Tavis Smiley

Acting

Tavis Smiley

Born 1964-09-13 · Gulfport, Mississippi, USA

Tavis Smiley is an American talk show host and author. Smiley was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and grew up in Bunker Hill, Indiana. After attending Indiana University, he worked during the late 1980s as an aide to Tom Bradley, the mayor of Los Angeles.

Acting credits

Sinister poster
6.9

True-crime writer Ellison Oswalt is in a slump; he hasn't had a best seller in more than 10 years and is becoming increasingly desperate for a hit. So, when he discovers the existence of a snuff film showing the deaths of a family, he vows to solve the mystery. He moves his own family into the victims' home and gets to work. However, when old film footage and other clues hint at the presence of a supernatural force, Ellison learns that living in the house may be fatal.

Sinister

2012

Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom poster
7.1

A portrait of the American actress Jamie Lee Curtis, daughter of the legendary actors Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh, mythical scream queen and brilliant comedy actress.

Jamie Lee Curtis: Hollywood Call of Freedom

2022

Still Bill poster
7.1

STILL BILL is an intimate portrait of soul legend Bill Withers, best known for his classics “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Lean On Me,” “Lovely Day,” “Grandma’s Hands,” and “Just the Two of Us.” With his soulful delivery and warm, heartfelt sincerity, Withers has written the songs that have – and always will – resonate deeply within the fabric of our times. Filmmakers Damani Baker and Alex Vlack follow Withers and offer a unique and rare look inside the world of this fascinating man. Through concert footage, journeys to his birthplace, interviews with music legends, his family and closest friends, STILL BILL presents the story of an artist who has written some of the most beloved songs in our time and who truly understands the heart and soul of a man.

Still Bill

2010

Matangi / Maya / M.I.A. poster
7.7

Drawn from a never before seen cache of personal footage spanning decades, this is an intimate portrait of the Sri Lankan artist and musician who continues to shatter conventions.

Matangi / Maya / M.I.A.

2018

No artwork available
NR

Broadcast journalist Tavis Smiley hits the road in 2008 with friends Cornel West, BeBe Winans and other prominent African Americans to explore the contemporary experiences of black men and to ask them: "What do you stand for?" Set against Barack Obama's rise to presidential power, Smiley and his fellow travelers offer diverse perspectives on African Americans' soul music, historic struggle for equality, current race relations and more.

Stand

2009

Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation poster
NR

On the road documentary with Prince and the New Power Generation during their 2004 Musicology tour from the west coast Los Angeles' House of Blues to the east coast's Madison Square Garden in New York City with press stops along the way and behind the scenes concert footage.

Life O' The Party: On the Road with Prince and the New Power Generation

2005

Protection Not Protest: The People of Standing Rock poster
NR

One of Jonathan Demme's last works, a 2016 short documentary hosted by Tavis Smiley.

Protection Not Protest: The People of Standing Rock

2016

Fear of a Black Republican poster
NR

A personal look at Black Republicans and the lack of a Two-Party Political System in Urban America.

Fear of a Black Republican

2011

Behind the camera