Daniel Sunjata

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Daniel Sunjata
Born December 30, 1971
Evanston, Illinois

Daniel Sunjata (born Daniel Sunjata Condon;[1] December 30, 1971[citation needed]) is a Tony Award-nominated American actor who has performed in film, television and in the theater.

Contents

[edit] Career

Sunjata played the role of a sailor on shore leave on the first post-9/11 themed episode of Sex and The City. He has portrayed Langston Hughes in the film Brother to Brother and James Holt, a fictitious fashion designer in The Devil Wears Prada. He currently stars as Firefighter Franco Rivera on the television program Rescue Me. During the summer of 2007, he also starred in the ESPN miniseries The Bronx is Burning as Reggie Jackson.

[edit] Awards/Nominations

In 2003, he won a Theatre World Award for his breakout broadway performance as a gay Major League Baseball player who comes out to the public in Take Me Out, the Tony award-winning play, which also earned him nominations for a Tony Award and Drama Desk Award.

[edit] Personal life

Of African, German and Irish heritage, Sunjata grew up in Chicago, the adopted son of a police dispatcher and a civil rights worker. He graduated from Mount Carmel High School in Chicago, where he played center for two state championship football teams. He completed his undergraduate studies at Florida A&M University and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He then received his master's degree in fine arts from the Tisch School of the Arts of New York University.

[edit] 9/11

On September 9, 2007, Sunjata gave a speech at a 9/11 event sponsored by We Are Change (WAC) at Webster Hall in New York City.[2]

On September 27, 2007, Sunjata was honored at The Latin Pride Awards (held in Boston, MA) with a special recognition titled "Voice of the Millions" which is given to people who use their power and public visibility to speak out on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves. In this case, the award was given for his advocacy of truth and justice in regard to the call for a new and independent investigation into the 9/11 attacks, and for his representation of the Latino community on Rescue Me as fire-fighter Franco Rivera. Following is his acceptance speech: [3]

On September 12, 2008, Sunjata spoke once again at a WAC fundraiser in NYC to benefit 9/11's heroes; the many sick and dying first responders who were told by the EPA that the air at ground zero was safe to breathe.[4]

Also in September of 2008, Sunjata revealed that plotlines featuring 9/11 truth and the plight of the first responders would be featured in the 5th season of Rescue Me.[5]

In 2009, the 5th season of "Rescue Me" includes a 9/11 Truth subplot focused through the character of Franco Rivera (played by Sunjata) who stirs up controversey in the firehouse when he announces to a journalist that he firmly believes 9/11 was an inside job.[6]

On April 30, 2009, Daniel Sunjata announced his participation (he is set to narrate) in Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup, a film directed by Dylan Avery and produced by Korey Rowe and Matthew Brown.

On May 4, 2009, Sunjata published an essay entitled 'Intellectual Dishonesty In The Age Of Universal Deceit: a message to the corporate media and our elected officials.', calling for an open investigation into the September 11, 2001 attacks. Regarding this, Sunjata has also stated:

“ I am the first to admit that I am no journalist, no expert by any stretch of the imagination. But even with the subplot featured on Rescue Me, the response I got from various magazines and websites on this piece was that there was NO STORY HERE. It is not news to them that such informed dissent has been expressed by those who cannot be dismissed as insane lunatics. Popular Mechanics was thrown in my face repeatedly as having already debunked every claim I made and every reference I included. One editor even equated 911 Truth with those who deny evolution in favor of creationism! Its just pathetic actually, because I KNOW these individuals are more intelligent than to believe the excuses that they offered in order to avoid dealing with me. And given what I know about how publicity works, their crab-like side stepping is all the more conspicuous. If FOX & Friends finds Rescue Me's inclusion of 911 Truth newsworthy enough to attack, one would think that an essay written by the actor in the center of the "controversy" would be a hot commodity; even if only to try and further condemn the movement or to make me look like a loony-tune. When you bring hard facts and credible references to the table, however, the modus operandi is BLACKOUT. And if you have no microphone, no camera, no platform...then you are shouting into a vacuum. Maddening. Frustrating. But not enough to deflate our firm intention to see justice done in this matter.[7] ”

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2009 "Lie To Me" Andrew Jenkins
2009 Loose Change 9/11: An American Coup Himself, Narrator
2009 Ghosts of Girlfriends Past Brad
2008 Cyrano de Bergerac Christian de Neuvillette
2007 The Bronx Is Burning Reggie Jackson
2006 The Devil Wears Prada James Holt
2006 Love Monkey Diego
2005 Law & Order
Season 15, Episode 12		 Kenny Tremont Appeared with Rescue Me co-star Andrea Roth
2000 to
2004		 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Burt Trevor (2002-2005)/ Bomb Squad Officer (2000)
2004 Melinda and Melinda Billy
Noel Marco
Brother to Brother Langston Hughes
2004 to
current		 Rescue Me Franco Rivera
2003 Take Me Out Darren Lemming winner, 2003 Theatre World Award,
nominee, Tony Award for Best
Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play,
nominee, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor
2003 Ed
episode The Case		 Danny Martin
2002 ToCA Race Driver Nick Landers/James Randall (voice)
Bad Company Officer Carew
Sex and the City
season 5, Anchors Away episode 67		 Louis Leroy, the Navy sailor
2001 All My Children Zachary Pell
The Feast of All Saints Christophe Mercier
2000 D.C. Lewis Freeman
1998 Twelfth Night, or What You Will Valentine

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Daniel Sunjata on www.filmreference.com". http://www.filmreference.com/film/11/Daniel-Sunjata.html. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 
  2. ^ Daniel Sunjata at Webster Hall, NYC 9/9/07. [Google Video]. Webster Hall, NYC. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3130945422239552673. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 
  3. ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnVlQ5GbZBo [You Tube]. Retrieved 18 May 2009.
  4. ^ Daniel Sunjata Critiques Barack Obama… supports Cynthia McKinney. [Google Video]. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1645984354372819119. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 
  5. ^ Daniel Sunjata talks about the show Rescue Me and 9/11 First Responders. [YouTube]. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGFTSDLxbqY. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 
  6. ^ Daniel Sunjata in 'Rescue Me' Episode about 911 was an inside Job. [YouTube]. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du2sLgSB-v4. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 
  7. ^ Sunjata, Daniel (4 May 2009). "Public Myth & Its Makers". http://www.911blogger.com/node/20013#comment-207593. Retrieved on 14 May 2009. 

[edit] External links

Audio Interviews on 9/11:

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