Source: Lions Gate

In 2006, when black movies usually dealt with themes of drug deals, poor choices and the ghetto, Akeelah and the Bee represented a stark contrast. The film, which featured heavy hitter actors Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, was uplifting and inspirational. It was a message audiences of ages, races and backgrounds could enjoy. We’re sure you remember this movie, but we bet you don’t know

The Money

Though Akeelah took years to come together, once the funding and the actors were in place, the movie was filmed in just 31 days. The film was relatively small budget at just $6 million dollars. During it’s opening weekend, it made that back and 3 times that much ($18, 811, 135) when it closed in July of 2006. Filmed in 31 days with a budget of $6 million.

Source: Shutterstock

From Black Voices

It’s often said there’s power in numbers, and in celebration of Black culture’s most dynamic duos, there is no shortage of power couple candidates. From television to film, music to politics, journalists to philanthropists, athletes to authors, the following are 21 runners-up to our list of America’s most famous and influential celebrity duos.

Read more at BlackVoices.com.

I’m sure you’ve seen a newscast, a photo gallery, or something online where one celebrity was mistaken for another. People do it all the time! How many times have you looked at a photo of “New Girl” star, Zooey Deschanel and thought you were seeing Katy Perry? Sometimes it’s understandable confusion. But with a lot of black celebrities, the mistakes can be head-scratch worthy. From women being mistaken for men and people of two totally different complexions and sizes being mistaken for the same person, sometimes this ish gets out of hand. For example…

R&B singer Ne-Yo made headlines recently when he revealed that he turned down the chance to play Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. because he didn’t want to gain 30 pounds. He may have passed on a career defining opportunity, but after his role in Red Tails, maybe not…

In the acting world, getting the chance to play someone famous in a biopic is sure to take a career to the next level, and these days, everybody is doing it. Usher has already spoken out about the high expectations he has for his upcoming role as Sugar Ray Leonard. He wants an Oscar. He’d be following in the footsteps of fellow entertainers and actors who have stepped into the shoes of iconic public figures and created a path towards podiums in doing so.

Source: totallytop10.com

Denzel Washington
Denzel was robbed of an Oscar for his portrayal of slain civil rights activist Malcolm X in 1993. Denzel assumed the identity of the complex man with ease and grace. He spoke the way Malcolm spoke. He carried himself the way Malcolm did and he made people feel as passionately about the Nation of Islam as the leader did with his nuanced performance. Denzel thoroughly inhabited the role of Malcolm through his cadence, posture and every inflection to the point where it felt he was no longer acting. He became Malcolm Little turned unconventional hero. Denzel may not have won the Oscar for the biopic, but the universal praise for his performance should be a fitting consolation.

Source: neorepublica.com

Source: timeout.com

Before School Daze what movies were talking about the good, the bad and the ugly of black college life? Though this was only Spike Lee’s third film, he took on heavy topics including colorism in the black community, Greek life and apartheid. It only took Lee $152,000 to complete School Daze‘s predecessor, She’s Gotta Have It, and Columbia studios entrusted him with $6 million for this one. Though the musical drama was received with mixed reviews, (which we’ll get to later), the film went on to earn $14.5 million at the box office. Check out the interesting little facts and tidbits behind this game-changing flick.

Source: listal.com

When Rock and Roll icon, Tina Turner co-wrote her biography I, Tina, alongside Kurt Loder in 1986, she probably didn’t imagine it would be transformed into a blockbuster hit in 1993 and go on to become a cultural staple. Lines from the movie, specifically “Eat the cake, Anna Mae,” would become catch phrases in the black community. Even if you’ve never seen the movie, you probably have a friend who has it memorized.  There are people who can recite entire scenes from that movie. They may know the plot and the all the lines but we’d bet money, most people don’t know the back story behind this classic.

Source: mylazythoughts.tumblr.com

When I watch a movie, if it’s good, I’m all in. Completely invested, often times too much so. Throughout the duration of the movie, I struggle with the characters. When they laugh, I laugh. When they cry, I cry. I go through it. And if the film is really good, I find myself trying to find solutions to the problems they encountered, long after the movie is over. Some stories and the characters in them just stick with you. This is particularly true when it comes to the “bad guys.” From an early age we think we know who falls into that category and we try to avoid the bad dudes at all costs. But in these memorable movies, the bad guy is thrown in your face. You have to deal with him and sometimes he’s a bit terrifying. See who I’m talking about.

(The Grio) — Taraji P. Henson received a nomination for outstanding leading actress in a mini-series or movie for her portrayal of Tiffany Rubin in Lifetime’s Taken From Me: The Tiffany Rubin Story. In the movie Henson plays a Queens, New York mother trying to rescue her seven-year-old son after he was abducted by his biological father.
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Being a child actor in Hollywood is no joke. Especially if you’re a black one. You can’t help that you’re eventually going to grow up and possibly not be as cute-as-a-button like you used to be. And once you try to cross into more adult roles (if you can find any) you might be criticized for raunchier portrayals. But there have been many black child actors that have crossed over and been very successful over the years. Laurence Fishburne and Regina King for example. But there have also been many that have floundered since going through puberty (the whole cast of “Different Strokes” are a classic example). To showcase some of the new blood trying to stay above water into adulthood, here are five young and uber-successful child actors still doing big things, and five who have struggled big time.

Sunday is the big day! And while I won’t hate on the current Oscar nominees (The Social Network, Black Swan, and Inception are dope), I’d like to file a grievance with the Academy for ignoring, or robbing a few black actors & actresses their just due during Oscar season. They may not always have the lead roles in the films they’re in, but they definitely always steal our attention when they waltz across the screen and stay in our minds long after the movie is over. Quietly brilliant, they are the underrated stars in the little universe known as Hollywood.