Rob Brown (actor)
Encyclopedia
Rob Brown is an American actor. He is known for his roles in the films Finding Forrester
(2000), Coach Carter
(2005), Take the Lead
(2006), The Express
(2008), and currently stars in the HBO series Treme
.
and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Prep in 2002. He is also a member of the academic program Prep for Prep
, which provides opportunities for minorities in New York City
and its surrounding area to attend elite independent schools. Brown attended Amherst College
, where he played football, which gave him added experience in one of his biggest roles to date. In 2008 he starred in the football film The Express where he played Ernie Davis
, the first African American Heisman Trophy winner.
in the 2000 film Finding Forrester
. He had neither professional nor amateur acting experience prior to taking this role. Brown tried out as an extra after finding a flyer hanging on a bulletin board in his school. Despite his lack of previous experience, he was given the lead role of Jamal Wallace.
In 2005, he played the role of Kenyon Stone, a basketball player for the Richmond High School
Oilers in Coach Carter
, starring Samuel L. Jackson
. He was one of the lead roles alongside Ashanti
.
Brown played Ernie Davis
in the film The Express
, based on the life of the former Heisman Trophy
winner and Syracuse University
alumnus. Production began in March 2007, and the film was released in October 2008. In 2012, he co-stars in the werewolf thriller Silver
starring Dana Rashun Gray and Lee Thompson Young.
's Light the Night Walk. As spokesman, Brown appears in Light The Night publicity materials and public service announcements to help spread the word about the program.
Finding Forrester
EnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
(2000), Coach Carter
Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
(2005), Take the Lead
Take the Lead
Take the Lead is a movie starring Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Alfre Woodard, Dante Basco, Marcus T. Paulk, Jenna Dewan, Lauren Collins and also features former America's Next Top Model contestant, Yaya DaCosta. The film was released in mainstream cinema on April 7, 2006...
(2006), The Express
The Express
The Express is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a book titled Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher...
(2008), and currently stars in the HBO series Treme
Treme (TV series)
Treme is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans...
.
Personal life
Brown was born in HarlemHarlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, which since the 1920s has been a major African-American residential, cultural and business center. Originally a Dutch village, formally organized in 1658, it is named after the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands...
and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Prep in 2002. He is also a member of the academic program Prep for Prep
Prep for prep
Prep for Prep is a leadership development and gifted education program founded in 1978 by Gary Simons, a public-school teacher in the Bronx. It is targeted toward high achieving students of color in New York State public, charter and parochial schools....
, which provides opportunities for minorities in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and its surrounding area to attend elite independent schools. Brown attended Amherst College
Amherst College
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. Amherst is an exclusively undergraduate four-year institution and enrolled 1,744 students in the fall of 2009...
, where he played football, which gave him added experience in one of his biggest roles to date. In 2008 he starred in the football film The Express where he played Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
, the first African American Heisman Trophy winner.
Career
Brown shot into the spotlight after starring opposite Sean ConnerySean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
in the 2000 film Finding Forrester
Finding Forrester
EnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
. He had neither professional nor amateur acting experience prior to taking this role. Brown tried out as an extra after finding a flyer hanging on a bulletin board in his school. Despite his lack of previous experience, he was given the lead role of Jamal Wallace.
In 2005, he played the role of Kenyon Stone, a basketball player for the Richmond High School
Richmond High School (Richmond, California)
Richmond High School is a public high school located on 23rd Street, Richmond, California, USA. It is part of the West Contra Costa Unified School District .- Alumni and Post-High School Education :...
Oilers in Coach Carter
Coach Carter
Coach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
, starring Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel L. Jackson
Samuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
. He was one of the lead roles alongside Ashanti
Ashanti (singer)
Ashanti Shequoiya Douglas is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer, actress, and model. She rose to fame in the early 2000s. Ashanti is most famous for her eponymous debut album, which featured the hit song "Foolish", and sold over 503,000 copies in its first week of release...
.
Brown played Ernie Davis
Ernie Davis
Ernest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland...
in the film The Express
The Express
The Express is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a book titled Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher...
, based on the life of the former Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
alumnus. Production began in March 2007, and the film was released in October 2008. In 2012, he co-stars in the werewolf thriller Silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
starring Dana Rashun Gray and Lee Thompson Young.
Volunteerism
In 2008, Rob Brown was named the official spokesman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma SocietyLeukemia & Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society , founded in 1949, is the world's largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. LLS's mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of...
's Light the Night Walk. As spokesman, Brown appears in Light The Night publicity materials and public service announcements to help spread the word about the program.
Filmography
- Finding ForresterFinding ForresterEnglishFinding Forrester is a 2000 American drama film written by Mike Rich and directed by Gus Van Sant. A black American teenager, Jamal Wallace , is invited into a prestigious private high school. By chance, Jamal befriends a reclusive writer, William Forrester , through whom he refines his...
(2000), Jamal Wallace - The Orphan King (2005), Tye
- Coach CarterCoach CarterCoach Carter is a 2005 American film directed by Thomas Carter. It is based on a true story, in which Richmond High School basketball coach Ken Carter made headlines in 1999 for benching his MVP and undefeated team due to poor academic results....
(2005), Kenyon Stone - Take the LeadTake the LeadTake the Lead is a movie starring Antonio Banderas, Rob Brown, Alfre Woodard, Dante Basco, Marcus T. Paulk, Jenna Dewan, Lauren Collins and also features former America's Next Top Model contestant, Yaya DaCosta. The film was released in mainstream cinema on April 7, 2006...
(2006), Rock - Stop-LossStop-Loss (film)Stop-Loss is a 2008 American drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and starring Ryan Phillippe, Channing Tatum, Abbie Cornish and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. It was distributed by Paramount Pictures and produced by MTV Films.-Plot:...
(2008), Isaac "Eyeball" Butler - The ExpressThe ExpressThe Express is a 2008 American sports film produced by John Davis and directed by Gary Fleder. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Charles Leavitt from a book titled Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, authored by Robert C. Gallagher...
(2008), Ernie DavisErnie DavisErnest "Ernie" Davis was an American football running back and the first African-American athlete to win the Heisman Trophy. Wearing number 44, Davis competed collegiately for Syracuse University before being drafted by the Washington Redskins, then almost immediately traded to the Cleveland... - TremeTreme (TV series)Treme is an American television drama series created by David Simon and Eric Overmyer that premiered on April 11, 2010 on HBO. It takes its name from Tremé, a neighborhood of New Orleans...
(2010), Delmond Lambreaux - SilverSilverSilver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
(2012), Kenneth Matthews - The Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight RisesThe Dark Knight Rises is an upcoming epic superhero film. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film will be the third and final installment in Nolan's Batman film series, and is a sequel to Batman Begins and The Dark Knight...
(2012), unspecified role