Michael Blackson

Last updated

Michael Blackson
Michael Blackson Icebox 2019 (cropped).jpg
Blackson in 2019
Born
Ghana
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1989–present
PartnerRada Darling
Children4
Website michaelblacksonfoundation.org

Michael Blackson, is a Ghanaian actor, and comedian based in the United States. His stage surname is a parody of pop singer, Michael Jackson.

Contents

Early life

N/a [1] [2] [3] [4] His family lived in the slum of Clara Town in Monrovia. [5] He spent his young years in between Monrovia and Ghana before relocating to the United States in the mid-1980s. His father died in 2008. [6] Michael lived in Newark, New Jersey, when he was 13, and then settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when he was 15. He began pursuing comedy after his coworker at Domino's suggested he start open mic. [7] He made one of his first appearances on screen as a student extra in the 1989 film Lean On Me. [8]

Career

In 2005, he released a comedy sketch CD entitled Modasucka: Welcome to America. [9] Also in 2005, he made an appearance on the TV series 30 Rock , P. Diddy Presents: The Bad Boys of Comedy on HBO, [10] and starred in a commercial for Chappelle's Show on Comedy Central.

In 2011, Blackson appeared on Starz's Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up and Showtime's Shaquille O'Neal Presents All Star Comedy Jam. [11] [12]

In 2019, Blackson appeared in the "Wakonda" official music video by Akon. [13]

Personal life

On July 31, 2021, Blackson proposed to his girlfriend, Rada Darling, during a radio interview on The Breakfast Club, they continue to be together as partners. [14] On November 24, 2021, he became a U.S citizen. [4] Blackson is the uncle of Miami Dolphins cornerback Eli Apple. [15] As part of his work in philanthropy he built a school in Ghana that was commissioned in early January 2023. The school, which is eponymously named Michael Blackson Academy, is located at Agona Nsaba in the Agona East District of Ghana’s Central Region where he grew up. [16]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2000 Next Friday Customer #1
2006ReposCoffeeVideo
The Last StandComic #6
2007 The Savages Howard
Black SupamanAkonVideo
Banana LeavesChuks
You're TriflinMichael the ComedianVideo
2008Internet DatingAkeem the DreamVideo
2009The Mail ManMohammed
What We DoTaxi Cab DriverVideo
2010My American Nurse 2Freddie
Ex$pendable-Video
2011Threading NeedlesLandlord
2012In Sickness and in HealthYusufTV movie
2013 One Night in Vegas Mr. Roland
Coffin Dodgers(Voice)Short
Mutumbo the Lost PrinceMutumboDirected by Leevon Daniels
2014Kony MontanaKony MontanaComedy
2015 Tooken Fake AkonAlso starring: Reno Wilson, Lauren Stamile, Lee Tergesen
More Money, More FamilyBootlegComedy
2016 Meet the Blacks Mr. WookyComedy/Horror
2018Easy MoneyCaineAction
The StuffSecurity GuardAction/Comedy/Drama
Nobody's Fool ThugComedy/Drama/Romance
Got My Hustle UpMichaelAlso starring: Thou Brown, Darnae Hill, Bambi Johnson
SlidersCaineAlso starring: Ron Byrd, Philla Brougham
2019Angel and the MailmanAkinDrama
I Got The Hook Up 2Officer MidnightComedy
The Lick MovieKofiAction/Crime/Drama
2020American DreamJohnDrama
2021 Coming 2 America Nexdorian LieutenantAlso starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Shari Headley
Someday IslesPrincipalAction/Comedy/Drama
The House Next Door: Meet the Blacks 2 Mr. WookyAlso starring: Mike Epps, Katt Williams, Lil Duval

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1995SnapsHimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.1"
2000 ComicView HimselfEpisode: "ComicView: New Orleans Party Gras"
2005The Bad Boys of ComedyHimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.6"
2006 30 Rock African ManEpisode: "Jack Meets Dennis"
2008 ComicView HimselfEpisode: "ComicView: One Mic Stand"
20091st Amendment Stand UpHimselfEpisode: "Cortney Gee/Mark Viera/Ronnie Jordan/Michael Blackson"
2011-12 Are We There Yet? Various RolesRecurring Guest
2014 The Arsenio Hall Show HimselfEpisode: "Episode #1.145"
2015 In the Cut CustomerEpisode: "The Ball's in Your Court"
2017 50 Central African TravelerEpisode: "Amistad Travel Agency"
2017-18 Leave It to Stevie HimselfEpisode: "Standing Down" & "The Game of Faith"
2017-19 Wild 'N Out Himself/Cast MemberCast Member: Season 8 & 10 & 12 & 15
Hip Hop Squares Himself/PanelistRecurring Panelist
2018BET Social AwardsHimself/HostMain Host
Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta HimselfEpisode: "I'm Telling"
Rich AfricansMichaelMain Cast
2019Hollywood and African Prestigious AwardsHimself/HostMain Host
TransitionsKodjoeEpisode: "Nigerian Nightmare"
Dr. BlacksonDr. BlacksonMain Cast
2020Casting One Mo' ChanceHimself/JudgeMain Judge: Season 1
2021VH1 Couples RetreatHimselfMain Cast: Season 1
MTV Cribs HimselfEpisode: "Michael Blackson/Ashlee Simpson & Evan Ross/Johnny Weir"
2022 Sherman's Showcase FadaEpisode: "Sherman From Africa: Live from Lagos"
2023The Michael Blackson ShowMr. Michael BlacksonMain Cast

Music Videos

YearSongArtist
2008"Dat Baby Don't Look Like Me"Shawty Put featuring Lil Jon and Too Short
2014"Sugar Daddy"LeLe XO
2020"Czar" Busta Rhymes featuring M.O.P.

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References

  1. Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (June 5, 2012). "#MyNameWasSupposedToBe Kojo Bediako but immigration told me they couldn't pronounce it" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 via Twitter.
  2. Michael, Blackson [@MichaelBlackson] (April 4, 2012). "The 1st 1 in da NYC area dat can tell me what day of da week I was born gets 2 tickets. Hint, My middle name is kojo" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 via Twitter.
  3. Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (May 10, 2012). "I was born in west Africa, my mom had me on the plane between Ghana n Liberia, I'm Ghaberian" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 via Twitter.
  4. 1 2 "Michael Blackson Becomes U.S. Citizen, Says It's a Dream Come True". TMZ. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  5. Blackson, Michael [@MichaelBlackson] (October 11, 2011). "If u r in Liberia please go to klara town which is part of monrovia n give my cousin $90, he just called me" (Tweet). Retrieved November 6, 2023 via Twitter.
  6. "Michael Blackson on Instagram: "This is the first time I'm showing ya a pic of my real dad. I'm not sure what happened between him and my mom but my sister has been in…"". Instagram. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved June 20, 2021.
  7. Michael Blackson Addresses His Haters, Trashes Kevin Hart + More, archived from the original on December 15, 2021, retrieved June 20, 2021
  8. "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  9. "Modasucka. Welcome to America" . Retrieved October 23, 2018 via Amazon.
  10. "P. Diddy Presents the Bad Boys of Comedy DVD news: The HBO Show with Underground Comedians Doin' Their Thing Comes to DVD Soon - TVShowsOnDVD.com". November 4, 2008. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2018.
  11. "Friday finale of Martin Lawrence Presents 1st Amendment on Starz". Monsters and Critics. September 10, 2009. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  12. "'Shaquille O'Neal Presents: All-Star Comedy Jam - Live from Dallas" (Press release). Prnewswire.com. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
  13. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine : "Akon - Wakonda (Official Video)". YouTube .
  14. "Comedian Michael Blackson proposes to girlfriend on 'The Breakfast Club'". TheGrio. July 22, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  15. Patrick Magee (December 21, 2012). "Eli Apple is still roasted by Saints fans, and his uncle, Michael Blackson, understands why". nola.com. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  16. "Blackson opens school in Ghana in January 2023". January 7, 2023.