GABRIELLE UNION (Nancy) is one of today’s hottest young stars, who continues to shine in every film she makes. Most recently, she starred in Tyler Perry’s Daddy’s Little Girls, where she played a beautiful and hard-nosed attorney who falls in love with a single father of three girls. Prior to that film, she starred in Running With Scissors, alongside Annette Bening, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Alec Baldwin; The Honeymooners opposite Cedric the Entertainer; and in HBO’s award-winning Something the Lord Made, with Alan Rickman, Kyra Sedgwick, and Mos Def.
Union’s additional film credits include Bad Boys II, opposite Martin Lawrence and Will Smith, Deliver Us from Eva, alongside LL Cool J, Cradle to the Grave, opposite Jet Li and hip- hop artist DMX, Bring It On, opposite Kirsten Dunst, Welcome to Collinwood, with George Clooney and Sam Rockwell, Abandon, opposite Benjamin Bratt and Katie Holmes, The Brothers, Two Can Play that Game, Love and Basketball, Ten Things I Hate about you, Neo Ned and She’s All That.
On the small screen, Union made her television debut in the UPN hit comedy Moesha, and then went on to guest star in hit television shows such as ER, Dave’s World, and The Steve Harvey Show. Shortly thereafter, she earned recurring roles on two WB hit shows, Sister, Sister and 7 th Heaven. Union was also the first African American love interest on NBC’s Friends, when she guest starred as the girlfriend to both Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer. She eventually joined the cast of Steven Bochco’s City of Angels for one season, and continues to enjoy a strong career on both the large and small screen.
MORRIS CHESTNUT (Benjamin) has been acting in films for over fifteen years. He first captivated moviegoers as Ricky in Boyz in the Hood, a role where he played a high school running back using his football skills to escape the violent surroundings of his South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. Two years later, Chestnut landed a lead television role in the civil rights drama The Ernest Green Story.
The two pivotal roles led to a steady career in film, with roles in Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, G. I. Jane, and Half Past Dead. Recently, Chestnut has appeared in numerous romantic comedies, including The Best Man, The Brothers, Two Can Play That Game, and Breakin’ All the Rules. He was last seen in Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, and Ladder 49. His next film will be The Game Plan, starring The Rock and Kyra Sedgwick, and Not Easily Broken, opposite Maeve Quinlan and Wood Harris.
TERRENCE HOWARD (Bah-Humbug) developed his love for acting naturally, through summers spent with his grandmother, New York stage actress Minnie Gentry. He later began his acting career after being discovered on a New York City street by a casting director. Soon, he followed with several notable TV appearances on shows such as Living Single, NYPD Blue and Soul Food. He became best known for his lead role in the UPN TV series Sparks. Howard broke onto the big screen with his riveting performance in Mr. Holland’s Opus, which he followed with a starring rose as Cowboy in the Hughes Brothers’ film Dead Presidents. He then starred in Malcolm D. Lee’s film The Best Man, which earned him an NAACP Image Award, as well as nominations for both an Independent Spirit Award and a Chicago Film Critics Award.
Howard also starred alongside Jamie Foxx in the hit film Ray, and the following year, achieved widespread acclaim for his starring role in Hustle & Flow, which earned him his first Oscar® nomination. That breakthrough performance led to roles in many other high profile films over the next two years, such as Four Brothers, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and Idlewild.
Earlier this year, Howard starred in Pride, with Bernie Mac and The Brave One, opposite Jodie Foster. The year 2008 looks to be a busy one for Howard. He recently wrapped the big-budget film Iron Man, opposite Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey Jr., and will next appear in Macbeth (The Caribbean Macbeth) with Blair Underwood.
FAIZON LOVE (Jamal) has been acting in Hollywood for over two decades. He began his career in television, acting in series such as Bebe’s Kids and The Parent ‘Hood. He then transitioned to film with a role in the fan favorites Friday, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, and A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. In 2000, Love starred in the football drama The Replacements, with Keanu Reeves, followed by Made, with Vince Vaughn, and Blue Crush, with Kate Bosworth. Over the next few years, he appeared in the Christmas film Elf, as well as Torque, Just My Luck and Idlewild. He recently completed work on A Day in the Life, with Omar Epps and Mekhi Phifer, Of Boys and Men, opposite Angela Bassett, and Days of Wrath, with Laurence Fishburne and Taye Diggs.
KATT WILLIAMS (Delicious) is a comedian known as much for his permed hair as for his animated performances and quick wit. He began paving his path to Hollywood over a decade ago. At an age when most teenagers are eagerly anticipating getting their driver's licenses, the young comic quickly discovered that he had a gift for making people laugh. Inspired by the likes of great humorists such as Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg, and Dave Chapelle (whom he calls the Malcolm X of comedy), Williams’ incomparably acerbic standup routines are laying the blueprint for a new generation of comics.
Williams is currently wrapping up the 100-city “The Pimp Chronicles Tour,” selling out theatres in every major market across the country. Recently, he was also added to the very short list of comedians to earn the honor of performing at Radio City Music Hall; he promptly sold out those two dates as well.
Last winter, Code Black Entertainment released Williams’ HBO Special, Katt Williams: Pimp Chronicles Pt.1. Taped live in Atlanta, the show featured guest appearances from Cam’Ron, Lil’ Jon, Snoop Dogg, Andre 3000, and Anthony Anderson. One of the highest rated comedy specials on the network in the past two years, the special garnered 3.6 million viewers and has since gone triple platinum in DVD sales. The highly-anticipated follow up – Katt Williams: American Hustle – will be released on DVD in November of this year.
On the big screen, Williams was most recently seen in the comedy Norbit for Paramount Pictures, opposite Eddy Murphy. Perhaps best known theatrically for his role as “Money Mike” in Friday after Next, he is currently re-teaming with the man who made him famous on film, Ice Cube, in the feature First Sunday. In the film, set for a January 2008 release through Screen Gems, Williams and Cube star as two petty criminals who plot to rip off their church.
Williams also conquered the land of television comedy on Nick Cannon’s MTV improv series Wild ‘N’ Out, and graced several hit television shows with cameo appearances. Some of these shows include NYPD Blue, UPN’s Girlfriends, The Tracy Morgan Show, My Wife and Kids, as well as the popular adult cartoon The Boondocks, where he provided the voice for an animated pimp named “Slickback.” Williams will also write for and appear on Nick Cannon Presents: Short Circuitz when it debuts later this year. Additionally, the funnyman has contributed to music videos for many musical groups and performers, from OutKast and Ludacris to E-40 and Lil Kim.
Williams’ talent continues to extend over multiple mediums. In addition to television, film, and stand-up, his debut rap album, “It’s Pimpin, Pimpin,” was released earlier this year by Cam’Ron’s Diplomat label and features Snoop Dogg, E-40, Da Brat and Lil’ John. Last year, he brought his comedic genius to the stage as the host of the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta. And, his self-created “Money Mike Pimp Phone Ringing” ringtone remains the most downloaded on Urban World Wireless.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Dayton, Williams was the product of a socially and politically charged household. At the age of 13, longing to express his creative side, he emancipated himself from his parents and moved to Florida where he sold flowers and magazines on the side of the road. He honed his skills during open-mic nights at local clubs – where he could sneak into the venues under-aged with the only other patrons not asked for ID – the comedians. In 1999, he became a notable presence at The Improv, The Comedy Club, The Icehouse, and he had his own room at The Hollywood Park Casino. Williams also won an award that year from a comedy peer, The Cedric The Entertainers Anheuser-Busch Best Los Angeles Comics Award. Since then, he has performed stand-up on many shows, such as Comedy Campus, BET’s Comic View, both the 2005 and 2006 BET Comedy Awards, The 2006 Def Comedy Jam, and several late night talk shows including The Late Show with David Letterman and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Williams currently resides in Los Angeles with his eight children.
RACHEL TRUE (Brenda) got her big break in the film business with a guest role on the beloved sitcom The Cosby Show. Upon moving to L.A, she immediately landed a role in her first film, the rap parody CB4 with Chris Rock. She then went back and forth between film and television, guest starring on the HBO sitcom Dream On, Beverly Hills, 90210, and Boston Common. She also starred in two television movies: Moment of Truth: Stalking Back and A Walton Wedding. In 1994, she was seen alongside Alyssa Milano in the film Embrace of the Vampire.
It was in 1996 that the bi-racial actress started getting noticed by the press, after appearing as a teenage witch in the cult hit The Craft. The following year, she starred in the indie film Nowhere, and as Dave Chappelle's romantic interest in Half Baked. For the next few years, True appeared on the hit television shows The Drew Carey Show and Once and Again. Most recently, she appeared in New Best Friend, with Taye Diggs and Mia Kirshner, and the TV series Half & Half with Alec Mapa.
JILL MARIE JONES (Robin) exudes flawless beauty, embodies talent and possesses versatility that sets her apart in each and every performance. She has recently wrapped production on Major Movie Star, the Steve Miner-helmed comedy in which she stars alongside Jessica Simpson as an actress who joins the Marine Corps. She plays a fellow recruit of Simpson, who becomes her close friend.
Jones may be best known for starring as Toni Childs, the somewhat self-involved, materialistic friend in UPN’s comedy Girlfriends. This role allowed her to transform from her soft-spoken, caring ways to a loud-mouthed and witty new mother trying to navigate her relationships. This balance allowed for a dimensional character that people loved to hate, who always drew a laugh.
Jones' talent has caught the eye of many and earned her a nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series for the 2006 NAACP Image Awards. In addition, she and her co- stars from Girlfriends were among the first women to be honored and invited to co-host the 2004 NAACP Image Awards. Her successes were also recognized in the form of a 2004 BET Nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a series for her role as Toni Childs. Formerly, Jones was featured as the celebrity face of the Baileys campaign “Serve Chilled” which airs worldwide and spans across both print and television. The television ads consist of seven separate vignettes, directed by the renowned Paul Hunter, in which Jill stars as Kelly. Storylines revolve around Kelly, her boyfriend Lewis and a group of their friends mixing it up, and can additionally be viewed on the Baileys official Web site.
Other acting credits include a guest role as the cheerleading captain on NBC’s City Guys for which she brought her experience as a former Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader and Dallas Mavericks Dancer. This talent has also taken her to Egypt, Korea, Japan, and Israel to perform for US troops. In 2002, Jones worked alongside Danny Glover and Wesley Snipes in the television film American Dream, focusing on life in the 1960s.
Jones also appeared on The Sharon Osbourne Show and continues to grow as an actress through her experiences and training with John Kirby, Ivana Chubbuck, and Will Boroski. Talented, beautiful and driven, Jones successes are sure to continue. This Texan native currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
CHARLES Q. MURPHY (J-Jizzy) may be Eddie Murphy’s older brother, but he has managed to sustain his own long career in the comedy world as well. He is perhaps best known for his hysterical appearances on the acclaimed Chappelle’s Show, working alongside comedian Dave Chappelle. He has also appeared in the television series The Boondocks.
Over the past twenty years, Murphy has starred in memorable films, including Night at the Museum, Roll Bounce, Mo’ Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Harlem Nights and Norbit. The year 2007 has been a busy year for the talented actor. He will next be seen in Bar Starz, with Derek Waters and Charlie Finn, Three Days to Vegas, with Rip Torn and Peter Falk, and Frankenhood, with Drew Sidora. He is currently shooting Dress 2 Impress, opposite Bill Bellamy.
JEREMY GUMBS (Mikey), MALIK HAMMOND (John-John), KHAIL BRYANT (Emily), are just starting their exciting careers in Hollywood. Earlier this year, Gumbs starred in And Then Came Love, starring Vanessa Williams and Eartha Kitt. Both Hammond and Bryant are making their debuts in The Perfect Holiday.