Writer, Director, Actor
21 August 1932 to 21 September 2021
An influential American filmmaker, whose work includes the groundbreaking Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971) – which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in – a movie that remains a standout of the blaxploitation genre. While his previous film, comedy Watermelon Man (1970), was perhaps just as racially provocative, his follow-up was a fierce socio-political drama. While Van Peebles worked more in theatre over the following decades, with great success, he continued to act, including in several films made by his son, Mario, such as Posse (1993), Panther (1995) and Redemption Road (2010).
Read Melvin Van Peebles' Guardian obituary
Read Melvin Van Peebles' New York Times obituary
