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Cleavant Derricks (actor)

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Cleavant Derricks
Born
Cleavant Derricks Jr.

(1953-05-15) May 15, 1953 (age 71)
Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Occupation(s)Actor, singer, songwriter
Years active1978–present
FatherCleavant Derricks
RelativesClinton Derricks-Carroll (twin brother)

Cleavant Derricks Jr. (born May 15, 1953) is an American stage and screen actor, Tony Award winning singer and songwriter, who may be best known for his role of Rembrandt Brown on Sliders.

Biography

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Derricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to pianist mother Cecile G. and Baptist preacher/composer Cleavant Derricks Sr., known for his popular gospel music hymn "Just a Little Talk with Jesus".[1][2] His twin brother is actor and musician Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Derricks began his career as a Nashville gospel songwriter. With his father, he wrote the gospel album Satisfaction Guaranteed. He was the musical director and composer for the musical When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate.

Derricks went to New York City to study acting with Vinnette Carroll at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in his Broadway shows, including But Never Jam Today and the 1977 revival of Hair. He also won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, for creating the role of James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. Off-Broadway he was in the William Finn musical Romance in Hard Times in 1989.[3] He also starred in the Broadway musical Brooklyn as the Streetsinger.

Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as Moscow on the Hudson, Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls. He was a series regular on the short-lived television series Thea with Thea Vidale and Brandy, and Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. His role as Rembrandt Brown on Sliders with Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd and John Rhys-Davies was the only Sliders character to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as Roseanne, A Different World, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, Charmed, and many others.

In 2019, Derricks took over the role of the Wizard of Oz in the 2nd U.S. tour of Wicked.[4] He reprised the role in 2022 on Broadway.[5] In summer 2024, he’ll star as Joe in Waitress at Ogunquit Playhouse.[6]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role
1981 Fort Apache the Bronx Suspect No. 4
1984 Moscow on the Hudson Lionel Witherspoon
1985 The Slugger's Wife Manny Alvarado
1986 Off Beat Abe Washington
1998 Carnival of Souls Sid
2001 World Traveler Carl
2008 Rome & Jewel Reverend Q

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 Cindy Michael Simpson TV movie
1979 When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate TV movie
1982 The Ambush Murders TV movie
1985 Miami Vice David Jones 1 episode
1986 The Equalizer Sonny Raines 2 episodes
1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Marvin Episode: "Mickey and Nora" (S1.E4)
1987 Bluffing It Cal TV movie
1987 Spenser: For Hire Mac Dickerson 1 episode
1987 Moonlighting Leonard Haven 2 episodes
1989 Roseanne Tommy 1 episode
1991 A Different World Larry 1 episode
1991 L.A. Law Mark Wright 1 episode
1991 Sibs Officer Milner 1 episode
1991 Good Sports Jeff Mussberger 15 episodes
1991–1992 Drexell's Class George Foster 17 episodes
1992 Woops! Frederick Ross 11 episodes
1993–1994 Thea Charles 19 episodes
1994–1995 Something Wilder Caleb Attucks 3 episodes
1995–2000 Sliders Rembrandt 'Cryin' Man' Brown 87 episodes
1999 Touched by an Angel as Robert Springbelt 1 episode
2000 Charmed Cleavant Wilson 1 episode
2000 18 Wheels of Justice Harold Baines 1 episode
2001 The Practice Nathan Lees 1 episode
2002 The Bernie Mac Show Willie 1 episode
2006 Basilisk: The Serpent King Col. Douglas TV movie
2007 The Wedding Bells Cedric 5 episodes
2007 Cold Case Lloyd 1 episode
2011 Miami Magma Ray Miller TV movie

Discography

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References

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  1. ^ "Cleavant Derricks reveals his personal, professional soul". New York Amsterdam News. February 8, 1997. Retrieved July 6, 2008.[dead link]
  2. ^ "Cleavant Derricks Biography". filmreference. 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
  3. ^ "BSC Announces the 20th Anniversary 2014 Season". barringtonstageco.org. January 30, 2014. Retrieved January 26, 2015.
  4. ^ Mahoney, Ashley (September 8, 2021). "Tony winner Clevant Derricks hits road as 'Wicked's' wizard on US tour". The Charlotte Post. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Mahoney, Ashley (October 24, 2022). "Cleavant Derricks on Making Broadway Magic in Wicked & Dreamgirls". Broadway. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  6. ^ Desi Oakley, Kennedy Kanagawa, Cleavant Derricks, More Will Star in Ogunquit Playhouse Waitress
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