Melvin Van Peebles Bio/Wiki, Net Worth, Married 2018
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. He is the father of ac...
Actor, Screenwriter, Film director, Film Producer, Film Score Composer, Novelist, Playwright, Composer, Film Editor, Television Director
Education
Ohio Wesleyan University
Nationality
United States of America
Children
Mario Van Peebles, Megan Van Peebles, Max Van Peebles
Parents
Edwin Griffin
Nicknames
Brer Soul , Melvin Block Van Peebles , Melvin Van Peebles wid Laxative , Block , Melvin Peebles , Melvin "Block" Van Peebles
Awards
Gotham Independent Film Tribute Award
Nominations
Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical, Tony Award for Best Original Score
Movies
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Baadasssss!, Watermelon Man, Panther, Posse, The Story of a Three-Day Pass, Jaws: The Revenge, Classified X, Gang in Blue, Identity Crisis, The Hebrew Hammer, We the Party, Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha, Redemption Road, We the Peeples, The Sophisticat...
I make a film like I cook for friends. I hope they like it, but if they don't, I'm prepared to enjoy it all by myself.
2
I'm not going to let the accolades come to me when I'm in a wheelchair. 'Get a little more feeble, Melvin, and we'll recognize you.' Right now I'm a little too dangerous. I intend to stay dangerous.
3
Don't ask me something if you don't want to know. Because I will tell you...Why not have fun, man? If I feel like doing something, I just go ahead and do it.
4
[about criticism of his "eccentric" taste in antiques] They laughed at Columbus when he said the world was round, too.
5
[about his somewhat eccentric taste in antiques] Some people get a sense of being alive by shopping and spending money. I get that feeling by giving unwanted things a new life.
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Fact
1
Member of the 'Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' (AMPAS) since 2016.
Has been nominated for three Tony Awards: in 1972, as Best Book (Musical) and Best Score, as both Composer and Lyricist, for "Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death;" and in 1973, as Best Book (Musical) for "Don't Play Us Cheap."
Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
2012
Short
Narrator
We the Party
2012
Big D
Redemption Road
2010
Elmo
Us: A Love Story
2009
Short
Narrator (voice)
Mario's Green House
2009
TV Series
All My Children
2008
TV Series
Melvin Woods
Blackout
2007/III
George
Hard Luck
2006
Video
Hospital Prophet
Girlfriends
2005
TV Series
Kenneth Daly
Baltimore
2003
Short
The Hebrew Hammer
2003
Sweetback
Antilles sur Seine
2000
L'Américain à la soirée
Time of Her Time
2000
Thompson
Smut
1999
Love Kills
1998
Abel
The Shining
1997
TV Mini-Series
Richard Hallorann
Riot
1997
TV Movie
Vernon (segment "Homecoming Day")
Homicide: Life on the Street
1997
TV Series
Bennett Jackson
Calm at Sunset
1996
TV Movie
Mr. Bucket
Gang in Blue
1996
TV Movie
Andre Speier
Living Single
1996
TV Series
Warner Devant
Panther
1995/I
Old jailbird
Fist of the North Star
1995
Asher
Terminal Velocity
1994
Noble
Dream On
1994
TV Series
Norman Green
Last Action Hero
1993
Melvin Van Peebles
Posse
1993
Papa Joe
Boomerang
1992
Editor
True Identity
1991
Taxi Driver
In the Heat of the Night
1990
TV Series
Nathaniel Halwell
Identity Crisis
1989
The Inspector
Sonny Spoon
1988
TV Series
Mel Spoon
Taking Care of Terrific
1987
TV Movie
Hawk
Jaws: The Revenge
1987
Mr. Witherspoon
America
1986
Man Interviewed
O.C. and Stiggs
1985
Wino Bob
The Sophisticated Gents
1981
TV Series
Walter 'Moon' Porter / Silky
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
Sweetback
Watermelon Man
1970
Sign Painter (uncredited)
Writer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
2012
Short
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
2008
screenplay
Baadasssss!
2003
book "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song: A Guerilla Filmmaking Manifesto"
Le conte du ventre plein
2000
Classified X
1998
TV Movie documentary
Vrooom Vroom Vrooom
1995
Short
Panther
1995/I
novel "Panther" / screenplay
CBS Schoolbreak Special
1987
TV Series writer - 1 episode
The Sophisticated Gents
1981
TV Series 3 episodes
Greased Lightning
1977
written by
Just an Old Sweet Song
1976
TV Movie
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
writer
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
written by
Slogan
1969
screenplay
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
1968
writer
Cinq cent balles
1963
Short writer
Sunlight
1957
Short
Three Pickup Men for Herrick
1957
Short
Director
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
2012
Short
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
2008
The Real Deal
2003
Video short
Le conte du ventre plein
2000
The Outer Limits
1997
TV Series 1 episode
Tales of Erotica
1996
segment "Vroom Vroom Vroooom"
Gang in Blue
1996
TV Movie
Vrooom Vroom Vrooom
1995
Short
Identity Crisis
1989
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
Watermelon Man
1970
The Bill Cosby Show
1970
TV Series 1 episode
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
1968
Cinq cent balles
1963
Short
Sunlight
1957
Short
Three Pickup Men for Herrick
1957
Short
Producer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
2008
producer
Le conte du ventre plein
2000
delegate producer
Classified X
1998
TV Movie documentary executive producer
Gang in Blue
1996
TV Movie producer
Vrooom Vroom Vrooom
1995
Short producer
Panther
1995/I
producer
Identity Crisis
1989
producer
The Sophisticated Gents
1981
TV Series associate producer - 3 episodes
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
producer
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
producer
Sunlight
1957
Short producer
Composer
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
2012
Short
Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis
2005
TV Movie documentary
Le conte du ventre plein
2000
Smut
1999
Vrooom Vroom Vrooom
1995
Short
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
Watermelon Man
1970
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
1968
Cinq cent balles
1963
Short
Sunlight
1957
Short
Three Pickup Men for Herrick
1957
Short
Soundtrack
Title
Year
Status
Character
Posse
1993
performer: "Cruel Jim Crow Posse Don't Play That" / writer: "Cruel Jim Crow Posse Don't Play That"
Identity Crisis
1989
performer: "Same Ole Raggedy Song" / writer: "Same Ole Raggedy Song"
Kotia päin
1989
writer: "Apple Stretching"
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
writer: "Quittin' Time"
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
performer: "Sweetback's Theme", "Hoppin John", "Sweetback Getting It Uptight And Preaching It So Hard The Bourgeois Reggin Angels In Heaven Turn Around", "Sweetback Losing His Cherry" / writer: "Sweetback's Theme", "Hoppin John", "Sweetback Getting It Uptight And Preaching It So Hard The Bourgeois Reggin Angels In Heaven Turn Around", "Sweetback Losing His Cherry"
Watermelon Man
1970
performer: "Love, That's America", "Soul'd On You" / writer: "Love, That's America", "Great Guy", "Eviction Theme", "Soul'd On You", "Where Are The Children", "Erica's Theme"
Editor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Lilly Done the Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail
2012
Short
Vrooom Vroom Vrooom
1995
Short
Identity Crisis
1989
Don't Play Us Cheap
1973
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
1971
Music Department
Title
Year
Status
Character
Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis
2005
TV Movie documentary music producer
The Sophisticated Gents
1981
TV Series composer - 3 episodes
Miscellaneous
Title
Year
Status
Character
Baadasssss Cinema
2002
TV Movie documentary source
Wattstax
1973
Documentary special staging
Thanks
Title
Year
Status
Character
The House I Live In
2012
Documentary thanks
Kinyarwanda
2011
very special thanks
Fair Game?
2010
Documentary thanks
C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America
2004
special thanks
Bamboozled
2000
thanks
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
1989
TV Movie documentary special thanks
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Independent Lens
2012
TV Series documentary
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
2011
Documentary
Himself (voice)
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
2011
Documentary
Himself
Fair Game?
2010
Documentary
Himself
Way Black When
2010
TV Movie
Himself
Freakonomics
2010
Documentary
Himself - Narrator (segment "It's Not Always A Wonderful Life")
Directors on Directing
2009
Documentary
Melvin VanPeebles
The Black List: Volume Two
2009
TV Movie documentary
Himself
American Swing
2008
Documentary
Himself
Disappearing Voices: The Decline of Black Radio
2008
Documentary
Himself
Sex: The Revolution
2008
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
The 2006 Black Movie Awards
2006
TV Special
Himself
Breaking the Rules
2006
Documentary
Himself
American Stag
2006
Documentary
Melvin Van Peebles
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
2005
Documentary
Himself
The 20th IFP Independent Spirit Awards
2005
TV Special documentary
Himself
Unstoppable: Conversation with Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, and Ossie Davis
2005
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Story Behind Baadasssss!: The Birth of Black Cinema
2004
Video documentary short
Himself (uncredited)
Tavis Smiley
2004
TV Series
Himself
Anatomy of a Scene
2004
TV Series documentary
Himself
Baadasssss Cinema
2002
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Jim Brown: All American
2002
TV Movie documentary
Himself (Actor, Producer, Director)
Acapulco Black Film Festival
2000
TV Movie documentary
Himself
Classified X
1998
TV Movie documentary
Himself / Narrator
Lauren Hutton and...
1995
TV Series
Himself
Charlie Rose
1995
TV Series
Himself
Without Walls
1994
TV Series documentary
Himself
Adieu, Babylone!
1992
Himself - Cineaste
Family Figures
1990
TV Series
Himself - Host
American Masters
1989
TV Series documentary
Himself / Louis Armstrong's words read by
Ebony/Jet Showcase
1986
TV Series
Himself
Working in the Theatre
1982
TV Series documentary
Himself
Black Journal
1976
TV Series
Himself
The Irv Kupcinet Show
1975
TV Series
Himself
Soul Train
1974
TV Series documentary
Guest
The Midnight Special
1974
TV Series
Himself
The 27th Annual Tony Awards
1973
TV Special
Himself
Wattstax
1973
Documentary
Himself (uncredited)
The 26th Annual Tony Awards
1972
TV Special
Himself
The David Frost Show
1971
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Missing Reel
2014
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself / Sweetback
Won Awards
Year
Award
Ceremony
Nomination
Movie
2010
Cinema Vanguard Award
African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)
2008
Special Achievement Award
African-American Film Critics Association (AAFCA)
2008
Tribute Award
Gotham Awards
2004
Lifetime Achievement Award
Los Angeles Pan African Film Festival
2000
Black Film Award
Acapulco Black Film Festival
Best International Film
Le conte du ventre plein (2000)
2000
Byron E. Lewis Trailblazer Award
Acapulco Black Film Festival
1999
Jack Smith Lifetime Achievement Award
Chicago Underground Film Festival
1997
OFTA Television Award
Online Film & Television Association
Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries
The Shining (1997)
1987
Daytime Emmy
Daytime Emmy Awards
Outstanding Writing in a Children's Special
CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984)
1987
Humanitas Prize
Humanitas Prize
Children's Live-Action Category
CBS Schoolbreak Special (1984)
1970
Image Award
Image Awards
Best Musical Score
Watermelon Man (1970)
Known for movies
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971) as Sweetback
$3 Million
