Michael Blackson
Michael Blackson | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Blackson in 2019 | |
| Born | Ghana |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Partner | Rada Darling |
| Children | 3 |
| Website | michaelblacksonfoundation.org |
Michael Blackson is a Ghanaian-Liberian actor, philanthropist[1], and comedian based in the United States.
Early life
Michael Blackson was born to a Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother. He spent his young years in between Monrovia and Ghana before relocating to the United States in the mid-1980s. His father died in 2008.[2] Michael lived in Newark, New Jersey when he was 13, and then settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania when he was 15. He began pursuing comedy after his coworker at Domino's suggested he start open mic.[3]
Career
In 2005, he released a comedy sketch CD entitled Modasucka: Welcome to America.[4] Also in 2005, he made an appearance on TV series 30 Rock, P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO,[5] and starred in a commercial for Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central.
In 2011, Blackson appeared on Starz's Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-up and Showtime's Shaquille O'Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam.[6][7]
In 2019, Blackson appeared in the "Wakonda" official music video by Akon.[8]
Personal life
On July 31, 2021, Blackson proposed to his girlfriend, Rada Darling, during a radio interview on The Breakfast Club, they contiue to be together as partners.[9] On November 24, 2021, he became a U.S citizen.[10] Blackson is the uncle of Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Eli Apple.[11] As part of his work in philanthropy he built a shool in Ghana that was commissioned in early January 2023. The school which is eponymousy named Michael Blackson Academy, is located at Agona Nsaba in the Agona East District of Ghana’s Central Region where he grew up.[12]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Mudasucka | Midnight | |
| 1989 | Lean On Me | Extra | |
| 2000 | Next Friday | Customer #1 | |
| 2006 | Repos | Coffee | Video |
| The Last Stand | Comic #6 | ||
| Master P. Presents the Hood Stars of Comedy, Vol. 1 | Himself | Video | |
| 2007 | The Savages | Howard | |
| Black Supaman | Akon | Video | |
| Banana Leaves | Chuks | ||
| You're Triflin | Michael the Comedian | Video | |
| 2008 | Internet Dating | Akeem the Dream | Video |
| 2009 | What We Do | Taxi Cab Driver | Video |
| The Mail Man | Mohammed | ||
| 2010 | My American Nurse 2 | Freddie | |
| Ex$pendable | Video | ||
| 2011 | Threading Needles | Landlord | |
| 2012 | In Sickness and in Health | Yusuf | TV Movie |
| 2013 | One Night in Vegas | Mr. Roland | |
| Mutumbo the Lost Prince | Mutumbo | ||
| Coffin Dodgers | (Voice) | TV Short | |
| 2014 | LeLe: Sugar Daddy | Sugar Daddy | Video short |
| The Bill Collector | Bill Robinson | ||
| Kony Montana | Kony Montana | ||
| 2015 | Tooken | Fake Akon | |
| More Money, More Family | Bootleg | ||
| 2016 | Meet the Blacks | Mr. Wooky | |
| The Substitute | Isaac Conteh | TV Movie | |
| 2018 | Easy Money | Caine | |
| The Stuff | Security Guard | ||
| Nobody's Fool | Thug | ||
| Got My Hustle Up | Michael | ||
| Sliders | Caine | ||
| 2019 | Angel and the Mailman | Akin | |
| I Got The Hook Up 2 | Officer Midnight | ||
| The Lick Movie | Kofi | ||
| 2020 | American Dream | John | |
| 2021 | Coming 2 America | Nexdorian Lieutenant | |
| Someday Isles | Principal | ||
| The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 | Mr. Wooky |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Snaps | Himself | Episode: "#1.1" |
| 2000 | ComicView | Himself | Episode: "ComicView: New Orleans Party Gras" |
| 2002 | Showtime in Harlem | Himself | TV Series |
| 2005 | The Bad Boys of Comedy | Himself | Episode: "#1.6" |
| 2006 | 30 Rock | African Man | Episode: "Jack Meets Dennis" |
| 2008 | ComicView | Himself | Episode: "ComicView: One Mic Stand" |
| 2009 | 1st Amendment Stand Up | Himself | Episode: "Cortney Gee/Mark Viera/Ronnie Jordan/Michael Blackson" |
| 2011 | Are We There Yet? | Krafty/Valet | 2 Episodes |
| 2013 | Walter Latham's Comedy After Dark | Himself | TV Series |
| 2014 | Blackson's Basement | Himself | TV Series |
| 2015 | In the Cut | Customer | Episode: "The Ball's in Your Court" |
| 2017 | 50 Central | African traveler | Episode: "Amistad Travel Agency" |
| 2017-18 | Leave It to Stevie | Himself | 2 Episodes |
| 2017-19 | Wild 'N Out | Himself/Cast Member | Main Cast: Season 8, 10, 12 & 15 |
| Hip Hop Squares | Himself/Panelist | TV Series | |
| 2018 | Rich Africans | Michael | Main Cast |
| Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta | Himself | Episode: "I'm Telling" | |
| 2019 | Transitions | Kodjoe | Episode: "Nigerian Nightmare" |
| Dr. Blackson | Dr. Blackson | TV Series | |
| 2020 | Casting One Mo' Chance | Himself | TV Series |
References
- ^ "Blackson in philanthropy". January 7, 2023.
- ^ "Michael Blackson on Instagram: "This is the first time I'm showing ya a pic of my real dad. I'm not sure what happened between him and my mom but my sister has been in…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
- ^ Michael Blackson Addresses His Haters, Trashes Kevin Hart + More, archived from the original on December 15, 2021, retrieved June 20, 2021
- ^ "Modasucka. Welcome to America". Retrieved October 23, 2018 – via Amazon.
- ^ "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy DVD news: The HBO Show with Underground Comedians Doin' Their Thing Comes to DVD Soon - TVShowsOnDVD.com". November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 6, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
{{cite web}}:|archive-date=/|archive-url=timestamp mismatch; November 4, 2008 suggested (help) - ^ "Friday finale of Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment on Starz". Monsters and Critics. September 10, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ^ "'Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All-Star Comedy Jam - Live from Dallas". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Akon - Wakonda (Official Video)". YouTube.
- ^ "Comedian Michael Blackson proposes to girlfriend on 'The Breakfast Club'". TheGrio. July 22, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ "Michael Blackson Becomes U.S. Citizen, Says It's a Dream Come True". TMZ. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
- ^ Patrick Magee (December 21, 2012). "Eli Apple is still roasted by Saints fans, and his uncle, Michael Blackson, understands why". nola.com. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ "Blackson opens school in Ghana in January 2023". January 7, 2023.
External links
| Authority control databases: Artists |
|---|
- 1972 births
- Living people
- Male actors from Philadelphia
- Comedians from Pennsylvania
- Liberian male film actors
- Liberian male comedians
- American male film actors
- American male comedians
- Ghanaian comedians
- 20th-century American male actors
- 20th-century American comedians
- 21st-century American male actors
- 21st-century American comedians
- American male television actors
- Liberian emigrants to the United States
- Liberian people of Ghanaian descent
- American people of Liberian descent
- American people of Ghanaian descent