Tommy Davidson

Thomas "Tommy" Davidson (born November 10, 1963) is an American comedian, film and television actor.[2] He was an original cast member on the sketch comedy TV show In Living Color.

Tommy Davidson
Davidson in 2008
Born
Thomas Davidson

(1963-11-10) November 10, 1963
Alma materUniversity of the District of Columbia
OccupationActor, comedian
Years active1984–present[1]
Known forVarious roles in In Living Color
Rushon in Booty Call
Mitchell in Between Brothers
Womack/Sleep'n Eat in Bamboozled
Oscar Proud in The Proud Family
Children4

Early years

Born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi,[3] Davidson was abandoned in the trash at 18 months old, before being rescued by the woman who became his adoptive mother.[4][5] He was a child of an interracial adoption; his adoptive parents are Caucasian, and he is African-American.[4] He has two older Caucasian siblings, Michael and Beryle. He and his family had moved from Colorado to Wyoming to Oregon by the time he was 5 years old,[6] when they settled in Silver Spring, Maryland.[4] He attended high school at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, in Bethesda, Maryland.[4] After graduating in 1981,[4] he studied communications and interned at the radio station of the University of the District of Columbia for one semester.[7] He had jobs in the kitchen of a hospital and in the storeroom of Hechinger in Hyattsville, Maryland.[4]

Career

Davidson started his career as a stand-up comedian in 1986,[1] when a childhood friend convinced him to perform stand-up at The Penthouse strip club in Park View, Washington, D.C..[4][8] He continued performing in various comedy clubs throughout the Washington Metropolitan region, Baltimore, and Philadelphia. He opened concerts for Patti LaBelle, Starpoint, and Kenny G.[9] He performed on a fundraising telethon for WHMM in 1987.[10]

Davidson won an amateur stand-up competition at the Apollo Theater in 1987.[4] Soon afterwards, he moved to North Hollywood, California, where he met Martin Lawrence, who lived in his building.[4][11] He performed at the Comedy Store, where Robert Townsend heard of him and asked him to be the warm-up comic for an HBO special.[4] After performing at Luther Vandross and Anita Baker shows, he appeared on the Arsenio Hall Show.[4]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1990Kid 'n Play: FunhouseUncreditedVideo Short
1991Strictly BusinessBobby
1993CB4Weird Warren
1993A Cool Like That ChristmasOrlandoTelevision Movie
1995Ace Ventura: When Nature CallsThe Tiny Warrior
1997Booty CallRushon
1997Plump FictionJulius
1998WooTim
1999Pros & Cons Ron Carter
2000BamboozledWomack / Sleep'n Eat
2002The Scream TeamJumperTelevision Movie
2002Juwanna MannPuff Smokey Smoke
2004Funky MonkeyHarland
2005The Proud Family MovieOscar Proud (voice)Television Movie
2009Black DynamiteCream Corn
2009Pimp 24/7Detective BillTelevision Movie
2011Dance Fu Addict
2011Shadow HillsuncreditedTelevision Movie
2012Who Killed Soul Glowuncredited
2016Sharknado 4: The 4th AwakensAston ReynoldsTelevision Movie
2018Fury of the Fist and the Golden FleeceHomeless Comic
2018Frat PackBig Daddy

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1989CBS Summer PlayhousePrince TariqEpisode: "Coming to America"
1990–94In Living ColorVarious roles125 episodes;
Credited as Tommy Davidson
1990Kid 'n' PlayJazzy / AcornTelevision Animated Series
1991Robert Townsend: Partners in CrimeHimselfVolume 3
1992RocDonaldEpisode: "The Hand That Rocs the Cradle"
1993The CommishReeseEpisode: Rising Sun
1993MartinVarnel HillEpisodes: "Hollywood Swinging Parts 1& 2"
1994Duckman: Private Dick/Family ManMarvinEpisode: "Joking the Chicken"
1995–99Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every ChildCassim / JesterAnimated Series
1996The Ren & Stimpy ShowSammy MantisEpisode: "Sammy and Me/The Last Temptation"
1996Boston CommonDarrellEpisode: "Soup to Nuts"
1997–99Between BrothersMitchell Ford17 episodes
1999–2000Malcolm & EddieDexter Sherman4 episodes
2000Cousin SkeeterUncreditedEpisode: "The Feminine Ms. Skeet"
2000Santa Who?Max (Head Elf)Television Movie
2001–05The Proud FamilyOscar ProudAnimated series
2002The Proud Family ShortiesOscar ProudTelevision Mini-Series
2002MADTvWoogie Jones JohnsonEpisodes 8.11, 8.19 & 9.6
2004–05The Bernie Mac ShowLouEpisodes: "Who Gives This Bride" & "Family Reunion"
2005Lilo & Stitch: The Series Oscar ProudEpisode: "Spats: Experiment #397"
2007Everybody Hates ChrisEddieEpisode: “Everybody Hates Houseguests”
2011–15Black DynamiteCream Corn / Scarecrow20 Episodes
2016–presentVacation CreationHost
2018I'm Dying Up HereAlan LucasEpisode: " Plus One"
2020Sarah Cooper: Everything's FineJohnTelevision special
TBA The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder Oscar Proud Upcoming series[12]

Comedy specials

Year Title Role Notes
1990Takin' It To D.C.HimselfStand-Up Special
1991Illin' in PhillyHimselfStand-Up Special
1996On The StrengthHimselfStand-Up Special
2009Shaq & Cedric the Entertainer Present: All Star Comedy JamHimselfStand-Up Special

References

  1. Peterson, Miranda (February 1, 2012). "Laughing with Comedian Tommy Davidson: Tommy talks Obama, performing for the troops & how to start a career in comedy". joonbug. SkyNet Media Group LLC.
  2. Company, Johnson Publishing (1996). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. pp. 14–.
  3. Leff, Bill; Snyder, Wendy (September 18, 2013). "Actor and comedian Tommy Davidson reminisces with Bill and Wendy about his "In Living Color" days, compares his life to Webster and talks about his upcoming show at Laugh Factory Chicago" (audio). WGN Radio.
  4. Brown, DeNeen (February 18, 1996). "In Living Black-and-White: How Tommy Davidson's World Shaped His Very Funny Comedy". The Washington Post. p. G1.
  5. Maron, Marc, "Episode 605 – Tommy Davidson / Phil Hendrie", WTF with Marc Maron, May 25, 2015. (24th minute).
  6. Gebreyes, Rahel (October 27, 2014). "Tommy Davidson Looks Back On Being Adopted Into A White Family In The '60s". The Huffington Post.
  7. Brown, Bridgit (July 22, 2010). "In Living Tommy". The Boston Banner. pp. 11, 13.
  8. Stoddard, Christine (May 15, 2013). "Comedian Tommy Davidson Comes to Richmond". Richmond Times-Dispatch.
  9. Piccoli, Sean (April 20, 1990). "From strip joint to Fox: He's 'In Living Color'". The Washington Times. p. E1.
  10. "WHMM Kicks Off Spring Membership Drive". Washington Informer. March 11, 1987. p. 18.
  11. Doup, Liz (January 8, 1991). "The Fresh Face of Fame". The Sun-Sentinel.
  12. Swift, Andy (February 27, 2020). "The Proud Family Revival Ordered at Disney+ With Original Cast — First Look". TVLine.
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