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IMDbPro

Vanilla Ice

  • Actor
  • Composer
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
Vanilla Ice at an event for That's My Boy (2012)
When the IRS comes calling for owed back-taxes, a brash middle-aged-man looks to move in with his straightlaced son who's about to get married.
Play trailer2:34
That's My Boy (2012)
4 Videos
37 Photos
Vanilla Ice was born Robert Matthew Van Winkle on October 31, 1967 in South Dallas, Texas. He was raised by his mother, Camilla Beth (Dickerson). His father left when he was four years old and since then, he has had many stepfathers. He has German and English ancestry on his mother's side.

In his teenage years, Robert was a poor student who got dismal grades and skipped school often. He was 18 when he was in the 10th grade, and dropped out of school. During the late 80s Ice made a living by washing cars. He observed the culture and dancing of some of his peers, and later signed up at a local nightclub as a performer. He was a natural at rapping and dancing and needless to say, the audience loved him. He later got the nickname "Vanilla Ice", because he was white.

In the year of 1989, Ice signed up with SBK records and released his first LP, "Hooked", which contained the single "Play that Funky Music" that was sent to radio stations to play. The single wasn't a huge success, and "Hooked" received poor sales. Later, in 1990, a local DJ decided to turn the "Play that Funky Music" record and play what was on the other side. That single was "Ice Ice Baby", which sampled "Under Pressure" by Queen and David Bowie. Contrary to "Play that Funky Music", "Ice Ice Baby" was a huge success, and radio stations everywhere received requests to play that song. Ice re-released "Hooked" as "To The Extreme", which contained "Ice Ice Baby", and it sold over 15 million copies and holds the record for the highest selling rap record ever.

Vanilla Ice fever was everywhere. Soon there was hundreds of merchandise, such as a Vanilla Ice doll and a board game. Ice was featured on a tour of 'M.C Hammer', which influenced his dress style. Soon, he was wearing baggy jump pants and large, loud jackets with a quote on the back. "Ice Ice Baby" was on the number #1 spot for 16 weeks, and so was "To The Extreme". It was only after the success of "Ice Ice Baby" that Queen and David Bowie received credit for the sample of "Under Pressure". Vanilla Ice joked they were different, because he adding one note in his version. Ice then released "Extremely Live", which contained music from one of his concerts. It sold 500,000 copies and reached Gold status.

Later in 1991, Vanilla Ice decided to get involved in the movie business. He made an appearance in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) and then later scored his first feature film, Cool as Ice (1991). The movie was flop, having spent only three weeks in the box office before dropping out.

Ice spent 2 years taking up motocross under his real name, and completely dropped out from the music world. In 1994, he released another album called "Mind-blowin'" which introduced Ice's new, dread-locked, dope-smoking image. "Mind-blowin'" didn't last long, since SBK records went bankrupt. Ice nearly died of an overdose of drugs, and was revived by one of his friends. He later married, and had two children.

In the next 4 years, Vanilla Ice focused on family life while still playing a couple of shows, mostly overseas or small venues. Then, in 1998, Ice made a comeback with his next album, "Hard To Swallow", his first nu-metal release, produced by Ross Robinson. The album was a far cry from his earlier works, and featured explicit language. There was even a rap-metal version of "Ice Ice Baby", called "Too Cold". Although the album only sold 100,000 copies, it was well-received by fans and made Ice almost respected again. It was followed by "Bi-Polar", "Platinum Underground" and "WTF", which combined nu-metal, rap-rock and hip-hop music with other genres, including country and reggae.

More recently, he has had his biggest mainstream resurgence, hosting the series The Vanilla Ice Project (2010), and recording a debut single with Jedward, "Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)", a mash-up of the two songs. He will also be returning to film in the Adam Sandler comedy That's My Boy (2012). At the 2011 Gathering of the Juggalos, it was announced that Vanilla Ice had signed to Psychopathic Records.
BornOctober 31, 1967
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    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornOctober 31, 1967
IMDbProStarmeter
See rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards

Photos37

Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in Saturday Night Live (1975)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice and Witney Carson in Dancing with the Stars (2005)
Tom Bergeron, Vanilla Ice, and Witney Carson in Dancing with the Stars (2005)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)
Vanilla Ice in The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)

Known for

Vanilla Ice in Cool as Ice (1991)
Cool as Ice
2.9
  • Johnny
  • 1991
Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg in That's My Boy (2012)
That's My Boy
5.5
  • Vanilla Ice
  • 2012
Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, and Taylor Lautner in The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
The Ridiculous 6
4.8
  • Mark Twain
  • 2015
Lyle Lovett, Zooey Deschanel, Eliza Dushku, Eddie Griffin, Jerod Mixon, DJ Qualls, Parry Shen, Sunny Mabrey, and Matt Gogin in The New Guy (2002)
The New Guy
5.8
  • Music Store Employee(as Robert Van Winkle)
  • 2002

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Crime Boss: Rockay City
    • (voice)
    • In Production
  • Zombie Plane
    • Pre-production
  • Seaper Powers: Mystery of the Blue Pearls
    • Completed
  • Booking Sounds 2 (2022)
    Booking Sounds 2
    • (voice)
  • Baby Got Buns
  • David Spade and Lauren Lapkus in The Wrong Missy (2020)
    The Wrong Missy
    • (as Rob Van Winkle)
  • Vanilla Ice feat. Forgiato Blow & Cowboy Troy: Ride the Horse (2020)
    Vanilla Ice feat. Forgiato Blow & Cowboy Troy: Ride the Horse
  • Forgiato Blow feat. Rick Ross & Vanilla Ice: Vanilla Sprite Remix (2017)
    Forgiato Blow feat. Rick Ross & Vanilla Ice: Vanilla Sprite Remix
  • Adam Sandler in Sandy Wexler (2017)
    Sandy Wexler
  • Adam Sandler, Rob Schneider, Luke Wilson, Terry Crews, Jorge Garcia, and Taylor Lautner in The Ridiculous 6 (2015)
    The Ridiculous 6
  • Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg in That's My Boy (2012)
    That's My Boy
  • Jedward ft. Vanilla Ice: Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (2010)
    Jedward ft. Vanilla Ice: Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)
  • Big Money Rustlas (2010)
    Big Money Rustlas
  • Eminem, Lisa Ann, and Bobby Lee in Eminem: We Made You (2009)
    Eminem: We Made You
  • Joey Fatone, Vanilla Ice, and Shaquille O'Neal in The Bros. (2007)
    The Bros.
  • Scott Levy, Vanilla Ice, Dana Michael Woods, and Samantha Brooke in The Helix... Loaded (2005)
    The Helix... Loaded
  • Lyle Lovett, Zooey Deschanel, Eliza Dushku, Eddie Griffin, Jerod Mixon, DJ Qualls, Parry Shen, Sunny Mabrey, and Matt Gogin in The New Guy (2002)
    The New Guy
    • (as Robert Van Winkle)
  • Da Hip Hop Witch (2000)
    Da Hip Hop Witch

Composer

  • Jedward ft. Vanilla Ice: Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (2010)
    Jedward ft. Vanilla Ice: Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby)
    • (as Robert Van Winkle)
  • Play That Funky Music (1990)
    Play That Funky Music
    • (music composed by)

Producer

  • Zombie Plane
    • Pre-production
  • A.B. Slater: Ice Ice Baby (Gmix) (2022)
    A.B. Slater: Ice Ice Baby (Gmix)

Videos5

Greenband Version
Trailer 2:34
Greenband Version
Redband Version
Trailer 2:45
Redband Version
That's My Boy
Trailer 2:32
That's My Boy
The Helix Loaded
Trailer 1:46
The Helix Loaded
Da Hip Hop Witch
Trailer 1:52
Da Hip Hop Witch

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Apple Music
    • Cameo
    • October 31, 1967
    • Dallas, Texas, USA
    • March 30, 1997 - November 2019 (divorced, 2 children)
  • Other works
    Print ads: Nike.
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Portrayals
    • 2 Articles
    • 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    In 1998 he played a free concert in Birmingham, AL, to promote a thrash metal version of "Ice Ice Baby". During the show he threw copies of his album into the audience and they responded by throwing them back.
  • Quotes
    It took me a while and a lot of hard times to figure out my purpose, I am so happy with my life. I just want to help make other people happy too.
    • Pop music with emotional lyrics about a boy and a girl
    • Cool as Ice
      (1991)
      $1,000,000

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