ABOUT THE CAST

At 20 years of age, USHER RAYMOND (Lester Dewitt) was named "Artist of the Year" at the 1998 Billboard Music Awards. He made his acting debut in a recurring role on television’s "Moesha," starring opposite another singing superstar, Brandy. Usher guest-starred on the "The Parent ’Hood" and played a singer named Raymond on several episodes of the daytime soap "The Bold and the Beautiful," for which he was nominated for a 1999 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. He also had a small role in the feature films "The Faculty" and "She’s All That."

Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Usher relocated to Atlanta when he was twelve. Raised by his mother, the youngster honed his singing talents in his church choir under the supervision of his mom, who served as the choir director.

He also showcased his singing in local talent shows where he attracted the attention of LaFace Records Co-President Antonio "L.A." Reid. Usher was signed to the record label and began recording his eponymous debut album at the age of only sixteen. Co-produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs, Usher’s first album hit the airwaves in 1994 and yielded the gold top ten smash, "Thinking of You."

His sophomore effort, My Way, is certified quadruple platinum (5 million), marking his return to the music scene after a four year absence. Produced by hip hop song stylist Jermaine Dupri, Usher’s second recording electrified fans, earning the superstar the moniker of "the King of Hip Hop Soul."

"You Make Me Wanna...," the first single from My Way, climbed to #2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 Singles chart and held the #1 spot on the magazine’s Hot R&B chart for eleven weeks. Its music video earned an MTV video award nomination as Best R&B Video for 1998. This single earned Usher his first Grammy nomination as Best Male R&B Vocal Performance and a Soul Train Award for Best Male R&B/Soul Single.

The momentum continued with the album’s second single, "Nice & Slow," which reached #1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B Billboard Singles charts. "My Way," the album’s third hit single, sold over 2,000,000 copies (certifying it Gold) on its way to #2 on both the Hot 100 Singles and Hot R&B Singles charts while earning Usher his second Grammy nomination as Best Male R&B Vocal Performer.
Usher’s success on disc led to coveted touring opportunities with Puff Daddy and the Family, Mary J. Blige and, most recently, Janet Jackson’s Velvet Rope Tour.

LaFace Records recently released Usher Live, the album and home video.



FOREST WHITAKER (Officer Dante Jackson) is an acclaimed actor/director who has showcased his talents in a multitude of demanding and diverse roles.

Whitaker earned widespread recognition for his performance as Jody, the hostage British soldier, in Neil Jordan’s Academy Award7-winning film "The Crying Game." More recently, he co-starred in "Jason’s Lyric," "Ready to Wear," "Smoke," "Species" and "Phenomenon."

In 1988, Whitaker was named Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for his portrayal of jazz legend Charlie Parker in Clint Eastwood’s "Bird," a role for which he also received a Golden Globe nomination. His other film credits include "Blown Away," "Platoon," "Good Morning, Vietnam," "Consenting Adults," "Stakeout," "The Color of Money," "Johnny Handsome," "Downtown," "Diary of a Hitman," "Body Snatchers," "Vision Quest," "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and "A Rage in Harlem," on which he also served as co-producer.

On television, Whitaker garnered a CableAce nomination for his performance in the Showtime original film "Last Light," directed by Kiefer Sutherland. He also starred in HBO’s "Criminal Justice," for which he earned a CableAce nomination; "The Enemy Within," for which he received a Screen Actor’s Guild nomination; and the cable film "Lush Life."

"Waiting to Exhale" marked his feature film directorial debut. Whitaker earlier gained recognition for his first project as a director, the HBO drama "Strapped," for which he received Best New Director honors at the Toronto Film Festival. He most recently directed "Hope Floats," starring Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Jr.

Whitaker was born in Longview, Texas and grew up in Carson, California and South Central Los Angeles. While in high school, Whitaker played competitive football and was an All League defensive linesman. He attended California State University at Pomona under a football scholarship studying opera and drama. He also studied at the Drama School in London under a scholarship created especially for him.



ROSARIO DAWSON (Stephanie Williams) was most recently seen in "Down To You," starring Freddie Prinze Jr. and Selma Blair. Prior to that, she captured audiences’ attention in Spike Lee’s "He Got Game" with Denzel Washington, where she co-starred as a young basketball-superstar’s girlfriend.

Dawson made her screen debut in Larry Clark’s controversial "Kids." She then appeared in a series of independent films including Julian West’s "Deadline," Myra Paci’s "Girl’s Night Out" and Tony Gerber’s "Side Streets."

In addition to her acting career, Dawson has a deep interest in music and was thrilled when The Artist (formally known as Prince) asked her to contribute to his 1999 remix project by reading a monologue which he wrote for her. She was also sought out by Kenneth "Babyface" and Tracey E. Edmonds and signed to their Edmonds Management roster.



VANESSA L. WILLIAMS (Audrey McDonald) has distinguished her career with remarkable success in music, theater, television and film. Among her accomplishments, she had a triumphant nine-month run on Broadway as Aurora in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," during which time her third album, The Sweetest Days, went platinum and her single, "Colors of the Wind" (from the platinum soundtrack of Disney’s "Pocahontas"), soared up the charts and went on to earn an Academy Award7 and a Golden Globe.

On the big screen, Williams co-starred opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger in the hit action thriller "Eraser," played Laurence Fishburne’s love interest in the crime saga, "Hoodlum," starred as one of a trio of sisters in "Soul Food" and, most recently, portrayed a dance teacher in "Dance with Me." This fall she will appear in "The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland."

Williams has received wide-spread acclaim for her television performances, which include the miniseries "The Odyssey," "The Jacksons: An American Dream" and "Nothing Lasts Forever," the television films "Stompin’ at the Savoy," "The Boy Who Loved Christmas," the revival of the classic musical "Bye, Bye Birdie," the animated "Beauty and the Beast" episode of HBO’s "Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child" and the Emmy-winning special "Motown Returns to the Apollo." She will next be seen in the cable movie "The Passion of Henriette," which also marks her producing debut.

Williams was born in Millwood, New York, to two music teachers who encouraged her pursuit of a career in entertainment. She majored in musical theatre at Syracuse University before winning the title of Miss America in 1983.

Her musical accomplishments began with her first release, 1988’s The Right Stuff, which became a pop and R&B smash. In 1991, Williams released the multi-million seller The Comfort Zone which produced the hit single "Save the Best For Last," which topped the pop, adult contemporary and R&B charts for five straight weeks and achieved number one success around the world. Her most recent recording projects include her fourth solo album and a Christmas album.



JUDD NELSON (Ken Knowles) first came to moviegoers’ attention with his acclaimed performance in two ensemble dramas, John Hughes’ "The Breakfast Club" and Joel Schumacher’s "St. Elmo’s Fire." He also co-starred in such films as "New Jack City," "Fandango," "Airheads," "The Dark Backward," "From the Hip," "Every Breath" (which he also co-wrote) and "Making the Grade," his big screen debut.

He will next be seen in two soon-to-be-released comedies, "The Cure for Boredom," playing an arrogant hitman alongside co-star Seymour Cassell, and the just completed "Endsville," a mockumentary feature about a religious cult.

Nelson will soon be seen as the controversial 1950s disc jockey and radio pioneer Alan Freed in the television film "Mr. Rock and Roll – The Alan Freed Story." Nelson is also starring in "Cabin by the Lake," playing a writer hounded by his agent to finish his latest effort about a serial killer, and the Fox Family remake of the 1946 classic "The Spiral Staircase." He will also be seen in the Disney Sunday night movie, "Hide and Shriek."

Nelson starred for three seasons as Brooke Shields’ boss and romantic foil on the sitcom "Suddenly Susan." He also starred in the Golden Globe-winning miniseries "Billionaire Boys Club" and the television film "Hiroshima."



ROBERT RI’CHARD (Zacharias "Ziggy" Malone) says his character in "Light It Up" is definitely "not your average 15-year-old. He lives in an attic in the school, and loves art – it’s a way of expressing himself."

Ri’chard makes his motion picture debut in "Light It Up." He is a well-known fixture on the small screen, having appeared in several Nickelodeon productions, including starring roles in the series "Cousin Skeeter" and "Nickelodeon Sports Theatre."

Ri’chard recently won a Daytime Emmy for his role opposite Louis Gossett, Jr. in the television film "In His Father’s Shoes." Other TV credits include guest-starring stints on "Touched By An Angel," "Nash Bridges" and "The Bold and the Beautiful." He has recurring roles on "The Jamie Foxx Show," "Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper" and "Promised Land," and shared the lead with John Travolta and Whoopi Goldberg in "The Martin Luther King Animated Special." His talents have also been on display onstage in such productions as "P.O.W.," "Secret Parts" and "Double or Nothing."

The sixteen-year-old talent hails from Los Angeles and first expressed an interest in acting at age thirteen. He launched his career by winning top honors (besting over a thousand participants) at the Ivar Theatre Talent Showcase. He also won special recognition from Johns Hopkins University in their Institute for Academic Advancement of Youth.



FREDRO STARR (Rodney J. Templeton) calls his character in "Light It Up" a "rebel who sees a negative side to everything." Starr appreciated the story’s "energy" and its presentation of an issue he’d never seen before.

As part of Blaze and Firestarr, Starr recorded a song, "Ghetto is a Battlefield" (music taken from Pat Benatar’s 1983 hit "Love Is a Battlefield"), for the "Light It Up" soundtrack.

Starr made his acting debut playing Bamboo in Forest Whitaker’s award-winning HBO drama "Strapped." He has since appeared in the feature films "Sunset Park," "Ride," "Clockers" and "The Addiction."

On the small screen, Starr was a series regular on the sitcom "Moehsa," as the title character’s boyfriend, Quinton. He has guest-starred on such series as "NYPD Blue," "Promised Land," "Law & Order" and "New York Undercover."

Starr hails from Queens, New York. Following high school, he co-founded the platinum-selling hip-hop recording group, Onyx. Their debut release, Bacdafcup, went platinum in 1993. The rappers have also recorded the albums All We Got Iz Us and Shut ’Em Down. After the release of their latest CD, Starr has branched out on his own, with plans for a solo recording in the near future.



CLIFTON COLLINS, JR. (Robert "Rivers" Tremont) says his role is the "comic relief" in the film. "He’s a cool, funny guy who’s also a hustler. Anything you need, anything you want, he’s got it, and he’ll get you a deal on it."

Collins won acclaim as the antagonistic high school hood, Cesar, opposite Samuel L. Jackson in "187." He also appeared in "The Replacement Killers," starring Mira Sorvino and Chow Yun-Fat.

Collins’ additional film credits include "Fortress," "Menace II Society," "Dead Presidents" and "Stoned Age." He recently wrapped the feature "Price of Glory," with Jimmy Smits and John Seda, playing a drug addicted boxer.

On television, Collins was seen in Disney’s "The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit," starring Edward James Olmos, Esai Morales and Joe Mantegna, and "The Defenders" for Showtime, opposite Beau Bridges. Collins also made memorable guest-starring appearances on "NYPD Blue" and "ER."

Collins is the grandson of film actor Pedro Gonzalez-Gonzalez, who was one of the first Mexicans to break into Hollywood, co-starring with John Wayne in nearly a dozen classic war movies and westerns, including "Rio Bravo" and "McLintock."



SARA GILBERT (Lynn Sabitini) calls her character in "Light It Up" a "very insecure, misunderstood, angry teenager who really just wants to be wanted, desired and validated – especially by men."

Gilbert is well known to audiences for her co-starring role as the wisecracking and lovable daughter Darlene on the long-running sitcom "Roseanne."

Gilbert recently completed filming in Chicago on the feature film "High Fidelity" with John Cusack for Working Title Pictures. Also in November, Gilbert can be seen in "The Big Tease."

As a graduate of Yale University, Gilbert made her directorial debut with the critically acclaimed short film "Persona Non Grata," which was selected for competition in the 1998 Sundance Film Festival.

A versatile film, television and stage actor, Gilbert’s additional credits include the features "Desert Blue" opposite Christina Ricci and "Poison Ivy" opposite Drew Barrymore. She also starred in the cable television film "Sudie & Simpson" and appeared in the world premiere of Gary Stewart’s play "Downwinder Dance."



GLYNN TURMAN (Principal Armstrong), recipient of the NAACP’s 1994 Lifetime Achievement Award for Theater, is a veteran of the stage and screen. Turman recently celebrated his 40th anniversary in theater, starring on Broadway at age 12 in Lorraine Hansberry’s landmark production of "A Raisin in the Sun," starring Sidney Poitier. He studied drama at the famed High School of Performing Arts and upon graduation appeared in productions at The Actors Studio, The Tyrone Guthrie Repertory Theatre and Lincoln Center.

Los Angeles theater audiences were introduced to Turman when Vinnette Carroll cast him in "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground." He also was in The L.A. Music Center’s production of "The Wine Sellers," which earned him a Los Angeles Critics Award nomination and a Dramalogue Award. An NAACP Image Award followed for "Eyes of the American." Turman is also a director and producer, earning a second NAACP Image Award for his direction of "Deadwood Dick" at the Inner City Cultural Center and received further acclaim for his PBS production of "Money Rider."

Turman has had numerous successful leading roles on television, but he is perhaps best remembered as the staunch Colonel Taylor on the hit series "A Different World." He also appeared in leading roles in the television movies "Buffalo Soldiers," "Attica," "The Minstrel Man," for which he won a third NAACP Image Award, and the miniseries "Centennial."

On the big screen, Turman appeared last summer in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back." Other film credits include "The River Niger," "Gremlins," "J.D.’s Revenge," "Out of Bounds," "The Serpent’s Egg," "The Inkwell," "Deep Cover," the cult classic "Cooley High" and the upcoming "Navy Diver," to be released by Twentieth Century Fox.

Turman feels that he was spared the fate of juvenile delinquency because his parents sent him to camp. With the help and support of his wife, they established Camp Gid-D-Up for at risk children.

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About the Cast

About the Filmmakers