Robert Townsend (actor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Robert Townsend
Townsend in 2018
Born	(1957-02-06) February 6, 1957 (age 68) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Illinois State University
Alma mater	Austin High School
Occupation	Actor comedian film director writer
Years active	1974–present
Notable work	Hollywood Shuffle The Five Heartbeats The Parent 'Hood
Spouse(s)	Cheri Jones ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2001)​
Children	3, including Skye

Robert Townsend was born on February 6, 1957. He is an American actor, director, comedian, and writer. Robert Townsend is famous for directing movies like Hollywood Shuffle (1987) and The Five Heartbeats (1991). He also directed Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) and The Meteor Man (1993).

Many people know him as Robert Peterson from The Parent 'Hood. This TV show was on The WB from 1995 to 1999. Robert Townsend created the show and directed some episodes. He also played Donald "Duck" Matthews in his 1991 movie The Five Heartbeats. Later, he made a documentary called Making the Five Heartbeats (2018). This film showed how the original movie was made.

Robert Townsend also has a company called Townsend Entertainment. This company has made movies like Playin' for Love and In the Hive. In the 1980s and early 1990s, he became well-known for his stand-up comedy. He also appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Robert Townsend has worked with many famous people. These include Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman, Chris Tucker, Beyoncé, and Denzel Washington.

Early Life and His Start in Entertainment

Robert Townsend was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was the second of four children. His mother raised him and his siblings by herself. He grew up on the west side of Chicago. Robert went to Austin High School and finished in 1975.

As a teenager, he became very interested in acting. In high school, he read from a play called Oedipus Rex. His performance caught the eye of a local theater group. This group was called Chicago's X Bag Theatre. Robert tried out for parts at this theater. He also performed in local plays. In 1974, he studied comedy at the famous Second City workshop. He had a small part in the 1975 movie Cooley High. He said this movie changed his life. He felt it showed real people like him.

After high school, Robert went to Illinois State University. He studied there for a year. Then, he moved to New York. He wanted to study at the Negro Ensemble Company. Robert's mother wanted him to finish college. But he felt college took time away from acting. So, he left school to act full-time.

Robert Townsend's Career Journey

In 1980, Robert Townsend tried out for Saturday Night Live. He wanted to be part of the cast. But he was not chosen, and Eddie Murphy got the spot instead. In 1982, Robert was a main character in a PBS show called Another Page. This show helped adults learn to read.

Robert later had small parts in movies. One was A Soldier's Story (1984). After that movie was successful, he got bigger roles. He acted in films like The Mighty Quinn (1989) with Denzel Washington.

In 1987, Robert Townsend wrote, directed, and produced Hollywood Shuffle. This movie was a funny look at the challenges Black actors faced in Hollywood. The movie was a success. It helped him become well-known in the film world. Another of his movies was The Five Heartbeats. This film was about 1960s R&B music groups. It showed the difficulties of the music industry.

Robert also created and produced two TV shows. One was Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime for HBO. It won an award. The other was Townsend Television (1993) for Fox Television. He also created and starred in the WB Network's TV show The Parent 'Hood. This show ran from January 1995 to July 1999. In 2018, Robert directed two episodes of the B.E.T. series American Soul. This show is about Don Cornelius and Soul Train. Robert Townsend also started The Robert Townsend Foundation. This group helps new filmmakers.

Awards and Other Achievements

Robert Townsend directed a TV movie in 2001. It was called Livin' for Love: The Natalie Cole Story. The main actress, Natalie Cole, won an NAACP Image Award for her role. Robert also directed two other TV movies. These were Carmen: A Hip Hopera (2001) and 10,000 Black Men Named George (2002). In 2013, he was nominated for an Ovation Award. This was for his acting in the musical Next to Normal. He played the role of Dan.

Personal Life

Robert Townsend was married to Cheri Jones. They were married from September 15, 1990, to August 9, 2001. They have three children together. One of their children is Skye Townsend.

Filmography

Film

Direct-to-video

• Black Listed (2003) (Also writer)
• Bill Cosby 77 (2014) (Unreleased)

Acting roles

Television

TV special

TV movies

Miniseries

Acting roles