Reginald Hudlin has been in the vanguard of the black independent cinema movement. The Missouri-born, Illinois-raised director-screenwriter graduated from Harvard in 1983. Hudlin's first short films, the award-winning student work "House Party!" (1983) (his senior thesis), "The Kold Waves" (1984) and "Reggie's World of Soul" (1985) earned him inclusion on the VILLAGE VOICE's 1985 "Avant Pop" list of innovators. With his brother Warrington, he formed Hudlin Bros., Inc., a production company which has made several popular music videos for artists like Heavy D and the Boyz, Guy and Blue Magic. For the big screen, Hudlin expanded his thesis film into "House Party" (1990), starring the rap duo Kid N' Play (Christopher Reid and Christopher Martin). The low-budget comedy about 24 hours in the life of a grounded teenager who sneaks off to a big party earned praise for its realistic depiction of black life and its visual style. The success of the film, which featured the late comic Robin Harris as the teen's strict father, led to two sequels (which did not involve the Hudlins).
"Boomerang" (1992), starring Eddie Murphy, Robin Givens, Eartha Kitt and Halle Berry, was a successful romantic comedy about a womanizing marketing expert who meets his match in a predatory female executive. Later that year, the Hudlin brothers co-executive produced the animated musical comedy "Bebe's Kids", for which Reginald wrote the screenplay and provided three songs, based on the comic monologues of Robin Harris.
Working for the first time without his brother, Hudlin directed the satirical comedy "The Great White Hype" (1996), about a flamboyant boxing promoter (Samuel L Jackson) who arranges for a lackluster fighter (Peter Berg) to have a shot at the black heavyweight champion (Damon Wayans).
For TV, the brothers worked on the acclaimed HBO anthology "Cosmic Slop" (1994), which combined fantasy and social issues. Hudlin created the concept and directed the segment, "Space Traders", a parable in which space aliens offer to solve all the problems in the US in exchange for all the black residents. Hudlin also co-executive produced, wrote and directed the unsuccessful pilot "The Last Days of Russell" for ABC in 1995. Hudlin continued to obtain projects that called for him to utilize his acting and producing skills. His voice was used in the musical comedy "Joe's Apartment" (1996), as the character Rodney Roach. He then produced the 1998 comedy "The Ride", a feature about a group of young inner-city musicians who drive across country to be participant in a music video. After directing several episodic series, Hudlin put his focus back on the big screen directing the comedy feature "The Ladies Man" (2000) and "Servicing Sara" (2002), a feature comedy about a process server (Matthew Perry) who is convinced by a New York wife (Elizabeth Hurley) to serve her husband divorce papers.
Profession(s):
director, screenwriter, Actor, songwriter, advertising copywriter
Sometimes Credited As:
Reggie Hudlin
Reginald Alan Hudlin
CableACE Award Best Dramatic or Theatrical Special "Cosmic Slop: Space Traders" 1995
Clarence Muse Award 1991
Sundance Film Festival Filmmakers Trophy (Dramatic) "House Party" 1990
Black Cinema Society Best Film Award 1984
Student Academy Award Best Film (New England region) "House Party" 1983
2002 Directed "Servicing Sara", a comedy feature co-starring Elizabeth Hurley and Matthew Perry
2000 Directed the comedy feature "The Ladies Man", co-starring Tim Meadows and Karyn Parsons
1996 Directed first film without participation of his brother Warrington, "The Great White Hype"
1996 With brother founded Hudlin Bros. Records; signed distribution deal with Epic Records division of Sony
1992 Co-executive produced (with Warrington Hudlin) "Bebe's Kids", an animated musical comedy based on the comic monologues of the late Robin Harris
1990 Directed and wrote first feature film, "House Party"
1986 Worked as a copywriter at Olgivy and Mather Advertising Agency, New York
1985 Produced, directed and wrote short film, "The Kold Waves"
1984 Made first video, "Reggie's World of Soul"
1984 - 1985 Was artist-in-residence, Illinois State Arts Council
1983 Directed, produced and wrote first short film, "House Party!"
1978 Co-founded the Black Filmmakers Foundation (BFF)
Was a visiting lecturer in film at University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee
Formed Hudlin Bros., Inc. with brother Warrington for which he has directed music videos for MCA and Polygram Records