Cleavant Derricks (actor) facts for kids

Cleavant Derricks Jr. was born on May 15, 1953. He is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He has won a special award called a Tony Award. Many people know him best for playing Rembrandt Brown in the TV show Sliders.

About Cleavant Derricks

Early Life and Family

Cleavant Derricks Jr. was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. His mother, Cecile G., was a pianist. His father, Cleavant Derricks Sr., was a preacher and composer. His father was famous for his gospel hymn "Just a Little Talk with Jesus". Cleavant has a twin brother named Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Clinton is also an actor and musician.

Cleavant started his career in Nashville. He wrote gospel songs there. He and his father wrote a gospel album together. It was called Satisfaction Guaranteed. He also worked as a musical director. He composed music for the show When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate.

Broadway and Awards

Cleavant moved to New York City. He studied acting with Vinnette Carroll. He performed in many Broadway shows. These included But Never Jam Today and Hair. He received great reviews for his acting.

He won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. This was for his role as James "Thunder" Early. He played this character in the musical Dreamgirls. He also won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for the same role. Later, he appeared in the musical Romance in Hard Times. He also starred in Brooklyn on Broadway. In that show, he played the Streetsinger.

Movies and TV Shows

After his success on stage, Cleavant appeared in movies. Some of these films include Moscow on the Hudson and The Slugger's Wife. He also acted in Carnival of Souls.

He was a regular actor on a few TV shows. These included Thea and Good Sports. His most famous TV role was Rembrandt Brown. He played this character on the show Sliders. He was the only character to appear in every episode of the series. Cleavant also made guest appearances on many other popular shows. These include Roseanne, A Different World, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, and Charmed.

Recent Work

In 2019, Cleavant Derricks took on a new role. He played the Wizard of Oz. This was for the second U.S. tour of the musical Wicked. He played the Wizard again on Broadway in 2022. In the summer of 2024, he starred as Joe in the musical Waitress. This show was performed at the Ogunquit Playhouse.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

• Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album (1982)
• Beginnings (1999)
• Brooklyn (2004)

See also

In Spanish: Cleavant Derricks para niños