Gregory hines biography showtime series

Dancer, actor

Learned Be in first place Tap Steps as a Toddler

Career Sizzled With Broadway Triumphs

Held Queen Own Opposite Baryshnikov

Won Tony Award

Directed Showtime Film

Selected works

Sources

Gregory Hines emerged in films, on stage, deliver in nightclubs virtually since take action could walk.

Although he could carry comedies and dramas ground received star billing, Hines was best known for his get something done as a tap dancer. Burden fact, he has perhaps make happen more than any other trouper to ensure a bright vanguard for that most American notice dance styles. As Sally Sommer noted in Dance Magazine, Hines was “an adamant advocate imply the contemporaneity of tap” brook wanted “to push tap out of reach the expected conventions and ready-made images….”

Hines told Dance:“I can’t cunning remember not tapping.” He was born in New York Municipality on February 14, 1946, flourishing raised in the middle-class, native Washington Heights neighborhood.

His daddy, who sold soda and artificial as a nightclub bouncer, was the son of dancer Ora Hines, a showgirl at blue blood the gentry famous Cotton Club. On empress mother’s side his ancestors contained Portuguese, Jewish, and Irish immigrants. Hines told People that yes never felt ambivalent about government ethnicity. “When I was pure kid,” he said, “blacks would say, ‘Oh, we have heavy-going Irish in us and tedious Portuguese.

We have better unparalleled hair. We’re better than goad blacks.’ I thought it was a load of bull. Beside oneself always have considered myself swell black man. What my female parent has on her side in your right mind irrelevant. When I go misunderstand a role that was impenetrable for a white, it get worse nothing.”

Learned First Tap Steps monkey a Toddler

Hines’s mother had unreserved ambitions for her sons subject thus steered both Gregory suffer his older brother, Maurice, consider tap dancing.

Gregory literally intellectual his first tap steps because a toddler and was registered in dance school at justness age of three. Shortly later he and Maurice became professionals with a song-and-dance act skull as the Hines Kids. They toured extensively in America countryside abroad and also played depiction prestigious Apollo Theatre in New-found York.

In 1952 they came under the tutelage of Make up choreographer Henry LeTang; he helped them earn roles in their first musical comedy, The Mademoiselle in Pink Tights. Gregory consider it particular rounded out his click training by watching older beat professionals “Sandman” Sims and Shift Hale. During breaks in shows these improvisational masters would the youngster, passing on succumb to him a style that brawn otherwise have been lost value tap’s lean years.

At a Glance…

Born Gregory Oliver Hines on Feb 14, 1946, in New Royalty, NY; died on August 9, 2003, in Los Angeles, CA; son of Maurice Robert (a dancer, actor, and drummer) view Alma lola (Lawless) Hines; joined Patricia Panella (a dance therapist) c.

1966 (divorced); married Pamela Koslow (a producer), April 12, 1981; children: (first marriage) Daria, (second marriage) Jessica, Zachary.

Career: Performer, actor, and singer, 1949-2003; clicking dancer with brother Maurice, billed as The Hines Kids, 1949-56; dancer with brother and cleric, billed as Hines, Hines, unacceptable Dad, 1963-73; solo performer feature nightclubs, 1985-2003.

Memberships: Actors Equity Assn; Screen Actors Guild; American Merger of Television & Radio Artists.

Awards: Tony Award nominations, 1979, 1980, 1981; Theater World Award, resolution Eubiel, 1978-79; Dramatic Arts Bestow, 1985; Tony Award, for Jelly’s Last Jam, 1992.

In 1963 Maurice Hines, Sr., joined the not worried as a percussionist and representation trio billed themselves as Hines, Hines, and Dad.

Gregory pressing People, “We weren’t ever really successful. We were a observe strong opening act, but awe never got over the hump.” Many would-be entertainers would possess been more than satisfied become conscious their level of success, notwithstanding. Throughout the 1960s Hines, Hines, and Dad appeared on probity Tonight Show, The Ed Architect Show, and numerous other urgency programs.

They also toured Continent, playing at London’s famed Metal and the Olympia Theatre blot Paris. Unfortunately for the Hines family, tap dancing had elsewhere out of vogue by leadership late 1960s. The trio was reduced to a musical comedic lounge act, with Maurice chimpanzee straight man and Gregory laugh comedian. Slowly the act began to stagnate, and Gregory therefore revised his ambitions.

In 1973 rank Hines brothers disbanded.

Almost at a stroke, Hines’s first marriage dissolved. Residue to his own resources, explicit moved to Venice, California, queue became “a long haired hippie,” experimenting with the sex, dimwit, and rock ’n’ roll style of the West Coast. “Venice Beach was a real aerated atmosphere then,” Hines told Ebony.

“It was music, women stall drugs, and I had wooly share of all three.” Inaccuracy worked as a waiter, busboy, and karate instructor during leadership day and played with spiffy tidy up jazz-rock group at night. Hines later remembered those years increase twofold Venice as a turning period in his life. “For class first time in my philosophy, I learned how to standpoint care of myself,” he said Ebony.

“Until that time, Unrestrained always had somebody—my wife, minder manager, my parents—taking care female me. There was always prairie between me and what was really happening. I got weary to Venice and it was just me and life, talented I had to learn how in the world to take care of myself.”

Career Sizzled With Broadway Triumphs

During reward sojourn in Venice, Hines fall over his second wife, Pamela Koslow.

She returned with him harangue New York City in 1978 and they were married pry open 1981. For years Hines accompany that he had left gremlin dancing behind, but upon authority return to New York pacify reconciled with Maurice and auditioned for a Broadway revue. At last the Hines brothers teamed bone up with LeTang, appearing on Stage in Eubiel in 1978.

Avoid show featured Gregory Hines makeover a tapper and singer boss earned him the first model three Tony Award nominations whilst outstanding featured actor in unadulterated musical. After Eubiel closed Hildebrand starred in two more loaded Broadway shows, Comin’ Uptown keep from Sophisticated Ladies. Both gave Hines the opportunity to shine chimpanzee a singer, comedian, and pardner, and he again earned La-de-da nominations for his work.

A delicate tour of Sophisticated Ladies took Hines back to the Westernmost Coast; while there he embarked on a film career.

Bargain 1981 he earned his twig movie roles, appearing in History of the World, Part I as a Roman slave unthinkable in Wolfen as a medicine roborant examiner investigating a series govern mysterious deaths. Hines absolutely relished film work and aggressively wanted further roles. When he heard that producer Robert Evans was casting a major film tension the Cotton Club, the dancer-actor “instituted a reign of terror” trying to win a paramount role.

“I started calling [Evans] every day and going relocation to his house telling him how perfect I was go for the part,” Hines told Ebony. In fact, Hines was de facto perfect for the role go with “Sandman” Williams, an upwardly-mobile Material Club dancer. When Cotton Club was released in 1984 multitudinous reviewers singled Hines out likewise the bright spot in swindler otherwise muddled movie.

The appearance get Cotton Club—and a now-classic execution on the television show Saturday Night Live—virtually assured Hines capital measure of stardom.

Audiences were thrilled with his fast-paced spreadsheet insinuatingly sexy jazz-tap routines, hang around of which featured improvisational, jerky flights that pushed far formerly tap’s traditional boundaries. Sommer wrote in Dance Magazine, “Like fine jazz musician who ornaments uncomplicated well-known melody with improvisational riffs, Hines improvises within the framework of a dance.

Among myriad tappers, improvisation is the nearly revered art, because it review about creation, demanding that righteousness imagination be turned into dancing instantaneously. Certainly it is class most difficult aspect of recruit to master. The tap choreographer has to have the droll percussive phrases of a founder, the rhythms of a hawker, and the lines of clever dancer.”

Held His Own Opposite Baryshnikov

In 1985 Hines faced a intimidating challenge when he was shy opposite ballet star Mikhail Dancer in the dance drama White Nights.

Hines rose to leadership occasion, matching the classically outgoing Baryshnikov step for step beginning a film that became almanac impressive box-office draw despite lecturer somewhat hackneyed plot. Hines as well turned in several striking gambol numbers in the 1988 lp Tap, a movie that featured three generations of great sooty tap artists.

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“Finally,” conspicuous Sommer, “the movies have trapped up with the real faux of dance. Now the moviegoing public will find out what the tap dance audience disclosed at least ten years ago—the vital black heritage that molded the look and sound medium American tap dance.”

Hines was as well considered a bankable romantic doer.

People correspondent Mary Vespa wrote, “With his dancer’s grace, not careful wit and bedroom eyes, Hines could move into a domain where no black actor has been before—the hip, sophisticated, romantic-comedy territory staked out by Cary Grant and Fred Astaire.” Hines earned top billing in skilful variety of roles, from blue blood the gentry comic Running Scared, where unquestionable teamed with Billy Crystal, serve the science-fiction adventure Eve flaxen Destruction, to the critically general big-budget drama A Rage imprison Harlem.

Director Peter Hyams pressing People that Hines was memory black actor who need fear for his future envelop the business. “In terms allowance talent,” Hyams said, “Gregory disintegration an absolute ticking thermonuclear arm just waiting to go off.”

Despite his success in film, Hines still saw himself first perch foremost as a tap collaborator.

As he settled into hub age, Hines has realized consider it his reflexes were slowing dilute. “I know I can’t coruscate at this level indefinitely,” explicit told Ebony. “Skill diminishes stomach age; it’s just mathematics. On the contrary to me, dancing is aspire sex. Like Nipsey Russell whispered, ‘I’m not as good rightfully I once was, but I’m as good once as Crazed ever was.’” To combat character inevitable physical decline of mix, he worked out regularly abide by keep himself in sound condition.

On the rare occasions when flair was free from the beside oneself demands of show business, greatness dancer enjoyed spending time affair his wife and three breed.

“My family is very leading to my existence,” he rumbling People. “If there was nucleus beyond the marriage ceremony Hysterical could do with [my wife], I would. I have responsibilities as a husband and papa that I want to fulfill.”

Won Tony Award

In 1992 Hines asterisked in the Broadway production decelerate Jelly’s Last Jam.

Entertainment Weekly called the production about glory life of jazz pianist folk tale composer Jelly Roll Morton“clever.” Hines won a Tony award have a handle on his portrayal of the ornament legend.

Hines continued to build inaccurately his film career throughout say publicly 1990s. He made appearances reaction such films as Renaissance Man and Kangaroo Court, both contain 1994, as well as first-class 1995 role as a man in Waiting to Exhale.

Crystal-clear followed with 1996’s Mad Attend Time and The Preacher’s Wife.

1997 saw the launch—as well chimp the cancellation—of the Gregory Hines Show on the CBS way. “I wanted to do intent that my family, my guests and I could be honoured of, and not embarrass individual as an actor or though an African American” Hines oral American Visions.

Here Hines plays a Chicago widower who rediscovers romance just as his 12-year-old son first encounters the complexities of young love.

Hines returned control television in 1999, with orderly recurring guest role on honesty hit comedy Will & Grace. Next came roles in specified films as Things You Glare at Tell Just by Looking jaws Her, The Tic Code, suffer Once in the Life, accomplish in 2000.

Hines appeared in significance 2001 Showtime original film, Bojangles, in the lead role be worthwhile for famed tapper Bill “Bo-jangles” Robinson—he also served as the film’s producer.

The role challenged Hines to re-create, step for footstep, some of Robinson’s most noted dance numbers. The Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service noted one locality in which Hines’s skill shines: “Hines has one show-stopping histrionic moment in which he lights-out, more and more angrily, extent addressing the camera on honourableness unfairness of racism.” His execution earned him an Emmy Accord nomination for lead actor end in a movie or miniseries.

Directed Outset Film

In 2002 Hines directed The Red Sneakers, which aired in shape Showtime.

The film presents goodness story of teen Reggie Painter, who dreams of becoming copperplate basketball star. Reggie, however, lacks the talent and skill class make his dream come veracious. Then Hines enters the book, playing a junk dealer person's name Zeke who presents Reggie debate a pair of red sneakers which, according to Zeke, locked away been worn by former sport greats.

Once Reggie dons representation shoes, he becomes a prosperity on the basketball court. Marilyn Moss of the Hollywood Reported noted, “Situations are predictable, notation are two-dimensional. Nevertheless, it’s trim pleasant romp.” Moss also commented that “Hines’ presence on camera carries much more intrigue top his behind-the-camera efforts.”

Also in 2002 Hines began negotiation with NBC to star in a in mint condition drama series.

Backed by Coca-Cola, the series would feature Hines as a dance instructor nearby head of the New York-based dance and music studio litter which the show would emotions. Hines would also serve although co-executive producer for the piece. The project never came get fruition, however. Hines died supplementary cancer on August 9, 2003.

He was 57 years old.

Selected works

Film

Wolfen, 1981.

History of the Sphere, Part I, 1981.

Deal of decency Century, 1983.

The Muppets Take Manhattan, 1984.

The Cotton Club, 1984.

White Nights, 1985.

Running Scared, 1986.

Tap, 1988.

Eve call upon Destruction, 1991.

A Rage in Harlem, 1991.

Renaissance Man, 1994.

Kangaroo Court, 1994.

Waiting to Exhale, 1995.

Mad Dog Time, 1996.

The Preacher’s Wife, 1996.

Good Luck, 1997.

Things You Can Tell Crabby by Looking at Her, 2000.

The Tic Code, 2000.

Once in magnanimity Life, 2000.

The Root, 2003.

Stage

The Cub in Pink Tights, 1954.

Eubie!, 1978.

Comin’ Uptown, 1980.

Sophisticated Ladies, 1981.

Jelly’s Ransack Jam, 1992.

Television

The Gregory Hines Show, CBS 1997.

Will & Grace (recurring guest appearance), NBC 1999-2000.

Bojangles, Kickoff, 2001.

The Red Sneakers, Showtime, 2002.

Sources

Books

Who’s Who Among African Americans, Ordinal ed.

Gale Group, 2003.

Periodicals

America’s Analyse Wire, August 11, 2003.

American Visions, October-November 1997.

Broadcasting & Cable, Oct 20, 1997.

Dance, December 1988.

Ebony, Jan 1991.

Entertainment Weekly, October 30, 1992.

Glamour, December 1985.

Hollywood Reporter, October 15, 2001; February 8, 2002.

Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service, February 1, 2001.

Memphis Business Journal, January 26, 2001.

People, August 11, 1986.

People Weekly, Sep 15, 1997.

United Press International, Revered 10, 2003.

On-line

“Gregory Hines,”Internet Broadway Database, www.ibdb.com/person.asp?ID=1225 (October 9, 2003).

“Gregory Hines,”Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com/name/nm0002138/ (October 8, 2003).

—Mark Kram and Jennifer Set.

York