Melvin Van Peebles

Died at 93

born August 21, 1932

male38 suggestions0 votes

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

Last Action Hero

Jaws: The Revenge

Boomerang

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song

Top Casting Suggestions

Melvin Van Peebles has been suggested to play 38 roles. Click below to see other actors suggested for each role, and vote for who you think would play the role best.

Melvin Van Peebles

Jaws

Deceased Actors by Franchise

Jaws

Melvin Van Peebles

Apollo Creed

Rocky

Apollo Creed

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Sinners (1985)

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Writer

Get Out (60’s)

Writer

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Get Out (60’s)

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

80's Black Panther Movie Trilogy

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Sinners (1975)

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Writer

Get Out (1967)

Writer

Melvin Van Peebles

Composer

Get Out (1967)

Composer

Melvin Van Peebles

Producer

Get Out (1967)

Producer

Melvin Van Peebles

Black Spider

Batman: Assault on Arkham-60's

Black Spider

Melvin Van Peebles

Lt. Richler

Apt Pupil (1987)

Lt. Richler

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

BlacKkKlansman (1978)

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Jimmy Jump

King Of New York (1975)

Jimmy Jump

Melvin Van Peebles

Producer

Judas and the Black messiah (90’s)

Producer

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Judas and the black messiah [1978]

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Coming to America(1968)

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Writer

Nope (70’s)

Writer

Melvin Van Peebles

Dick Halloran

The Shining Doctor Sleep Visualization

Dick Halloran

Melvin Van Peebles

Mayor Jason Witherspoon

Jaws of the Creature from the Black Lagoon

Mayor Jason Witherspoon

Melvin Van Peebles

Benjamin Sisko

Star Trek Franchise Cast [TOS Style]

Benjamin Sisko

Melvin Van Peebles

Quarsh Panaka

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1979)

Quarsh Panaka

Melvin Van Peebles

Director

Black Panther {1978}

Director

Melvin Van Peebles

Writer

Black Panther {1978}

Writer

Showing 1–24 of 27 suggestions

Melvin Van Peebles

Known for

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