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June 2, 2005
JSU grad cast in new series on Showtime
By Cori Bolger
cbolger@clarionledger.com
For Jackson native Dan White, running errands at the Vanity Fair Oscar party meant having an all-access pass to one of the most exclusive A-list soirees on the planet.
But the highlight, he said, was seeing Halle Berry in the flesh and coming face to face with his acting role model, Samuel L. Jackson.
When White casually mentioned that he had been cast in the upcoming Showtime program, Barbershop: The Series, just two days prior, Jackson's eyebrows shot up.
"Well then, I'll have to watch out for you," Jackson said.
And so will the rest of the country, when Barbershop: The Series premieres Aug. 10 following a massive national publicity push. The series, executive produced by prolific writer John Ridley (U-Turn, Undercover Brother), picks up where the MGM movie franchise left off, down to the duplicated barbershop set in Chicago's South Side.
"But unlike the original films, the series goes further as it delves humorously into issues of all kinds relating to these characters ? no subject is off-limits in the shop," according to the show's Web site.
White, 27, will play Romadal Dupree, an ex-convict who's "working in the barbershop, trying to get his life together."
"It's so not me, but it's fun to play a bad guy, too," said White, who researched prison life and will don several fake tattoos for the role. "It's going to be a funny, smart show. And since it's Showtime, it'll be even more racy ... People will wonder what we're going to say next."
Born in Jackson, White moved to Washington, D.C., when he was 5 years old and began acting in local productions at age 12. After attending The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., White transferred to Jackson State University.
The move put him closer to his grandmother, Rose McCoy, former head of the JSU psychology department and wife of A.H. McCoy, a well-known Jackson businessman and local civil rights leader. White returns often to visit her.
White worked as a gospel announcer on local radio station WOAD 1300-AM and contributed bit parts to sister station WJMI 99.7-FM. At school, he acted in several plays, including Miss Evers' Boys, and graduated from JSU with a degree in mass communications.
"The thing that sticks out is his determination and hard work," said Mark G. Henderson, White's professor in the department of speech communication. "He's always had a strong work ethic and focused on what he wanted to do and did whatever it took to get it."
In 2000, White moved to Los Angeles to study theater at the California Institute of the Arts (alums include Don Cheadle, Ed Harris and David Hasselhoff). He landed a blink-and-you'll-miss-him ringside role in the biopic Ali.
Following graduation in 2003, he took random jobs doing voice overs for video games and acting roles in short films and plays.
Rick Hurvitz, executive producer of MTV's Pimp My Ride, got White hooked up with his first solid gig supplying a Shaft-esque voice for the show's theme song and narrative. The upcoming season will mark White's third with the show.
"People's whole outlook on you tends to shift when you're a performer of any type when you tell them something you've done and they recognize you," White said. "Little things like that really help."
With the help of mentor Reuben Cannon (producer of Diary of a Mad Black Woman), manager Jenny Delaney (who represents Neve Campbell and Patrick Swayze) and agent Jennifer Craig, White secured an audition for Barbershop two days before the Vanity Fair party.
"They had a million people submitting for it but they weren't seeing many people for the role; to get in the room was a huge step in the right direction," White said.
Pre-production and filming began May 6 and shooting will resume June 15.
"It's exciting when somebody you know gets a big break, and this is his," said Stan Branson, the radio stations' operations manager.
In a couple of years, White can see himself back at the Vanity Fair party, this time in a reserved seat. For now, he's focusing on the task at hand.
"I'm looking forward to working on a really smart project with a really dynamic, hardworking and dedicated cast and a really brilliant director," he said
June 2, 2005
JSU grad cast in new series on Showtime
By Cori Bolger
cbolger@clarionledger.com
For Jackson native Dan White, running errands at the Vanity Fair Oscar party meant having an all-access pass to one of the most exclusive A-list soirees on the planet.
But the highlight, he said, was seeing Halle Berry in the flesh and coming face to face with his acting role model, Samuel L. Jackson.
When White casually mentioned that he had been cast in the upcoming Showtime program, Barbershop: The Series, just two days prior, Jackson's eyebrows shot up.
"Well then, I'll have to watch out for you," Jackson said.
And so will the rest of the country, when Barbershop: The Series premieres Aug. 10 following a massive national publicity push. The series, executive produced by prolific writer John Ridley (U-Turn, Undercover Brother), picks up where the MGM movie franchise left off, down to the duplicated barbershop set in Chicago's South Side.
"But unlike the original films, the series goes further as it delves humorously into issues of all kinds relating to these characters ? no subject is off-limits in the shop," according to the show's Web site.
White, 27, will play Romadal Dupree, an ex-convict who's "working in the barbershop, trying to get his life together."
"It's so not me, but it's fun to play a bad guy, too," said White, who researched prison life and will don several fake tattoos for the role. "It's going to be a funny, smart show. And since it's Showtime, it'll be even more racy ... People will wonder what we're going to say next."
Born in Jackson, White moved to Washington, D.C., when he was 5 years old and began acting in local productions at age 12. After attending The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., White transferred to Jackson State University.
The move put him closer to his grandmother, Rose McCoy, former head of the JSU psychology department and wife of A.H. McCoy, a well-known Jackson businessman and local civil rights leader. White returns often to visit her.
White worked as a gospel announcer on local radio station WOAD 1300-AM and contributed bit parts to sister station WJMI 99.7-FM. At school, he acted in several plays, including Miss Evers' Boys, and graduated from JSU with a degree in mass communications.
"The thing that sticks out is his determination and hard work," said Mark G. Henderson, White's professor in the department of speech communication. "He's always had a strong work ethic and focused on what he wanted to do and did whatever it took to get it."
In 2000, White moved to Los Angeles to study theater at the California Institute of the Arts (alums include Don Cheadle, Ed Harris and David Hasselhoff). He landed a blink-and-you'll-miss-him ringside role in the biopic Ali.
Following graduation in 2003, he took random jobs doing voice overs for video games and acting roles in short films and plays.
Rick Hurvitz, executive producer of MTV's Pimp My Ride, got White hooked up with his first solid gig supplying a Shaft-esque voice for the show's theme song and narrative. The upcoming season will mark White's third with the show.
"People's whole outlook on you tends to shift when you're a performer of any type when you tell them something you've done and they recognize you," White said. "Little things like that really help."
With the help of mentor Reuben Cannon (producer of Diary of a Mad Black Woman), manager Jenny Delaney (who represents Neve Campbell and Patrick Swayze) and agent Jennifer Craig, White secured an audition for Barbershop two days before the Vanity Fair party.
"They had a million people submitting for it but they weren't seeing many people for the role; to get in the room was a huge step in the right direction," White said.
Pre-production and filming began May 6 and shooting will resume June 15.
"It's exciting when somebody you know gets a big break, and this is his," said Stan Branson, the radio stations' operations manager.
In a couple of years, White can see himself back at the Vanity Fair party, this time in a reserved seat. For now, he's focusing on the task at hand.
"I'm looking forward to working on a really smart project with a really dynamic, hardworking and dedicated cast and a really brilliant director," he said
