Rusty Cundieff
George Arthur "Rusty" Cundieff (born December 13, 1960) is an American film and television director, actor, and writer known for his work on Fear of a Black Hat (1993), Tales from the Hood (1995), and Chappelle's Show (2003-2006).[1]
Rusty Cundieff | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 13, 1960 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Occupation | Actor, film director, producer, writer |
Biography
Cundieff was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Christina and John A. Cundieff.[2] He studied journalism at Loyola University in New Orleans and the philosophy of religion at the University of Southern California.[1] While at USC, Cundieff became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, a historically African American fraternity.[3]
He is married to Trina Davis Cundieff, with whom he has two children: Simone Christina and Thelonious Jon Davis.[4]
Film career
After graduating from USC in 1982, Cundieff performed stand-up comedy in Los Angeles while looking for opportunities to act.[1] His first major role was a year-long run as Theo Carver on Days of Our Lives in 1985.[1] In 1988, he played Big Brother Chucky in Spike Lee's School Daze.[5] Cundieff cites his experience working with Lee on the film as being what motivated him to pursue writing and directing in addition to acting.[6] He was also a correspondent on Michael Moore's comic TV magazine show TV Nation in the mid-1990s.[7]
In 2013, he directed the anthology comedy film Movie 43 for the segment "Victory's Glory". Unfortunately, the film was a huge critical failure and it earned Cundieff a Razzie Award for Worst Director, along with 12 others.
Filmography
Actor
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Welcome to the Fun Zone | Host | TV movie |
| 1986 | 3:15 | M-16's | |
| 1987 | Hollywood Shuffle | Audition Actor / Slave #1 / Zombie Pimp | |
| 1988 | School Daze | Big Brother Chucky | |
| 1992 | Eddie Presley | Guard | |
| 1993 | Fear of a Black Hat | Ice Cold | Also writer and director. |
| 1995 | Tales from the Hood | Richard | Also writer and director. |
| 1997 | Sprung | Montel | Also writer and director. |
| 2003 | The Devon Taylor Show | Ice Cold | TV movie |
| 2018 | Tales from the Hood 2 | Press Conference Reporter | Also writer and director. |
| Year | Show | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Days of Our Lives | Theo Carver | |
| 1985 | What's Happening Now! | J.B. Whitney | 1 episode |
| 1985 | MacGruder and Loud | Perry | 1 episode |
| 1990 | thirtysomething | Student #5 | 1 episode |
| 2003 | Chappelle's Show | Ystur Feidnuc D.D.S. / Richard Pryor | 2 episodes |
Director
| Year | Film | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Fear of a Black Hat | |
| 1995 | Tales from the Hood | |
| 1996 | Clueless | 1 episode |
| 1997 | Sprung | |
| 2000 | The New Adventures of Spin and Marty: Suspect Behavior | TV movie |
| 2005 | Bitch House | |
| 2006 | The Bernie Mac Show | 1 episode |
| 2006 | So Notorious | 1 episode |
| 2003-2006 | Chappelle's Show | 25 episodes |
| 2006 | The Brandon T. Jackson Show | TV movie |
| 2006 | Campus Ladies | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Human Giant | 3 episodes |
| 2008 | Somebodies | 4 episodes |
| 2008 | Chocolate News | Segment director, 12 episodes |
| 2009-2010 | The Wanda Sykes Show | Segment director, 21 episodes |
| 2013 | Movie 43 | Segment director, "Victory's Glory" |
| 2013 | Second Generation Wayans | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | The Devon Taylor Show | TV movie |
| 2013 | The Hustle | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | Tales from the Hood 2 | director |
| 2020 | Tales from the Hood 3 | director |
References
- Donalson, Melvin (2010). Black Directors in Hollywood. University of Texas Press. pp. 261. ISBN 978-0-292-70179-3.
- "Rusty Cundieff: Biography". IMDB. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- Parks, Gregory (2011). Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, The Demands of Transcendence. The University Press of Kentucky. p. 364. ISBN 0813134218.
- "Marriages, Births, and Deaths". USC Trojan Family Magazine. University of Southern California. Spring 2004. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- "Rusty Cundieff: Filmography". IMDB. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- Levine, Robert (2 June 1994). "Meet the Ice Cold King of Gagsta Rap : Rusty Cundieff's 'Fear of a Black Hat' Was Inspired by 'Spinal Tap'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- "TV Nation Episodes". tvguide.com. Retrieved 21 October 2018.
