Rob Brown (actor)

Infobox actor
name = Rob Brown
birthdate = birth year and age|1984|3|1
birthplace = city-state|Harlem|New York, U.S.

Rob Brown (born March 11, 1984) is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles in the films "Finding Forrester" (2000), "Coach Carter" (2005), "Take the Lead" (2006), and "The Express" (2008).

Biography

Personal life

Brown was born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where he graduated from Poly Prep in 2002. He is also a member of the academic program Prep for Prep, which provides opportunities for minorities in New York City and its surrounding area. Brown attended Amherst College, where he played football and graduated in 2008. He is the spokesperson for "Light the Night", a walk supporting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Career

Brown shot into the spotlight after starring opposite Sean Connery in the 2000 film "Finding Forrester". He had no acting experience prior to taking this role, neither professional nor amateur. In search of extra money to pay off a $300 cell-phone bill, Brown tried out as an extra after receiving a flyer in the mail. Several callbacks later he won the lead role of Jamal Wallace. Brown earned praise for his role from director Gus Van Sant, despite his lack of previous experience.

In 2005, he played the role of Kenyon Stone, a basketball player for the Richmond High School Oilers in "Coach Carter", starring Samuel L. Jackson. He was one of the lead roles alongside Ashanti.

Brown is cast to play the role of Ernie Davis in the upcoming film "The Express", which is based on the life of the former Heisman Trophy winner and Syracuse University alumnus. In the summer of 1962, Ernie Davis was diagnosed with acute monocytic leukemia. The disease was incurable, and he died the following year at age 23. Production is scheduled to begin in March 2007, with a projected release date of 2008. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0469903/ The Express (2008) ] ]

Volunteerism

In 2008, Rob Brown was named the official spokesman of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's [http://www.lightthenight.org Light the Night Walk] . As spokesman, Brown appears in Light The Night publicity materials and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzwViStlAIk public service announcements] to help spread the word about the program.

Filmography

*"Finding Forrester" (2000), Jamal Wallace
*"The Orphan King" (2005), Tye
*"Coach Carter" (2005), Kenyon Stone
*"Take the Lead" (2006), Rock
*"Stop-Loss" (2008), Isaac "Eyeball" Butler
*"The Express" (2008), Ernie Davis

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0114532|name=Rob Brown
*amg name|2:281308|Rob Brown
* [http://www.leukemia-lymphoma.org The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society]
* [http://www.lightthenight.org/site/c.itJZJ7MOIwE/b.1425549/ Rob Brown's Light the Night Walk page]