Duke Media Entertainment, led by actor, director, producer, writer and humanitarian, Bill Duke, is dedicated to bringing quality Edutainment to audiences around the globe. Formerly Yagya Productions, Duke Media has successfully produced critically acclaimed film and television content for more than 30 years. Additionally, Duke Media is in process of expanding the brand to involve itself in the development of new media technologies, i.e. cellphone apps, games, and virtual world experiences. Since the early 70s, Bill Duke along with industry veterans Michael Shultz and Gordon Parks, have long paved the way for African Americans in the industry.Mr. Duke excels in front of and behind the camera. His acting and directing credits are extensive and include stints on such ground breaking television series as Falcon Crest, Fame, Hill Street Blues, Knotts Landing, Dallas, and New York Undercover. His feature credits include Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Get Rich or Die Trying, Deep Cover, Hoodlum, Predator, Menace II Society and Not Easily Broken, to name a few. He has recently completed production on, Blexicans, a new television pilot that takes a comedic look at a mixed race family. His documentaries, Dark Girls and Light Girls, both NAACP Image Award nominees, aired on OWN and were two of the most successful documentaries on the network.Bill Duke’s invaluable contributions to the industry have been recognized by both his peers and the entertainment community. Appointed by former President Bill Clinton to the National Endowment of Humanities, he was appointed to the Board of the California State Film Commission by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and he has been honored by the Directors Guild of America with a Lifetime Achievement Tribute.
Bill Duke
Movies
Action Jackson
Jericho “Action” Jackson is a Detroit police sergeant who was demoted from lieutenant for almost tearing the arm off of sexually violent sociopath Sean Dellaplane, whose father is Peter Dellaplane, a major car manufacturer. But Dellaplane himself is violent as well. Dellaplane kills his wife Patrice by shooting her. And…
Commando
A retired special agent named John Matrix led an elite unit and has left the armed forces to live in a secluded mountain home with his daughter Jenny. But now he is forced out of retirement when his daughter is kidnapped by a band of thugs intent on revenge! Unbeknownst…
Fun Facts
He is a mentor to young African Americans trying to make it as actors or directors.
Frequently collaborates with Laurence Fishburne.
Appeared in two films opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger: first as a villain in Commando (1985) and second as one of Schwarzenegger's jungle commandos in Predator (1987).
Directed the sequel Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993). Nearly a decade later, he appeared in Red Dragon (2002) with Harvey Keitel, who played the villain of the original Sister Act (1992).
Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1992.
Was considered for the role of Lt. Al Giardello on Homicide: Life on the Street (1993).
Chairperson of the Radio-TV-Film department at Howard University. [2000]
Brother of Yvonne Duke.
Uncle of Nola Hampton.
Cousin of Helen Douglas, and Earl Hansen.
Clint Eastwood's Unforgiven (1992) is his favorite film.
Attended Boston University with Bachelors of Fine Arts.
Friends with Dick Gregory and Danny Glover.
Honoray member of the Phi Beta Sigma fraternity.
Quotes
I've studied different terms of acting, different kinds. However, I could not say that I subscribe to any particular kind of acting. I utilize what I know from real life to create my characters. Acting for me is an opportunity to really live out a number of different lives. To be able to portray those different aspects of yourself sets you free in a lot of ways.
[om being typecast as police officers] Once I figured Hollywood might typecast me as the police officer, I turned to directing. That way, I could wait until an interesting project came along.
There are very few things that you do as an actor that are not part of you on some level. I've been able to get a certain freedom, and since I'm an introverted person, it's a way to act out to a certain extent. The profession allows me to be many different kind s of things that I think I don't have the personal courage to be in my personal life.