Rob Hardy facts for kids

Robert Hardy, Jr. is a talented filmmaker and businessman. He works as a film director, producer, and screenwriter. He also directs many popular television shows.

Robert Hardy, Jr. started a film company called Rainforest Films in 1994 with his partner Will Packer. Some of the movies he has worked on include The Gospel, Trois, and Trois 2: Pandora's Box. On TV, he has directed episodes for shows like ER, Criminal Minds, Arrow, and The Game.

Robert Hardy's Film Journey

Robert Hardy, Jr. made his first video, G-Man, with a camcorder when he was in high school. Later, at Florida A&M University, he made his first film called Chocolate City. This film was a big success and helped him and his partner, Will Packer, start their company, Rainforest Films.

Their movie Trois was a huge hit. It became the fastest independent African-American film to earn over $1 million. A sequel, Trois 2: Pandora's Box, followed and was also very popular. In 2003, Hardy produced his first film, Motives. He also worked on Trois: The Escort, which was released directly to video.

Hardy then wrote and directed The Gospel, a drama with a spiritual theme. He also produced The Gospel Live, a concert film that went along with it. He was an executive producer for Puff, Puff, Pass and Stomp The Yard. Stomp The Yard was the number one movie at the box office for two weekends in 2007. It also won Best Movie at the 2007 BET Hip Hop Awards. Later, he worked on Stomp The Yard: Homecoming and Think Like a Man.

In June 2014, Hardy and Packer decided to end their partnership at Rainforest Films. In March 2015, Hardy started a new company called Rainforest Entertainment. This company focuses on creating new movies, TV shows, and digital content. He hired Mitzi Miller to lead the development for this new company in Los Angeles.

Robert Hardy's TV Work

Since 2008, Robert Hardy, Jr. has been directing many popular TV shows. Some of these include ER, Bones, Criminal Minds, The Vampire Diaries, 90210, and The Flash. He has also directed commercials for big companies like CNN, TBS, American Honda, Coca-Cola, and The National Cancer Institute.

Hardy is also one of the people who started Bounce TV. This is a TV network in the United States that broadcasts on digital terrestrial television. It was launched in 2011 and is the first 24/7 network made just for African Americans. It shows programs for people aged 25–54.

In 2014, Hardy was nominated for an award. It was the 45th NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series. This was for his work on Criminal Minds. He also signed a deal with Lionsgate, a big entertainment company.

Robert Hardy's Life

Robert Hardy, Jr. grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He finished high school at George School in 1991. He then went to Florida A&M University. He is also a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

Hardy lives in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife, Shaun, and their sons. He dedicated his 2000 film Trois to his father, Robert. His father had invested in the movie and Rainforest Films but passed away before the film was finished. Hardy has also studied at the New York Film Academy. He has received many awards, including the Bernard Hendricks Student Leadership Award from FAMU, which is the highest honor for a student. He also received the Meritorious Achievement Award from FAMU, which is the highest honor for a former student. His fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, gave him the first Woody Strode/Paul Robeson Award of Excellence.

Robert Hardy's Filmography

Film Director and Writer

Film Producer

• Chocolate City (1994)
• Motives (2004)
• The Gospel Live (2005)
• Motives 2 (2007)
• Three Can Play That Game (2008)

Film Executive Producer

• Trois: The Escort (2004) (Also had a small role)
• Puff, Puff, Pass (2006)
• Stomp the Yard (2007)
• Think Like a Man (2012)
• No Good Deed (2014)
• Think Like a Man Too (2014)

Robert Hardy's Television Work

• ER
  "Believe the Unseen" (2008)
• Heroes
  "The Recruit" (webisode) (2008)
• Criminal Minds
  "The Big Wheel" (2009)
  "Solitary Man" (2010)
  "Coda" (2011)
  "The Bittersweet Science" (2011)
  "The Wheels on the Bus..." (2012)
  "Carbon Copy" (2013)
  "What Happens in Mecklinburg..." (2014)
• The Vampire Diaries
  "Memory Lane" (2010)
  "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (2011)
  "Memorial" (2012)
  "Dead Man on Campus" (2013)
  "An Eternity of Misery" (2016)
• 90210
  "They're Playing Her Song" (2010)
  "Greek Tragedy" (2011)
  "A Tale of Two Parties" (2012)
• Bones
  "The Sin in the Sisterhood" (2011)
  "The Corpse on the Canopy" (2013)
  "The Carrot in the Kudzu" (2014)
• Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior
  "Jane" (2011)
• Single Ladies
  "Confidence Games" (2011)
  "That's What Friends Are For" (2011)
• Alpha Man: The Brotherhood Of MLK (documentary) (2011) (executive producer; director)
• The Game
  "A Punch in the Gut..." (2012)
  "Higher Ground" (2012)
  "There's No Place Like Home" (2012)
  "Derwin's About To Go Ham!" (2012)
• Uptown Comic (executive producer)
  "Episode 1.3" (2012)
  "Episode 1.9" (2012)
• Second Generation Wayans
  "The Arrival" (2013)
• Grey's Anatomy
  "Walking on a Dream" (2013)
  "How to Save a Life" (2015)
• Cult
  "Get with the Program" (2013)
• Castle
  "The Wild Rover" (2013)
• Ravenswood
  "Death and the Maiden" (2013)
• Arrow
  "Blast Radius" (2014)
  "Draw Back Your Bow" (2014)
  "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" (2016)
• The Originals
  "Dance Back from the Grave" (2014)
  "Gonna Set Your Flag on Fire" (2015)
• Finding Carter
  "Drive" (2014)
  "Now You See Me" (2014)
• The Flash
  "Crazy for You" (2015)
  "Potential Energy" (2016)
  "Untouchable" (2017)
• Empire
  "Sins of the Father" (2015)
• Being Mary Jane
  "Line in the Sand" (2015)
  "Primetime" (2015)
• Power
  "Three Moves Ahead" (2015)
  "Don't Go" (2016)
  "You Can't Fix This" (2017)
  "The Devil Inside" (2018)
• How To Get Away With Murder
  "She's Dying" (2015)
  "Live. Live. Live." (2017)
• Satisfaction
  "...Through Struggle" (2015)
• Blindspot
  "Cede Your Soul" (2015)
  "We Fight Deaths on Thick Lone Water" (2016)
• Black-ish
  "Johnson & Johnson" (2016)
• Shameless
  "Swipe, ..., Leave" (2016)
• The Quad (executive producer)
  "The Quad: The Movie" (2017)
  "Elevator" (2017)
• Kevin (Probably) Saves the World
  "Brutal Acts of Kindness" (2017)
• Step Up: High Water
  "Episode 3" (2018)
• Deception
  "Sacrifice 99 to Fool One" (2018)
• All American
  "Pilot" (2018)
  "i" (2018)
  "Homecoming" (2018)
  "Hustle & Motivate" (2019)
• Black Lightning
  "The Book of Secrets Chapter One: Prodigal Son" (2019)
• Doom Patrol
  "Therapy Patrol" (2019)
• Prodigal Son
  "Family Friend" (2019)
• Runaways
  "Enter The Dreamland" (2019)
• Evil
  "Justice x 2" (2020)
• Stargirl
  "Wildcat" (2020)
• Power Book III: Raising Kanan
  "Back in the Day" (2021)
  "Paid in Full" (2021)
  "If Y'Don't Know, Now You Know" (2022)
  "Home Sweet Home" (2023)
• Power Book II: Ghost
  "Heart of Darkness" (2021)
  "Free Will is Never Free" (2021)
  "Love and War" (2022)
  "No More Second Chances" (2023)
• Power Book IV: Force
  "He Ain't Heavy" (2022)
  "Tommy's Back" (2023)
• Elsbeth
  "Ball Girl" (2024)