Ving Rhames biography

Synopsis

Early Life

Actor. Born Irving Rameses "Ving" Rhames May 12, 1959, in Harlem, New York City, to parents Reatha and Ernest Rhames. From a young age, Rhames was a conscientious student who was well spoken and earned frequent praise for his good elocution. In ninth grade his English teacher, who saw potential in the young man, steered Rhames toward acting. Inspired by a poetry reading he attended with schoolmates, Rhames auditioned for entrance into New York's prestigious High School for the Performing Arts, and was accepted into the program.

After graduation in 1978, Rhames went on study drama at SUNY Purchase. There he met fellow actor Stanley Tucci, who gave him the nickname "Ving." While he enjoyed the company of his fellow actors at SUNY, Rhames wanted a greater challenge as an actor. He earned a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Drama, and transferred there after his first year at SUNY to study classical theater. He earned his degree from Juilliard in 1983, and went on to perform in Shakespeare in the Park productions.

Breakthrough Role

His first big break came in 1984, when he was chosen to appear in the Broadway production of The Winter Boys opposite Matt Dillon. That same year, he made his television debut in the drama Go Tell It on the Mountain. Ving continued appearing on television through his recurring roles in soap operas such as Another World and Guiding Light. In 1988, he made his big screen premiere in the biopic Patty Hearst, co-starring Natasha Richardson. He continued appearing in films throughout the 80s including Native Son (1986) and the Brian de Palma Vietnam War saga, Casualties of War (1989).

Career Highlights

In 1994, Rhames gained critical acclaim and public appeal for his role as Marsellus Wallace in Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster hit, Pulp Fiction. Not long after, Rhames was cast alongside Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible (1996) and also starred in the drama Con Air (1997). In 1998, Rhames won a Golden Globe for his performance in the HBO biopic Don King: Only in America. Rhames made headlines for the win when he gave his award to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon during the ceremony, saying "I feel that being an artist is about giving, and I'd like to give this to you." Lemmon graciously accepted the award to a standing ovation. Lemmon later told reporters that the event was "...one of the sweetest moments I've ever known in my life." He later tried - unsuccessfully - to give the award back to Rhames. Instead, The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced that they would have a duplicate award prepared for Rhames.

Rhames continued working in film throughout the 90s, appearing in movies such as Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Mission: Impossible II (2000), and Dawn of the Dead (2004). In 2006, Rhames reprised his role in Mission: Impossible III, making him the only actor besides Tom Cruise to appear in all three films in the Mission: Impossible franchise.

In addition to his film credits, Rhames also continues to appear frequently on television shows including the