Emmanuel Lewis facts for kids

Emmanuel Lewis (born March 9, 1971) is an American actor. He became famous for playing the main character in the TV show Webster. In the mid-1980s, he was one of the biggest stars on American television.

Early Acting Career

Emmanuel Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City. He started acting when he was nine years old. His first jobs were in TV commercials. You might have seen him in ads for Campbell's Soup, Life cereal, or Burger King.

Lewis was always shorter than most people his age. As an adult, he reached a height of 4 feet 3 inches. This unique feature allowed him to play characters who were much younger than his actual age.

How Webster Started

A TV executive named Lew Erlicht from ABC saw Emmanuel in a Burger King commercial. He was so impressed that he wanted a TV show made just for Emmanuel.

At that time, another TV network, NBC, had a popular show called Diff'rent Strokes. This show was about a short African American boy adopted by a white family. Instead of creating a brand new show, ABC decided to add Emmanuel to a show they were already working on. This show was called Another Ballgame. It starred Alex Karras and Susan Clark.

The show was then changed to focus on Emmanuel's character, Webster Long. Webster was a five-year-old boy whose parents had died in a car accident. The show's name was changed to Then Came You, and then finally to Webster before it aired.

Awards and Success

For his role as Webster, Emmanuel Lewis was nominated for four Young Artist Awards. These awards celebrate young talent in entertainment. Even though he didn't win those specific awards, he did win three People's Choice Awards. These awards are special because people vote for their favorite stars. He also won two Clio Awards, which are given for excellence in advertising.

Webster was a very successful show for ABC. It was one of the top 30 most-watched shows for its first three years. ABC stopped making the show in 1987. However, it continued to be shown in first-run syndication for two more seasons. This means it was sold directly to TV stations to be aired. In total, Webster ran for six seasons. Emmanuel was 12 years old when the show began, even though he played a five-year-old. He was 18 when the show ended.

Later Career and Other Work

Emmanuel Lewis is also known as a singer in Japan. He released two songs there. His first song, "City Connection," became very popular and reached number 2 on the Oricon music chart in Japan.

He has appeared on several TV shows as himself. In 2001, he was on a special TV child stars episode of The Weakest Link. He also had small appearances in the 2007 movie Kickin' It Old Skool and a 2013 episode of Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis.

In 2014, Emmanuel Lewis was a guest on a podcast called TV Guidance Counselor. He also appeared in a music video for the group Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz.

Personal Life

Emmanuel Lewis went to Clark Atlanta University. He graduated in 1997 with a degree in theater arts. Today, he lives in the Atlanta area. He is involved in important organizations. He is the president of the Radio, Music & Film Alliance of Georgia. He also chairs the board of the Thomas W. Dortch Jr. Foundation.

Lewis is a skilled practitioner of taekwondo, which is a Korean martial art. He is also a member of a group called Prince Hall Freemasons in Atlanta, Georgia.

Filmography

Here are some of the TV shows and movies Emmanuel Lewis has been in:

• Webster (1983–1989) (TV series)
• The Love Boat (1984) (TV episode)
• A Christmas Dream (1984) (TV special)
• Lost in London (1985) (TV movie)
• Emmanuel Lewis: My Very Own Show (1987) (TV special)
• The New Adventures of Mother Goose (1995) (TV movie)
• In the House (1996) (TV episode)
• Family Matters (1997) (TV episodes)
• Alle unter einem Dach (1997) (German TV episode)
• Moesha (1998) (TV episode)
• Malcolm & Eddie (1999) (TV episode)
• The Weakest Link TV Child Stars Edition (2001) (TV episode)
• The Surreal Life (2003) (TV series)
• Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) (film)
• My Super Sweet Sixteen (2005) (TV episode)
• One on One (2005) (TV episode)
• Kickin' It Old Skool (2007) (film)
• The Surreal Life: Fame Games (2007) (TV series)
• The Lil Flex Show (2008) (TV series)

Discography

Emmanuel Lewis released two songs in Japan:

• "City Connection" (シティコネクション, Shity Konekushon) (1981 July 5)
  • This song was very popular and reached number 2 on the Oricon chart.
  • It also had an English version on the B-side.
• "Love is DANDAN" (恋はダンダン, ”Koi wa Dan Dan") (1981 October 5)

See also

In Spanish: Emmanuel Lewis para niños