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Faizon Love
Love in 2005
Born
Langston Faizon Santisima

(1968-06-14) June 14, 1968 (age 55)
NationalityAmerican
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
Years active1987–present

Faizon Andre Love (born Langston Faizon Santisima; June 14, 1968) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his roles in the comedy films The Meteor Man, Don't Be a Menace, Friday, B*A*P*S, Elf, The Replacements, Made, Mr Bones, and Couples Retreat, as well as the voice of Sean "Sweet" Johnson in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and his role as Wendell Wilcox on The Parent 'Hood.

Early life

Love was born Faizon Andre Love [1] in Santiago de Cuba on June 14, 1968. He has described himself as a military brat who was raised in Southeast San Diego, California and Newark, New Jersey because of his father's career in the U.S. Navy. [1] He graduated from Morse High School in Southeast San Diego.

Career

Love got his start as a stand-up comedian at age 15 and made his acting debut in an off-Broadway at the age of 19. [2] His film debut, Bebe's Kids, saw him provide the voice of comedian Robin Harris, who died before production began on the film; Love offered a close vocal impression of Harris. He then had a role in The Meteor Man, starring Robert Townsend. Townsend then cast Love in a co-starring role on his sitcom The Parent 'Hood.

He followed up this role with a breakout performance as the drug supplier Big Worm in the 1995 film Friday. Follow-up films have included 3 Strikes, Elf, Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood, Money Talks, Wonderland, The Fighting Temptations, and Idlewild. [3] [4] [5] [6] In 2001, Love guest-starred in the Ludacris single "Freaky Thangs" from the album Word of Mouf. The same year, he made a cameo appearance as a bus driver, in the music video for Lil Jon & The East Side Boys' single " Put Yo Hood Up".

Love lent his voice to the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), portraying Sean "Sweet" Johnson, the leader of the Grove Street Families and the older brother of the game's protagonist. He co-starred in Couples Retreat (2009), a comedy film chronicling four couples who partake in therapy sessions at a tropical island resort. [7]

In 2012, he played Stringer Bell in a satirical trailer for The Wire: The Musical. In June of that year, he started to appear in a series of commercials for Boost Mobile, promoting its new 4G phones.

Controversy and arrest

In 2014, Love posted a series of controversial tweets in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby. Defending Cosby against the charges, he used profanity and racial slurs against Cosby's accusers as well as comedian Hannibal Buress, who had been credited with bringing wider attention to the allegations in a stand-up routine. [8] [9] In 2015, Love once again posted tweets in defense of Cosby, dismissing his fellow African-Americans who believed the allegations as "spineless monkeys". [10]

On March 7, 2017, Love was arrested on a charge of misdemeanor assault in Columbus, Ohio. An altercation with a valet had occurred at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, with video evidence showing Love grabbing the valet behind the neck in the baggage claim area and throwing him onto the ground and into a desk. Love pled not guilty, [11] but later pled no contest and received a $500 fine and a 180-day suspended jail sentence. [12]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1992 Bebe's Kids Robin Harris (voice)
1993 The Meteor Man Maurice, Screaming Woman's Husband
1994 Fear of a Black Hat Jam Boy
1995 Friday Big Worm
1996 Don't be a Menace Rufus
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate Manny
1997 B*A*P*S Tiger J
Money Talks Cellmate
1998 The Players Club Officer Peters
2000 3 Strikes Tone
The Replacements Jahmal Abdul Jackson
2001 Inhumanity - Video
Made Horrace
Mr Bones Fats Pudbedder
2002 Play'd: A Hip Hop Story Domino Breed TV movie
Blue Crush Leslie
2003 Wonderland Greg Diles
The Fighting Temptations Luther Washington
Elf Wanda
Ride or Die David Rabinawitz Video
2004 Torque Sonny
2005 The Luau Hustle
Animal Double T Video
2006 Just My Luck Damon Phillips
All You've Got Coach Harlan TV movie
Idlewild Sunshine Ace
2007 Who's Your Caddy? Big Large
The Perfect Holiday Jamal
2008 Of Boys and Men Roman
Days of Wrath Cash Flow
2009 A Day in the Life "Black" Ike Smith
Steppin: The Movie -
Couples Retreat Shane
2010 Life as We Know It Cab Driver
2011 Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son Kurtis Kool
King of the Underground Faizon
Zookeeper Bruce the Bear (voice)
The Cookout 2 David Turner TV movie
Budz House Big Shitty
2012 The Wire: The Musical Russell 'Stringer' Bell Short
The Paperboy Comedian
2013 White T Anthony
2014 Matthew 18 Lifton Tyler
Tell Dwight Johnson
2015 November Rule Theo
Brotherly Love Uncle Ron
2016 She's Got a Plan Dr. Funkman
2017 Grow House Rollin Reg
Ripped Reeves
2018 Bad Paramedics Craig Short
2020 Bulletproof 2 Jack Carter
She Ball Big Meat Tuna
The War with Grandpa David
2021 Fuck Child Support the Animated Movie Mr. Mack Short
2022 Block Party Gus
Santa Games Santa Charles
2023 The Sandlerverse 2 Bruce The Bear Short
Prince of Detroit Teddy Hall
Back on the Strip Desmond 'Da Body' Day
The Last Stop in Yuma County Vernon

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1992 An Evening at the Improv Himself Episode: "Episode #10.14"
1993 Def Comedy Jam Himself Episode: "Episode #3.5"
1995 What a Cartoon! Sledgehammer O' Possum (voice) Episode: "Sledgehammer O'Possum: Out and About"
1995-98 The Parent 'Hood Wendell Wilcox Recurring Cast: Season 1, Main Cast: Season 2–4
1996 The Wayans Bros. Nigel Lovejoy Episode: "Mama, I Wanna Act"
2002-05 Dinner for Five Himself Recurring Guest
2004 The Big House Warren Cleveland Main Cast
That's So Raven Cyrus Episode: "Radio Heads"
2007 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Coach Episode: " The Gang Gets Invincible"
2008 Black Poker Stars Invitational Himself Main Guest
2009 My Name Is Earl Reverend Greene Episode: "Gospel"
2013 Big Morning Buzz Live Himself/Panelist Episode: "Maggie Q/Joan & Melissa Rivers/Cast of '21 & Over'"
Mr. Box Office Big Whane Episode: "There Goes the Neighborhood"
2013-16 Real Husbands of Hollywood Himself Recurring Cast: Season 1 & 4-5, Guest: Season 2
2015-17 Black-ish Sha Guest Cast: Season 2-3
2017 Wild 'N Out Himself/Team Captain Episode: "Faizon Love/2 Milly"
Hip Hop Squares Himself/Panelist Recurring Guest
The New Edition Story Maurice Starr Episode: "Part 1"
2018 Detroiters Farmer Zack Episode: "Farmer Zack"
2018-22 Step Up: High Water Al Baker Main Cast
2023 The Upshaws Terry Episode: "Thera Please"

Music Videos

Year Song Artist Role
1995 " Keep Their Heads Ringin'" Dr. Dre Thief
2003 " Gossip Folks" Missy Elliott featuring Ludacris Teacher
2004 " Roses" Outkast Himself
2005 " We Belong Together" Mariah Carey Minister
2012 "Ring Finger" Lil Playy Father
2016 "Drum Machine" Big Grams featuring Skrillex Bike Cop

Video Game

Year Title Role Notes
2004 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Sean "Sweet" Johnson Voice role
2021 Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition Sean "Sweet" Johnson Archival recordings; remaster of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas only

Documentary

Year Title
2009 Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy

References

  1. ^ a b Williams, Kam (October 7, 2009). "Interview: After Playing on the New York Giants for two years, Faizon Love". DallasBlack.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved October 9, 2009.
  2. ^ "Hope full of Love tonight". Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  3. ^ "The Cast". The Replacements. Warner Bros. 2000. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  4. ^ "Just My Luck" (PDF). Regency Entertainment. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 14, 2006. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  5. ^ "Family Tree". The Big House. ABC. April 2004. Archived from the original on March 18, 2004. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  6. ^ Ryan, Tim (January 28, 2002). "Big screen wave riders". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved January 13, 2007.
  7. ^ Trio of Ladies Going on Couples Retreat at TV Guide. October 15, 2008. Retrieved on October 15, 2008.
  8. ^ Callahan, Yesha (November 24, 2014). "Faizon Love Had a Profanity Laced Twitter Meltdown as He Showed Support for Bill Cosby". The Root. Archived from the original on January 4, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  9. ^ "Faizon Love supports Bill Cosby, calls Hannibal Buress a house N***a". The Grio. November 22, 2014.
  10. ^ Rogers, Jazmine Denise (July 7, 2015). "Faizon Love Slams Blacks Over Bill Cosby Outrage". Madame Noire.
  11. ^ "Faizon Love arrested in Ohio after airport altercation". Fox News Entertainment. Associated Press. March 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Actor Faizon Love gets suspended sentence in assault case". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2021.

External links