Stan Lathan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stan Lathan
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Lathan in 2016
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| Born | July 9, 1945 |
| Education | Pennsylvania State University (1967) |
| Occupation | Director, producer |
| Years active | 1969–present |
| Spouse(s) | Marguerite Lathan (m. 1982 - ) Eleanor McCoy (m.1970–1977) |
| Children | 5, including Sanaa Lathan |
| Awards | Two Grammy Awards Three Primetime Emmy Awards Tony Award Peabody Award Six NAACP Image Awards |
Stan Lathan (born July 8, 1945) is a talented American director and producer for TV and movies. He helps create and guide many popular shows and comedy specials. For example, he is a main producer and director for BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood. He has also worked on many stand-up comedy shows for comedian Dave Chappelle. These include famous specials like Killin' Them Softly and Sticks & Stones.
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Early Life and Education
Stan Lathan grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of three boys in his family. His mother, Julia Elizabeth, worked in an office. His brothers are William, a doctor, and Charles, a musician.
Stan went to Overbrook High School. He graduated in 1963. He then studied theater at Pennsylvania State University, finishing in 1967. After college, he moved to Boston.
In 1968, a TV station called WGBH-TV asked him to join their team. They wanted to create a new show. This show, called Say Brother, was special. It was the first TV show in the country made entirely by, for, and about African Americans. Stan helped direct it.
Stan Lathan's Directing Career
Stan Lathan has directed the very first episodes, called "pilots," for many TV comedies. A pilot episode is like a test run for a new show. If the pilot is good, the network might order more episodes.
Directing Popular Sitcoms
Some of the popular sitcoms he helped start include:
- Martin
- Moesha
- The Parkers
- The Steve Harvey Show
- Amen
- All of Us
- Eve
- The Soul Man
- Real Husbands of Hollywood
Comedy Specials and Movies
Stan Lathan has worked a lot with comedian Dave Chappelle. He was the main producer and director for Dave Chappelle's first big HBO special, Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly, in 2000. He continued to direct many more of Chappelle's specials. These include For What It's Worth for Showtime. Later, he directed several Netflix specials for Chappelle, like The Bird Revelation and Sticks & Stones.
He also directed other comedy specials. These include Cedric the Entertainer: Taking You Higher for HBO. He also made It's Black Entertainment, a music documentary for Showtime.
Stan Lathan started directing for big TV networks in 1973. He moved to Los Angeles to direct episodes of Sanford & Son. He also directed episodes of famous drama shows like:
- Hill Street Blues
- Miami Vice
- Remington Steele
- Cagney & Lacey
- Roc
In 1984, he directed a movie called Beat Street.
Work for Public Television
Stan Lathan also directed dramas for public television shows. These included Great Performances and American Playhouse. For PBS, he directed dance specials. These featured famous dancers and groups like the Martha Graham Company. He also directed three seasons of the music show SOUL!. And guess what? He was one of the first directors for Sesame Street!
Creating Comedy and Poetry Shows
In 1989, Stan Lathan teamed up with Russell Simmons. Together, they created Def Comedy Jam for HBO. This show ran for eight seasons. It helped many comedians become famous TV and movie stars.
Lathan also won a Peabody Award for another HBO series, Def Poetry. This show featured spoken word poetry. In the same year, he helped produce Def Poetry Jam on Broadway. This stage show won a Tony Award. It later toured around the world.
Reality TV and White House Events
In 2006, Lathan helped create Run's House. This was a reality TV series for MTV about the family of rapper Rev. Run. It was so popular that it led to a spin-off show called Daddy's Girls.
In 2008, Lathan created Brave New Voices. This was a seven-part reality series for HBO. It showed young poets from across the country. In 2009, he directed a special event at the White House. It was called "An Evening of Poetry, Music and Spoken Word." President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama hosted it.
Awards and Recognition
Stan Lathan has received many awards for his work.
- He won two Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album. These were for Dave Chappelle's specials The Age of Spin, Deep in the Heart of Texas, Equanimity, and The Bird Revelation.
- He has won three Primetime Emmy Awards. One was for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) for Dave Chappelle's Equanimity. Another was for Outstanding Directing in a Variety Special for Sticks & Stones. As an Executive Producer, he also won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety for the same film.
- He received a Tony Award for Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.
- He won a Peabody Award for the Def Poetry series.
- He has received six NAACP Image Awards for his work in film and television.
He has also been honored by many groups. These include the Directors Guild of America and the Apollo Theater in Harlem.
