---
name: "Melvin Van Peebles"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/melvin-van-peebles"
fi1m_id: "melvin-van-peebles"
imdb_id: "nm0887708"
tmdb_id: 135650
wikidata_id: "Q2531955"
roles: ["Producer","Director"]
born: "21 August 1932"
died: "21 September 2021"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 2
average_as: "producer"
average_over: 0
updated: "2026-09-26T17:29:19.109916+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Melvin Van Peebles

## Identity

Melvin Van Peebles

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/melvin-van-peebles
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** melvin-van-peebles
- **IMDb ID:** nm0887708
- **TMDB ID:** 135650
- **Wikidata ID:** Q2531955
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Van_Peebles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2531955, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0887708/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/135650

Producer and director. Born 21 August 1932 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 21 September 2021.

## Details

- **Work:** Producer, Director
- **Born:** 21 August 1932, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 21 September 2021
- **Active:** 1971–1987
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 2: 1 acting, 1 directing
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 72 (1), 1980s 32 (1)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melvin_Van_Peebles, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2531955, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0887708/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/135650

## Biography

Melvin Van Peebles was an American actor, filmmaker, writer and composer. Born in Chicago in 1932, he worked in a range of jobs before moving into film. His early feature The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967) was made in France. He followed it with the studio film Watermelon Man (1970).

In 1971 Van Peebles wrote, directed, produced, edited, composed the score for and starred in the independent film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song. The low-budget production, partly financed by a loan from Bill Cosby, became a commercial success and is credited with helping launch the blaxploitation genre. He continued to work in film, theatre and music, and his son Mario Van Peebles later portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Baadasssss!.

*Sources: nytimes.com, theguardian.com, rottentomatoes.com, criterionchannel.com.*

## On Fi1m (2)

### Performed in (1)

- *Jaws: The Revenge* (1987), Fi1m 32, as Mr. Witherspoon — [page](https://film.one/film/jaws-the-revenge.md)

### Directed (1)

- *Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song* (1971), Fi1m 72, as Sweetback — [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-sweetbacks-baadasssss-song.md)

## Complete filmography (54)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Armed* (2018), as Grandpa V.
- *Peeples* (2013), as Grandpa Peeples
- *Redemption Road* (2011), as Elmo
- *Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door* (2011), Actor
- *Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha* (2008), as Melvin Van Peebles · Writer, Director
- *Blackout* (2007), as George
- *Hard Luck* (2006), as Hospital Prophet
- *SMUT* (2006), as Elmoore
- *How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)* (2005), Actor
- *Baadasssss!* (2004), Book
- *The Hebrew Hammer* (2003), as Sweetback
- *The Real Deal: What It Is* (2003), Director
- *Girlfriends* (2000), series, as Kenneth Daly
- *Bellyful* (2000), Writer, Director, Executive Producer, Novel, Original Music Composer
- *Love Kills* (1999), as Able
- *Classified X* (1998), Writer
- *The Shining* (1997), series, as Richard Hallorann
- *Riot* (1997), as Vernon
- *Calm at Sunset* (1996), as Mr. Bucket
- *Gang in Blue* (1996), as Andre Speier · Producer, Director
- *Tales of Erotica* (1996), Director, Writer
- *Panther* (1995), as Old Jail Bird · Screenplay, Producer, Novel
- *Fist of the North Star* (1995), as Asher
- *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, Director
- *Vrooom Vrooom Vroooom* (1995), Writer, Director, Producer, Original Music Composer, Editor
- *Terminal Velocity* (1994), as Noble
- *Living Single* (1993), series, Actor
- *Posse* (1993), as Papa Joe
- *Homicide: Life on the Street* (1993), series, as Bennett Jackson — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/tv/homicide-life-on-the-street.md)
- *Boomerang* (1992), as Editor
- *Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong* (1992), as Louis Armstrong (voice)
- *True Identity* (1991), as Taxi Driver
- *Dream On* (1990), series, as Norman Green
- *Identity Crisis* (1989), as The Inspector · Producer, Editor, Director
- *976-STUD* (1989), Director
- *Sonny Spoon* (1988), series, Actor
- *Taking Care of Terrific* (1988), as Hawk
- *Jaws: The Revenge* (1987), as Mr. Witherspoon — Fi1m 32, [page](https://film.one/film/jaws-the-revenge.md)
- *O.C. and Stiggs* (1987), as Wino Bob
- *The Day They Came to Arrest the Book* (1987), Writer
- *America* (1986), as Man Interviewed
- *CBS Schoolbreak Special* (1984), series, Writer
- *The Sophisticated Gents* (1981), series, as Walter 'Moon' Porter · Teleplay
- *Greased Lightning* (1977), Screenplay, Writer
- *Just an Old Sweet Song* (1976), Writer
- *Don't Play Us Cheap* (1973), Director, Screenplay, Editor, Songs, Theatre Play, Original Music Composer
- *Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song* (1971), as Sweetback · Producer, Director, Screenplay, Editor, Original Music Composer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/sweet-sweetbacks-baadasssss-song.md)
- *Watermelon Man* (1970), as Sign Painter (uncredited) · Director, Original Music Composer
- *Slogan* (1969), Writer
- *The Story of a Three-Day Pass* (1968), Director, Writer, Music
- *500 Francs* (1961), Writer, Director, Original Music Composer
- *Three Pick-Up Men for Herrick* (1957), Writer, Director
- *Sunlight* (1957), Director
- *Hallmark Hall of Fame* (1951), series, as Bucket

## Gallery

- ![Melvin Van Peebles at a photoshoot in his home/office. (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-3f1923d36387.png) Melvin Van Peebles at a photoshoot in his home/office. (2015) — Alex Lozupone, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Lozupone-melvinvanpeebles2015.png/1280px-Lozupone-melvinvanpeebles2015.png?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Melvin Van Peebles at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-b65983c80d63.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/63/Melvin_Van_Peebles_Shankbone_NYC_2010.jpg/1280px-Melvin_Van_Peebles_Shankbone_NYC_2010.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Melvin Van Peebles at the 2008 Tribeca All Access awards.](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-b832453ba743.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles at the 2008 Tribeca All Access awards. — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/Melvin_Van_Peebles_at_the_2008_Tribeca_Film_Festival.JPG/1280px-Melvin_Van_Peebles_at_the_2008_Tribeca_Film_Festival.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Melvin Van Peebles](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-18ff7fb08137.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles — John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel  Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/Melvin_Van_Peebles.jpg/1280px-Melvin_Van_Peebles.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Melvin Van Peebles](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-88219aee641c.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles — Image via TMDB
- ![Melvin Van Peebles (2014)](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-db979e927b49.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles (2014) — Alex Lozupone, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/87/Mvp_portrait_02.jpg/1280px-Mvp_portrait_02.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Melvin Van Peebles at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.](https://film.one/media/person/462353/gallery-c37b4708b191.jpg) Melvin Van Peebles at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival. — David Shankbone, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Melvin_Van_Peebles_by_David_Shankbone.jpg/1280px-Melvin_Van_Peebles_by_David_Shankbone.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Other awards — 2 won, 1 nominated

- Commander of the Legion of Honour 2001: Commander of the Legion of Honour (won)
- Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame 1976: Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame (won)
- Tony Award for Best Original Score 1972: Tony Award for Best Original Score (nominated), for *Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/melvin-van-peebles