Cleavant Derricks

Cleavant Derricks Jr. (born May 15, 1953) is an American actor, singer and songwriter, who may be best known for his role of Rembrandt Brown on Sliders.

Biography Derricks was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, to pianist mother Cecile G. and Baptist preacher/composer Cleavant Derricks Sr., known for his popular gospel music hymn "Just a Little Talk with Jesus". His twin brother is actor and musician Clinton Derricks-Carroll. Derricks began his career as a Nashville gospel songwriter. With his father, he wrote the gospel album Satisfaction Guaranteed. He was the musical director and composer for the musical When Hell Freezes Over I'll Skate.

Derricks went to New York City to study acting with Vinnette Carroll at the Urban Arts Theatre. He received rave reviews for his performance in his Broadway shows, including But Never Jam Today and the 1977 revival of Hair. He also won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical and Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical, for creating the role of James "Thunder" Early in Dreamgirls. Off-Broadway he was in the William Finn musical Romance in Hard Times in 1989. He also starred in the Broadway musical Brooklyn as the Streetsinger.

Soon afterwards, Derricks appeared in films such as Moscow on the Hudson, Neil Simon's The Slugger's Wife and Wes Craven's Carnival of Souls. He was a series regular on the short-lived television series Thea with Thea Vidale and Brandy, and Good Sports with Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal. His role as Rembrandt Brown on Sliders with Jerry O'Connell, Sabrina Lloyd and John Rhys-Davies was the only Sliders character to appear throughout the entire series. In addition, Derricks has had numerous guest-starring roles in series such as Roseanne, A Different World, Miami Vice, Spenser: For Hire, Charmed, and many others.

In 2019, Derricks took over the role of the Wizard of Oz in the 2nd U.S. tour of Wicked. He reprised the role in 2022 on Broadway. In summer 2024, he starred as Joe in Waitress at Ogunquit Playhouse.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role 1981 Fort Apache the Bronx Suspect No. 4 1984 Moscow on the Hudson Lionel Witherspoon 1985 The Slugger's Wife Manny Alvarado 1986 Off Beat Abe Washington 1998 Carnival of Souls Sid 2001 World Traveler Carl 2008 Rome & Jewel Reverend Q

Television Year Title Role Notes 1978 Cindy Michael Simpson TV movie 1979When Hell Freezes Over, I'll Skate TV movie 1982 The Ambush Murders TV movie 1985 Miami Vice David Jones 1 episode 1986 The Equalizer Sonny Raines 2 episodes 1987 CBS Summer Playhouse Marvin Episode: "Mickey and Nora" 1987 Bluffing It Cal TV movie 1987 Spenser: For Hire Mac Dickerson 1 episode 1987 Moonlighting Leonard Haven 2 episodes 1989 Roseanne Tommy 1 episode 1991 A Different World Larry 1 episode 1991 L.A. Law Mark Wright 1 episode 1991 Sibs Officer Milner 1 episode 1991 Good Sports Jeff Mussberger 15 episodes 1991–1992 Drexell's Class George Foster 17 episodes 1992 Woops! Frederick Ross 11 episodes 1993–1994 Thea Charles 19 episodes 1994–1995 Something Wilder Caleb Attucks 3 episodes 1995–2000 Sliders Rembrandt 'Cryin' Man' Brown 87 episodes 1999 Touched by an Angel as Robert Springbelt 1 episode 2000 Charmed Cleavant Wilson 1 episode 2000 18 Wheels of Justice Harold Baines 1 episode 2001 The Practice Nathan Lees 1 episode 2002 The Bernie Mac Show Willie 1 episode 2006 Basilisk: The Serpent King Col. Douglas TV movie 2007 The Wedding Bells Cedric 5 episodes 2007 Cold Case Lloyd 1 episode 2011 Miami Magma Ray Miller TV movie

Discography Dreamgirls: Original Broadway Cast Album (1982) Beginnings (1999) Brooklyn (2004)