Where Are They Now: The Cast of Bamboozled
The film celebrates its 15th anniversary today.
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Bamboozled (2000) - 15 years ago, Spike Lee threw a harsh light on network television's ignorance and prejudices with this film about a Black executive, Pierre Delacroix, who pitches a modern-day minstrel show — complete with blackface — to his network in an effort to get fired. Instead, the show becomes a huge success, driving Delacroix to a breakdown and exposing the TV industry's utter blindness to racial stereotypes. As anyone who has turned on the TV lately knows, the message of the film is as relevant as ever. On the film's 15th anniversary, we look back at the cast and where they are now. (Photo: New Line Cinema, 4 Acres and a Mule Filmworks)
Photo By Photo: New Line Cinema
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Damon Wayans as Pierre Delacroix/Peerless Dothan - After Bamboozled, the In Living Color star returned to the small screen with the ABC sitcom My Wife and Kids, which ran from 2001 to 2005. He went on to do films such as Marci X and Farce of the Penguin, which failed to become commercial successes. He has made appearances in TV shows such as The Underground (2006), Never Better (2008), and Happy Endings (2011). That same year, he added author to his resume as he released a serious fictional novel called Red Hats. Wayans continues to do stand up comedy and has ventured out into the tech world by creating apps with his company, MIMS (Money in My Sleep).(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Savion Glover as Manray/"Mantan" - The elite dancer has dedicated his time after Bamboozled to his choreography. He was the genius behind Mumble’s dancing in Happy Feet and Happy Feet 2 and provided his talent to TV specials such as Barbara Streisand: Timeless, and the 2012 Olympic Games Closing Ceremony. Glover currently has his own production company and is focused on restoring African roots to tap. He founded The Hooferz Club School for Tap for students interested in the dance. (Photo: Kimberly White/Getty Images for Revd)
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Jada Pinkett Smith as Sloan Hopkins - We all know what happened to Mrs. Smith. In the years since Bamboozled, she has become a household name as a movie star, Hollywood wife, producer and activist. She has worked on over 15 films since, most notably The Matrix Reloaded, Madagascar, and Magic Mike XXL. In 2002, Jada founded the metal band Wicked Wisdom for which she is the lead singer. Along with her husband, Will Smith, she founded the Will and Jada Smith Foundation, a charity organization that focuses on inner-city youth and family support. Most recently Jada was seen as the lead in the TNT TV series Hawthorne which aired from 2009 to 2011 and is a current series regular in Fox’s Gotham. (Photo: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
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Tommy Davidson as Womack/"Sleep 'n Eat" - Compared to his co-stars, Tommy has stayed, for the most part, out of the spotlight over the years except for the occasional project or appearance. He voiced the father in Disney Channel’s animated series The Proud Family. His last film was Black Dynamite in 2009. He is currently on tour in the United States performing stand-up. (Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)
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Michael Rapaport as Thomas Dunwitty - A veteran actor with some big- and small-screen classics to his name, Michael has found the most success on television. His appearances include Fresh Prince of Bel Air, MadTV, Raising Hope, and Louie, though he is best known for his roles in Boston Public, Prison Break and Friends. He can also frequently be heard on the Howard Stern Show, especially when the topic of fantasy football comes up. He currently stars in TNT’s Public Morals. (Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for New York Magazine)
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Mos Def as Julius Hopkins/"Big Blak Afrika - The rapper, now known as Yaasin Bey, has successfully balanced his music career and acting since Bamboozled. He has released six studio albums, his latest one in 2009. He was the host of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam from 2002 to 2007. He's also starred in a number of films, including Monster's Ball (2001), Brown Sugar (2002) and Cadillac Records (2008). In 2011, he landed a recurring role in the TV drama series Dexter. He was recently featured in A$AP Rocky’s second studio album, At. Long. Last. ASAP. (Photo: Ollie Millington/Redferns via Getty Images)
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Paul Mooney as Junebug - Mooney found a successful career as a writer after the film, and is best known for his work for Richard Pryor. He wrote for some of Pryor’s Saturday Night Live appearances. In 2006, he hosted BET’S tribute to Black History Month. In 2007, Mooney released a memoir called Black is the New White. His most recent works include writing for Chappelle’s Show and Real Husbands of Hollywood. (Photo: LAN/Corbis)
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Canibus as "Mo Blak" - Bamboozled was one of the few film projects Canibus ever did. He has remained focused on his music career, having released 12 albums. In 2002, he enlisted in the United States Army but was discharged two years later after he was — you guessed it — caught smoking marijuana. In 2012, The Source placed him number 44 on their list of the Top 50 Lyricist of all time. His latest album, Time Flies, Life Dies, Phoenix Rise, was released May 12, 2015. (Photo: Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
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Charli Baltimore as "Smooth Blak" - Charli Baltimore has kept a relatively low profile since the film. She has released several mix tapes over the years. She was originally signed with Murder Inc. but left after constant album delays. She eventually returned to the label in 2008 and released a mixtape in 2011. Since 2012, Charli has gone radio silent, with few appearances or no mentions of any upcoming projects. (Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET)
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