Description
Tommy Davidson is widely recognized as part of the groundbreaking multi-racial sketch comedy show In Living Color. But before his rise to stardom as a TV and film star, his journey began when a woman rescued an infant out of a garbage bin in Mississippi and raised him as her own. In this revealing, inspiring memoir, Tommy Davidson shares his unique perspective on making it in Hollywood, being an integral part of television history, on fame and family, and on living a life that has never been black and white--just funny and true...
Abandoned as an infant on the streets of Greenville, Mississippi, and rescued by a loving white family, Tommy Davidson spent most of his childhood unaware that he was different from his brother and sister. All that changed as he came of age in a society of racial barriers--ones that he was soon to help break. On a fledgling network, Tommy joined the cast of In Living Color, alongside other relative newcomers all united by an ingenious throng of Wayans siblings, poised to break new ground.
Now Tommy gives readers the never-before-told behind-the-scenes story of the first show born of the Hip Hop Nation: from its incredible rise, to his own creation of such unforgettable characters as Sweet Tooth Jones and dead-on impressions of Sammy Davis, Jr., Michael Jackson, M.C. Hammer and Sugar Ray Leonard, and appearing in such classic sketches as "Homie The Clown," the "Hey Mon, family," and the "Ugly Woman," through guest-star skirmishes (and black eyes) to backstage tensions and the eventual fall of this pop-culture touchstone. He reveals his own nascent career on the stand-up circuit, as well as reflections on working with Spike Lee, Halle Berry, Chris Rock, and Jada Pinkett Smith. He also shares his very personal story of living with--and being inspired and empowered by--two distinct family histories.
Told with humor and hard-won honesty, Living in Color is a bracing, illuminating, and remarkable success story.
About the Author
Tommy Davidson's three decades of success as a performer in TV, film, and as one of the most popular standup comedians and cable comedy special performers, has earned him a huge and devoted worldwide following. From being discovered at the Apollo Theater's amateur night to starring in the original cast of In Living Color and appearing in films including Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls with Jim Carrey, and Spike Lee's Bamboozled, he is also known to a generation raised on the animated characters he has voiced, such as Oscar Proud of the Disney animated series The Proud Family. Today, he performs all over the country doing sold out solo shows as well as being a frequent guest on national and local morning TV and radio programs, and has performed numerous times for the troops all over the world including in Afghanistan and Iraq. Visit Tommy online at TommyDavidson.net.
Tom Teicholz is an award-winning journalist, contributor to Forbes.com, and co-host of The Buried Lede podcast.
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