Emmanuel Lewis
Encyclopedia
Emmanuel Lewis is an American
actor, best known for playing the title character in the 1980s television sitcom Webster
. He is tall. Lewis graduated from Midwood High School
in 1989 and then Clark Atlanta University
in 1997. He is often compared to the late Gary Coleman
, star of Diff'rent Strokes
.
, New York City
, New York
. His mother, Margaret Lewis, was a computer programmer.
became a hit on NBC
with Gary Coleman
in the starring role, ABC
tried, with some success, to duplicate that show's formula of depicting a tiny African-American boy being raised in a white family. The resulting show, Webster
, made Lewis a star.
Lewis was nominated for four Young Artist Awards
. In 1984, he was nominated for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series for Webster and lost to Rick Schroder
of Silver Spoons
. In 1985, he was nominated for the same award but it went to Billy Jayne
of It's Not Easy.
In 1986, he was nominated for Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series which Marc Price
ended up winning for his performance in Family Ties
. In 1987, he was nominated for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Television Comedy or Drama Series which Kirk Cameron
of Growing Pains
won. At the same time, Lewis also was the child spokesperson for the Burger King
Whopper
. He is a practitioner of taekwondo
.
.
On 9th January 2003 he and MC Hammer
appeared on the Howard Stern
Radio Show to promote the show The Surreal Life
. Lewis attempted to play down comparisons to Gary Coleman
and questions about his height. He also spoke at length about his relationship with Michael Jackson
In an episode
of South Park
his character appears as the dictionary's head editor.
Lewis is also mentioned in a song by The Bloodhound Gang
called "Fire Water Burn
".
chart.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor, best known for playing the title character in the 1980s television sitcom Webster
Webster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
. He is tall. Lewis graduated from Midwood High School
Midwood High School
Midwood High School, at Brooklyn College, is a public, urban, co-ed high school located on Bedford Avenue in Brooklyn, New York City.Midwood High School was for many years the recipient of multiple accolades because of its competitive educational programs and for the achievements of its students...
in 1989 and then Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University is a private, historically black university in Atlanta, Georgia. It was formed in 1988 with the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University...
in 1997. He is often compared to the late Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
, star of Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
.
Early life
Lewis was born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. His mother, Margaret Lewis, was a computer programmer.
Career
When Diff'rent StrokesDiff'rent Strokes
Diff'rent Strokes is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from November 3, 1978 to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985 to March 7, 1986...
became a hit on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
with Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
in the starring role, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
tried, with some success, to duplicate that show's formula of depicting a tiny African-American boy being raised in a white family. The resulting show, Webster
Webster (TV series)
Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
, made Lewis a star.
Lewis was nominated for four Young Artist Awards
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
. In 1984, he was nominated for Best Young Actor in a Comedy Series for Webster and lost to Rick Schroder
Rick Schroder
Richard Bartlett "Rick" Schroder, Jr. is an American actor and film director.He debuted in the 1979 hit film The Champ, going on to become a child star on the sitcom Silver Spoons...
of Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons
Silver Spoons is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 25, 1982 to May 11, 1986 and in first-run syndication from September 15, 1986 to March 4, 1987...
. In 1985, he was nominated for the same award but it went to Billy Jayne
Billy Jayne
Billy Jayne is an American actor, musician, and director. He has been in many films, and has sometimes been credited as Billy Jacoby. His siblings, Scott Jacoby, Robert Jayne, Susan Jayne and Laura Jacoby, are also actors.-Name:...
of It's Not Easy.
In 1986, he was nominated for Best Young Actor Starring in a Television Series which Marc Price
Marc Price
Marc Price is a television actor primarily known for his role as Erwin "Skippy" Handelman on Family Ties.-Biography:Price also hosted the children's game show Teen Win, Lose or Draw on The Disney Channel from 1989 to 1992....
ended up winning for his performance in Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
. In 1987, he was nominated for Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor Starring in a Television Comedy or Drama Series which Kirk Cameron
Kirk Cameron
Kirk Thomas Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as Mike Seaver on the television situation comedy Growing Pains , as well as several other television and film appearances as a child actor...
of Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
won. At the same time, Lewis also was the child spokesperson for the Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
Whopper
Whopper
The Whopper sandwich is the signature hamburger product sold by the international fast-food restaurant chain Burger King and its Australian franchise Hungry Jacks. Introduced in 1957, it has undergone several reformulations including resizing and bread changes...
. He is a practitioner of taekwondo
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
.
In popular culture
He has appeared in Kickin' It Old Skool, in which he had a cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
.
On 9th January 2003 he and MC Hammer
MC Hammer
Stanley Kirk Burrell , better known by his stage name MC Hammer , is an American rapper, entertainer, business entrepreneur, dancer and actor. He had his greatest commercial success and popularity from the late 1980s until the mid-1990s...
appeared on the Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
Radio Show to promote the show The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life
The Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...
. Lewis attempted to play down comparisons to Gary Coleman
Gary Coleman
Gary Wayne Coleman was an American actor, known for his childhood role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom Diff'rent Strokes and for his small stature as an adult. He was described in the 1980s as "one of television's most promising stars". After a successful childhood acting career, Coleman...
and questions about his height. He also spoke at length about his relationship with Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
In an episode
The F Word (South Park)
"The F Word" is the twelfth episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series South Park, and the 193rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Comedy Central in the United States on November 4, 2009...
of South Park
South Park
South Park is an American animated television series created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone for the Comedy Central television network. Intended for mature audiences, the show has become famous for its crude language, surreal, satirical, and dark humor that lampoons a wide range of topics...
his character appears as the dictionary's head editor.
Lewis is also mentioned in a song by The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...
called "Fire Water Burn
Fire Water Burn
"Fire Water Burn" is the second single from The Bloodhound Gang's 1996 album One Fierce Beer Coaster. The chorus of the song is taken from the song "The Roof Is on Fire" by Rock Master Scott & the Dynamic Three, yet sung considerably slower...
".
Filmography
- WebsterWebster (TV series)Webster is an American situation comedy that premiered on ABC on September 16, 1983, and ran on that network until September 11, 1987, but continued in first-run syndication until 1989...
(1983–1989) TV seriesTelevision programA television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series... - A Christmas Dream (1984) TV special
- Lost in London (1985) (TV)
- Emmanuel Lewis: My Very Own Show (1987) (TV)
- The New Adventures of Mother Goose (1995) (TV)
- Family Matters (1997) episodes "Odd Man In" and "Beauty and the Beast"
- MoeshaMoeshaMoesha is an American sitcom series that aired on the UPN network from January 23, 1996 to May 14, 2001. The series stars R&B singer Brandy Norwood as Moesha Mitchell, a high school student living with her family in the Leimert Park neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles.-Overview:The show...
(1998) (TV) - Malcolm & EddieMalcolm & EddieMalcolm & Eddie is an American television sitcom that premiered August 26, 1996 on the UPN Network, and ran for four seasons. This series starred Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin in the lead roles. This show was canceled after its fourth season, and aired its final episode on May 22, 2000...
(1999) (TV) - The Surreal LifeThe Surreal LifeThe Surreal Life is a reality television series that sets a select group of past-their-prime celebrities and records them as they live together in Glen Campbell's former mansion in the Hollywood Hills for two weeks...
(2003) (TV) - Dickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child StarDickie Roberts: Former Child Star is a 2003 American comedy film directed by Sam Weisman and starring David Spade and Mary McCormack.- Plot :...
(2003) - My Super Sweet Sixteen (2005) (TV)
- One on OneOne on One (TV series)One on One is an American sitcom that aired on the now-defunct UPN from its September 3, 2001 premiere until May 15, 2006. The series stars Flex Alexander as a single sportscaster, who becomes a full-time dad when his ex-wife decides to accept a job out of the country and his teenage daughter...
(2005) (TV) - Kickin' It Old Skool (2007) (Film)
- The Surreal Life: Fame GamesThe Surreal Life: Fame GamesThe Surreal Life: Fame Games is a reality television series that was originally broadcast on the VH1 cable network. A spin-off of the VH1 show, The Surreal Life, the show assembles ten alumni of the show's 6 prior seasons to compete in a ten-week competition that takes place in Las Vegas, with the...
(2007) (TV) - The Lil Flex Show (2008) (TV)
Discography
"City Connection", a song performed by Lewis, was very popular in Japan in 1981 reaching number 2 on the OriconOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
chart.
- "City Connection" (シティコネクション, Shite Konekushon) (1981 July 5)
- B side: City Connection (English Version)
- Lyrics: Sugar Mickey Composer: Long Danny (pseudonym of Nagato Yuki Hiroshi), Arranger: Michel SHIMIN, Sato Yuka
- "Love is DANDAN" (恋はダンダン) (1981 October 5)
- Lyrics: Junko Swan, composer: Nagato Yuki Hiroshi, Arranger: Masao Nakajimo