Mario Van Peebles
Encyclopedia
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles (born January 15, 1957) is an American
director
and actor
who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles
.
, the son of writer, director and actor Melvin Van Peebles
and German
actress and photographer Maria Marx. He graduated from Saint Thomas More School in Connecticut in 1974 and from Columbia University
in 1978 with a bachelor's degree
in economics
. He is married to Chitra Sukhu Van Peebles and has five children: Makaylo, Mandela, Marley, Maya and Morgana (3 boys, 2 girls).
Over the next 30 years, Van Peebles starred in and directed many television shows & films, including Panther
, Ali, New Jack City
, and an episode of Lost
.
His 2004 biopic BAADASSSSS!
describes the making of his father's seminal film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
. Van Peebles also directed Malcolm Takes a Shot, a CBS Schoolbreak Special
about an aspiring high-school basketball star whose obstacles include epilepsy
and his own arrogance. Van Peebles appeared in the special in a cameo, as Malcolm's doctor.
Van Peebles stars on the television show Damages
, as Agent Harrison. Van Peebles was first brought on to the FX series to direct a few Season 1 episodes, and was then cast in a small role as an agent. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Harrison will be back for six more episodes in Season 2 (which begins in early 2009). He is also on board to direct new episodes of FX's biker drama Sons of Anarchy
. He is good friends with fellow actors Christopher Lambert
and Jean Claude Van Damme. Van Peebles and his family live a environmentally sustainable lifestyle, as documented in the reality series, Mario's Green House, which premiered on TV-One on September 27, 2009.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
.
Life and career
Van Peebles was born in Mexico City, MexicoMexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, the son of writer, director and actor Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin Van Peebles
Melvin "Block" Van Peebles is an American actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer.He is most famous for creating the acclaimed film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which heralded a new era of African American focused films...
and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actress and photographer Maria Marx. He graduated from Saint Thomas More School in Connecticut in 1974 and from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in 1978 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. He is married to Chitra Sukhu Van Peebles and has five children: Makaylo, Mandela, Marley, Maya and Morgana (3 boys, 2 girls).
Over the next 30 years, Van Peebles starred in and directed many television shows & films, including Panther
Panther (film)
Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
, Ali, New Jack City
New Jack City
New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
, and an episode of Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
.
His 2004 biopic BAADASSSSS!
BAADASSSSS!
BAADASSSSS! is a 2003 American biopic, written, produced, directed by, and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of Van Peebles' father Melvin Van Peebles , as he attempts to film and distribute Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a film that was widely credited with showing...
describes the making of his father's seminal film, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
. Van Peebles also directed Malcolm Takes a Shot, a CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special is an American anthology series for teenagers that aired on CBS from April 1980 to January 1996. The series originally premiered under the title CBS Afternoon Playhouse, and was later changed during the 1984 - 85 season...
about an aspiring high-school basketball star whose obstacles include epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
and his own arrogance. Van Peebles appeared in the special in a cameo, as Malcolm's doctor.
Van Peebles stars on the television show Damages
Damages (TV series)
Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...
, as Agent Harrison. Van Peebles was first brought on to the FX series to direct a few Season 1 episodes, and was then cast in a small role as an agent. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Harrison will be back for six more episodes in Season 2 (which begins in early 2009). He is also on board to direct new episodes of FX's biker drama Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy
Sons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
. He is good friends with fellow actors Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
and Jean Claude Van Damme. Van Peebles and his family live a environmentally sustainable lifestyle, as documented in the reality series, Mario's Green House, which premiered on TV-One on September 27, 2009.
Actor (film)
- Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss SongSweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song is a 1971 American independent drama film, written, produced, scored, directed by, and starring Melvin Van Peebles, father of actor Mario Van Peebles . It tells the picaresque story of a poor African American man on his flight from the white authority...
(1971) - Exterminator 2Exterminator 2Exterminator 2 is a 1984 action film written and directed by Mark Buntzman, starring Robert Ginty and Mario Van Peebles, with cameos by Arye Gross in his debut role, and John Turturro in his second role...
(1984) - The Cotton ClubThe Cotton ClubThe Cotton Club may refer to:* Cotton Club , a famous nightclub in New York City.* Cotton Club , a now-defunct club in Portland, Oregon.* The Cotton Club , a film centered on the New York club....
(1984) (cameo) - South Bronx Heroes (1985)
- Children of the NightChildren of the Night (1985 film)Children of the Night is a 1985 American film directed by Robert Markowitz. The film is a made-for-television biopic of Dr. Lois Lee, following her work among young prostitutes in Hollywood and the organization www.childrenofthenight.org she founded as a result.- Cast :*Kathleen Quinlan as Lois...
(1985) - Rappin'Rappin'Rappin is a 1985 film directed by Joel Silberg, written by Adam Friedman and Robert J. Litz and starring Mario Van Peebles. Van Peebles plays "Rappin' John Hood", an ex-convict, who attempts to save his neighborhood from developers and hoodlums...
(1985) - Heartbreak RidgeHeartbreak RidgeHeartbreak Ridge is a 1986 American war film, starring Clint Eastwood and Mario Van Peebles, surrounding the 1983 U.S. invasion of Grenada, West Indies. A portion of the movie was filmed on the island itself....
(1986) - Last ResortLast Resort (1986 film)Last Resort is a 1986 comedy film directed by Zane Buzby and produced by Julie Corman. It revolves around George Lollar , who takes his family on vacation to "Club Sand", a shoddy and untrustworthy company...
(1986) - Jaws: The RevengeJaws: The RevengeJaws: The Revenge, Also known as, 'Jaws 4: The Revenge', is a 1987 thriller film directed by Joseph Sargent. It is the third sequel to Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the final installment of the series....
(1987) - Identity CrisisIdentity Crisis (film)Identity Crisis is a 1989 comedy film directed by Melvin Van Peebles. Written by Mario Van Peebles, the film is about a rapper who winds up sharing his body with the soul of a dead fashion designer, switching between personalities every time he is struck on the head...
(1989) - Blue Bayou (1990)
- New Jack CityNew Jack CityNew Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
(1991) - Full EclipseFull EclipseFull Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film...
(1992) - Stomping at the Savoy (1992)
- PossePosse (1993 film)Posse is a 1993 American Western film directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles. Featuring a large ensemble cast of mostly African-American actors, the film is about a posse of black soldiers and one ostracized white soldier, who are all betrayed by a corrupt colonel. The title of the film refers...
(1993) - Highlander III: The Final DimensionHighlander III: The Final DimensionHighlander III: The Sorcerer, also known as Highlander III, Highlander III: The Magician, Highlander III: The Final Dimension, Highlander: The Final Dimension and Highlander 3: The Final Conflict, is the third installment in the Highlander film series. It was first released on November 30, 1994...
(1994) - Gunmen (1994)
- PantherPanther (film)Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
(1995) - Solo (1996)
- RiotRiot (1997 film)Riot is a 1997 television movie starring Luke Perry, Mario Van Peebles, and Lucy Liu. It was written and directed by four writers and directors of four different racial groups prominent in Los Angeles...
(1997) - StagStag (film)Stag is a 1997 film, directed by Gavin Wilding, made for HBO and later released theatrically after drawing large ratings. STAG features an ensemble cast including Ben Gazzara, Andrew McCarthy, Taylor Dayne, Mario Van Peebles, Lawrence Leritz, William McNamara, John Henson, Kevin Dillon, and Jerry...
(1997) - Gang in BlueGang in BlueGang in Blue is a 1996 film co-directed by Melvin Van Peebles and his son, Mario Van Peebles, about a black police officer who discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department.-Cast:*Mario Van Peebles as Michael Rhodes...
(1997) - Los LocosLos LocosLos Locos is a 1997 Western film written by and starring Mario Van Peebles. It was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée and also stars Melora Walters, René Auberjonois, Paul Lazar and Danny Trejo...
(1997) - Mama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's FamilyMama Flora's Family is a novel by Alex Haley. The story begins with Flora, a daughter of poor black sharecroppers at her home in Mississippi...
(1998) - Love Kills (1998)
- Raw Nerve (1999)
- Ali (2001)
- The Hebrew HammerThe Hebrew HammerThe Hebrew Hammer is a 2003 American film directed by Jonathan Kesselman. It stars Adam Goldberg, Judy Greer, Andy Dick, Mario Van Peebles, and Peter Coyote...
(2003) - BAADASSSSS!BAADASSSSS!BAADASSSSS! is a 2003 American biopic, written, produced, directed by, and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of Van Peebles' father Melvin Van Peebles , as he attempts to film and distribute Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a film that was widely credited with showing...
(2003) - Carlito's Way: Rise to PowerCarlito's Way: Rise to PowerCarlito's Way: Rise to Power is a 2005 direct-to-video prequel to Brian De Palma's 1993 film Carlito's Way, based on the novel Carlito's Way by Judge Edwin Torres...
(2005) - Killers in the HouseKillers in the HouseKillers in the House is a 1998 made for TV film starring Mario Van Peebles, Holly Robinson Peete, and Hal Linden. Bank robbers hold a family hostage in a newly inherited mansion. The movie was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia...
- Hard LuckHard LuckHard Luck is a 2006 film reuniting Mario Van Peebles and Wesley Snipes, who also worked together in the 1991 film New Jack City. Hard Luck features Wesley Snipes as Lucky, a down-on-his-luck former criminal and drug dealer whose post-prison trials and tribulations take him on a wild adventure...
(2006) - Across the Line: The Exodus of Charlie WrightAcross the Line: The Exodus of Charlie WrightAcross the Line: The Exodus of Charlie Wright is a 2010 action film starring Aidan Quinn. Filming took place in Los Angeles, California and Tijuana, Mexico. The film follows a banker who escapes the U.S...
(2010) - Kerosene CowboysKerosene CowboysKerosene Cowboys is a yet-to-be-released action/thriller film directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Cam Gigandet, Shane West and Rachael Leigh Cook. Adam Prince wrote the screenplay based on a story by Nikolay Suslov and Dave Riggs, who in turn based the story on characters from the novel...
(TBA)
Actor (TV)
- One Life to LiveOne Life to LiveOne Life to Live is an American soap opera which debuted on July 15, 1968 and has been broadcast on the ABC television network. Created by Agnes Nixon, the series was the first daytime drama to primarily feature racially and socioeconomically diverse characters and consistently emphasize social...
(1982–1983) - The Cosby ShowThe Cosby ShowThe Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
(1985) - L.A. LawL.A. LawL.A. Law is a US television legal drama that ran on NBC from September 15, 1986 to May 19, 1994. L.A. Law reflected the social and cultural ideologies of the 1980s and early 1990s and many of the cases featured on the show dealt with hot topic issues such as abortion, racism, gay rights,...
(1986) - Sonny SpoonSonny SpoonSonny Spoon was a detective program aired in the United States on the NBC television network in 1988. The series was created by Michael Daly, Dinah Prince, Stephen J. Cannell and Randall Wallace and produced by Stephen J...
(1988) - A Triumph of the Heart: The Ricky Bell Story (1991)
- In The Line of Duty: Street Wars (1992)
- Living SingleLiving SingleLiving Single is an American television sitcom which aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 29, 1993 to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.Throughout its run, Living...
(1995) - RiotRiotA riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...
(1997, co-starred with Luke PerryLuke PerryLuke Perry is an American actor. Perry starred as Dylan McKay on the TV series Beverly Hills, 90210, a role he played from 1990–95, and then from 1998–2000. Much publicity was garnered over the fact that even though he was playing a sixteen-year-old when 90210 began, Perry was actually in his...
) - Rude AwakeningRude Awakening (TV series)Rude Awakening is a TV series created by Claudia Lonow, aired by Showtime on 55 22-min episodes for 3 seasons .-Story:Rude Awakening tells the story of Billie Frank, an out of work alcoholic ex-soap opera actress. She tries to go sober and become a writer but continues to struggle with her...
(2000–2001) - 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002)
- 44 Minutes44 Minutes"44 Minutes" is a song by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, which appears on their twelfth studio album, titled Endgame, which was released on September 15, 2009, written by frontman Dave Mustaine...
(2004) - L.A Riots 29 April 1992 (2004)
- Law & OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(2007) - All My ChildrenAll My ChildrenAll My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...
(2008–2009) - DamagesDamages (TV series)Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...
(2009) - Mario's Green House (2009)
- House houses (2009)
- HellcatsHellcatsHellcats is an American cheerleading comedy-drama television series that originally aired on The CW in the United States from September 8, 2010 to May 17, 2011...
(2011) - The Game (2011)
Director
- New Jack CityNew Jack CityNew Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
(1991) - PossePosse (1993 film)Posse is a 1993 American Western film directed by and starring Mario Van Peebles. Featuring a large ensemble cast of mostly African-American actors, the film is about a posse of black soldiers and one ostracized white soldier, who are all betrayed by a corrupt colonel. The title of the film refers...
(1993) - PantherPanther (film)Panther is a 1995 film directed by Mario Van Peebles, from a screenplay adapted by his father, Melvin Van Peebles, based on his book. The film dramatizes the story of The Black Panther Party for Self-Defense...
(1995) - Gang in BlueGang in BlueGang in Blue is a 1996 film co-directed by Melvin Van Peebles and his son, Mario Van Peebles, about a black police officer who discovers a cell of white supremacist vigilantes within his department.-Cast:*Mario Van Peebles as Michael Rhodes...
(1996) - Love KillsLove Kills-Cast:*Mario Van Peebles – "Poe Finklestein"*Lesley Ann Warren – "Evelyn Heiss"*Donovan Leitch – "Dominique"*Loretta Devine – "Sylvia Finkelstein"*Louise Fletcher – "Alena Heiss"*Daniel Baldwin – "Danny Tucker"*Robert LaSardo – "Diesel"...
(1999) - BAADASSSSS!BAADASSSSS!BAADASSSSS! is a 2003 American biopic, written, produced, directed by, and starring Mario Van Peebles. The film is based on the struggles of Van Peebles' father Melvin Van Peebles , as he attempts to film and distribute Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, a film that was widely credited with showing...
(2003) - Hard LuckHard LuckHard Luck is a 2006 film reuniting Mario Van Peebles and Wesley Snipes, who also worked together in the 1991 film New Jack City. Hard Luck features Wesley Snipes as Lucky, a down-on-his-luck former criminal and drug dealer whose post-prison trials and tribulations take him on a wild adventure...
(2006) - Sons of AnarchySons of AnarchySons of Anarchy is an American television drama series created by Kurt Sutter about the lives of a close-knit outlaw motorcycle club operating in Charming, a fictional town in Northern California...
(2008) Season 1 episode 10: "Better Half" - Law and OrderLaw & OrderLaw & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...
(2008) "Sweetie" - DamagesDamages (TV series)Damages is an American television drama series created by the writing and production trio of Daniel Zelman and brothers Glenn and Todd A. Kessler . It is broadcast in the United States on the DirecTV channel Audience Network after originally airing on FX and is produced by the creators' own...
(2008) - LostLost (TV series)Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
(2010) "Dr. LinusDr. Linus"Dr. Linus" is the seventh episode of the sixth season of ABC's drama television series Lost. It is the 110th episode overall. The episode was written by executive producers Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and directed by actor Mario Van Peebles...
" - Kerosene CowboysKerosene CowboysKerosene Cowboys is a yet-to-be-released action/thriller film directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Cam Gigandet, Shane West and Rachael Leigh Cook. Adam Prince wrote the screenplay based on a story by Nikolay Suslov and Dave Riggs, who in turn based the story on characters from the novel...
(TBA) - Black, White & Blues (2010)
- Redemption Road (2010)
- BossBoss (TV series)Boss is an American-Canadian political drama television series created by Farhad Safinia. The series stars Kelsey Grammer as Tom Kane, the mayor of Chicago, who has recently been diagnosed with a degenerative neurological disorder....
(2011) Season 1 episode 3: "Swallow", episode 6: "Spit" - All Things Fall ApartAll Things Fall ApartAll Things Fall Apart is a 2011 American drama film starring Ray Liotta, 50 Cent, Mario Van Peebles, and Lynn Whitfield. It was filmed in Michigan and premiered at the Miami International Film Festival.-Plot:...
(2012)