Tommy Davidson(I)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Davidson started his career as a stand-up comedian in Washington DC,
earning an ardent following with sheer hard work in various comedy
clubs. As one of the cutting-edge, young stand-ups, he was spotted by
major concert promoters, who booked him as the opening act for A-list
touring acts, including Patti LaBelle,
Kenny G and
Luther Vandross. It wasn't long before
he came to Hollywood and was performing stand-up at a number of clubs,
including the Comedy Act Theatre, where he met
Robert Townsend. This led to his
first national television appearance, with a starring role in
Partners in Crime (2005)
and was the conduit to
Keenen Ivory Wayans, who proved
instrumental in Davidson's career by offering him an opportunity to
audition and join the uniquely talented cast of the most adventurous
prime-time variety show of its day,
In Living Color (1990). He,
Jamie Foxx,
Jim Carrey and
Damon Wayans made TV history with their
originality.
Tommy's impressive film debut was opposite
Halle Berry in
Strictly Business (1991). He
immediately segued into select high-profile films, starring opposite
Jada Pinkett Smith in the romantic
comedy, Woo (1998) (New Line), and in the
provocative urban comedy,
Booty Call (1997) (Columbia Pictures).
His credits include numerous feature film roles, from
Spike Lee's
Bamboozled (2000), where he received
acclaim and praise for his turn as "Womack/Sleep 'N Eats", to
Juwanna Mann (2002) (Morgan Creek
Productions') and the pivotal cameo in
Jim Carrey's
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995),
which has become a cult favorite.
Davidson's hilarious impressions of
Sammy Davis Jr.,
Michael Jackson and other icons
have become infamous. His visibility on
In Living Color (1990) led to
three Showtime specials: "On Strength of New York", "Illin' in Philly"
and "Takin' it to DC". His elasticity as a performer who delivers on
both the big and small screen led to other projects like the lead in
the Disney's animated series,
The Proud Family (2001), and
as a host on FOX's "The NFL Show", alongside football greats
Michael Irvin and
Tony Siragusa. Davidson also portrays the
lead in Will Smith's up-and-coming
animated series, "Youngin's" (2000).
Tommy stars - along with 80 other star stand-ups - in
I Am Comic (2010), opposite
Tim Allen,
Lewis Black,
Sarah Silverman,
Carlos Mencia,
Jeff Foxworthy and
Kathy Griffin. The film, which premiered
on Showtime, is one of Netflix's surefire hits, enjoying a continual
surge as a favorite with consumers. Davidson scored big with reviewers
and audiences, alike, opposite
Michael Jai White, in the
critically-lauded spoof comedy,
Black Dynamite (2009) (Sony
Pictures), last year's big Sundance hit, which is currently being
adapted as a cartoon for Adult Swim.
He is receiving critical raves for a cameo in
Ahmed Ahmed's award-winning documentary,
Just Like Us (2010), a feature
film masterpiece which is a cross-cultural study of stand-up comedy
bridging all ethnicities. Tommy travels internationally selling out
every venue in which he headlines.
earning an ardent following with sheer hard work in various comedy
clubs. As one of the cutting-edge, young stand-ups, he was spotted by
major concert promoters, who booked him as the opening act for A-list
touring acts, including Patti LaBelle,
Kenny G and
Luther Vandross. It wasn't long before
he came to Hollywood and was performing stand-up at a number of clubs,
including the Comedy Act Theatre, where he met
Robert Townsend. This led to his
first national television appearance, with a starring role in
Partners in Crime (2005)
and was the conduit to
Keenen Ivory Wayans, who proved
instrumental in Davidson's career by offering him an opportunity to
audition and join the uniquely talented cast of the most adventurous
prime-time variety show of its day,
In Living Color (1990). He,
Jamie Foxx,
Jim Carrey and
Damon Wayans made TV history with their
originality.
Tommy's impressive film debut was opposite
Halle Berry in
Strictly Business (1991). He
immediately segued into select high-profile films, starring opposite
Jada Pinkett Smith in the romantic
comedy, Woo (1998) (New Line), and in the
provocative urban comedy,
Booty Call (1997) (Columbia Pictures).
His credits include numerous feature film roles, from
Spike Lee's
Bamboozled (2000), where he received
acclaim and praise for his turn as "Womack/Sleep 'N Eats", to
Juwanna Mann (2002) (Morgan Creek
Productions') and the pivotal cameo in
Jim Carrey's
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls (1995),
which has become a cult favorite.
Davidson's hilarious impressions of
Sammy Davis Jr.,
Michael Jackson and other icons
have become infamous. His visibility on
In Living Color (1990) led to
three Showtime specials: "On Strength of New York", "Illin' in Philly"
and "Takin' it to DC". His elasticity as a performer who delivers on
both the big and small screen led to other projects like the lead in
the Disney's animated series,
The Proud Family (2001), and
as a host on FOX's "The NFL Show", alongside football greats
Michael Irvin and
Tony Siragusa. Davidson also portrays the
lead in Will Smith's up-and-coming
animated series, "Youngin's" (2000).
Tommy stars - along with 80 other star stand-ups - in
I Am Comic (2010), opposite
Tim Allen,
Lewis Black,
Sarah Silverman,
Carlos Mencia,
Jeff Foxworthy and
Kathy Griffin. The film, which premiered
on Showtime, is one of Netflix's surefire hits, enjoying a continual
surge as a favorite with consumers. Davidson scored big with reviewers
and audiences, alike, opposite
Michael Jai White, in the
critically-lauded spoof comedy,
Black Dynamite (2009) (Sony
Pictures), last year's big Sundance hit, which is currently being
adapted as a cartoon for Adult Swim.
He is receiving critical raves for a cameo in
Ahmed Ahmed's award-winning documentary,
Just Like Us (2010), a feature
film masterpiece which is a cross-cultural study of stand-up comedy
bridging all ethnicities. Tommy travels internationally selling out
every venue in which he headlines.