Columbus Keith Short, Jr. (born September 19, 1982) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
choreographer,
actorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and singer. He choreographed
Britney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
's Onyx Hotel Tour and worked with
Brian FriedmanBrian L. Friedman, is an American dancer and choreographer, and has created the choreography for many popular music artists - such as Britney Spears, Beyoncé Knowles and Mariah Carey - as well as for music videos, concert tours and television and film productions.-Early life:Friedman was born in...
(of
So You Think You Can Dance fame). He is best known for his roles in the films
Stomp the YardStomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
,
Cadillac RecordsCadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
,
ArmoredArmored is a 2009 American crime thriller film directed by Nimród Antal, written by first-time screenwriter James V. Simpson, and starring Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Milo Ventimiglia, Skeet Ulrich, and Columbus Short...
, and
The LosersThe Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
.
Personal life
Short was born in
Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
to a family he has described as "musical". Short relocated to
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
when he was five years old and immediately began working in a youth theater. He attended Marcos De Niza High School in Tempe, Arizona, as well as
El Segundo High SchoolEl Segundo High School called ESHS or El Segundo is a four-year public high school located in El Segundo, California which first began operating in its city in 1927....
and the
Orange County High School of the ArtsOrange County High School of the Arts , colloquially called "OH-sha", is a 7th–12th grade public charter school located in downtown Santa Ana, Orange County, California. The school caters to middle and high school students with talents in the performing, visual and literary arts...
, before leaving to join the Broadway tour of
StompStomp is a percussion group that uses the body and ordinary objects to create a physical theatre performance.-History and performances:...
.
Career
Short's acting debut came as a dancer in
You Got ServedYou Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition...
and he later appeared in
AcceptedAccepted is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Steve Pink and written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, and Mark Perez. The main plot centers around a group of would-be college freshmen who, after being rejected from all the colleges and universities to which they had applied, proceed to create...
, starring
Justin LongJustin Jacob Long is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles in the Hollywood films Galaxy Quest, Jeepers Creepers, Dodgeball, Live Free or Die Hard, He's Just Not That into You, Drag Me to Hell, and Youth in Revolt, and his personification of a Mac in Apple's "Get a...
. He then took lead roles in the direct-to-DVD movie
Save the Last Dance 2Save the Last Dance 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to 2001's theatrical feature Save the Last Dance. It was released to DVD on October 10, 2006 by Paramount Home Entertainment and MTV...
alongside
Izabella MikoIzabella Anna Mikołajczak , better known as Izabella Miko, is a Polish-born actress, dancer, and environmentalist.-Life and career:...
and
Stomp the YardStomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
. He has also appeared twice in the Disney Channel Original Series
That's So RavenThat's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
as Trey, a member of the fictional
Boy bandA boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
"Boyz n' Motion". He was in the music video 'Just be Smart' in which he performed a funny head jerking movement that was very memorable. Other TV appearances include
ERER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
and
Judging AmyJudging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
.
In 2006, he appeared in
NBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's
Studio 60 on the Sunset StripStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
as novice show writer Darius Hawthorne. He was among the presenters at the 2007
NAACP Image AwardAn NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature....
s.
In 2007, Columbus appeared in the movie
This ChristmasThis Christmas is a 2007 Christmas comedy-drama film produced by and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmastime story that centers around the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years...
also starring Chris Brown and
Lauren LondonLauren Nicole London is an American film and television actress, model, and occasional music video actress. Beginning her career in music videos and later transitioning into film and television, London earned recognition for her performances in the film ATL as well as the television shows 90210...
.
In 2008, Short appeared in the movie
QuarantineQuarantine is a 2008 American horror film, directed by John Erick Dowdle and starring Jennifer Carpenter, Jay Hernandez, Columbus Short, Steve Harris, Rade Šerbedžija, Greg Germann, Bernard White, and Johnathon Schaech. The film is a remake of the Spanish horror film REC with a few exceptions such...
, co-starring
Jay HernandezJavier Manuel "Jay" Hernandez, Jr. is an American actor.-Early life and career:Hernandez was born in Montebello, California, the son of Isis , a secretary and accountant, and Javier Hernandez, Sr., a mechanic. He has a younger sister, Amelia, and two older brothers, Michael and Gabriel. Hernandez...
and
Jennifer CarpenterJennifer Leann Carpenter is an American actress, known for her portrayal of Emily Rose in The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Debra Morgan on Dexter, and the lead role in the 2008 horror movie Quarantine.-Early life:...
, and played the part of musician
Little WalterLittle Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
in
Cadillac RecordsCadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
, alongside Jeffrey Wright,
Beyonce KnowlesBeyoncé Giselle Knowles , often known simply as Beyoncé, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, she enrolled in various performing arts schools and was first exposed to singing and dancing competitions as a child...
, and Oscar-winner
Adrien BrodyAdrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...
. In 2010, Short played "Pooch" in the film
The LosersThe Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
, based on the graphic novel, co-starring
Jeffrey Dean MorganJeffrey Dean Morgan is an American actor, best known to television and movie audiences as Denny Duquette on Grey's Anatomy, patriarch John Winchester on Supernatural, and as The Comedian in the 2009 superhero film Watchmen....
,
Chris EvansChristopher James "Chris" Evans is an English broadcaster, businessman and producer for radio & television.-Early life:Evans was born in 1966, in Warrington, Cheshire, England, the youngest child of bookmaker...
, and
Zoe SaldanaZoe Saldana , sometimes stylized Zoë Saldaña, is an American actress. She had her breakthrough role in the 2000 film Center Stage and later gained prominence for her roles as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl and Uhura in the 2009 film Star Trek, and a starring role...
, and directed by
Sylvain WhiteSylvain White is a film director.Son of an American professional basketball player and a French flight attendant, Sylvain White was born in France and grew up mostly in Paris. After attending La Sorbonne University for law, he earned a scholarship to Pomona College in California, where he...
(
Stomp The Yard). His next appearance will be in the action comedy, The Wannabes, where he will play in his first villanous role.
Television
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2005 |
ERER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
|
Loose |
TV series; episode: "Skin" |
Judging AmyJudging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly...
|
Thomas McNab |
TV series; episode: "The Paper War" |
| 2005–2006 |
That's So RavenThat's So Raven is an American cable television teen sitcom/fantasy series. The show premiered on the Disney Channel on January 17, 2003, and ended on November 10, 2007. The show spawned Disney Channel's first spin-off series: Cory in the House...
|
Trey |
TV series; 2 episodes |
| 2006–2007 |
Studio 60 on the Sunset StripStudio 60 on the Sunset Strip was an American dramedy television series created and written by Aaron Sorkin. It ran for 22 episodes.The series takes place behind the scenes of a live sketch comedy show on the fictional television network NBS , whose format is similar to that of NBC's...
|
Darius Hawthorne |
TV series; 10 episodes |
| 2011 |
Scandal A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
|
Harrison Jones |
TV series |
Film
| Year |
Title |
Role |
Notes |
| 2004 |
You Got Served You Got Served is a film written and directed by Chris Stokes, manager of its stars, recording artist Omarion, Marques Houston and the members of boy band B2K. The plot concerns a group of dancers, who take part in a street dancing competition...
|
Dancer |
|
| 2005 |
War of the WorldsWar of the Worlds is a 2005 American science fiction film adaptation of H. G. Wells' novel of the same name, directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Josh Friedman and David Koepp. It is one of three film adaptations of War of the Worlds released that year, alongside The Asylum's version and...
|
Soldier |
|
| 2006 |
Accepted Accepted is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Steve Pink and written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, and Mark Perez. The main plot centers around a group of would-be college freshmen who, after being rejected from all the colleges and universities to which they had applied, proceed to create...
|
Hands Holloway |
Supporting Role |
| Save the Last Dance 2 Save the Last Dance 2 is a direct-to-video sequel to 2001's theatrical feature Save the Last Dance. It was released to DVD on October 10, 2006 by Paramount Home Entertainment and MTV...
|
Miles Sultana |
Direct-to-video |
| 2007 |
Stomp the YardStomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
|
DJ Williams |
First Major Role |
This ChristmasThis Christmas is a 2007 Christmas comedy-drama film produced by and distributed by Screen Gems. Written, produced and directed by Preston A. Whitmore II, it is a Christmastime story that centers around the Whitfield family, whose eldest son has come home for the first time in four years...
|
Claude Whitfield |
|
| 2008 |
Quarantine |
Officer Danny Wilensky |
|
Cadillac RecordsCadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
|
Little Walter Little Walter, born Marion Walter Jacobs , was an American blues harmonica player, whose revolutionary approach to his instrument has earned him comparisons to Charlie Parker and Jimi Hendrix, for innovation and impact on succeeding generations...
|
|
| 2009 |
Whiteout |
Deify |
|
| Armored Armored is a 2009 American crime thriller film directed by Nimród Antal, written by first-time screenwriter James V. Simpson, and starring Matt Dillon, Jean Reno, Laurence Fishburne, Amaury Nolasco, Milo Ventimiglia, Skeet Ulrich, and Columbus Short...
|
Ty Hackett |
|
| 2010 |
Death at a Funeral Death at a Funeral is a 2010 American comedy film directed by Neil LaBute and starring an ensemble cast. The film is a remake of the 2007 British film of the same name.-Plot:...
|
Jeff Barnes |
|
| The Losers The Losers is a 2010 American action based on the adaptation of the Vertigo comic book series of the same name by Andy Diggle. Directed by Sylvain White, the film features an ensemble cast that includes Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans....
|
Pooch |
|
| Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming, the sequel to 2007's Stomp the Yard, is a 2010 direct-to-video drama film directed by Rob Hardy. The film is produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on October 12, 2010. The original release date was October 12, but the...
|
DJ Williams |
Direct-to-video |
| 2011 |
The Girl Is in Trouble |
DJ August |
|
Awards and nominations
- Black Reel Awards
The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films...
- 2008, Best Ensemble: Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
(Winner)
- 2008, Best Breakthrough Performance: Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
(Nominated)
- Image Awards
- 2009, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Cadillac Records
Cadillac Records is a 2008 musical biopic written and directed by Darnell Martin. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential Chicago-based record-company executive Leonard Chess, and the musicians who recorded for Chess...
(Winner)
- 2008, Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
(Nominated)
- MTV Movie Awards
The MTV Movie Awards is a film awards show presented annually on MTV . It also contains movie parodies that used official movie footage with hosts and other celebrities and music performances. The nominees are decided by producers and executives at MTV. Winners are decided online by the general...
- 2007, Breakthrough Performance: Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
(Nominated)
- 2007, Best Kiss: Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
w/ Meagan Good (Nominated)
- Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
- 2007, Best Dance: Stomp the Yard
Stomp the Yard is a 2007 drama and dance film produced by Rainforest Films and released through Sony Pictures' Screen Gems division on January 12, 2007. Directed by Sylvain White, Stomp the Yard centers around DJ Williams, a college student at a fictional historically Black university who pledges...
(Nominated)
External links