E-mail a friendSeptember 13, 2004
In a special birthday roundtable, Tavis' friends, actors Blair Underwood, Jasmine Guy, Wren T. Brown and exec producer Neal Kendall, reflect on what it means to turn 40 - a milestone they each reached this year; plus a few surprises!
Neal Kendall
Neal Kendall
Neal Kendall exec-produces the PBS late-night series hosted by Tavis Smiley. His producer's credits include NBC's Later and CNN's Larry King Live - for which he received a Cable Ace award. He also produced a series for the Oxygen network, Conversations from the Edge with Carrie Fisher, which was nominated for a Women's Imaging Network award. Kendall began his career with NBC in New York, with stints at CNBC and NBC Sports.
Jasmine Guy
Jasmine Guy
A former dancer with the Alvin Ailey dance theater, Jasmine Guy earned TV stardom on the sitcom, A Different World. She moved on to other notable big and small screen roles and to Broadway. Guy and slain rapper Tupac Shakur were friends, and she remains close to his mother. This year, she added 'author' to her résumé with the book, Afeni Shakur: Evolution of a Revolutionary. Guy can be seen in Showtime's drama, Dead Like Me.
Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood
Blair Underwood was a Carnegie Mellon drama major when he signed on to play a lawyer in the hit series, L.A. Law. That 7-year stint helped open other doors. He continues to play a variety of roles on the big and small screen, with credits that include Full Frontal and HBO's Jackie Robinson biopic, Soul of the Game. His latest film is Madea's Family Reunion. Along with friends in the arts community, Underwood co-founded Artists for a New South Africa and is involved in numerous charitable organizations.
Wren T. Brown
Wren T. Brown
Wren Brown almost didn't pursue a career in show business. He stopped acting to pursue his dream of playing professional tennis, but eventually reversed course, got his SAG card and appeared in McDonald's first 'Chicken McNuggets' campaign. He made his film debut in the comedy, Hollywood Shuffle. Brown has appeared in such popular TV shows as Frasier, The West Wing and Whoopi. He also produced the concert video Boesman & Lena.