# Reginald Hudlin

Reginald Alan Hudlin (born December 15, 1961) is an American director, screenwriter, and producer. Along with his older brother Warrington Hudlin, he is known as one of the Hudlin Brothers. From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was President of Entertainment for Black Entertainment Television (BET). Hudlin has also written numerous graphic novels. He co-produced the 88th Academy Awards ceremony in 2016 as well as other TV specials.
Hudlin's breakout film was 1990's House Party. He also directed the 1992 film Boomerang. Alongside Warrington, he executive produced the 1994 anthology television film Cosmic Slop, and directed the first of the film's three segments, "Space Traders". Hudlin worked as a producer on the 2012 film Django Unchained, directed by Quentin Tarantino, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.

## Early life

Hudlin was born in Centreville, Illinois, the son of two teachers. Hudlin's older brother, Warrington Hudlin, is also a film director, as well as an actor and producer.
The Hudlins grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois, where the family had deep roots. The Hudlin Brothers are paternal great-great-grandsons of Peter and Nancy Hudlin, who were part of the Underground Railroad. Their great uncle was tennis instructor Richard A. Hudlin, who mentored Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson.
The Hudlins attended Katherine Dunham's Center for the Performing Arts, an experimental school, Warrington for high school and Reginald for after school martial arts classes. Hudlin has said that the experience was formative, and led to his older brother attending Yale University, and his attending Harvard University. In 1979, Hudlin graduated from Assumption Catholic High School in East St. Louis.
While an undergraduate at Harvard University, Hudlin directed his thesis project, a short film called House Party, which received numerous awards including first place at the Black American Cinema Society Awards. The film was inspired by his experience growing up in East St. Louis. In 1983, Hudlin graduated magna cum laude from Harvard with a B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies. His short film thesis was the basis for his first feature film, House Party.

## Career

After college, Hudlin and his brother formed a production company and made music videos for such artists as Heavy D, Jamaica Boys, and others.$^{:234}$ They additionally created the "Hey Love" 1980s TV commercial for a various-artists compilation record, that played regularly on late night TV.
Hudlin directed—with older brother Warrington producing—his first feature-length film, 1990's low-budget teen hip-hop comedy House Party, which starred Kid 'n Play. One of the messages of the film was its promotion of safe sex. The film, distributed by New Line Cinema, was, according to Variety, one of the most profitable films of the decade. New Line wanted to make sequels, but the Hudlins did not feel the compensation or deals were adequate.$^{:446}$
Hudlin directed 1992's Boomerang, again with older brother Warrington producing. The film was a big-budget romantic comedy that starred Eddie Murphy, who had a term deal at Paramount Pictures and hired the Hudlin Brothers because he liked House Party. It starred an all-black cast that included Robin Givens, Halle Berry, Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier, and Chris Rock. Boomerang was based on an original idea by Murphy and was written by Saturday Night Live writers Barry W. Blaustein and David Sheffield.
A celebration of the 25th anniversary of Boomerang's release was held on July 1, 2017, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., with a conversation between Hudlin and producer George Alexander.
In 1992, while making Boomerang, Hudlin wrote the animated film, Bebe's Kids, which was championed by Paramount's Brandon Tartikoff, and was made in memory of comedian Robin Harris, who had died in 1990.
In 1994, the Hudlin Brothers produced the HBO anthology television film Cosmic Slop, of which Hudlin directed the segment "Space Traders". The segment is an adaptation of the short story "The Space Traders" by Derrick Bell, found in Bell's book Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism.
He then directed The Great White Hype, The Ladies Man, Serving Sara (2002), two episodes of the TV series Modern Family, an episode of The Office, an episode of The Middle, and several episodes of Outsourced. He was also a recurring producer and director of The Bernie Mac Show for three years.
From 2005 to 2008, Hudlin was the President of Entertainment for BET. Notable shows shepherded by Hudlin at that time included the documentary series American Gangster and Sunday Best, a gospel-music singing-competition show. Hudlin created The BET Honors and the BET Hip Hop Awards.
Hudlin wrote the Marvel Comics series Black Panther from 2005 to 2008, including the 2006 storyline "Bride of the Panther," which saw the character marry X-Men leader Storm.
Hudlin was a producer of Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained, starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson. On January 10, 2013, Hudlin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture for the film.
Since 2013, Hudlin has been executive producer of the NAACP Image Awards.
In 2014, Hudlin produced the Black Movie Soundtrack celebration of Black music in movies, held at Los Angeles' Hollywood Bowl and hosted by Craig Robinson. Black Movie Soundtrack II, also hosted by Robinson, was held in 2016.
In 2015, DC Comics announced that Hudlin and artists Denys Cowan and Derek Dingle would be part of the relaunch of the publisher's Milestone Media imprint, founded by Cowan, Dingle and Dwayne McDuffie. The comic line returned in September 2020 with the Hudlin-penned Milestone Returns #0.
In 2015, Hudlin joined the board of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, a non-profit organization founded in 1986 chartered to protect the First Amendment rights of the comics community.
By June 2017, Hudlin had been hired to direct a movie based on the comic Shadowman. That October, Hudlin's film Marshall, about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American U.S. Supreme Court justice, starring Chadwick Boseman, was released.
Hudlin contributed a story to the Black Panther Annual #1, released in February 2018. By July the following year, Hudlin had been hired to direct the Walt Disney Pictures film Safety for Disney+.
In June 2021, the French website LivresHebdo said Reginald Hudlin is to direct a movie based on the comics Cinq branches de coton noir [fr], written by Yves Sente and drawn by Steve Cuzor [fr].
On July 12, 2021, it was announced that Hudlin along with Ian Stewart will the executive producers for the 73rd Emmy Awards which will have a live audience on September 19, 2021, on CBS.

## Personal life

In 2002, Hudlin married Chrisette Hudlin (née Suter), a public relations consultant, in Montego Bay, Jamaica. They have two children.
Reginald Hudlin's lawyer at the time was Doug Emhoff. In 2013, Chrisette Hudlin set up Emhoff on a blind date with then-Attorney General of California and former Vice-President, Kamala Harris.

## Filmography
### Feature films

| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
| 1990 | House Party | Yes | No | Yes | |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Yes | No | No | |
| 1992 | Bebe's Kids | No | Executive | Yes | Also songwriter ("I Ain't Havin' It", "Freedom Song", "Straight Jackin'") |
| 1996 | The Great White Hype | Yes | No | No | |
| 2000 | The Ladies Man | Yes | No | No | |
| 2002 | Serving Sara | Yes | No | No | |
| 2017 | Marshall | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2019 | The Black Godfather | Yes | No | No | Documentary |
| 2020 | Safety | Yes | No | No | |
| 2022 | Sidney | Yes | Executive | No | Documentary |
| 2023 | Candy Cane Lane | Yes | No | No | |
Producer only
* Ride (1998)
* Django Unchained (2012)
* Burning Sands (2017)
* Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank (2022) (Executive Producer)
* House Party (2023) (Executive Producer)

#### Acting roles

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1986 | She's Gotta Have It | Dog 4 |
| 1990 | House Party | Burglar #1 |
| 1992 | Boomerang | Street Hustler |
| 1993 | Posse | Reporter 31 |
| 1996 | Joe's Apartment | Rodney Roach (voice) |
| 2000 | The Ladies Man | Aloysius |
Documentary Appearances
* Milestone Generations (2022) (Associate Producer)

### Short films

| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
| 1983 | House Party | Yes | Yes |
| 1985 | Reggie's World of Soul$^{:234}$ | Yes | No |
| 1986 | The Kold Waves$^{:234}$ | Yes | No |

### Television

| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Writer | Notes |
| 1994 | Cosmic Slop | Yes | No | No | TV movie; segment: "Space Traders" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Yes | No | No | Episode: "When Worlds Colitis" |
| 2002–2005 | The Bernie Mac Show | Yes | Yes | No | 11 episodes |
| 2005 | Richard Pryor: The Funniest Man Dead or Alive | Yes | Executive | No | Documentary film |
| 2005 | Everybody Hates Chris | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Everybody Hates the Pilot" |
| 2007 | Wifey | Yes | No | No | TV movie |
| 2009 | Raising the Bar | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Making Up Is Hard to Do" |
| 2009 | The Middle | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Christmas" |
| 2009 | The Office | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Koi Pond" |
| 2009–2010 | Modern Family | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Fears", "Come Fly with Me" |
| 2010 | Better Off Ted | Yes | No | No | Episode: "The Great Repression" |
| 2010 | Sons of Tucson | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Father's Day" |
| 2010 | Marvel's Black Panther | No | Executive | Yes | Also developer; actor as President (voice) in episode "To the End" |
| 2010–2011 | Outsourced | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Temporary Monsanity", "The Todd Couple" |
| 2010–2012 | Psych | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Ferry Tale" and "True Grits" |
| 2011 | Friends with Benefits | Yes | No | No | Episode: "The Benefit of Being Shallow" |
| 2012 | Are We There Yet? | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "The Expensive Purse Episode", "The Master of Ceremonies Episode", "The Quarantine Episode" |
| 2013 | Bones | Yes | No | No | Episode: "The Party in the Pants" |
| 2013 | How to Live with Your Parents (For the Rest of Your Life) | Yes | No | No | Episode: "How to Run the Show" |
| 2014–2015 | Bad Judge | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Knife to a Gunfight", "Lockdown" |
| 2014–2015 | Marry Me | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Stand by Me", "Change Me" |
| 2014–2015 | Murder in the First | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Punch Drunk", "State of the Union", "Bruja Blanca" |
| 2015 | Weird Loners | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Weird Knight" |
| 2015 | New Girl | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Panty Gate" |
| 2015 | Telenovela | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Evil Twin" |
| 2016 | Heartbeat | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Backwards" |
| 2016 | Angel from Hell | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Angel Appreciation Day" |
| 2016 | Uncle Buck | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "I Got This", "Going to Jail Party" |
| 2019 | Black Monday | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "295", "243" |
| 2019 | The Last O.G. | Yes | No | No | Episodes: "Criminal Minded", "Your Mom's in My Business", "Fight the Power" |
Executive producer only
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 2005–2008 | The Boondocks | 31 episodes |
| 2006 | Somebodies | Executive in charge of co-productions |
| 2008 | Brothers to Brutha | Network executive |
| 2017 | Blue & Green | TV movie |

#### TV specials

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1994 | The Last Days of Russell | Co-executive producer, director, writer |
| 2006 | Bring That Year Back 2006: Laugh Now, Cry Later | Network executive producer |
| 2006 | BET Hip Hop Awards | Executive in charge of production |
| 2008 | The BET Honors | Executive in charge of production |
| 2010 | Burr and Hart | Director |
| 2013–present | NAACP Image Awards | Executive producer |
| 2014 | Governors Awards | Executive producer |
| 2016 | 88th Academy Awards | Producer |
| 2016 | Showtime at the Apollo | Executive producer |
| 2020–2022 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Executive producer |

## Awards

* 1986: Black American Cinema Society (film archives of the Western States Black Research Center), Black Independent Video and Film-maker's Awards, $1,500 first prize for House Party (short)
* 1990: Sundance Film Festival, Filmmakers Trophy for House Party
* 1990: Sundance Film Festival, Grand Jury Prize for House Party – nominee
* 1990: Deauville Film Festival, Critics Award for House Party – nominee
* 1991: Film Independent Spirit Award, Best First Feature for House Party – nominee
* 1991: Film Independent Spirit Award, Best Director for House Party – nominee
* 1995: CableACE, Dramatic or Theatrical Special for Cosmic Slop
* 2012: American Film Institute Awards 2012 for Django Unchained, Top 10 Films
* 2013: Academy Award for Best Picture for Django Unchained – nominee
* 2013: Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama for Django Unchained – nominee
* 2013: PGA Awards, Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures for Django Unchained – nominee
* 2015: Comic Con, Icon Award
* 2016: African-American Film Critics Association, Salute to Excellence Award
* 2016: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program for 88th Academy Awards – nominee
2021: Recipient of (Miami University of Ohio) Miami's Summer of ‘64 Award for his contributions in bringing the Black image to screen.

## Leadership and membership

* UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, Board Member
* Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Board of Governors

## Works and publications

Comics
* McGruder, Aaron; Hudlin, Reginald; Baker, Kyle (illustrations) (2004). Birth of a Nation: A Comic Novel. New York: Crown Publishers. ISBN 978-1-400-08316-9. OCLC 54857618.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Romita Jr., John (penciler); Janson, Klaus (inker); White, Dean (colors) (2005). Black Panther: Who is the Black Panther. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-11748-3. OCLC 780282040.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Tan, Billy (pencils); Buckingham, Mark (pencils) (2005). Marvel Knights Spider-Man [Vol. 04], Wild Blue Yonder. New York: Marvel Comics. ISBN 978-0-785-11761-2. OCLC 830159672. – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Marvel Knights Spider-man #13-18
* David, Peter; Straczynski, J. Michael; Hudlin, Reginald; Wieringo, Mike (artist); Deodato, Mike (artist); Lee, Pat (artist) (2006). Spider-Man: The Other. New York: Marvel Pub. ISBN 978-0-785-12188-6. OCLC 62714568.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Eaton, Scot (pencils) (2006). Black Panther: The Bride (Direct ed.). New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12107-7. OCLC 948817543.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Eaton, Scot (penciler); Garcia, Manuel (penciler); Turnbull, Koi (penciler); To, Marcus (penciler) (2007). Black Panther: Civil War. New York, NY: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12235-7. OCLC 144224099.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Portela, Francis (pencils) (2007). Black Panther: Four the Hard Way. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12655-3. OCLC 751756495. – Contains material originally published in single magazine form as: Black Panther #26-30
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Portela, Francis (penciler); Rodriguez, Carlos (penciler); Sharpe, Kevin (penciler); Cafu (penciler); Portela, Francis (inks); Hennessy, Bit & Andrew (inks); Staples, Val (colors) (2008). Black Panther: Back to Africa. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12452-8. OCLC 540015636. – Also includes Black Panther: Black to the Future
** Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Stroman, Larry (pencils); Lashley, Ken (pencils); Paris, Roland (inks); Cuevas, Carlos (inks); Sibal, Jon (inks); Milla, Matt (colors); Staples, Val (colors); Petit, Cory (letters) (2008). Black Panther: Black to the Future. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12452-8. OCLC 540015636.
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Portela, Francis (art) (2008). Black Panther: Little Green Men. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-12657-7. OCLC 191890888. – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Black Panther #31-34
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Neary, Paul (inks); Lashley, Ken (pencils) (2009). Black Panther: The Deadliest of the Species. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-13342-1. OCLC 765104721. – Collecting Black Panther #1-6
* Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Cowan, Denys (pencils) (2010). Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of Our Fathers. New York: Marvel Worldwide. ISBN 978-0-785-14401-4. OCLC 780283834.
* Maberry, Jonathan (writer); Hudlin, Reginald (writer); Conrad, Will (art) (2010). Black Panther: Power. New York: Marvel. ISBN 978-0-785-13861-7. OCLC 437299872. – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Black Panther #7-12
* Tarantino, Quentin (adapted from the original screenplay by); Hudlin, Reginald (adaptation); Guéra, R.M. (art by); Latour, Jason (art by); Cowan, Denys (art by); Žeželj, Danijel (art by); Floyd, John (art by) (2014). Django Unchained. New York: Vertigo. ISBN 978-1-401-24709-6. OCLC 877860979. – Originally published in single magazine form in Django Unchained #1-7
* Maberry, Jonathan (writer); Hudlin, Reginald (writer; Conrad, Will (artist); Eaton, Scot (artist); Moll, Shawn (artist); Gugliotta, Gianluca (artist) (2017). Black Panther: Doomwar. New York: Marvel Worldwide, Inc. ISBN 978-1-302-90416-6. OCLC 951950784. – Contains material originally published in magazine form as Doomwar #1-6
Selected writing
* Hudlin, Reginald (September 10, 2000). "If It's a Question of Money . . ". Los Angeles Times.
* Hudlin, Reginald (January 21, 2015). "'Django Unchained' Producer on 'Selma' Oscar Snubs: Did Voters Have "Racial Fatigue"? (Guest Column)". The Hollywood Reporter.