Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peeblesis an American film director and actor best known for directing New Jack City in 1991. He is the son of actor and filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the 2003 biopic Baadasssss! that he also co-wrote and directed...
NationalityMexican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth15 January 1957
CountryMexico
born coin death flip gonna miracle sides
We think birth is a miracle and death is a tragedy, but really they're flip sides of the same coin - anything born is gonna die.
family sort unusual
I had unusual parents. We'd been to Europe. We'd been in the theater. We were sort of like the Addams Family.
attitude black box camera deliver fail fit job regardless remember work
If I or any other black can deliver at the box office, I'll get a lot of work. Too many young actors, regardless of their color, try to play an attitude on camera and fail to remember their job is to fit into an entertainment.
easier element huge identify lives movies people
When young people see movies like 'Gandhi 'or 'JFK,' there is an element of romanticization of these powerful people, and young people often feel a huge distance between their own lives and the lives of these social-change heroes. But the Panthers were flawed-up people from the streets, so it's easier to identify with them.
america definitely
There is definitely places in America where, if you're born into that environment, your chances of getting out are really, really limited.
active allowed attend both late stay time van
My father, Melvin van Peebles, and my mother were both very active politically when I was a kid. The first time I was allowed to stay up late was to attend a demonstration.
dad four life phases
My dad always said there's four phases in an actor/director's life. There's 'Mario Who?' There's 'Get me Mario!' 'Get me a young Mario,' and 'Mario Who?'
disconnect environment man people sort
If you sort of treat the environment in sort of this mechanical, industrial way that there's a disconnect between man and the environment, it's very easy to treat people that way.
way fiction stranger
In some ways truth is stranger than fiction.
making-money
I'm not in business to make money.
perfect creative hollywood
When I came out to Hollywood, I discovered the perfect place for my creative madness - Cannon Pictures.
book land car
History is written by the winners. The books say the Indians were bad guys and the whites just needed a little land. It's like, Excuse me, let me take your car. I'm discovering it. I'm putting my flag on your windshield.
girl boys color
No matter what color you are, if you mentor some little boy or girl, you make a huge difference in their lives because they then model behavior that leads to success versus modeling behavior that doesn't.
father two people
My father told me you have two loves in your life: What you do and the people youre with.