Melvin Van Peebles
Born in Chicago, Illinois, USA — Aug 21 1932• Died Sep 21 2021
Connect
Biography
Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further ove…
Photos
Melvin Van Peebles's Credits
Browse acting and crew credits across movies and TV — filter and sort to find specific roles.
Homicide: Life on the Street
Bennett Jackson
Girlfriends
Kenneth Daly
The Outer Limits
Directing
Living Single
Dream On
Norman Green
The Shining
Richard Hallorann
CBS Schoolbreak Special
Writing
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Bucket
Last Action Hero
Self
Jaws: The Revenge
Mr. Witherspoon
Boomerang
Editor
The Sophisticated Gents
Walter 'Moon' Porter
Sex: The Revolution
Panther
Old Jail Bird
Posse
Papa Joe
American Swing
Self
Greased Lightning
Writing
Baadasssss!
Writing
True Identity
Taxi Driver
Fist of the North Star
Asher
Hard Luck
Hospital Prophet
Sonny Spoon
BaadAsssss Cinema
Self
Terminal Velocity
Noble
Blackout
George
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
Sweetback
O.C. and Stiggs
Wino Bob
America
Man Interviewed
Riot
Vernon
The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Self (voice)
Love Kills
Able
Gang in Blue
Andre Speier
The Hebrew Hammer
Sweetback
Calm at Sunset
Mr. Bucket
Wattstax
Self
Slogan
Writing
Peeples
Grandpa Peeples
Armed
Grandpa V.
Just an Old Sweet Song
Writing
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
Self
The Black List: Volume Two
Self
Watermelon Man
Sign Painter (uncredited)
Identity Crisis
The Inspector
The Day They Came to Arrest the Book
Writing
Don't Play Us Cheap
Directing
Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
Self (archive footage)
Directors on Directing
Self
Tales of Erotica
Directing
Redemption Road
Elmo
How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong (voice)
Taking Care of Terrific
Hawk
Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
Self
Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
Self
The Story of a Three-Day Pass
Directing
Unstoppable
Self
Farewell, Babylon!
Self
SMUT
Elmoore
Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door
Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom
Directing
René Vautier, le rebelle
Self
Salty Dog Blues
Self (Interviewee)
Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick
Directing
Sunlight
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
Melvin Van Peebles
Bellyful
Writing
Classified X
Self
The Real Deal: What It Is
Self
500 Francs
Directing
976-STUD
Directing