Reginald Hudlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Reginald Hudlin
|
|
|---|---|
Hudlin in 2017
|
|
| Born | December 15, 1961 Centreville, Illinois, U.S.
|
| Occupation | Film director, writer, producer |
| Years active | 1983–present |
| Known for | House Party Django Unchained Boomerang |
| Spouse(s) |
Chrisette Suter
(m. 2002) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Warrington Hudlin (brother) |
Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American movie director, writer, and producer. He often works with his older brother, Warrington Hudlin. Together, they are known as the Hudlin Brothers.
Reginald has made many popular films and TV shows. He was also the President of Entertainment for Black Entertainment Television (BET) from 2005 to 2008. Besides movies, Hudlin has written many comic books, including for Marvel's Black Panther. He has also helped produce big events like the 88th Academy Awards in 2016.
His first big hit was the 1990 movie House Party. He also directed the comedy Boomerang starring Eddie Murphy. Later, he was a producer for the movie Django Unchained, which was nominated for the Best Picture award.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Reginald Hudlin was born in Centreville, Illinois. His parents were both teachers. His older brother, Warrington, is also a director and producer. The brothers grew up in East St. Louis, where their family has a long history. Their great-great-grandparents were part of the Underground Railroad, a secret network that helped people escape slavery.
As kids, the Hudlin brothers attended a special school for the arts founded by the famous dancer Katherine Dunham. Reginald said this experience helped him and his brother decide to go to top universities. After graduating from high school in 1979, Reginald went to Harvard University.
At Harvard, he made a short film for his final project called House Party. It was based on his own experiences growing up and won several awards. This student film later became the inspiration for his first full-length movie. He graduated from Harvard in 1983 with high honors.
A Career in Film and Television
Getting Started
After college, Reginald and his brother Warrington started their own company. They began by making music videos for artists like Heavy D. They also created a popular TV commercial for a music album.
Breakthrough with House Party
In 1990, Reginald directed his first major film, House Party. His brother Warrington was the producer. It was a fun hip-hop comedy about teenagers, starring the rap duo Kid 'n Play. The movie was a huge success and made a lot of money, especially for a low-budget film. It also had positive messages for young people.
Working with Big Stars
Because House Party was so popular, actor Eddie Murphy asked the Hudlin brothers to work with him. In 1992, Reginald directed Boomerang, a romantic comedy starring Murphy. The movie had a famous all-Black cast, including Halle Berry, Martin Lawrence, and Chris Rock.
That same year, Hudlin also wrote the animated movie Bebe's Kids. The film was made to honor the comedian Robin Harris, who had passed away.
Television and Other Projects
Throughout his career, Hudlin has directed many TV shows. He directed episodes of popular comedies like Modern Family, The Office, and The Middle. He was also a director and producer for The Bernie Mac Show for three years.
In 1994, the Hudlin brothers produced a TV movie for HBO called Cosmic Slop. It was an anthology film, which means it was made of several short stories. Reginald directed one of the parts called "Space Traders," which was based on a famous short story.
Leading at BET
From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was the President of Entertainment at BET. During his time there, he helped create popular shows like the documentary series American Gangster and the gospel singing competition Sunday Best. He also started the The BET Honors and the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Writing for Comic Books
Reginald Hudlin is also a talented comic book writer. From 2005 to 2008, he wrote for the Marvel Comics series Black Panther. One of his most famous stories was "Bride of the Panther," where Black Panther marries Storm from the X-Men.
In 2015, he joined a project to bring back Milestone Media, a comic book company known for its diverse superheroes. He helped write new stories for these characters.
Major Films and Recent Work
Django Unchained
In 2012, Hudlin was a producer for the Quentin Tarantino film Django Unchained. The movie starred Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Samuel L. Jackson. It was a huge success and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture.
Telling Important Stories
In 2017, Hudlin directed the movie Marshall. The film tells the story of Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. It starred Chadwick Boseman, who also played Black Panther.
He also directed the Walt Disney Pictures movie Safety for the streaming service Disney+. More recently, he directed the 2023 holiday movie Candy Cane Lane starring Eddie Murphy.
Personal Life
Reginald Hudlin married Chrisette Suter, a public relations consultant, in 2002. They have two children.
An interesting fact is that Chrisette Hudlin once set up her friend, Kamala Harris, on a blind date with a lawyer named Doug Emhoff. Harris and Emhoff later got married, and she became the Vice-President of the United States.
Selected Filmography
Here are some of Reginald Hudlin's most well-known works:
As a Director
- House Party (1990)
- Boomerang (1992)
- The Great White Hype (1996)
- The Ladies Man (2000)
- Serving Sara (2002)
- Marshall (2017)
- Safety (2020)
- Sidney (2022) - A documentary about actor Sidney Poitier.
- Candy Cane Lane (2023)
As a Producer
- Bebe's Kids (1992)
- Django Unchained (2012)
- Burning Sands (2017)
- Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022)
Awards and Recognition
Reginald Hudlin has received many awards for his work in film.
- His first movie, House Party, won the Filmmakers Trophy at the famous Sundance Film Festival in 1990.
- He was nominated for an Academy Award as a producer for Django Unchained in 2013.
- He was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for the same film.
- In 2015, he received an Icon Award at Comic Con for his contributions to comics and pop culture.
- He has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for producing the 88th Academy Awards ceremony.
See also
In Spanish: Reginald Hudlin para niños
