Kasi Lemmons

Acting

Kasi Lemmons

Born 1959-02-24 · St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Kasi Lemmons (/ˈkeɪsi/; born Karen Diane Lemmons, February 24, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, and actress. She made her directorial debut with Eve's Bayou (1997), followed by The Caveman's Valentine (2001), Talk to Me (2007), Black Nativity (2013), Harriet (2019), and Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022). She also directed the Netflix limited series Self Made (2020) and an episode of ABC's Women of the Movement (2022). She is also known as an actress, having started her career with roles in commercials with McDonald's and Levi's. She made her film debut in Spike Lee's School Daze (1988). She continued acting in Vampire's Kiss (1989), The Silence of the Lambs (1991), and Candyman (1992). Film scholar Wheeler Winston Dixon described her as "an ongoing testament to the creative possibilities of film". Description above from the Wikipedia article Kasi Lemmons, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

Hard Target poster
6.5

When a woman's father goes missing, she enlists a local to aid in her search. The pair soon discover that her father has died at the hands of a wealthy sportsman who hunts homeless men as a form of recreation.

Hard Target

1993

The Silence of the Lambs poster
8.3

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as an attractive young woman, may be just the bait to draw him out.

The Silence of the Lambs

1991

Candyman poster
6.7

The Candyman, a murderous soul with a hook for a hand, is accidentally summoned to reality by a skeptic grad student researching the monster's myth.

Candyman

1992

Vampire's Kiss poster
6.0

A publishing executive is visited and bitten by a vampire and starts exhibiting erratic behavior. He pushes his secretary to extremes as he tries to come to terms with his affliction.

Vampire's Kiss

1989

Waist Deep poster
6.4

An ex-convict gets tangled up with a gang after his car is hijacked with his son inside.

Waist Deep

2006

Disconnect poster
7.1

A hard-working lawyer, attached to his cell phone, can't find the time to communicate with his family. An estranged couple uses the internet as a means to escape from their lifeless marriage. A widowed ex-cop struggles to raise a mischievous son who cyber-bullies a classmate. An ambitious journalist sees a career-making story in a teen that performs on an adult-only site. They are strangers, neighbors and colleagues and their stories collide as ordinary people struggling to connect in today's wired world.

Disconnect

2013

Gridlock'd poster
6.6

After a friend overdoses, Spoon and Stretch decide to kick their drug habits and attempt to enroll in a government detox program. Their efforts are hampered by seemingly endless red tape, as they are shuffled from one office to another while being chased by drug dealers and the police.

Gridlock'd

1997

The Projectionist poster
NR

In a forgotten theater, a haunted man's past flickers back to life-forcing a final reckoning.

The Projectionist

2026

School Daze poster
5.7

Fraternity and sorority members clash with other students at a historically black college during homecoming weekend.

School Daze

1988

Afterburn poster
4.2

Based on a true story, one woman takes on the U.S. military and General Dynamics; maker of the F-16, thought to be the very best tactical fighter in the world. Air Force Captain Theodore T. Harduvel was one of the best F-16 pilots the U.S. had to offer. After much digging, Janet Harduvel discovers a joint military and General Dynamic cover-up. She proves to be unwavering in her search for the truth to clear his name.

Afterburn

1992

Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies poster
NR

Dive into 60 minutes of blood, bravado and brilliant scares as we trace the evolution of horror cinema from Dracula (1931) to today.

Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies

2025

'Til There Was You poster
4.0

Two strangers, whose paths are always crossing, finally meet when fate steps in. It took them twenty years to fall in love at first sight.

'Til There Was You

1997

Fear of a Black Hat poster
6.1

Chronicling the controversial career of bad boys N.W.H. (Niggaz With Hats), this uproarious 'mockumentary' lampoons all of hardcore rap's hot-button issues. This underground laugh riot recounts the rise, fall and resurrection of a clueless bunch of would-be rappers, Ice Cold, Tone-Def & Tasty Taste performing as N.W.H.

Fear of a Black Hat

1994

The Five Heartbeats poster
7.3

In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.

The Five Heartbeats

1991

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake poster
6.7

After a series of small tremors in Los Angeles, Dr. Clare Winslow, a local seismologist, pinpoints the exact location and time of when the long awaited earthquake--"The Big One"--will strike southern California. With this information, she must battle city officials to release this information to the general public. Also, she hopes that her family is out of harms way when the quake strikes. Subplots show how other families and people cope with the the tremors that strike before the impending "Big One."

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake

1990

Drop Squad poster
3.5

Controversial film about an underground organization that kidnaps and 'deprograms' African Americans who sell out or deny their cultural heritage. Spike Lee is the Executive Producer.

Drop Squad

1994

Zooman poster
6.2

Shots ring out on a Brooklyn street and suddenly a young girl lies dead on her front steps. The killer's name is Zooman (Khalil Kain), and though dozens of neighbors saw the unintentional shooting, no one is willing to come forward with information. Life goes on, a killer goes free, and one grieving, broken father (Louis Gossett Jr.) is forced to take his cry for justice to the media, hoping to spark a confrontation with his daughter's murderer. Charles Dutton and CCH Pounder costar in this powerful original drama.

Zooman

1995

Sweets to the Sweet: The 'Candyman' Mythos poster
7.3

Retrospective documentary featuring director Bernard Rose, writer Clive Barker, producer Alan Poul and stars Tony Todd, Virginia Madsen and Kasi Lemmons.

Sweets to the Sweet: The 'Candyman' Mythos

2004

Before the Storm poster
9.0

A follow up to Under Cover aka The Company (1991). Linda Purl is again Kate Del'Amico, National Intelligence Agent who travels to Kuwait in 1990 to investigate the possibility of an Iraqi invasion. When it is discovered that the Iraqi's plan to launch a missile of chemical warfare, the Agency must sacrifice trainee Sam Hamadi (Jesse Borrego) in order for the missile site to be pinpointed.

Before the Storm

1991

Page to Screen: 'The Silence of the Lambs' poster
6.5

Documentary about the adaptation of the 1988 novel by Thomas Harris into the 1991 film directed by Jonathan Demme. Originally presented in two parts on Bravo Television.

Page to Screen: 'The Silence of the Lambs'

2002

Half the Picture poster
6.6

At a pivotal moment for gender equality in Hollywood, successful women directors talk about their art, lives and careers.

Half the Picture

2018

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson poster
7.2

A film about the early life of the baseball star in the army, particulary his court-martial for insubordination regarding segragation.

The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson

1990

11th Victim poster
4.0

A news anchorwoman from the Midwest comes to Hollywood to learn the truth about the death of her sister, the 11th victim of a killer preying on aspiring actresses, and finds herself possibly the next one on his list despite the help of an overworked cop.

11th Victim

1984

The Gift of Amazing Grace poster
NR

Teenage girl is frustrated about her lack of singing ability in her gospel singing family. She writes a song about her problem, and soon finds where her musical talent lies.

The Gift of Amazing Grace

1986

Behind the camera

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody poster
7.0

The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

2022

Eve's Bayou poster
6.5

Summer heats up in rural Louisiana beside Eve’s Bayou, 1962, as the Batiste family tries to survive the secrets they’ve kept and the betrayals they’ve endured.

Eve's Bayou

1997

Eve's Bayou poster
6.5

Summer heats up in rural Louisiana beside Eve’s Bayou, 1962, as the Batiste family tries to survive the secrets they’ve kept and the betrayals they’ve endured.

Eve's Bayou

1997

The Caveman's Valentine poster
5.9

Romulus, a misunderstood musician turned recluse hiding from personal demons in a New York City cave, finds the frozen body of a young drifter in a tree. The authorities, including his police officer daughter, claim the death is accidental. Romulus is convinced the man was murdered by a prominent art photographer but how can he prove he's right when everyone thinks he's insane?

The Caveman's Valentine

2001

Harriet poster
7.3

The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

Harriet

2019

Harriet poster
7.3

The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

Harriet

2019

Talk to Me poster
6.8

The story of Washington D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in the 1960s.

Talk to Me

2007

Black Nativity poster
5.2

A street-wise teen from Baltimore who has been raised by a single mother travels to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives, where he embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey.

Black Nativity

2013

Black Nativity poster
5.2

A street-wise teen from Baltimore who has been raised by a single mother travels to New York City to spend the Christmas holiday with his estranged relatives, where he embarks on a surprising and inspirational journey.

Black Nativity

2013

Dr. Hugo poster
4.2

Dr. Hugo makes house calls, and makes all the young ladies swoon as they see him passing by. If he's not careful, he could find himself in big trouble.

Dr. Hugo

1996

Dr. Hugo poster
4.2

Dr. Hugo makes house calls, and makes all the young ladies swoon as they see him passing by. If he's not careful, he could find himself in big trouble.

Dr. Hugo

1996

Blanchard: Fire Shut Up in My Bones poster
NR

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Grammy Award–winning jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard’s adaptation of Charles M. Blow’s moving memoir, which The New York Times praised after its 2019 world premiere at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis as “bold and affecting” and “subtly powerful.” The first opera by a Black composer presented on the Met stage and featuring a libretto by filmmaker Kasi Lemmons, the opera tells a poignant and profound story about a young man’s journey to overcome a life of trauma and hardship. James Robinson and Camille A. Brown—two of the creators of the Met’s sensational recent production of Porgy and Bess—co-direct this new staging, which appears in cinemas on October 23. Baritone Will Liverman, one of opera’s most exciting young artists, stars as Charles, alongside sopranos Angel Blue as Destiny/Loneliness/Greta and Latonia Moore as Billie.

Blanchard: Fire Shut Up in My Bones

2021