagement (Winner)
  • 1999, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Mamma's Flora's Family (Winner)
  • 1997, Outstanding Lead Actor in a Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Soul of the Game" (Nominated)
  • 1997, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Set It Off (Nominated)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Blair Underwood

• Blair Underwood at the Internet Movie Database
• Official Website
• ANSA: Artists For A New South Africa

Jamie Kennedy
Jamie Kennedy at the 2010 Comic Con in San Diego.
Birth name	James Harvey Kennedy
Born	(1970-05-25) May 25, 1970 (age 42) Upper Darby, Pennsylvania
Medium	Stand-up, film, television, music
Nationality	United States Citizen
Years active	1989–present
Genres	Observational comedy, Character comedy
Website	http://www.jamiekennedyworld.com/

James Harvey "Jamie" Kennedy (born May 25, 1970) is an American comedian, rapper, and actor.

Early life[link]

Kennedy, the youngest of six children, was born in Upper Darby Township, a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family is of Irish descent and he was raised Roman Catholic.^[1][2][3] He attended and graduated from Monsignor Bonner High School in 1988. After high school, Kennedy began his career as a Hollywood extra and honed his skills at voice impersonations.

Career[link]

Kennedy used his voice acting skills to create a false persona, screen agent "Marty Power". Posing as Marty Power over the telephone, he attracted the attention of real agents and managers who would later book his performances. He came to prominence in the late 1990s for playing Randy Meeks in the Scream film. He has also performed minor roles in other Hollywood films in recent years, and most often appears opposite actor Kal Penn including Malibu's Most Wanted, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, and Son of the Mask. His lead role as Tim Avery in Son of the Mask earned him a Golden Raspberry Award nomination for Worst Actor.^[4]

Kennedy formed a production company called Wannabe Producers, alongside Josh Etting, through which he has produced the shows The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Blowin' Up, The Starlet, and Living with Fran. Following Malibu's Most Wanted, which he both wrote and starred in, Kennedy co-wrote the MTV show Blowin' Up (2006) featuring his friend Stu Stone.

Kennedy lent his voice as a celebrity in the videogame ESPN NFL 2K5 as a celebrity adversary with his own football team, the Upper Darby Cheesesteaks and he is also unlockable as a Free Agent tight end in season mode. His stint as Activision's emcee at E3 2007, however, drew criticism for failing to understand anything about the industry and showing up drunk.^[5]

While working on his film Malibu's Most Wanted, Kennedy had ghostwriter Ellen Rapaport write a comic pseudo-autobiography entitled, Wannabe: A Hollywood Experiment. The book chronicles his life in Hollywood as he attempts to become a star. It gives background on his life and family, and quickly dives into his adventures. It tells of such things as Kennedy's living conditions in the Hollywood slums, his beat up car, his kidney issues, and funky characters throughout the story.

As a performer of stand-up comedy, he is best known for his sketch performances on his television reality show, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, which became the WB Network's highest ranking new show in 2002, but which was cancelled in April 2004 due to falling viewership.^[6] In 2006, Jizzy Entertainment released Unwashed: The Stand-Up Special. In 2008, Kennedy released the documentary Heckler, about the plight of stand-up comics versus their often-aggressive audience.^[7] In 2007 he appeared in Criminal Minds as a cannibal satanist serial killer.

Since 2008, Kennedy has played psychology professor Eli James in the CBS drama Ghost Whisperer. Since 2009, he has been in the TV series, The Cleveland Show, playing Roberta Tubbs' boyfriend.^[8]

He also stars in the Nicktoon Fanboy and Chum Chum as Kyle, an insecure boy wizard who loathes the fun-loving Fanboy and Chum Chum, but who secretly yearns for their friendship. In April 2010, sources reported that Kennedy would very likely return to the Scream franchise to star in the fourth installment;^[9] however, according to Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson there were never plans for him to rejoin the franchise, attributing the misinformation to a fabrication by Kennedy.^[10]

Personal life[link]

Kennedy with then-girlfriend, Jennifer Love Hewitt at the 2009 Primetime Emmy Awards.

Kennedy dated his Ghost Whisperer co-star Jennifer Love Hewitt from March 2009 to March 2010.^[11]

Kennedy is also active in California's tourism campaign, having appeared in several commercials with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Filmography[link]