Actor trivia

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Cleavant Derricks began his career as a Nashville gospel songwriter. With his father, he wrote the gospel album Satisfaction Guaranteed. He was the musical director and composer for the musical When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate.

Derricks went to New York City to study acting with Vinette Carrol at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in her Broadway shows, including But Never Jam Today. He also won a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for creating the role of James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. He also starred in the Broadway musical Brooklyn as the Streetsinger.

Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as Moscow on the Hudson, Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and recently, Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls. He was a series regular on the television series Thea with Thea Vidale and Brandy, and Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. His role as Rembrandt Brown (known as the Crying Man) on Sliders with Jerry O'Connell and John Rhys-Davies is notable because Derricks is the only original Sliders actor to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as Roseanne, A Different World, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, and many others.

Filmography

For television series, the years shown are the years Cleavant Derricks starred or guest starred.

Wedding Bells (2007)

The Bernie Mac Show (2002) as Willie

World Traveler (2001) as Carl

The Practice (2001) as Mr. Lees

18 Wheels of Justice (2000) as Harold Baines

Charmed (2000) as Cleavant Wilson

Touched by an Angel (1999) as Robert

Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls (1998) as Sid

Sliders (1995 - 2000) as Rembrandt 'Cryin' Man' Brown

Something Wilder (1994 - 1995) as Caleb

Thea (1993 - 1994) as Charles

Woops! (1992)

Drexel's Class (1991 - 1992) as George Foster

Good Sports (1991) as Jeff Mussberger

Sibs (1991)

L.A. Law (1991) as Mark Wright

A Different World (1991) as Larry

Roseanne (1989)

Moonlighting (1987) as Leonard Haven

Spenser: For Hire (1987) as Mac Dickerson

Bluffing It (1987) as Cal

Mickey and Nora (1987) as Marvin

The Equalizer (1986) as Sonny Raines

Off Beat (1986) as Abe Washington

Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife (1985) as Manny Alvarado

Miami Vice (1985) as David Jones

Moscow on the Hudson (1984) as Lionel Witherspoon, Bloomingdales Security Officer

The Ambush Murders (1982)

Fort Apache the Bronx (1981) as Suspect #4

When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate (1979)

Cindy (1978) as Michael Simpson

IMDB: www.imdb.com/name/nm0220598

Songwriter/Singer Trivia

Cleavant Derricks is a gospel songwriter with over 300 songs to his credit, and should not be confused with his son, the film and theater actor, Cleavant Derricks.

Reverend Cleavant Derricks (May 13, 1910, Chattanooga, Tennessee - 1977) was a pastor and choir director at a number of black Baptist churches.

He studied at Cadek Conservatory of Music in Knoxville, A & I State University and American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville. At age 21, he directed a gospel choir of more than 100 voices in Washington, D.C. at the Vermont Avenue Baptist Church...Cleavant Derricks counted among his friends many well known artists, one of which was Mahalia Jackson. He pastored churches throughout Tennessee at Dayton, Knoxville and Jackson; also in Beloit, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C...Mr. Derricks has many outstanding credits--pastor, church builder, choir director, poet, musician, and composer of note, having written more than 300 songs and several song books. Among his more famous songs are the much-recorded and performed "Just A Little Talk with Jesus", "When God Dipped His Love In My Heart", "We'll Soon Be Done With Troubles and Trials", and "When He Blessed My Soul". He was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2001. He is the father of twin actor sons Cleavant Derricks and Clinton Derricks-Carroll.

Albums

Dreamgirls (Original Broadway Cast Album) (1982)

Beginnings (1999)

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Cleavant Derricks Official website: http://www.cleavantderricks.com/

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