Emmanuel Lewis

Emmanuel Lewis (born March 9, 1971) is an American retired actor who played the title character in the sitcom Webster. He was one of American television's biggest stars in the mid-1980s.

Early life, family and education Lewis was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, to mother Margaret Lewis. He is one of four siblings (sister Lizzie and brothers Roscoe and Christopher). He and his older brother Christopher learned to tap dance and performed onstage, including a televised performance beside Jerry Lewis at his 1985 MDA Labor Day Telethon.

He attended public schools in Brooklyn, Lewis was unusually short, reaching only at age 12, which enabled him to play child roles younger than his actual age. At the time, rival network NBC was having ratings success with Diff'rent Strokes, a sitcom that featured a short African-American boy living with a white adoptive parent. Rather than create a new show, ABC added Lewis to a program already in development named Another Ballgame, starring Alex Karras and Susan Clark, and recentered it around Lewis's character, Webster Long, a seven-year-old child orphaned when his parents died in a car accident.

For his role, Lewis was nominated for four Young Artist Awards. He won other awards as well, include three People's Choice Awards, and two Clio Awards, at least one of which was for a Burger King commercial.

On November 9, 2014, Lewis appeared on Ken Reid's TV Guidance Counselor podcast. The episode was recorded live at the Somerville Theatre in Somerville, Massachusetts as part of the 2014 Boston Comedy Festival. He appears in Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz's "I Don't Give A F" video, at the 30-second mark.

Beyond performing Emmanuel Lewis has several businesses, including Emmanuel Lewis Entertainment Enterprises, Inc., the production company that was formed during his youth. Global Entertainment Media Company and Authentically Organic are two of his other endeavors.

He is president of the Radio, Music & Film Alliance of Georgia and chairman of the board of the Thomas W. Dortch Jr. Foundation.

Personal life Lewis's short stature was a noticeable trait, but he eventually grew to in adulthood. He is also a Prince Hall Freemason and a member of W.C. Thomas Lodge #112 F&AM, PHA in Atlanta.

Filmography Webster (1983–1989) (TV series) The Love Boat (1984), episode "Only the Good Die Young" A Christmas Dream (1984) (TV special) Lost in London (1985) (TV) Emmanuel Lewis: My Very Own Show (1987) (TV) The New Adventures of Mother Goose (1995) (TV) In the House (1996), episode "Close Encounters of the Worst Kind” Family Matters (1997), episodes "Odd Man In" and "Beauty and the Beast" Moesha (1998) (TV) Malcolm & Eddie (1999) (TV) Good vs. Evil (1999), episode "Buried" Weakest Link – TV Child Stars Edition (2001) (TV) The Surreal Life (2003) (TV) Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003) My Super Sweet Sixteen (2005) (TV) One on One (2005) (TV) Kickin' It Old Skool (2007) The Surreal Life: Fame Games (2007) (TV) The Lil Flex Show (2008) (TV)

Discography "City Connection" (シティコネクション, City Konekushon) (July 5, 1981) B side: City Connection (English Version) Lyrics: Mickey Sugar, Composer: Danny Long (pseudonym of Daiko Nagato), arranger: Michel SHIMIN, Yuka Sato "Love is DANDAN" (恋はダンダン, ”Koi wa Dan Dan") (October 5, 1981) Lyrics: Junko Shiratori, composer: Daiko Nagato, arranger: Masao Nakajima