As Actors, Directors, Writers, Producers, Musicians, Playwrights, and Scorers – the Van Peebles clan are truly a jack-of-all-trades, inspiring those minority filmmakers who feel they have so much to do and so little time.Marion Van Peebles is the son of Melvin Van Peebles and a French woman, born in Mexico City in 1957. He made his acting debut in his father’s film, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, playing the young version of the main character. One of his scenes involves him being naked, climbing on top an equally naked adult woman.
Refusing to join the Entertainment Buiness, Mario went to Columbia to study Economics. Upon graduation, he served as a budget analystst for the New York City Department of Enviornmental Protection. He soon quite to chase his long-time despised dream of becoming an actor. Modeling and making small appearances to pay the bills, he finally landed his first real role in One Life to Live, an early 80’s soap opera. He returned to movies in 1984’s Cotton Club, and then had his break-through performance as a Marine in Clint Eastwood’s Heartbreak Ridge (1986).
This subsequently led him to star in Sonny Spoon, a 1988 TV-action/comedy. Even though short-lived, the series gave him his directorial debut. Honing his skills, producing and directing several music videos, he went on to direct many episodes for 21 Jump Street and Wiseguys.
He graduated to directing features with 1991’s New Jack City, a crime-thriller about a rising drug dealer in New York City during the Crack Epidemic, starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, and Chris Rock. The film went on to gross over 47 millions making it his most successful movie to date.
He’s gone on to direct several films that were never able to reach New Jack City’s success. Most notably Panther (1995), the fictionilzed account of the rise of the Black Panther Party in which his father produced. And 2004’s BAADASSS, the depiction of his father’s struggles to make Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasss Song, in which he also starred, wrote, and produced, much like his father in the original. Through-out this time he continued to act. One of the more high-profile roles being Malcolm X in the Oscar Nominated Ali.
AWARDS:
2 Black Reel Award – (2005, Director & Writer, How to Get a Man’s Foot Outta Yo Ass)
1 Black Reel Nomination – (2005, Acting, How to Get a Man’s Foot Outta Yo Ass)
1 DGA Nomination (1991, Directing Daytime Show, CBS Schoolbreak Special)
1 Image Award Win (1989, Acting, Heartbreak Ridge)
2 Image Award Nominations (2002, Acting, Ali); (2005, Acting, How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass)
3 Independent Spirit Award Nominations (2005, Direction, Feature, Screenplay, How to Get the Man’s Foot Outta Your Ass)
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