Actress Rachel True Talks Her Career, ‘Half & Half’, And Quality Roles For Older Black Actresses
Rachel True, in the heart of black culture, is a beloved “carefree black girl” like Cree Summer and Lisa Bonet who grace television and movies in the 90s and 2000s, showing another perspective of womanhood and free spirited blackness.
She is known for her leading role on UPN’s Half & Half (2002-2006) as Mona Thorne, an insecure, 20-something music industry executive in San Francisco mending her relationship with her half-sister.
It was the fourth overall watched show on the network and the second on the Monday night line-up behind Girlfriends.
“I think there’s a whole set of alternative black girls who were so grateful that there was a Denise Huxtable on television so we can say, ‘Oh wow, that’s sort of like me but different but like me,’” True, 49, says.
Her career actually began on the set of the groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Show in 1991 when she was chosen as a stand-in Huxtable with other actors who read through a script before the cast recorded the episode. She would also appear in two episodes as Nicki. Twenty-five years later she says she learned so much from her experiences yet is astonished by how quickly time has passed.
“It’s kind of crazy because when you first start and you’re younger, like, time is so slow and it seems like forever but when you said its 25 years…is it? Is it really?” True said. “I don’t feel like I just started in the business but it definitely doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”
True, a native of New York City, has appeared in popular TV shows includingBeverly Hills 90210, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Dawson’s Creek, Noah’s Ark andThe Drew Carey Show and made her film debut in CB4 (1993) and starred alongside Dave Chappelle in Half Baked (1998). Her breakout role as Rochelle, a teenager into witchcraft in the 1996 cult film The Craft, lead to many curly haired black girls to dress as the character for Halloween and being impersonated by drag queen Honey Mahogany from RuPaul’s Drag Race. The power of representation.
This year marks significant anniversaries for the longtime actress. It been 10 years since Half & Half was canceled after four seasons, 20 years since the release of the film, The Craft and to top it off, the ageless True is turning 50 in November. Today, she’s into photography, started her blog, Some True Things, and is filming an indie movie called “Limelight.”
I spoke with Rachel True about her famous roles, embracing her age, limited roles for black actresses of a certain age and the need for representation in entertainment.
She has learned to embrace her age and made health a priority after the loss of her father
Honestly, I don’t feel that much different than I did 15 years ago. I still feel like me, so anyone who’s afraid of aging or getting older, don’t. You’re still you with just a lot more knowledge. Now that I’m a grownup, I feel like I want to spread the message to people that there’s not really much to be afraid of in terms of aging and if you do, take care of your body and your health. You don’t have to look like your grandma did at 50. Feeling good in my body is a priority.
She embraces her quirks and is actually more normal than people think
I’m just really dorky and kind of weirdly traditional. I’m a 1950s housewife stuck inside a Boho body (laughs). I’m kind of shockingly normal, to be honest.
How meeting Chris Rock in NYC while working on a TV pilot with Raven Symone lead to her first movie role
I was walking around with little Raven and a male co-star and Chris Rock had come by for some reason because he worked on SNL then and that’s how we met. He came and saw a play I was doing at the time and was like, ‘Oh, I have this movie that I’m doing. Maybe you want to audition.’ And the casting was here in L.A., not New York. I ended up flying out here to audition for it…that was the part that moved me from New York to L.A.
Being offered ‘grandma roles’ based on her age and trickiness of finding quality roles in Hollywood
If they go off my age, I start getting grandma roles. [From a script] the lines were, ‘Oh, I can finally swing my grandson little Johnny on my knee, now that I have my knee replacement.’ I could be a grandma age but I’m not. Even someone like Julia Roberts disappeared for a minute…I think in Hollywood when you’re over 35 you might as well be 50. It’s a little tricky.
She praises Taraji P. Henson’s character Cookie on Empire and wants to see better roles for older black actresses
Taraji P. Henson’s role on Empire is amazing because that’s a black woman in her 40s, and she’s still vital and sexy and fun. They haven’t made her a desexualized civil servant yet. A lot of the auditions I find for black women over a certain age, they’re almost about to be a retired judge or cop or service industry person. So, it’s a change since the beginning of my career but I’m rolling with it.
She had to push to get her breakthrough role in The Craft even after being told she was “too old”
They actually weren’t leaning towards a black character. It had been a white character and [they] thought, ‘Oh, we’ll open it up and read [with] some black people.’ So I thought to myself, if anyone’s going to play a little black witch in this town, it’s going to be me! I do tarot cards and doing things like that, it worked out really well I say.
True, who stopped watching cable, has connected with longtime and new fans through social media who still watches Half & Half
I didn’t even know that I’m back on (laughs). On Twitter, people will say, ‘I’m watching it on Bounce!’ or this and that. That’s pretty fun. A lot of people say it should be on DVD and I hope it’s on DVD one day.
The on and off-screen relationship with her TV mother Telma Hopkins on set shaped her comedic skills on the sitcom
It was a very silly family friendly show and I was really lucky to have Telma Hopkins play my mom. She’s a great comedic actress. She was very generous to me and by generous I mean – I was very new to sitcom acting, she’d done a ton of them and she’d help me out. Help me figure out jokes because there are some actors who are selfish and they don’t want you to get a laugh and they want to get all the laughs and [she] could’ve easily gone out her way to make my life horrible but she’s not that person at all.
The demise of successful black shows in the 00s on UPN before the switch toThe CW
It was odd that they ended up canceling my show and a few other shows that were better in the ratings than some of the white shows that they kept on. They own the network and they’re building the brand and it’s certainly their right to put out whatever they want. I did think it was sort of sad. First of all, let me just say, when I first got the show I thought it was weird that all the black shows were segregated to one night, like, ‘Monday night was Black night!’ And you have a whole row of black shows and the rest of Tuesday through Friday were non-black shows.
Hopes to work on a Sci-Fi show, a sitcom (she’s obsessed with the comedy series ‘Unreal’), play a tough girl role and work with Shonda Rhimes
I bow down to Shonda Rhimes. I think she’s fantastic. She’s an inspiration, she’s awesomely creative. I would love to be on any one of her shows.
Her message to everyone who has ever watched her show and supported her
Thank you!
By Ashley Gail Terrel, The Huffington Post
Obama Out!: POTUS Drops Mic At His Final White House Correspondents’ Dinner
It was a bittersweet night for the Obama family at their last White House Correspondents’ Dinner in office.
But that was all made better when President Obama dropped the mic, literally, to mark his last Nerd Prom.
From ABC News:
Holding two fingers to his lips, he picked up his mic, then let it dramatically drop to the ground.
“With that, I have just two more words to say: Obama out,” he said.
For the evening FLOTUS stole the show in a gold beaded appliqué Givenchy dress.
“Michelle has not aged a day,” the President said. “The only way you can date her in photos is by looking at me,” he then showed a photo of himself in 2008 and compared it to present time, as a skeleton.
In addition to the gorgeous couple, other attendees included Will Smith, Scandal star Kerry Washington and Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren. And in the true nature of the event, jokes were handed out to everyone— especially the more known faces in the audience.
“Kendall Jenner is also here, and we had a chance to meet backstage,” the President said. “She seems like a very nice young woman. I’m not exactly sure what she does, but I’m told my Twitter mentions are about to go through the roof.”
“Helen Mirren is here tonight,” Obama also noted. “I don’t even have a joke here, I just think Helen Mirren is awesome. She’s awesome. Sitting at the same table I see Mike Bloomberg. Mike, a combative, controversial, New York billionaire is leading the GOP Primary and it’s not you. That has to sting a little bit. Although it’s not an entirely fair comparison between you and The Donald. After all, Mike was a big city mayor, he knows policy in depth, and he’s actually worth the amount of money that he says he is.”
While there’s a bit of controversy over comedian and late-night host, Larry Wilmore’s jokes, overall it was the perfect goodbye from America’s first Black president.
You can find more on the star-studded evening here.
Source: NewsOne
Steve Harvey Set To Host All Star ‘Celebrity Family Feud’ With Sheryl Underwood, Tommy Davidson, And More!
The primetime summer hit “Celebrity Family Feud,” produced by FremantleMedia North America, returns for a second season on SUNDAY, JUNE 26 (8:00-9:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. Steve Harvey, the highly popular multi-hyphenate standup comedian, actor, author, deejay and Emmy Award-winning game show host, will pit celebrities and their families against each other in a contest to name the most popular responses to a survey-type question posed to 100 people.
The 10-episode series will kick off ABC’s Sunday Fun & Games Night block alongside “Match Game” with Alec Baldwin and “The $100,000 Pyramid” with Michael Strahan beginning on Sunday, June 26 (8:00-11:00 p.m. EDT).
In each episode of “Celebrity Family Feud,” celebrity families, and their immediate family members or their extended TV families, will compete against each other to win money for charity. Each team will be made up of a celebrity captain, with four relatives or friends playing along. The winning celebrity team will be given a chance to win up to $25,000 to donate to a charity of their choice.
Following are the celebrity captains, their teams, and the charities they are playing for:
Kellie Pickler – Country music recording artist, star of the CMT hit reality show “I Love Kellie Pickler,” “American Idol” alum, “Dancing with the Stars” 2013 champion and eight-time USO Tour veteran will be playing for United Service Organizations, Inc.
- Kyle Jacobs – Kellie’s husband
- Courtney Pickler Howard – Kellie’s sister
- Bradley Howard – Kellie’s brother-in-law
- Caroline Hobby – Cast member of “I Am Kellie Pickler”
VERSUS
Lance Bass – Singer, host, actor, producer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and writer, most well-known as being a member of the multi-platinum pop boy band *NSYNC will be playing for Lucky Puppy Animal Rescue
- Michael Turchin – Lance’s husband; artist and animal advocate
- June Bass – Lance’s mother
- Stacy Bass Lofton – Lance’s sister
- Ford Lofton – Lance’s brother-in-law
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Snoop Dogg – Rapper and actor who has sold over twenty-one million albums in the United States and thirty-five million albums worldwide will be playing for the Snoop Youth Football League
- Shante Broadus – Snoop’s wife
- Cordell Broadus – Snoop’s son
- Cori Broadus – Snoop’s daughter
- Robin Allen – Snoop’s cousin, akaThe Lady of Rage. Rapper, singer and actress best known for collaborations with Dre and Snoop Dogg on the seminal albums “The Chronic” and “Doggystyle”
VERSUS
Sugar Ray Leonard – Boxing Olympic gold medalist and legendary sports icon of the 20th century. In 2009, Leonard and his wife Bernadette started the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, supporting the life-changing programs at the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and will be playing for this foundation
- Camille Leonard – Sugar’s daughter
- Jarrel Leonard – Sugar’s son
- Ray Leonard Jr. – Sugar’s son
- Marty Robi – Sugar’s brother-in-law
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AFC Offense – playing for Active Minds
- Brandon Marshall — New York Jets wide receiver
- Steve Smith Jr. — Baltimore Ravens wide receiver
- Amari Cooper — Oakland Raiders wide receiver
- Jeremy Hill —Cincinnati Bengals running back
- Marcus Cannon — New England Patriots tackle
VERSUS
NFC Defense – playing for Got Your 6 (Be The Change, Inc.)
- Thomas Davis — Carolina Panthers linebacker
- Terrance Knighton — Washington Redskins defensive tackle
- Tyrann Mathieu — Arizona Cardinals defensive back
- Malcolm Jenkins — Philadelphia Eagles safety
- Cliff Avril — Seattle Seahawks defensive end
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AFC Defense — playing for Still Strong Foundation (aka Michael’s Way)
- AJ Hawk — Cincinnati Bengals linebacker
- Tamba Hali — Kansas City Chiefs defensive end
- Malcolm Smith — Oakland Raiders linebacker
- Von Miller — Denver Broncos linebacker
- Melvin Ingram — San Diego Chargers linebacker
VERSUS
NFC Offense – playing for Professional Athletes Foundation
- Joe Staley — San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman
- Teddy Bridgewater — Minnesota Vikings quarterback
- David Johnson — Arizona Cardinals running back
- Marvin Jones — Detroit Lions wide receiver
- Pierre Garcon — Washington Redskins wide receiver
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The Bachelors – playing for Girls Inc.
- Shawn Booth — Kaitlyn Bristowe’s fiancé from Season 11 of “The Bachelorette”
- Tanner Tolbert — Met and fell in love with Jade Roper in last summer’s “Bachelor in Paradise” and they married in 2016
- Ben Zorn – One of Kaitlyn’s bachelors from Season 11 of “The Bachelorette”
- Chris Strandburg – One of Kaitlyn’s bachelors from Season 11 of “The Bachelorette”
- Ben Higgins – “The Bachelor” currently in Season 20
VERSUS
The Bachelorettes – playing for Stomp out Bullying
- Kaitlyn Bristowe – “The Bachelorette” from Season 11, currently engaged to Shawn Booth
- Jade Tolbert —Met and fell in love with Tanner Tolbert in last summer’s “Bachelor in Paradise” and they married in 2016
- Ashley Iaconetti – One of Chris Soules’ bachelorettes from Season 19
- Sara Herron — One of Sean Lowe’s bachelorettes from Season 17
- Andi Dorfman— “The Bachelorette” from Season 10
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Garrett Morris – Part of the original cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1975; currently plays Earl on the CBS hit-comedy “2 Broke Girls” and will be playing for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Sherrie Johnson – Garrett’s niece
- Kay Grundy – Garrett’s niece
- Andre Vann – Garrett’s nephew
- Garrett Miller – Garrett’s nephew
VERSUS
Alfonso Ribeiro – Actor, television director, dancer, and game show host known for the sitcoms “Silver Spoons,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as well as host of “America’s Funniest Home Videos” will be playing for the Fresh Start Surgical Gifts
- Angela Ribeiro – Alfonso’s wife
- Essence Atkins – Alfonso’s godmother
- Rick Schroder – Actor and film director who debuted in the film “The Champ;” child star on the sitcom “Silver Spoons”
- Jennifarre Urchin – Angela’s friend
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Ernie Hudson – Actor, best known for the 1984 film “Ghostbusters.” He currently stars in the Netflix series “Grace & Frankie” and will be playing for the Union Rescue Mission in downtown LA
- Ernie Hudson Jr. – Ernie’s son; actor and producer
- Rahaman Hudson – Ernie’s son
- Andrew Hudson – Ernie’s son
- Ross Hudson – Ernie’s son
VERSUS
NeNe Leakes – Fan favorite on Bravo’s highly rated reality show “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” co-host on E1’s “Fashion Police” and stars in ABC’s upcoming “To Tell the Truth.” NeNe is playing for the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
- Bryson Bryant – NeNe’s son
- Anthony Thomas – NeNe’s brother
- Gregg Leakes – NeNe’s husband; real estate investor and consultant
- Brentt Leakes – NeNe’s son
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Professional Boxers’ Showdown #1 – Playing for Padres Contra El Cancer
- Joe Goossen – Renowned boxing manager and two-time Hall of Fame inductee (California Boxing Hall of Fame and World Boxing Hall of Fame) and owner of the Ten Goose Boxing Gym in Van Nuys, CA
- Victor Ortiz – Boxer and former WBC welterweight champion that held titles in the light welterweight division of the USBA and NABO
- Rafael Ruelas – Licensed realtor and Former IBF Lightweight World Champion with a final record of 53 Wins, 4 Losses and 42 knockouts; trained by Joe Goossen his whole boxing career.
- Lamon Brewster – Boxer and former WBO world heavy weight champion, best known for scoring a knockout victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2004
- Ray Mercer – Boxer and former WBO heavyweight champion who boxed from 1989 to 2008
VERSUS
Professional Boxers’ Showdown #2 – Playing for Common Ground Foundation Inc.
- Robert Garcia – Manager and former IBF super featherweight champion; voted Trainer of the Year by The Ring magazine in 2011 and by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2012
- “Sugar” Shane Mosley – Boxer and former three-weight class world champion, held IBF lightweight title, the WBC and WBA (Super) welterweight titles, and the WBC, WBA (Super) and The Ring magazine light middleweight titles
- James Toney – Boxer and former three-weight class world champion, held the IBF middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight titles
- Mikey Garcia – Boxer and former WBO champion, The Ring magazine featherweight champion, and WBO super featherweight champion
- Chris Byrd – Boxer and two-time world heavyweight champion; held the WBO and IBF titles
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Melissa Joan Hart – Actress, director and producer known for her roles in “Clarissa Explains It All,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Melissa & Joey” and will be playing for Friends of Cas, Inc.
- Trish Portillo – Melissa’s sister
- Emily Madar – Melissa’s sister
- Paula Hart – Melissa’s mother
- Josue Portillo – Melissa’s brother-in-law
VERSUS
Paul Sorvino – Actor best known for his role as Pauley from the hit film “Goodfellas” will be playing for the John Ritter Foundation
- Dee Dee Sorvino – Paul’s wife
- Claudia “Bizz” Sorvino – Paul’s granddaughter
- Michael Sorvino – Paul’s son; actor known for his film roles in “Human Trafficking,” “Perfume” and “Blur”
- William “Bill” Sorvino – Paul’s nephew; stage and screen actor who founded the Golden Door International Film Festival in Jersey City
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Jalen Rose – Current ESPN/ABC analyst and former NBA star who played for the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns over the course of his 13-year career; best known for being a member of the Michigan “Fab Five” and playing for the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy c/o Operation Graduation
- David Jacoby – Co-host of “Jalen & Jacoby” on ESPN
- Jimmy King – Former NBA player best known for being a member of the Michigan “Fab Five”
- Ben Lyons – Film critic, entertainment reporter and sports commentator
- Amina Hussein – Former ESPN NFL producer and coordinating producer of KIA NBA Countdown
VERSUS
Dave Foley – Comedian, actor and founding member of the comedy troupe “Kids in the Hall,” also known for his roles in “NewsRadio,“ A Bug’s Life,” ABC’s “Dr. Ken” and playing for Fact Alliance
- Crissy Guerrero – Dave’s wife
- Alina Foley – Dave’s daughter
- Chiarina Hammell – Dave’s mother-in-law
- Tony Guerrero – Dave’s brother-in-law
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Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Models — Playing for Happy Hearts Fund
- Nina Agdal – Sports Illustrated cover girl for 50th Anniversary magazine and SI’s 2012 Rookie of the Year
- Samantha Hoopes – Three-time SI Swimsuit model
- Tanya Mityushina –2016 SI Swimsuit rookie
- Robyn Lawley – Two-time SI Swimsuit model; body positivity activist, author and swimwear designer
- Hannah Ferguson –Three-time SI Swimsuit model
VERSUS
Verizon IndyCar Drivers – Playing for The Indy Family Foundation
- Helio Castroneves – Three-time Indy 500 champion and Team Penske driver; won coveted Mirror Ball trophy during season five of “Dancing With the Stars”
- Tony “TK” Kanaan –2013 Indy 500 winner and Chip Ganassi Racing Team driver; triathlete and IronMan competitor
- James “Hinch” Hinchcliffe – Returned to racing this season in the No. 5 car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports after suffering life-threatening injuries from a practice crash during the 2015 Indianapolis 500
- Will Power – The 2014 Verizon IndyCar Series champion and Castroneves’ teammate at Team Penske; recently penned an autobiography entitled “The Sheer Force of Will Power”
- Conor Daly – Rookie from Indianapolis competing in his first full Verizon IndyCar Series driving the #18 car for Dale Coyne Racing ; son of former IndyCar and Formula One driver Derek Daly
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Paula Deen – Celebrity chef and cooking show television host. She has sold over 11 million copies of her 14 cookbooks and is playing for Paula Deen’s The Bag Lady Foundation
- Bobby Deen – Paula’s youngest son and a cooking show television host
- Jamie Deen Jr. – Paula’s oldest son and a cooking show television host
- Michael Groover – Paula’s husband
- Peggy Ort – Paula’s aunt
VERSUS
Carson Kressley – Emmy-winning television star, celebrity stylist, NY Times bestselling author and fashion designer and is playing for the Al D. Rodriguez Foundation
- Diana Kressley-Billig – Carson’s sister, national champion equestrian. She runs the family farm which has been in the family for four generations – raising hay and American saddlebred horses
- Brett Kressley – Carson’s nephew, award winning race car driver. Honored this year as the 2015 NASCAR Whelen Sportsman high point champion
- Morgan Billig – Carson’s niece, 18 years old and will graduate from northwestern Lehigh high school in June where she is a star softball player. She is a multi- world titled fourth generation equestrian
- Beverly Kressley – Carson’s sister-in-law, runs the family car dealership with her husband. But main job is fan club president for her race car driver son Brett
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Laila Ali – Undefeated four-time world champion boxer and a semi-finalist in season four of “Dancing With the Stars,” two-time Food Network “Chopped” champion, currently writing a cookbook, competing on new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” and playing for Peace4Kids
- Hana Ali – Laila’s sister
- Veronica Porche – Laila and Hana’s mother
- Maryum “May May” Ali – Laila’s sister
- Miya Ali – Laila’s sister
VERSUS
Alana Stewart – Actress and producer known for “Farrah’s Story,” “George & Alana” and “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me out of Here!” is playing for the Farrah Fawcett Foundation
- George Hamilton – Actor and Golden Globe recipient, known for “Love at First Bite” and “Where the Boys Are”
- Ashley Hamilton – George’s son
- Sean Stewart – George’s stepson
- George Thomas Hamilton (G.T.) – George’s son
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Sheryl Underwood – Co-host of “The Talk,” contributor on the “Steve Harvey Morning Show,” CEO of Pack Rat Production, Inc., Pack Rat Foundation For Education, Inc., and 23rd International President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., and is playing for the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.’s National Education Foundation
- Christopher “Chris” Underwood – Sheryl’s brother
- Michael Martin – Sheryl’s brother
- Deborah Martin – Sheryl’s sister-in-law
- Mercedes Alexander – Sheryl’s cousin
VERSUS
Gus Kenworthy – 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist and a five-time World Freeskiing Champion on the Association of Freeskiing Professionals (AFP) World Tour. Won four medals at the X Games and European X Games in 2016 and is playing for the Happy Hippie Foundation
- Heather “Pip” Kenworthy – Gus’ mother
- Hugh Kenworthy – Gus’ brother
- Nicholas “Nick” Kenworthy – Gus’ brother
- Peter Kenworthy – Gus’ father
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Todd Chrisley – Patriarch of the Chrisley family, star and executive producer of “Chrisley Knows Best”on USA Network and playing for Generosity.org
- Julie Chrisley – Todd’s wife
- Lindsie Chrisley Campbell – Todd’s daughter
- Faye “Nannie” Chrisley – Todd’s mother
- Chase Chrisley – Todd’s son
VERSUS
Sara Evans – Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum country singer with five #1 radio hits; CMA and ACM award recipient and playing for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Matt Evans – Sara’s brother and musical director; plays bass in her band
- Lesley Lyons – Sara’s sister
- Ashley Simpson – Sara’s sister
- Jay Evans – Sara’s brother
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Giuliana Rancic – Queen of the red carpet and host of “Fashion Police,” New York Times bestselling author, has a clothing line called G by Giuliana on HSN and wine called XO, G and is playing for Fab-U-Wish (The Pink Agenda, Inc.)
- Bill Rancic – Giuliana’s husband; entrepreneur, New York Times bestselling author, restaurant owner and philanthropist
- Karen Soenen – Giuliana’s sister-in-law
- Tom Comstock – Bill’s cousin
- Anna DePandi – Giuliana’s mother
VERSUS
The Band Perry – playing for Teen Cancer America
- Neil Perry (team captain) – Youngest member of The Band Perry; handles mandolin, bouzouki, and vocals
- Reid Perry – Middle child and bassist of The Band Perry
- Kimberly Perry – The Band Perry’s front-woman who wrote the group’s breakthrough single and fourth best-selling country single of all time, “If I Die Young”
- Ann-Carter Bloomfield – Paternal cousin
- Hunter Bloomfield – Paternal cousin
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Tony Hawk – Professional skateboarder, entrepreneur, owner of skateboard company Birdhouse and playing for the Tony Hawk Foundation
- Emily Alice Deremo – Tony’s niece
- John Edward Dale – Tony’s nephew
- Lenore Hawk Dale – Tony’s sister
- Keegan Hawk – Tony’s son
VERSUS
Joely Fisher – Golden Globe nominated actress and former Miss Golden Globe, best known for her roles on “Ellen,” the Disney hit “Inspector Gadget,” her 4 seasons as Brad Garrett’s saucy wife on the Fox hit “‘Til Death,” and currently on ABC’s “Last Man Standing” as Wendi. Joely is playing for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Inc.
- Christopher Duddy – Joely’s husband; director and award winning cinematographer, best known for his work on “Thirteen Days” and “Dante’s Peak”
- Tricia Leigh Fisher – Joely’s sister
- Collin Duddy – Joely’s son
- Byron Thames – Joely’s brother-in-law
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Alan Thicke – Best known as the father on “Growing Pains.” Recently toured in the musical, “Toy Shoppe,” and recent TV appearances on “Scream Queens” and “Grandfathered” will be playing for The Alan Thicke Centre for Juvenile Diabetes Research
- Tanya Thicke – Alan’s wife and stars in her family’s hit sitcom/reality series, “Unusually Thicke” on the POP Network
- Carter Thicke – Alan’s youngest son
- Creighton Thicke Rattray – Alan’s nephew
- Kenny Callau – Tanya’s brother
VERSUS
David Chokachi – Actor/dad/environmental enthusiast, best known for his role as Cody Madison on “Baywatch.” Starred in the TV series “Witchblade” and “Beyond The Break,” and has made several movie appearances and is playing for the Surfrider Foundation
- Robert Al-Chokhachy – David’s brother
- Sarah Al-Chokhachy – David’s sister-in-law
- Phillip Cronin – David’s nephew
- Phil Cronin – David’s brother-in-law
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Rico Rodriguez – Actor and four-time SAG award winner best known as Manny Delgado in the five-time Emmy Award-winning comedy “Modern Family” is playing for Fiestas Patrias Mexicanos of B/CS, Texas
- Raini Rodriguez – Actress and director starring in the Disney Channel comedy “Austin & Ally” and the “Paul Blart: Mall Cop” movies
- Roy “Big Roy” Rodriguez – Raini and Rico’s dad
- Roy “Lil’ Roy” Allen Rodriguez Jr. – Raini and Rico’s brother
- Ray “Ray Ray” Anthony Rodriguez – Raini and Rico’s brother
VERSUS
Jaleel White – Star of classic 90s’ sitcom “Family Matters,” competitor on season 14 of “Dancing with the Stars” and host of “A Total Blackout” will be playing for the Los Angeles Mission
- Gail White – Jaleel’s mother
- Dierdre Johnson – Jaleel’s aunt
- Brandon Hawkins – Jaleel’s cousin, played for the Harlem Globetrotters
- Diane Ponce – Jaleel’s aunt
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Tommy Davidson – Stand-up comedian and actor best known for his work on the hit show “In Living Color,” and movies “Booty Call” and “Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls” is playing for the Down Syndrome Foundation of Florida
- Amanda Davidson – Tommy’s wife
- Jillian Davidson – Tommy’s daughter
- Rhonda Pirghibi – Amanda’s sister
- Yannick Alexis- Tommy’s nephew
VERSUS
Kristi Yamaguchi – Olympic Figure Skating Gold medalist, founder of the Always Dream Foundation and founder of Tsu.ya Active Wear is playing for the Always Dream Foundation
- Bret Hedican – Kristi’s husband, Stanley Cup Champion, two-time Olympian
- Brett Yamaguchi – Kristi’s brother, Golden State Warriors Director of Game Operations
- Jim Yamaguchi – Father of Kristi, Lori and Brett
- Lori Yamaguchi – Kristi’s sister, Executive Director of the Always Dream Foundation
“Celebrity Family Feud” is produced by FremantleMedia North America. “Celebrity Family Feud” is taped in front of a live audience in Los Angeles, California. Gaby Johnston and Jennifer Mullin are executive producers.
Oprah Winfrey To Star in HBO Films’ ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’
Los Angeles, May 2, 2016 – Emmy® winner and Oscar® nominee Oprah Winfrey (“Selma,” “The Color Purple,” “Lee Daniels’ The Butler”) will star in HBO Films’ THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS, based on Rebecca Skloot’s critically acclaimed, bestselling nonfiction book of the same name. DGA winner, Emmy® nominee and veteran Broadway director-producer George C. Wolfe (HBO’s “Lackawanna Blues”; Tony winner for “Angels in America”) will direct from his screenplay. Winfrey, Academy Award®, Emmy® and Golden Globe winner Alan Ball (“American Beauty”; HBO’s “True Blood” and “Six Feet Under”; CINEMAX’s “Banshee”), Peter Macdissi (CINEMAX’s “Banshee”), Carla Gardini (“The Hundred-Foot Journey”) and Lydia Dean Pilcher (HBO’s “You Don’t Know Jack”) will executive produce, and Rebecca Skloot will co-executive produce the film, a Your Face Goes Here Entertainment, Harpo Films and Cine Mosaic production.
THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, an African-American woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal human cell line. Told through the eyes of her daughter, Deborah Lacks (Winfrey), the film chronicles her search to learn about the mother she never knew and to understand how the unauthorized harvesting of Lacks’ cancerous cells in 1951 led to unprecedented medical breakthroughs, changing countless lives and the face of medicine forever. It’s a story of medical arrogance and triumph, race, poverty and deep friendship between the unlikeliest of people.
Rebecca Skloot’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” which took more than a decade to research and write, instantly hit the New York Times bestseller list upon publication, and remained there for more than four years.
Henrietta Lacks’ sons David Lacks, Jr. and Zakariyya Rahman and granddaughter Jeri Lacks are consultants.
Filming will begin this summer.
Source: Variety
