Bill Duke (born February 26, 1943) is an American actor and film director.
Duke was born William Henry Duke, Jr. in Poughkeepsie, New York to Ethel Louise Douglas and William Henry Duke, Sr. He received his first instruction in the performing arts at Boston University. After studying at New York University's Tisch School of Arts and the AFI Conservatory, he appeared on Broadway in the 1971 Melvin Van Peebles musical Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death. He directed episodes of several noteworthy 1980s television series, including Hill Street Blues and Miami Vice.
Standing an imposing 6'4 and featuring a closely shaved head, Duke first became a familiar face to moviegoers in Car Wash (1976) where he portrayed the young revolutionary Abdullah, and expanded his repretoire with American Gigolo (1980) as a homosexual (Note: in the film, Duke is seen with hair as opposed to his other films).
As the action-film oriented genre became more popular, Duke's presence was perfect to portray a...
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Get Rich or Die Tryin' is a motion picture starring Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson as Marcus, a drug dealer who aspires to be a professional rapper. It was released on November 9, 2005. Similar to the Eminem film 8 Mile, the story is a semi-autobiographical account of 50 Cent's own life. It was directed by six-time Oscar nominee Jim Sheridan .
The film's protagonist is Marcus, a mild-mannered adolescent whose main concern is his adoring mother. But Marcus is knocked off-course after his mother is brutally killed, an incidental victim of a drug deal gone awry. He leaves high school and becomes a drug dealer himself, working for the local kingpin, Levar, and his subordinate Majestic.
Years later, after a stint in jail and a reunion with his childhood sweetheart, Marcus attempts to give up the drug trade and pursue his dream of becoming a rapper. After his release, Marcus must choose between the two paths thrown in front of him outside prison. Waiting for him to become his second in command...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0430308
Menace II Society is a 1993 American film and the directorial debut of twin brothers Allen and Albert Hughes. The film debuted at the Cannes Film Festival and was released in the United States on May 28, 1993. The film gained notoriety for its frequent use of sadistic violence and crude language. despite mixed reviews, however, Menace II Society was critically acclaimed for its gritty portrayal of urban violence and its powerful underlying messages.
The film takes place in Watts, an area of L.A. and follows the life of 18-year-old Caine "Kaydee" Lawson during a long summer after his high school graduation. Although he is a drug-dealer, Caine has a number of redeeming qualities; he lives with his loving grandparents, and with his recently completed high school education, has a number of doors open to him. He financially and emotionally supports a close female friend who is a single mother. Most of Caine's friends - in particular, the homicidally trigger-happy Kevin ("O-Dog") - all...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107554
Predator is a 1987 science fiction, action and horror film directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura. It grossed $60 million in the United States, generating the sequels Predator 2 in 1990 and Alien vs. Predator in 2004.The film Predator utilizes a story of the hunter becoming the hunted. The creature, named "Predator" (known in spin-offs as being of the species Yautja), is an alien humanoid with advanced technology and a penchant for hunting difficult game. With interstellar travel capability, multi-spectrum vision enhancement and a light-bending armour suit with weapons, the Predator creature is supposedly able to travel anywhere, hunt anything and usually succeed. Much of the Predator's history and motivation are left open to the viewer, but after the success of this film, a franchise was created with a detailed back story on the creature, complete with a battle-based society where young Predators are trained within a galaxy of...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093773
Commando (first released on October 4, 1985) is a Hollywood action movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The film was praised for its surprisingly effective sense of humor, which became a distinctive element of Schwarzenegger's later roles.
Schwarzenegger plays retired Colonel John Matrix, a special forces soldier who once led an elite unit and has since left the armed forces, resigned to live a peaceful life in a secluded mountain home with his daughter Jenny (Alyssa Milano). Unbeknownst to Matrix, the members of his former unit are being killed one by one. Despite receiving armed guards at his home, supplied by General Franklin Kirby to protect him (though Kirby admits that they are not nearly as good as Matrix), and smelling the attackers as they are downwind Matrix is eventually found and Jenny is kidnapped.
After a shoot-out at Matrix's home and a harrowing car chase, Matrix is ultimately captured by Bennett (Vernon Wells), a former member of his unit who was presumed dead. ...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088944
American Gigolo is a 1980 feature film, written and directed by Paul Schrader. Schrader based the film on French director Robert Bresson's Pickpocket (1959). It is also indirectly considered the second installment in his "night workers" trilogy, following Taxi Driver (1976) and preceding Light Sleeper (1992). The film's tagline is: "He's the highest paid lover in Beverly Hills. He leaves women feeling more than alive than they've ever felt before. Except one."
Julian Kaye (Richard Gere), is a male prostitute in Los Angeles whose job supports his expensive tastes in cars, stereophonic equipment, and clothes (which serve as a surrogate for emotional contact). He is, at times, blatantly narcissistic and superficial, however, he openly claims to take some pleasure in his work from being able to sexually satisfy women. When on an assignment for his primary procuress, Anne (Nina Van Pallandt), he meets Michelle Stratton (Lauren Hutton), a local politician's unhappy wife, who is interested...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080365
Car Wash is a 1976 blaxploitation comedy film produced by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Michael Schultz from a screenplay by Joel Schumacher. The film starred Franklyn Ajaye, Ivan Dixon, Darrow Igus, James Spinks, Bill Duke, Melanie Mayron, and Antonio Fargas, and is a comedy about a "day-in-the-life" of a Los Angeles, California car wash and its employees, owned by Mr. B (Sully Boyar).
The film also featured several unusual customers arriving throughout the course of the film, including Richard Pryor as Rich Daddy Rich, the Pointer Sisters as "The Wilson Sisters" supporting Daddy Rich's character, George Carlin as a taxi cab driver looking for Marleen (Lauren Jones), a "tall black blonde" hooker who skipped on her fare, and Irwin Corey who may be the 'mysterious pop bottle bomber'.
Other supporting actors included: Richard Brestoff, Michael Fennell, Arthur French, Lorraine Gary, Leonard Jackson, DeWayne Jessie, Lauren Jones, Jack Kehoe, Henry Kingi, Clarence Muse, Garrett...,
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074281
Bill Duke was born in Poughkeepsie , New York, Dutchess County
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