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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
August 21, 1932
Died
September 21, 2021
Place of Birth
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Melvin Van Peebles
0.3 Popularity
Biography
Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as an independent filmmaker. In 1971, he released his best-known work, creating and starring in the film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which led to the creation of the blaxploitation genre. although critic Roger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be an exploitation film. He followed this up with the musical, Don't Play Us Cheap, based on his own stage play, and continued to make films, write novels and stage plays in English and in French through the next several decades; his final films include the French-language film Le Conte du ventre plein (2000) and the absurdist film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008). His son, filmmaker and actor Mario Van Peebles, appeared in several of his works and portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Baadasssss!.
Known For
8.0
Self
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
2022
6.2
Self
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
2021
4.3
Grandpa V.
Armed
2018
5.6
Grandpa Peeples
Peeples
2013
0.0
Self (Interviewee)
Salty Dog Blues
2012
5.0
Elmo
Redemption Road
2011
7.6
Self (voice)
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
2011
0.0
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
2011
4.9
Self
American Swing
2009
0.0
Self
Directors on Directing
2009
Credits
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
as Self
2022
8.0
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
as Self
2021
6.2
Armed
as Grandpa V.
2018
4.3
Peeples
as Grandpa Peeples
2013
5.6
Salty Dog Blues
as Self (Interviewee)
2012
0.0
Redemption Road
as Elmo
2011
5.0
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
as Self (voice)
2011
7.6
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
2011
0.0
American Swing
as Self
2009
4.9
Directors on Directing
as Self
2009
0.0
The Black List: Volume Two
as Self
2009
6.0
🎬
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
as Melvin Van Peebles
2008
6.5
🎬
Sex: The Revolution
2008
7.0
Blackout
as George
2007
5.6
Hard Luck
as Hospital Prophet
2006
5.5
SMUT
as Elmoore
2006
0.0
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
as Self (archive footage)
2006
0.0
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
2005
7.0
🎬
Unstoppable
as Self
2005
0.0
The Hebrew Hammer
as Sweetback
2003
5.4
The Real Deal: What It Is
as Self
2003
0.0
BaadAsssss Cinema
as Self
2002
5.9
Girlfriends
as Kenneth Daly
2000
7.3
René Vautier, le rebelle
as Self
2000
10.0
Love Kills
as Able
1999
2.0
Classified X
as Self
1998
4.5
The Shining
as Richard Hallorann
1997
6.3
Riot
as Vernon
1997
5.0
Calm at Sunset
as Mr. Bucket
1996
5.6
Gang in Blue
as Andre Speier
1996
5.0
Panther
as Old Jail Bird
1995
6.2
Fist of the North Star
as Asher
1995
4.3
Terminal Velocity
as Noble
1994
5.3
Living Single
1993
8.3
Farewell, Babylon!
as Self
1993
0.0
Last Action Hero
as Self
1993
6.5
Posse
as Papa Joe
1993
5.3
Homicide: Life on the Street
1993
8.1
Boomerang
as Editor
1992
5.6
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
as Louis Armstrong (voice)
1992
7.0
True Identity
as Taxi Driver
1991
5.5
Dream On
as Norman Green
1990
6.9
🎬
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
as Self
1989
6.7
Identity Crisis
as The Inspector
1989
1.3
Sonny Spoon
1988
5.5
Taking Care of Terrific
as Hawk
1988
0.0
Jaws: The Revenge
as Mr. Witherspoon
1987
4.1
O.C. and Stiggs
as Wino Bob
1987
4.3
America
as Man Interviewed
1986
3.2
The Sophisticated Gents
as Walter 'Moon' Porter
1981
7.0
Wattstax
as Self
1973
7.0
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
as Sweetback
1971
5.1
Watermelon Man
as Sign Painter (uncredited)
1970
6.3
Sunlight
1957
0.0
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Bucket
1951
8.6