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Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. His feature film debut, The Story of a Three-Day Pass (1967), was based on his own French-language novel La Permission and was shot in France, as it was difficult for a black American director to get work at the time. The film won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival which gained him the interest of Hollywood studios, leading to his American feature debut Watermelon Man, in 1970. Eschewing further overtures from Hollywood, he used the successes he had so far to bankroll his work as an independent filmmaker. In 1971, he released his best-known work, creating and starring in the film Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, which led to the creation of the blaxploitation genre. although critic Roger Ebert did not consider this example of Van Peebles' work to be an exploitation film. He followed this up with the musical, Don't Play Us Cheap, based on his own stage play, and continued to make films, write novels and stage plays in English and in French through the next several decades; his final films include the French-language film Le Conte du ventre plein (2000) and the absurdist film Confessionsofa Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha (2008). His son, filmmaker and actor Mario Van Peebles, appeared in several of his works and portrayed him in the 2003 biographical film Baadasssss!.

Hollywood Black
as Self (archive footage)

Sweet Black Film: The Birth of the Black Hero in Hollywood
as Self

Oscar Micheaux: The Superhero of Black Filmmaking
as Self

Armed
as Grandpa V.

Peeples
as Grandpa Peeples

Salty Dog Blues
as Self (Interviewee)

Redemption Road
as Elmo

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
as Self (voice)

Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door

American Swing
as Self

Directors on Directing
as Self

The Black List: Volume Two
as Self
Confessions of a Ex-Doofus-ItchyFooted Mutha
as Melvin Van Peebles
Sex: The Revolution

Blackout
as George

Hard Luck
as Hospital Prophet

SMUT
as Elmoore

Midnight Blue, Vol. 3: Celebrities Edition
as Self (archive footage)

How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (and Enjoy It)
Unstoppable
as Self

The Hebrew Hammer
as Sweetback

The Real Deal: What It Is
as Self

BaadAsssss Cinema
as Self

Girlfriends
as Kenneth Daly

René Vautier, le rebelle
as Self

Love Kills
as Able

Classified X
as Self

Riot
as Vernon

The Shining
as Richard Hallorann

Calm at Sunset
as Mr. Bucket

Gang in Blue
as Andre Speier

Panther
as Old Jail Bird

Fist of the North Star
as Asher

Terminal Velocity
as Noble

Living Single

Farewell, Babylon!
as Self

Last Action Hero
as Self

Posse
as Papa Joe

Homicide: Life on the Street
as Bennett Jackson

Boomerang
as Editor

Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong
as Louis Armstrong (voice)

True Identity
as Taxi Driver

Dream On
as Norman Green
Making 'Do the Right Thing'
as Self

Identity Crisis
as The Inspector

Sonny Spoon

Taking Care of Terrific
as Hawk

Jaws: The Revenge
as Mr. Witherspoon

O.C. and Stiggs
as Wino Bob

America
as Man Interviewed

The Sophisticated Gents
as Walter 'Moon' Porter

Wattstax
as Self

Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
as Sweetback

Watermelon Man
as Sign Painter (uncredited)

Sunlight

Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Bucket