Photo: John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Mario Van Peebles gets me talking. Columbia-educated and genuinely multi-hyphenate, he writes, directs, and acts with equal conviction. On New Jack City he both directed and starred, burning a hard urban reality onto the screen. But what moves me most is Baadasssss!, where he played his own father, Melvin, in a fiercely personal act of cinematic homage. Carrying the legacy of a pioneering film family while forging his own voice in Black cinema is no small inheritance to bear. He is first-rate on either side of the lens, and I genuinely admire the grit of that double act.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mario Van Peebles
- Name (Japanese)
- マリオ・ヴァン・ピーブルズ
- Reading
- まりお・ゔぁん・ぴーぶるず
- Born
- January 15, 1957 (age 69)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Rooster
- Origin
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- film director / television director / television actor / film actor / screenwriter
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Columbia University
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Mario Van Peebles born?
Born January 15, 1957 (age 69).
Where is Mario Van Peebles from?
Mario Van Peebles is from Mexico City, Mexico.
What does Mario Van Peebles do?
Mario Van Peebles works as film director, television director, television actor, film actor, screenwriter.
Film director — see all → · Television director — see all → · More people from Mexico →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-17
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.