Brandon Hammond
{{short description|Actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Brandon Hammond
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Brandon La Ron Hammond
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1984|2|6}}
| birth_place = Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1991–2002 (as an actor)
}}
Brandon La Ron Hammond (born February 6, 1984) is an American former child actor who appeared in several movie and television roles mainly during the 1990s. He appeared in the feature films Waiting to Exhale (1995), Mars Attacks! (1996) and Soul Food (1997). He won an NAACP Image Award for his work in the latter.
On television, Hammond recurred on Western series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman (1996−98) and sitcom The Gregory Hines Show (1997−98). He earned a Young Artist Award nomination after performing in Gregory Hines. He also played the ten year old Michael Jordan in the 1996 family film Space Jam.
Hammond's latest performance was in the television film Our America (2002). In adulthood, Hammond is a filmmaker who writes and directs short films.
Early life
Hammond was born as Brandon La Ron Hammond{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/hammond-brandon-1984|title=Hammond, Brandon 1984–|website=Encyclopedia.com|access-date=October 31, 2022}} on February 6, 1984{{cite news|date=February 6, 2006|title=Today's Birthdays|page=7A|newspaper=Warsaw Times-Union}} in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/21/tv/cover-story-father-sure-but-dancer-in-his-dreams.html|title=COVER STORY; Father, Sure. But Dancer? In His Dreams.|last=Marks|first=Peter|date=September 21, 1997|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 31, 2022}} the son of Alfreda Williams,{{cite news|last=Perkins|first=Ken Parish|date=January 14, 1998|title=Child Actor's Mom Worries About Hollywood's Toll|page=D4|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger}} who managed her son's acting career.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2000/scene/people-news/players-178-1117780735/|title=Players|last=Loggia|first=Cynthia|date=April 19, 2000|website=Variety|access-date=October 31, 2022}}
Career
He made his acting debut at the age of 6, appearing in commercials for Chevrolet and public service announcements. Hammond's first film role was in Menace II Society (1993) where he played the younger version of the main character Caine.{{cite book|page=229|title=Magill's Cinema Annual 1994|last=Magill|first=Frank N.|date=October 1994|publisher=Cengage|isbn= 9780893564131}} He followed this up with roles in Strange Days{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g6zv5YiyHtYC&dq=%22Brandon+Hammond%22+%22Strange+Days%22&pg=PA111|page=111|title=Screen World 1996|last1=Willis|first1=John|author-link1=John A. Willis|last2=Monush|first2=Barry|date=January 1, 1997|publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation|isbn=9781557832528}} and Waiting to Exhale, both released in 1995. Hammond appeared in the horror anthology Tales from the Hood (1995) as Walter,{{cite book|page=168|title=Folklore/Cinema: Popular Film as Vernacular Culture|last1=Koven|first1=Mikel J.|last2=Sherman|first2=Sharon R.|date=September 30, 2007|publisher=Utah State University Press|isbn=9780874216738}} a young boy who is scared of his abusive stepfather.{{cite news|last=Gaul|first=Lou|date=May 28, 1995|title='Tales From Hood' more preachy than scary|page=C11|newspaper=Beaver County Times}} Hammond performed as Marcus Jr. in 1996 television film The Road to Galveston.{{cite book|page=433|title=Movies Made for Television, 1964-2004: 1990-1999|last=Marill|first=Alvin H.|date=2005|publisher=Scarecrow Press}}
In 1996, Hammond appeared in three feature films. Hammond portrayed Sean Rayburn in The Fan,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qZg-CgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Brandon+Hammond%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA168|page=168|title=The Baseball Filmography, 1915 Through 2001|edition=2nd|last=Erickson|first=Hal|date=March 23, 2016|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9781476607856|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)}} the son of Wesley Snipes' character who is kidnapped by Gil (Robert De Niro).{{cite news|last=Horwitz|first=Jane|date=August 23, 1996|title='House' not an arresting effort|page=2-B|newspaper=The Daily News}} He played Neville Williams in Tim Burton's Mars Attacks!{{cite book|page=117|title=The Nevada Filmography: Nearly 600 Works Made in the State, 1897 Through 2000|last=DuVal|first=Gary|date=July 29, 2002|publisher=McFarland & Company|isbn=9780786412716}} and was a young Michael Jordan in Space Jam.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/movies/space-jam-michael-jordan.html|title='Space Jam,' My Dad and Me|last=Marsh|first=Calum|date=July 20, 2021|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 31, 2022}}
Hammond portrayed the character of Ahmad in Soul Food (1997).{{cite magazine|date=15 December 1997|title=Hottest Child Stars on TV and in the Movies|magazine=Jet|volume=93|issue=4|pages=60–64|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|issn=0021-5996|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XsQDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Brandon+Hammond%22&pg=PA60|access-date=24 February 2016}} His performance in this film was well received, with critics describing Hammond as the film's standout actor,{{cite news|last=Philpot|first=Robert|date=September 25, 1997|title='Soul Food' leaves big soapy aftertaste|page=4-B|newspaper=The Daily News}} a natural{{cite news|last=Pendleton|first=Tonya|date=September 26, 1997|title=This film is food for the soul|page=18C|newspaper=Boca Raton News}} and having talent that "far surpasses his age."{{cite news|url=https://newspapers.bc.edu/cgi-bin/bostonsh?a=d&d=bcheights19970929.2.77&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-%22Brandon+Hammond%22------|title=Soul Food cooks up a universal tale of family|page=27|newspaper=The Heights|last=Lane|first=Katherine|date=September 29, 1997}} He was awarded the NAACP Image Award in 1998 for Outstanding Youth Actor as Ahmad.{{cite news|date=February 17, 1998|title='Soul Food' awarded 5 NAACP Image Awards|page=9B|newspaper=The Telegraph-Herald}}
He had a recurring role on the television series Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman during its final two seasons, playing the character of Anthony, an adopted son of Grace and Robert E.{{cite news|date=November 1, 1997|title=Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman|page=D6|newspaper=Lakeland Ledger}} Hammond continued playing the role until Anthony was killed off.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kwsVEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22Brandon+Hammond%22+-wikipedia&pg=PA187|page=187|title=Race in American Television: Voices and Visions that Shaped a Nation|last1=Leonard|first1=David J.|first2=Stephanie|last2=Troutman Robbins|date=January 26, 2021|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9781440843068}} Hammond was Hines' son, Matty Stevenson, in short-lived sitcom The Gregory Hines Show (1997−98).{{cite news|last=Huff|first=Richard|date=January 16, 1998|title=Son is shining on 'The Gregory Hines Show'|newspaper=Rome News-Tribune}} A reviewer for The New York Times opined Hines and Hammond had good chemistry.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/09/15/arts/new-tv-season-in-review-111198.html|title=NEW TV SEASON IN REVIEW|last=Joyner|first=Will|date=September 15, 1997|website=The New York Times|access-date=October 31, 2022}} In 1998, Hammond received two nominations for an Young Artist Award and YoungStar Award in recognition of his acting on Gregory Hines.
Hammond guest starred on various series during the 1990s and early 2000s, including Coach, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Dave's World, Early Edition{{cite book|page=1815|title=Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Television shows|last=Lentz|first=Harris M.|date=2001|publisher=McFarland & Company}} and The West Wing. He appeared in crime drama Blue Hill Avenue (2001).{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8NJbCQAAQBAJ&dq=%22Brandon+Hammond%22+%22Blue+Hill+Avenue%22&pg=PA66|page=66|last1=Berry|first1=S. Torriano|last2=Berry|first2=Venise T.|date=May 7, 2015|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=9781442247024|edition=2nd|title=Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema|author-link1=S. Torriano Berry|author-link2=Venise T. Berry}} Hammond's last role to date was Lloyd Newman in the 2002 Showtime film Our America.{{cite news|last=Crook|first=John|date=July 27, 2002|title=Sundance hit chronicles an inspirational NPR experiment|page=8D|newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner}} He received his third Young Artist Award nomination for acting in Our America.
Following the end of his acting career, Hammond attended Saddleback College, where he submitted a student film titled Summer Blame (2006). His film was nominated at the Newport Beach Film Festival.{{cite news|url=https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=LAR20060411.2.31&srpos=1&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-%22Brandon+Hammond%22-------1|title=Student film focuses on teens in trouble|last=Sollberger|first=Nicole|date=April 11, 2006|page=8|newspaper=The Lariat}} Hammond wrote the short film Amaru, which received the award for best screenwriting at the John Singleton Short Film Competition in 2020.{{cite web|url=https://lasentinel.net/john-singleton-short-film-competition-winners.html|title=John Singleton Short Film Competition Winners|date=March 5, 2020|website=Los Angeles Sentinel|access-date=October 31, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.essence.com/entertainment/soul-food-25-see-the-cast-then-and-now/|title='Soul Food' Turns 25: See The Film's Cast Then And Now|last=Jones|first=Okla|date=September 27, 2022|website=Essence|access-date=October 31, 2022}}
Filmography
=Film=
- 1993 Menace II Society
- 1995 Tales from the Hood
- 1995 Strange Days
- 1995 Waiting to Exhale
- 1996 No Easy Way
- 1996 The Fan
- 1996 Space Jam
- 1996 Mars Attacks!
- 1997 Soul Food
- 2001 Blue Hill Avenue
=Television=
- 1993 Lies and Lullabies (TV movie)
- 1994 Coach (Episode: "Blue Chip Blues")
- 1996–1998 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
- 1997–1998 The Gregory Hines Show
- 1998 Penn & Teller's Sin City Spectacular
- 1998 Early Edition (Episode: 'Hot Day In The Old Town")
- 2000 The West Wing (Episode: "The White House Pro-Am")
- 2002 Our America (TV movie)
=Home video=
- 1994 Mickey's Fun Songs: Campout at Walt Disney World
Awards and nominations
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0358650|name=Brandon Hammond}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hammond, Brandon}}
Category:20th-century African-American male actors
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century African-American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:African-American male child actors
Category:American male child actors
Category:American male film actors