Reggie Rock Bythewood facts for kids

Reggie Rock Bythewood, born on July 7, 1965, is an American filmmaker and actor. He is famous for directing movies like Dancing in September. He also created popular TV shows such as Shots Fired and Swagger.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Reggie Rock Bythewood grew up in The Bronx, New York City. He enjoyed going to movies and baseball games with his dad. His biggest passion was boxing. However, after his parents separated, his mother did not want him to box. She thought it was too risky, so he could not go to the boxing gym.

During this time, hip hop music was becoming popular in New York. Reggie was very interested in this new art form. He was a rapper in a hip hop group in his neighborhood. In junior high school, he and his friends would even break dance on stage during school events.

From Acting to Writing

After junior high, Reggie focused on acting. He went to the High School of Performing Arts to study drama. However, the school did not allow students to work as professional actors. In his last year, Reggie got a role in the TV show Another World. He left his high school and went to Quintanos School for Young Professionals. On the set, he acted alongside famous actors like Morgan Freeman.

After high school, Reggie acted in a film called The Brother from Another Planet. The director, John Sayles, inspired Reggie to try writing and directing. Reggie then decided to focus less on acting. He earned a degree in theater from Marymount Manhattan College. He also helped start a theater group in New York City called The Tribe. This group performed plays that Reggie wrote and directed. Their goal was to entertain people and make them think.

Moving to Hollywood

In 1990, Reggie was offered a role in another TV show, One Life To Live. But he turned it down and moved to Los Angeles. He wanted to become a screenwriter, someone who writes movie scripts. He joined Walt Disney's special Writers Fellowship Program. After that, he became a writer for the popular NBC comedy show A Different World. This is where he met Gina Prince-Bythewood, who later became his wife.

Reggie also wrote and produced the drama series New York Undercover. He helped rewrite action movie scripts for producer Joel Silver. After attending a big event called the Million Man March, he wrote the script for Spike Lee's independent film Get on the Bus. Reggie also helped invest money in this movie. Later, he helped rewrite the script for the film Notorious.

Directing and Community Work

Reggie Rock Bythewood made his first movie as a director with the film Dancing in September. This movie was shown at the Sundance Film Festival and later became an HBO original movie. He also directed the movie Biker Boyz.

He directed a documentary called "Daddy's Girl" about boxer Laila Ali. He also directed "One Night in Vegas" for ESPN's 30 for 30 series. In 2014, he directed Gun Hill, a two-hour TV pilot, and won an NAACP Image Award for it. In 2017, he worked with Gina Prince-Bythewood to create the TV series Shots Fired. He directed the final episode of the first season.

Reggie was the chairman of an organization called B-Dads. With other fathers, he helped feed homeless families in Los Angeles. He also raised a lot of money for the Sickle Cell Disease Foundation. He led workshops about fatherhood. He has also spoken at events about police reform.

Family Life

Reggie Rock Bythewood lives in Southern California with his wife, filmmaker Gina Prince-Bythewood. They have two sons. Reggie and Gina first met on the set of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. They both later worked on A Different World and got married in 1998.

Film and Television Work

Reggie Rock Bythewood has worked on many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Films He Wrote or Produced

Films He Acted In

Television Shows He Worked On

TV Movies He Directed or Wrote

TV Acting Role