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About the Cast
Currently holding the International Boxing Association's (IBA) Super Cruiser Weight Championship of the World title, Patrick Nwamu, Jr., as a boxing record of 12 wins and 1 loss. Prior to turning professional in 2000, Nwamu's illustrious amateur boxing career saw him twice named the USA State/Golden Gloves Olympic Style Heavyweight Boxing Champion-New York and Georgia, 1998-2000; and the USA Metro Boxing Team Captain-N.E. American Champions 1999. As a performer, Nwamu has appeared in such films as Spike Lee's Malcolm X with Denzel Washington, Reginald Hudlin's Boomerang with Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry, and director Joe Roth's Streets of Gold. Nwamu has also appeared in nationally aired broadcast commercials for such nationally renowned products and services as Met Life, Coors, HBO, and Cinemax. A true modern-day Renaissance man, Nigerian-American Nwamu is fluent in English, Italian, Street and Nigerian (Igbo). Equally athletically facile in kickboxing, soccer, speed skating, dance, track, swimming, and horseback riding, Nwamu was also Georgia State Intercollegiate fencing champion from 1998-1999. A member of the Freemasons, Nwamu spends time doing various philanthropic activities to help children and the elderly. Nwamu is also a passionate motorcycle enthusiast, interests that are accounted for in They're Just My Friends, Nwamu's debut film as writer, executive producer, and leading man. As president and founder of Punchin' Pat Productions, Nwamu plans on continuing to develop his skills both in front of, and behind, the camera. More information on Pat can be found at www.punchinpat.com. A leading character actor, Bruce Altman is familiar to audiences from films such as Ridley Scott's Matchstick Men with Nicolas Cage and Sam Rockwell; Roger Michell's Changing Lanes with Samuel L. Jackson and Ben Affleck; Michael Cuesta's L.I.E. with Brian Cox; James Mangold's Copland with Robert DeNiro, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Liotta; James Foley's Glengarry Glen Ross with Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, and Kevin Spacey; Robert Redford's Quiz Show with Ralph Fiennes and John Turturro; Mike Nichols's Regarding Henry with Harrison Ford and Annette Bening; and the television series Rescue Me with Dennis Leary and guest spots on The Sopranos and Law And Order. In 1997, Altman appeared in director David Frankel's Dear Diary, which went on to win the Academy Award for best live short film. Altman is a graduate of the venerable Yale School of Drama and studied acting in New York City with preeminent instructors William Hickey (Don Corrado Prizzi in Prizzi's Honor) and Geraldine Page (The Trip To Bountiful). Altman is married and has a daughter. Equally well-known as a musical legend for his seminal work with groundbreaking hip-hop group Brand Nubian, Lord Jamar (born Lorenzo Dechelaus) is familiar to television audiences for his incendiary role as "Supreme Allah" on the HBO prison drama Oz. Since his appearance in the highly acclaimed prison drama, Jamar has appeared in guest spots on Law & Order, Third Watch, and The Sopranos. Recently, Jamar has completed co-starring roles in the independent films Morning Breath, Funny Valentine, and L-O-V-E. Lord Jamar's debut solo album, 5%, featuring guest artists from the Wu Tang Clan, will be released in June 2006 by Babygrande. A versatile actor perhaps best-known to television audiences for his regular series roles in ABC's Theif, TNT's Bull, and Fox's New York Undercover, Yoba has had recurring appearances on such popular shows as Arrested Development, The Twilight Zone, and Kingpin. On the silver screen, Yoba has been featured in director Gregory Jacobs's Criminal opposite John C. Reilly, Diego Luna, and Maggie Gyllenhaal; director George Tillman Jr.'s Soul Food with Vanessa L. Williams and Vivica A. Fox; James Mangold's Cop Land with Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stallone, and Harvey Keitel; Jon Turtletaub's comedy blockbuster about the first Jamaican Olympic bobsled team, Cool Runnings; and Wayne Wang and Paul Auster's love letter to Park Slope, Brooklyn, Smoke and its sequel Blue In The Face. Louis Vanaria's is a true Bronx tale. Born in the Bronx, New York, Louis has always aspired to be a singer/song-writer. After hearing about an open casting call for the upcoming Robert DeNiro film, A Bronx Tale, Louis worked his way in and attempted to land a singing role, only to land the role of Crazy Mario. Louis was immediately cast in the CBS movie of the week, Young at Heart, starring Olympia Dukakis and his boyhood idol, Frank Sinatra. With his singing career put on hold, he relocated to Los Angeles after landing a series regular role in a WB show, Kirk. Forty-three shows later it was back to the Big Apple and back to his first love: music. He took gigs singing in New York City nightclubs, all the while auditioning and booking guest spots on hit shows such as NYPD Blue, Law & Order and Third Watch. He then made his way into the independent film world with lead roles in films such as Searching for Bobby D-the story of four buddies from New York who are willing to do anything to get Robert DeNiro into their film-and West of Brooklyn starring Joe Mantegna. Vanaria recently completed filming a series regular role on Talk To Me, a new pilot for Lionsgate/TNT productions. Taimak Guarriello is an actor/martial artist who first won the hearts of moviegoers in Berry Gordy's Kung-Fu comedy hit, The Last Dragon. Raised in New York and born in 1964 in Los Angeles, California to a black, soul food chef mother and a white, Italian singer/salesman father, Taimak (pronounced Ty-Mock) never knew he would grow into one of the most beloved martial arts, cult classic film stars of our time. His 1985, leading/debut role as Leroy Green, the Bruce Lee wannabe martial arts student in search of the final "Glow" of excellence in The Last Dragon, catapulted him into a career that spans twenty years. By age eighteen Taimak had already earned the title of New York State Kickboxing Champion. By nineteen he had won the role of Leroy Green that would change his life forever. Taimak continued to prove he was in the business for the long haul over the years with appearances in music videos (Let's Wait Awhile with Janet Jackson), TV shows (A Different World, Ally McBeal, Malcolm and Eddie, Third Watch), films (Masquerade, The System Within, They're Just My Friends), stage plays (Cuba and His Teddy Bear, The Hit, Roadhouse: The Stage Play), and as a martial arts choreographer (Madonna's "Drowned World Tour", and the music video "The Chemicals Between Us" for rock group singer Bush). Taimak has appeared in over a dozen national commercials (for products such as Coca-Cola and Honda, to name a few), and has modeled for the likes of famed photographers such as Bruce Weber and Francisco Scuvullo. Taimak's love of athletics and the martial arts has earned him a 7th degree black belt. He has run in marathons and can mesmerize with his skills in everything from Ju-Jitsu to Shaolin Kung-Fu. His acting talent ranges from good guy roles like Leroy in The Last Dragon and a comedic barroom bouncer wearing a Patrick Swayze blonde wig in Roadhouse: The Stage Play, to a hardly recognizable, long haired, goatee sporting, drug dealer in Third Watch. Like his zest for life, his talent is boundless. With two independent films in the works and the recent 2005 opening of his own New York gym, Taimak is just getting warmed up to continue an impressive career that promises to span many more years. Currently appearing with Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster in director Spike Lee's heist caper, Inside Man, Rue Debona has appeared as a series regular in the television show Damage Control. The lovely and talented Debona has also appeared as herself in numerous WWE (ne, WWF) specials including 1999's WWF Smackdown!, 2003's WWE No Way Out and WWE No Mercy, and 2004's WWE Judgment Day.
Currently the star of the venerable television soap One Life To Live, Michael Easton's first screenplay, Monty, a biopic detailing the tragic life of actor Montgomery Clift, was bought by Newman Tooley Films in 2001 and is currently in development with James Foley signed to direct. Later that same year Easton was hired to write The Ella Fitzgerald Story for Norman Lear and ACT 111 productions. Besides writing several episodes of the Stephen J. Cannell series TWO in which he also played the lead character, Easton has written and directed two award-winning short films: Untitled 37 and Daedalus is Dead, the later purchased by The Sundance Channel. When not appearing on such shows as VR5, 413 Hope Street, Total Recall 2070 and Ally McBeal, Easton is working on a follow-up to his critically acclaimed volume of poetry, Eighteen Straight Whiskeys. Soul Stealer, an original comic book Easton has spent several years developing debuted in the fall of 2005. He lives in New York City. About the Filmmakers PATRICK NWAMU, JR. (Co-Screenwriter/Executive Producer) See Above. Attika J. Torrence is an innovative filmmaker who is prepared to make a significant impact in the film industry. Attika has begun working towards that by applying his filmmaking skills to several film projects as an actor, director, writer, producer, and executive producer. Some of Attika's work has premiered at such film festivals as The Acapulco Black Film Festival, The American Black Film Festival, The San Francisco Black Film Festival, and the New York Independent Film & Video Festival, to name but a few. Attika's first project, the comedy Brotherly Love, debuted as a "World Premiere Showcase" film at the American Black Film Festival in Miami, 2002, and received a strong review in Variety by Walter Dawkins. Brotherly Love was an audience favorite at the ABFF as well as the San Francisco Black Film Festival 2003, and caused a three-way bidding war between distribution companies that eventually landed Attika his first movie distribution deal. With approximately ten film projects under his belt, including five director credits (two features), four executive producer credits, three writer credits and eight acting gigs (all leads and principles), Attika is by no means a rookie but still shies away from the title "veteran." Understanding and possessing what it takes to be a successful filmmaker, Attika constantly challenges himself as a director, writer, and actor. |
