Add to FavoritesAbout this Broadcast
The remarkable life story of James Brown, from his destitute childhood to his emergence as the Godfather of Soul, is documented in this sprawling biopic.
2014
English
Stereo
Biography
Drama
Music
Other
Cast & Crew
Chadwick Boseman
(Actor)
.. James Brown
Nelsan Ellis
(Actor)
.. Bobby Byrd
Tika Sumpter
(Actor)
.. Yvonne Fair
Jill Scott
(Actor)
.. DeeDee Brown
Craig Robinson
(Actor)
.. Maceo Parker
Josh Hopkins
(Actor)
.. Ralph Bass
Brandon Smith
(Actor)
.. Little Richard
Aunjanue Ellis
(Actor)
.. Vicki Anderson
Black Thought
(Actor)
.. Pee Wee Ellis
Aloe Blacc
(Actor)
.. Nafloyd Scott
Keith Robinson
(Actor)
.. Baby Roy
Nick Eversman
(Actor)
.. Mick Jagger
Carol Lee
(Actor)
.. Mavis
Cleta Ellington
(Actor)
.. Shirley Buell
Jim Gleason
(Actor)
.. Insurance Salesman
Ahna O'reilly
(Actor)
.. Reporter
Antonius Charles
(Actor)
.. Black Infantryman
Donald Watkins
(Actor)
.. Black Infantryman
Corey Sorenson
(Actor)
.. Pilot
Hunter Burke
(Actor)
.. Soldier
James Dumont
(Actor)
.. Corporal Dooley
Jamarion Scott
(Actor)
.. Little James Brown
Jordan Scott
(Actor)
.. Little James Brown
Rena DeAngelo
(Actor)
.. Reno Reporter
Liz Mikel
(Actor)
.. Gertrude Sanders
Aakomon Jones
(Actor)
.. Bobby Bennett
"Lee" George Quinones
(Actor)
.. Lynched Man
Aaron Jay Rome
(Actor)
.. Frankie Avalon
Clyde Jones
(Actor)
.. Daddy Grace
Matt Thompson
(Actor)
.. 1949 Cop
Denzel Reed
(Actor)
.. Big Kid
Phyllis Montana-LeBlanc
(Actor)
.. Mrs. Byrd
Julius Tennon
(Actor)
.. Grandpa Byrd
Taura Cherne
(Actor)
.. Sarah Byrd
Kirk Bovill
(Actor)
.. Announcer
Cariella Smith
(Actor)
.. Diner Waitress
Jacinte Blankenship
(Actor)
.. Velma Brown
Sandra Denise
(Actor)
.. Female in Audience
Sheldon Frett
(Actor)
.. Susie's Soldier
Mario J. Radford
(Actor)
.. JB Chauffeur
Joe Blankenship
(Actor)
.. Alan Leeds
Randy Smith
(Actor)
.. Minder
Alvin Edney II
(Actor)
.. Teddy Brown
Adrien Scott Robinson
(Actor)
.. Little Christmas Boy
Elliott June Rogers
(Actor)
.. Little Christmas Girl
Allison Janney
(Actor)
.. Kathy
Jamell Richardson
(Actor)
.. Jimmy Nolen
Justin Hall
(Actor)
.. Bootsy
David Carzell
(Actor)
.. Catfish
Dominic Thigpen
(Actor)
.. Chicken
Heather Bland
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Kenita Coleman
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Jadtrl Christina Heard
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Marc Innis
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Naomi James
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Bri Kraft
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Lindsey Legros
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Chioma Osiah
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Dionne Renee
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Jennifer Marie Slaughter
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Sharmaine Tate
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Ambrya Underwood
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Khadijah Wilson
(Actor)
.. Dancer
David Andrew Nash
(Actor)
.. James Brown body guard
Jason Davis
(Actor)
.. Mayor White
More Information
Did You Know..
Chadwick Boseman
(Actor)
.. James Brown
Born:
November 29, 1976
Died: August 28, 2020
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina, United States
Died: August 28, 2020
Birthplace: Anderson, South Carolina, United States
Trivia:
Was an athlete as a child; involved with Little League baseball but primarily played basketball. Studied acting at the British American Drama Academy in Oxford after graduating from Howard University in Washington, United States. Originally aspired to be a director. Made his TV debut in a 2003 episode of Third Watch. Trained for five months with baseball coaches to prepare for his role as Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013).
Nelsan Ellis
(Actor)
.. Bobby Byrd
Born:
November 30, 1977
Died: July 08, 2017
Birthplace: Harvey, Illinois, United States
Died: July 08, 2017
Birthplace: Harvey, Illinois, United States
Trivia:
Spent part of his childhood in Bessemer, AL, before returning to his native Illinois for high school. Credited two high school teachers---Tim Sweeney and Bill Kirksey---with steering him toward the performing arts. Got hooked on acting as a freshman after Sweeney cast him as Junie in a production of George C. Wolfe's play The Colored Museum. Wrote UGLy, a play about domestic violence, after his sister Alice was murdered by her husband. The play won the Lincoln Center's Martin E. Segal Award. Was a year ahead of True Blood costar Rutina Wesley at Juilliard. Wrote, executive produced and starred in Trespass (2005), one of five finalists for the 2006 HBO Short Film Award at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF).
Tika Sumpter
(Actor)
.. Yvonne Fair
Born:
June 20, 1980
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Birthplace: Queens, New York, United States
Trivia:
Was the first African American cheerleader at her high school. Worked as a waitress in New York City before beginning career as a model at 17 and appearing in commercials and educational films. Co-founded and performed with R&B/hip hop duo Twise with Marcella "Precise" Brailsford; contributed the track "Paint the World (America's Theme)" to the One Life, Many Voices for Hurricane Relief CD to raise money for victims of Hurricane Katrina. First regular TV work came in 2004 when she was named co-host of Best Friend's Date on the N Network. Big break came in 2005 when she was cast as Layla Williamson on One Life to Live. Made big screen debut in 2010's Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming. Made the leap into producing with the 2016 movie Southside With You, in which she plays a young Michelle Obama.
Jill Scott
(Actor)
.. DeeDee Brown
Born:
April 04, 1972
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Trivia:
A writer who evolved into a triumphant R&B performer and then a stage and film actress, Jill Scott grew up in Philadelphia and wrote lyrical, evocative poetry -- poetry that prompted her discovery by Amir, drummer of the R&B band the Roots. A studio collaboration between Scott and that band yielded the 1999 Top 40 pop hit "You Got Me"; afterward, in lieu of doing the expected by issuing her first solo recording, Scott first garnered legions of fans by touring across Canada in a powerhouse revival of the Jonathan Larson musical Rent; she then began issuing solo recordings in the summer of 2000. Scott's film career largely grew out of her music act, beginning as it did with solo performances in the 2005 Dave Chappelle's Block Party and the 2006 documentary Finally Sayin' What I Really Mean.... She segued into pure dramatic roles in 2007, with a pair of memorable performances -- one in the comedy drama Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married? and an outstanding turn as blues maven Big Mama Thornton in the coming-of-age period piece Hounddog. She returned for the sequel to Why Did I Get Married, and was cast in TV series The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. Scott continued to split her time between her singing and acting careers, releasing albums in 2011 and 2015 and appearing in films like Baggage Claim and the 2012 television movie remake of Steel Magnolias.
Craig Robinson
(Actor)
.. Maceo Parker
Born:
October 25, 1971
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Trivia:
The burly African-American comic-turned-character actor Craig Robinson broke through to fame and success when his standup act at the 1998 Montreal Just for Laughs Comedy Festival caught the eye of executives at Fox Broadcasting. The impressed suits offered Robinson a covetable development deal, which led to a series of plum roles within a few years. The actor scored his first significant part circa 2003, opposite Northern Exposure vet John Corbett in the short-lived television series Lucky, but his recurring role as Darryl, the stone-faced Dunder-Mifflin warehouse supervisor on the blockbuster NBC series The Office, finally brought him national recognition. Robinson followed this up with supporting turns in the 2007 A-list features Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls and Knocked Up. He was among the people who tried to help Zack and Miri Make a Porno, and was one of the circle of friends who travel back to the '80s in Hot Tub Time Machine. In addition to The Office, he found additional work on the small screen hosting Last Comic Standing for that program's seventh season.
Josh Hopkins
(Actor)
.. Ralph Bass
Born:
September 12, 1970
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Birthplace: Lexington, Kentucky, United States
Trivia:
Born September 12th, 1970 to former Kentucky congressman Larry Hopkins, Josh Hopkins' first onscreen acting job was in 1995's Parallel Sons when he was 25. He found steady work with roles in G.I. Jane and The Perfect Storm, but his real break came when he was cast on the show Ally McBeal in 2001. Hopkins' successful TV run continued as he was cast as a regular on Pepper Dennis, and in reoccurring roles on the shortlived Vanished and with his Ally McBeal cast mate Calista Flockhart on Brothers & Sisters. He was then cast as one of the lead roles in the 2007 series Swingtown. In 2009, Hopkins appeared as Dr. Noah Barnes in ABC's Private Practice, and took on a supporting role in ABC's Cougar Town the same year.
Brandon Smith
(Actor)
.. Little Richard
Born:
August 13, 1952
Aunjanue Ellis
(Actor)
.. Vicki Anderson
Born:
February 21, 1969
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Birthplace: San Francisco, California, United States
Trivia:
San Francisco-born actress Aunjanue Ellis graduated with a B.A. in African-American studies from Brown University before studying acting at NYU. She began her career in the mid-'90s, appearing in films like Girls Town and A Map of the World. In 2002, she gave a memorable performance as secret agent Sistah Girl in the comedy Undercover Brother, and that same year she was cast in a starring role in the series MDs. In 2005, she nabbed another starring role in a series as MSgt. Jocelyn Pierce on the Pentagon drama E-Ring, and she stayed with the show for 11 episodes. In 2008, she appeared in a starring role as an unlikely murder suspect in the thriller Cover.
Black Thought
(Actor)
.. Pee Wee Ellis
Born:
October 03, 1971
Aloe Blacc
(Actor)
.. Nafloyd Scott
Born:
January 07, 1979
Keith Robinson
(Actor)
.. Baby Roy
Born:
January 17, 1976
Nick Eversman
(Actor)
.. Mick Jagger
Born:
February 15, 1986
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Birthplace: Madison, Wisconsin, United States
Trivia:
Performed in plays and musicals in high school. Performed with Chicago's Second City. A huge Chicago Cubs fan, he used to stand outside of Wrigley Field on Waveland Avenue to catch home run balls. Big break came when cast in the Chicago-based Innocent in 2009. First regular TV role came as Ashley Judd's kidnapped son on Missing. Obsessed with Disney's Haunted Mansion ride and collects memorabilia about it.
Carol Lee
(Actor)
.. Mavis
Cleta Ellington
(Actor)
.. Shirley Buell
Jim Gleason
(Actor)
.. Insurance Salesman
Ahna O'reilly
(Actor)
.. Reporter
Born:
February 17, 1985
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
Birthplace: Palo Alto, California, United States
Trivia:
Her family moved to France when she was 6, and settled in a town in the Alps. Her mother had her and her two sisters audition for roles in a regional-theater production of The Sound of Music in order to keep busy, and they were chosen to play the Von Trapp daughters. As a teen, she and her siblings helped their mother develop a game similar to Go Fish, but with cards that depicted works by Renaissance artists. Her family were extras in the 2004 thriller Dinocroc. Credits her friendship with Octavia Spencer for helping her land a role in the hit 2012 film The Help. She and other cast members of The Help studied the PBS civil-rights series Eyes on the Prize and the documentary Yes Ma'am to prepare for their roles as black maids and white employers.
Antonius Charles
(Actor)
.. Black Infantryman
Donald Watkins
(Actor)
.. Black Infantryman
Corey Sorenson
(Actor)
.. Pilot
Born:
June 23, 1980
Hunter Burke
(Actor)
.. Soldier
Birthplace: Broussard, Louisiana, United States
Trivia:
Of Cajun ethnicity.Started acting at a young age in his sister's dance reviews.Moved to New Orleans with his girlfriend Teri Wyble after graduating college.Appeared in Mississippi Grind (2015) and Lost Bayou (2019) along with his girlfriend, actor Teri Wyble.Godfather of his niece Greta.
James Dumont
(Actor)
.. Corporal Dooley
Born:
August 12, 1965
Jamarion Scott
(Actor)
.. Little James Brown
Jordan Scott
(Actor)
.. Little James Brown
Rena DeAngelo
(Actor)
.. Reno Reporter
Liz Mikel
(Actor)
.. Gertrude Sanders
Born:
November 07, 1963
Aakomon Jones
(Actor)
.. Bobby Bennett
"Lee" George Quinones
(Actor)
.. Lynched Man
Aaron Jay Rome
(Actor)
.. Frankie Avalon
Clyde Jones
(Actor)
.. Daddy Grace
Matt Thompson
(Actor)
.. 1949 Cop
Denzel Reed
(Actor)
.. Big Kid
Phyllis Montana-LeBlanc
(Actor)
.. Mrs. Byrd
Julius Tennon
(Actor)
.. Grandpa Byrd
Born:
December 24, 1953
Taura Cherne
(Actor)
.. Sarah Byrd
Kirk Bovill
(Actor)
.. Announcer
Born:
January 17, 1961
Cariella Smith
(Actor)
.. Diner Waitress
Born:
August 17, 1986
Trivia:
Of African descent.Studied acting at her high school's Talented Theatre Program.Studied improv at NOmega Studios in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.In New Orleans, studied acting with Jim Gleason, Tommye M., Leah Daniels-Butler, James Dumont and Lance Nichols.In Los Angeles, studied acting with Lesly Kahn.Is able to do multiple accents like English, French, Southern and Spanish, and is fluent in French.Skilled in ice skating, Aikido (martial art), rock climbing, kickboxing, cheerleading, aerobics, swimming, among others.
Jacinte Blankenship
(Actor)
.. Velma Brown
Sandra Denise
(Actor)
.. Female in Audience
Sheldon Frett
(Actor)
.. Susie's Soldier
Mario J. Radford
(Actor)
.. JB Chauffeur
Joe Blankenship
(Actor)
.. Alan Leeds
Randy Smith
(Actor)
.. Minder
Alvin Edney II
(Actor)
.. Teddy Brown
Adrien Scott Robinson
(Actor)
.. Little Christmas Boy
Elliott June Rogers
(Actor)
.. Little Christmas Girl
Allison Janney
(Actor)
.. Kathy
Born:
November 19, 1959
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States
Trivia:
One of the most talented -- and often underappreciated -- character actresses of the late 1990s, Allison Janney first began courting critical attention with roles in such acclaimed films as Big Night (1996) and American Beauty (1998). Able to play characters ranging from a name-dropping Manhattan socialite to a withdrawn, abused wife, the 6'0" Janney infuses all of her portrayals with equal parts poignancy and unforced gusto.A product of Dayton, Ohio, where she was born November 19, 1959, Janney was raised as the daughter of a homemaker and the president of a real estate firm. She aspired to be a champion figure skater from a young age, but any hopes of pursuing a skating career were halted by a freak accident that badly damaged Janney's leg when she was in her mid-teens. As a student at Kenyon College, she became interested in acting, and got her first break when she successfully auditioned for a play being directed by Kenyon alum Paul Newman. After impressing Newman, a racing enthusiast, with both her acting skills and her love of fast cars, Janney went on to impress his wife, Joanne Woodward, who directed her in a number of off-off-Broadway plays during the early 1980s.Although she enjoyed early stage success, Janney had difficulty starting her career, something that was hindered by her height: one disparaging casting agent went so far as to tell her that the only roles she was suitable for were lesbians and aliens. Thankfully, the actress pressed on in the face of such idiocy, waitressing and scooping ice cream to support herself during dry spells. Her luck began to change for the better in the late 1990s, when she started garnering luminous reviews for her work both on Broadway -- where she earned a Tony nomination for her role in 1998's A View from the Bridge -- and onscreen in such films as Big Night (1996) and Mike Nichols' Primary Colors (1998). In the former film, she appeared as the quiet, capable love interest of Tony Shalhoub's struggling Italian chef, while the latter featured the actress in the minor but poignant role of a painfully-awkward schoolteacher who is seduced by John Travolta's libidinous Presidential candidate. Janney, who had been appearing on television and in films since the early '90s, went on to do reliably excellent work in a variety of films that ranged from The Object of My Affection (1998), in which she played the supercilious, name-dropping wife of a high-powered literary agent (Alan Alda); to Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), which featured her as a beehived, chain-smoking trailer park resident; to American Beauty (1999), in which she gave a quietly powerful portrayal of the abused wife of a tyrannical ex-Marine (Chris Cooper). Janney's talents have also been put on ample display on the small screen: in 1999, she joined the cast of the acclaimed NBC White House drama The West Wing, originating the role of tough press secretary C.J. Cregg.In addition to continuing her work on The West Wing, Janney played a supporting role in the award winning psychological drama The Hours (2002), and voiced Peach the Starfish in Pixar's wildly successful Finding Nemo (2003). The actress' would play the neighbor of protagonist Jim Winters (Anthony LaPaglia) in 2004's drama Winter Solstice, and continued to play small, yet meaty roles throughout the coming years (among them include On Our Very Own and Hairspray), she earned mainstream attention and critical praise for her role as the parent of a pregnant teen (Ellen Page) in Juno. Ironically, in light of her Juno success, Janney was also critically recognized for her performance as an emotionally detached mother in Sam Mendes' bittersweet comedy Away We Go (2009).
Jamell Richardson
(Actor)
.. Jimmy Nolen
Justin Hall
(Actor)
.. Bootsy
David Carzell
(Actor)
.. Catfish
Dominic Thigpen
(Actor)
.. Chicken
Heather Bland
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Kenita Coleman
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Jadtrl Christina Heard
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Marc Innis
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Naomi James
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Bri Kraft
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Lindsey Legros
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Chioma Osiah
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Dionne Renee
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Jennifer Marie Slaughter
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Sharmaine Tate
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Ambrya Underwood
(Actor)
.. Dancer
Khadijah Wilson
(Actor)
.. Dancer
David Andrew Nash
(Actor)
.. James Brown body guard
Jason Davis
(Actor)
.. Mayor White
Born:
October 14, 1984
