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Billy Dee Williams
Jamie Hector
Jordan Walker-Pearlman
Mel Jackson
Tracy Moore-Marable

Billy Dee Williams

A handsome, suave, often-mustachioed leading man, Billy Dee Williams inherited the mantle from Sidney Poitier as the leading black actor in films. Because of his strong masculine presence and innate poise, he was often touted as the 'black Clark Gable', especially after his co-starring role in Lady Sings the Blues (1972), opposite Diana Ross.

Born William December Williams Jr in Harlem, he began his career as a child, thanks in part to his mother, an elevator operator at Broadway's Lyceum Theater. When she discovered that a production of "The Firebrand of Florence" starring Lotte Lenya needed youngsters, she volunteered her son. After that brief success, however, Williams returned to a relatively normal upbringing until he resumed his performing career as an adult to help fund his studies as a painter. TV roles and stage work followed and Williams went on to train with Paul Mann, Herbert Berghof and Sidney Poitier. After making his feature debut in 1959's The Last Angry Man, he debuted on Broadway the following year and spent much of the 1960s alternating between the small screen and the theater. It wasn't until he was cast as real-life football player Gale Sayers in the seminal TV-movie Brian's Song (ABC, 1971) that Williams' career took flight.

Once cast in romantic roles opposite Diana Ross in both Lady Sings the Blues and Mahogany (1975), Williams was poised for major stardom. One of his best was as a baseball player who forms his own team as a rival to the All Negro League in the underrated The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings (1976). As the 80s dawned, George Lucas tapped him to play the scoundrel Lando Calrissian in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) which he reprised in The Return of the Jedi (1983). He played the district attorney Harvey Dent in 1989's Batman.

Throughout the 80s and 90s, the small screen offered roles that made the best of William’ s assets. He was duly smooth and charming as a love interest for Diahann Carroll on ABC's Dynasty in 1987. Williams also won strong praise for his portrayal of Motown founder Berry Gordy in the ABC miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream (1992), During this period, the actor, who became financially secure thanks to the success of the Star Wars films, resumed his avocation as a painter and had several exhibitions of his work. He also trademarked the image of “THE COLT 45 GUY”, while marketing beer with his smooth style, in well made entertaining commercials.

Williams had many recent roles in film and television, including the comedies The Ladies Man (2000) and Undercover Brother (2002). In 2000, Williams co-starred in the independent drama The Visit, directed by Jordan Walker-Pearlman. Williams received widespread praise, and an Independent Spirit Award nomination, for his portrayal of a stern yet loving father. The favorable feedback whetted William's appetite to revive his career as a serious character actor. In 2004, Williams once again went under the direction of Pearlman, for the feature Constellation, opposite Gabrielle Union. Recent television appearances have included Fox’s That 70’s Show, CBS’s Clubhouse, and Showtime’s Street Time.

Billy currently resides in Southern California.

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Jamie Hector

Jamie Hector is a phenomenal actor who has developed a strong following over the past several years. Jamie’s fans have grown tremendously this fall due to his portrayal of Marlo Stansfield on the critically acclaimed, HBO series, The Wire. Jamie’s character, Marlo went up against the reigning Barksdale crew for the street corners of Baltimore. It’s a difficult task to join one of the hottest cast on T.V. in its third successful season, when your character threatens the lives of the “stars” of the show.

Jamie grew up in Brooklyn, New York and began acting years ago, when he had just graduated high school. Jamie enrolled in college while he continued to audition and book roles on NY Undercover, Third Watch, Law & Order, Law & Order SVU, The Beat, and Oz. Jamie’s film work dates back to Spike Lee’s Clockers. From there he went on to appear in He Got Game, Ghost Dog, Prison Song, Everyday People and Paid In Full. Jamie’s film work was highlighted when the film five deep breaths, directed by Seith Mann, featured him in the lead role of Banny.

After graduating from college Jamie enrolled in The Lee Strasberg Theater Institute, and studied there for several years. He can still be found there between films keeping his skills sharp. Jamie began working with youth as a volunteer drama teacher at an after school program in Brooklyn. He is a role model by example. Many of his students have already decided to become professional actors, one booked the role of Simba in the touring company of Lion King, several others have earned SAG memberships and seven were chosen to a record a “positive message to youth” CD at P. Diddy’s Studio in New York. What is so appealing about Jamie is more than just his enormous talent, it is his sincere humanity and his modesty. Jamie is a dynamic person with tremendous talent who works hard to create the best possible results. He wants to make a difference when he can and touch as many lives as possible. He will lead a workshop ("Preparation is Key") for the Roxbury Film Festival with his Talent Manager, Ally Roberson.

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Jordan Walker-Pearlman

Jordan Walker-Pearlman is a name the filmmaking industry will not soon forget. His new film, Constellation, winner of the audience award at the 2005 Urban World Film Festival and Denver Pan African Film Festival, chronicles the lives and loves of an African-American family in the deep South as they are forced to come to terms with a tumultuous past marked by an unrequited interracial love affair. The film explores the way in which the family patriarch must confront his demons amidst the changing racial fabric of society and his own family. Shot on location in Huntsville, Alabama, Constellation features an all-star cast that includes Gabrielle Union, Zoe Saldana, Hill Harper, Melissa De Sousa, Rae Dawn Chong and Billy Dee Williams.

Born and raised in New York City, Jordan began making films at age 11. As the nephew of famed actor/comedian Gene Wilder, he often visited his uncle’s movie sets as a child, and saw first-hand the technical aspects of filmmaking. So intrigued by the filmmaking process, he knew instantly it was his calling. His interest was further motivated by Sidney Poitier, who mentored young Jordan for three weeks while directing a film called Hanky Panky in the early 1980’s. “Mr. Poitier took me aside one day and told me I was born to direct, that I could do it, and he knew it for a fact. He knew my instinct for filmmaking came more naturally to me than even the English language, so he forced me to believe I could actually do it,” says Jordan.

At the tender age of 13, Walker-Pearlman began making short films. Nickelodeon, a then-fledging children’s network, was looking for programming content and featured Jordan’s early short films on their show, Livewire. At the age of 15, he directed a 38-minute movie, Through The Night, about the last 24 hours in the life of a man who owed money to the mob. He shot the film at night in his native New York, and some of the camera techniques he used then, he still likes to use now in his storytelling.

Jordan took a few years off from the entertainment industry to attend college and study International Affairs and Foreign Policy in Washington, D.C. He soon realized he missed his “true calling” as a filmmaker, and began directing a series of short films for European Television, which aired in the European and Asian markets. From there, he was asked to direct the snowboarding documentary, Snow Taxi. The project premiered at the first X-Games Film Showcase and continues to be screened at snowboarding and extreme sports events around the world.

Walker-Pearlman formed his owned production company, DaWa Movies in 1998, and the following year, co-produced the feature film, The Simian Line, starring Lynn Redgrave, Harry Connick Jr., William Hurt and Tyne Daly.

In 2001, Jordan received international acclaim for his feature film, The Visit, which he wrote, directed and produced. Starring Hill Harper, Billy Dee Williams, Marla Gibbs and Rae Dawn Chong, The Visit is a moving story about one man’s attempts to reconcile with his family from behind prison walls. For this work, Walker-Pearlman was nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards (for directing and screenwriting). The film has won various awards, including special recognition from the National Board of Review, and audience awards at several film festivals around the country.

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Mel Jackson

Mel Jackson was discovered by a casting director while riding a bus in Chicago, and was cast in George Tillman Jr.'s independently made feature film Scenes for the Soul. Reteaming with filmmaker Tillman, Jackson's charismatic performance in the hit movie Soul Food brought him wide recognition. He has since appeared in the films Uninvited Guest (directed by Timothy Wayne Folsome) and Dancing in September (directed by Reggie Rock Bythewood, and which played at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival prior to airing on HBO).

In television, Jackson joined the popular sitcom Living Single as a series regular; and played a recurring character on In The House. He later starred with David Alan Grier on the comedy series DAG. He has also appeared in the telefilm Little Richard (directed by Robert Townsend) and the miniseries The Temptations (directed by Allan Arkush).

Jackson was inspired to form his own production company. His first project, Carmin's Choice, a short film in which he starred for director Monice Mitchell, won the Showtime Filmmaker's Award. He hopes to take on the challenge of directing soon.

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Tracy Moore-Marable

Tracey Moore-Marable, known within the entertainment industry as one of the stronger forces behind acting hopefuls through her role as celebrated acting coach and director, took quite a remarkable road to get where she is today. She moved to New York intending to pursue a career in film and theatre direction. Finding ways to be innovative and earn money while studying her craft, Tracey created an ensemble of actors who performed practical jokes for hire called "The Joke’s On You, Inc". After five years with this company, she started Tracey Moore Casting. From casting for prestigious commercials for companies like Nike and Sprite, she cast for such independent films as Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

While phasing down her casting career after a ten-year period, Tracey started private and open classes to help educate actors about the audition and acting process overall and titled the class, "The Spirited Actor." Her classroom has been filled ever since. Tracey is the person many rappers call when they're hoping to launch an acting career.

Moore-Marable says, “I auditioned every rapper from Biggie to Tupac.” Q Tip, Faith Evans, Darius Rucker, Missy Elliott, Tweet, and Nelly can all attest to her charm and influence. She coached Eve for Barbershop and has coached Busta Rhymes for a handful of films including Finding Forrester. She has written a book, "The Spirited Actor: Principles for a Successful Audition." She has recently completed directing her first short film, The Inteview, and a powerful one-act play, Getting Under Our Own Skin. As well, she now touches the masses with her new radio segment, The Actor’s Corner, on WRKS Kiss FM Morning Show in New York.

She will be leading a Spirited Actor Workshop for the Roxbury Film Festival.

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