Stan Lathan

{{Infobox person

| name = Stan Lathan

| image = Stan Lathan.jpg

| caption = Lathan in 2016

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1945|7|9}}

| birth_place = Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| education = Pennsylvania State University (1967)

| occupation = Director, producer

| children = 5, including Sanaa Lathan

| awards = Two Grammy Awards
Three Primetime Emmy Awards
Tony Award
Peabody Award
Six NAACP Image Awards

| yearsactive = 1969–present

| spouse = Marguerite Lathan (m. 1982 - ) Eleanor McCoy (m.1970–1977)

}}

Stan Lathan (born July 8, 1945) is an American television and film director and television producer.{{Cite web|url = http://nyti.ms/1yAS8Yp|title = Movies & TV - Stan Lathan|date = 2015|access-date = January 18, 2015|website = The New York Times}} He is executive producer and director of BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood.{{cite web|url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/bet-networks-award-winning-comedy-real-husbands-of-hollywood-returns-for-a-third-season-this-fall-2014-08-20|title= BET Networks' Award-Winning Comedy "Real Husbands of Hollywood" Returns for a Third Season This Fall|date = 2014|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = MarketWatch.com}} He has produced and directed numerous stand-up comedy specials starring comedian Dave Chappelle, including Killin' Them Softly, Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, Sticks & Stones, and The Closer.

Early life

The youngest of three boys, Lathan was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the son of Julia Elizabeth (Dunston) and Stanley Edward Lathan.{{Cite news|title=The HistoryMakers Video Archive interview collection presented with Carnegie Mellon Informedia technology}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/stan-lathan-39/|title=The HistoryMakers: Stan Lathan|publisher=The HistoryMakers|access-date = January 18, 2015|date = 2015}} His mother was a clerical employee.{{cite web|url=http://www.archives.com/1940-census/julia-lathan-pa-76649245|title=Julia Lathan in the 1940 Census|date = 2015|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = Archives.com/}} His brothers are William Lathan of New York, a medical doctor,{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/18/nyregion/pursuing-a-boxing-passion-but-as-a-judge.html|title=Pursuing a Boxing Passion, but as a Judge|date = May 18, 1997|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = NYTimes.com/}} and Charles Lewis, a musician living in Phoenix, Arizona.{{cite web|url=http://downtowndevil.com/2014/09/24/61071/jazz-pianist-charles-lewis-celebrates-birthday/|title=State jazz figure Charles Lewis celebrates 81st birthday with party, intimate concert|date = September 24, 2014|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = DowntownDevil.com/}}

Lathan graduated from Overbrook High School in 1963. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in theater at Pennsylvania State University{{cite web|url=http://blackhistory.psu.edu/timeline/stan_lathan_wins_naacp_image_award_for_the_steve_harvey_show|title=African American Chronicles: Black History at Penn State|date = 2015|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = BlackHistory.PSU.EDU/}} in 1967 and moved to Boston to pursue a master's degree from Boston University. In response to the heightened tension surrounding the civil rights movement at that time, he was recruited by television station WGBH-TV in 1968 to help create and direct the country's first magazine show entirely produced by, for, and about African Americans-- Say Brother.{{cite web|url=http://www.thirteen.org/soul/interview-soul-director-stan-lathan/|title=SOUL! Interview: Director Stan Lathan|publisher=WNET New York|date = January 2009|access-date = January 18, 2015|website = Thirteen - WNET - New York Public Media}}

Career

Lathan began directing network television in 1973, when he was brought to Los Angeles to direct multiple episodes of Sanford & Son. He went on to direct Hill Street Blues, Miami Vice, Remington Steele, Cagney & Lacey, Frank's Place, Roc and others. He also directed the 1984 feature film Beat Street for Orion Pictures.{{cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E1DA123BF93BA35755C0A962948260|title = MOVIE REVIEW Beat Street (1984) MOVIE: 'BEAT STREET'|date = June 8, 1984|access-date = February 12, 2015|website = NYTimes.com/|archive-date = February 12, 2015|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150212224924/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F02E1DA123BF93BA35755C0A962948260|url-status = dead}}

In 1989, Lathan partnered with Russell Simmons to create the stand-up comedy franchise Def Comedy Jam on HBO.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/simmons-lathan-media-group-announces-corporate-launch-entertainment-trailblazers-russell-simmons-and-stan-lathan-introduce-new-production-acquisition-and-distribution-model-71356437.html/|title=Simmons Lathan Media Group Announces Corporate Launch: Entertainment Trailblazers Russell Simmons and Stan Lathan Introduce New Production, Acquisition and Distribution Model|access-date = January 18, 2015|date = June 19, 1989|agency = PR Newswire}} This series ran for 8 seasons and showcased many of today's popular television & movie stars.{{cite web|url=http://www.paleycenter.org/the-arrival-of-def-comedy-jam/|title= The Def Jam Generation: The Arrival of Def Comedy Jam|date = 2009|access-date = January 20, 2015|website = The Paley Center for Media}} Lathan received a Peabody Award for the series Def Poetry on HBO in 2003. That same year, Lathan co-produced Def Poetry Jam on Broadway, which won a Tony Award for best special theatrical event and has toured both domestically and internationally.{{cite web|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/spread-the-word-tony-award-winning-def-poetry-jam-launches-tour-in-philadel-115623|title= Spread the Word: Tony Award-Winning Def Poetry Jam Launches Tour in Philadelphia, Oct. 16|date = 2003|access-date = January 20, 2015|website = Playbill.com}}

Lathan has directed the pilots for many sitcoms, including Martin, Moesha, The Parkers, The Steve Harvey Show, Amen, South Central, Cedric the Entertainer Presents, All of Us, Eve, The Soul Man and Real Husbands of Hollywood.

Lathan was the executive producer and director of the stand-up comedy special Dave Chappelle: Killin' Them Softly written by and starring comedian Dave Chappelle. It was Chappelle's first hour-long HBO special, and premiered in 2000. Lathan would go on to produce and direct several more of Chappelle's specials, including For What It's Worth, which was produced in 2004 for Showtime. In 2017, Lathan produced and directed four Chappelle specials for Netflix: The Bird Revelation, Equanimity, The Age of Spin,{{Cite news |date=March 14, 2017 |first=Kate |last=Stanhope |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/dave-chappelle-netflix-trailer-985998/ |title=Dave Chappelle Netflix Specials Get Trailer, Release Date |work=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=2021-04-01 }} and Deep in the Heart of Texas. He also produced and directed Chappelle's fifth Netflix special, Sticks & Stones, which was released in 2019.

He executive produced and directed Cedric the Entertainer: Taking You Higher, a one-hour comedy special for HBO, and It's Black Entertainment, a two-hour musical documentary for Showtime.

Lathan directed dramas for public television's Great Performances, American Playhouse and The American Short Story. For PBS, he directed Alvin Ailey: Memories & Visions and other dance specials featuring the Martha Graham Company, Mikhail Baryshnikov and Agnes de Mille. He directed three seasons of the popular PBS music series, SOUL!, and he was one of the first directors of Sesame Street.

In 2006, Lathan co-created Run's House, a five-season reality series for MTV that spawned a spinoff series, Daddy's Girls. He also co-executive produced Running Russell Simmons, an eight-part series for Oxygen. In 2012, he executive produced and directed The Ruckus, a stand-up series for Comedy Central.{{cite web|url = http://www.rushcommunications.com/entertainment/simmons-lathan-group/|title = Simmons Lathan Media Group|date = 2009|access-date = January 18, 2015|website = Rush Communications|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150119060755/http://www.rushcommunications.com/entertainment/simmons-lathan-group/|archive-date = January 19, 2015|df = mdy-all}}

In 2008, Lathan was the creator and executive producer of Brave New Voices, a seven-part docu-reality series for HBO.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/premiere-screening-of-brave-new-voices-a-new-hbo-series-about-youth-speaks-poets-draws-stars-robert-redford-stan-lathan-benjamin-bratt-peter-bratt-and-dave-eggers-61734762.html|title=Premiere Screening of Brave New Voices, a New HBO Series About Youth Speaks Poets, Draws Stars Robert Redford, Stan Lathan, Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt and Dave Eggers|date = March 24, 2009|access-date = January 20, 2015|agency = PR Newswire}} As a follow-up in 2009, Lathan staged and directed An Evening of Poetry, Music and Spoken Word, hosted by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama in the White House.

Lathan received both the 2003 Diversity Award and the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Caucus for Producers, Writers and Directors.{{cite web|url=http://www.caucus.org/events/diversityaward.html|title=Diversity Award|date = 2012|access-date = June 13, 2016|website = Caucus.org}} He has received six NAACP Image Awards for his achievements in film and television. He was honored in 2014 by the Directors Guild of America for his directing career.{{cite web|url=http://www.dga.org/Events/2014/July2014/AASC_3TVDIRs2014.aspx|title=A Celebration of African American TV Directors|date = May 15, 2014|access-date = January 18, 2015|website = Directors Guild of America}} In 2017, he received the Trailblazer Award from the Apollo Theater in Harlem.{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/2017-apollo-spring-gala-cedric-the-entertainer_us_593af4a4e4b0b13f2c6a429a|title=Cedric The Entertainer Returns to the Apollo Theater To Honor His Hollywood Mentor|last=Williams|first=Brennan|date=June 9, 2017|work=Huffington Post|access-date=2018-02-20|language=en-US}} In 2018, he was nominated for a DGA Award for his direction of the Dave Chappelle comedy special The Age of Spin{{Cite news|url=https://deadline.com/2018/01/dga-awards-tv-nominations-commercials-documentaries-1202240071/|title=DGA Awards: Curtain Raised on TV & Documentary Nominations|last=Pedersen|first=Erik|date=January 10, 2018|work=Deadline|access-date=2018-02-20|language=en-US}} and received a 2018 Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album for the same special and Dave Chappelle's Deep in the Heart of Texas.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/awards/winners-nominees/226|title=Winners|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-11}}

In 2018, Lathan directed Mo Amer's Netflix stand-up comedy special{{Cite web|url=https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/mo-amer-vagabond-netflix-review/|title=Mo Amer is ready for the bright lights in Netflix special, 'The Vagabond'|date=October 10, 2018|website=The Daily Dot|language=en|access-date=2019-01-25}} The Vagabond and Amanda Seales' HBO stand-up comedy special I Be Knowin{{'}}.{{Cite web|url=https://medium.com/hbo-cinemax-pr/amanda-seales-i-be-knowin-debuts-saturday-jan-26-on-hbo-671f204b3de5|title=AMANDA SEALES: I BE KNOWIN' Debuts Saturday, Jan. 26 on HBO|last=PR|first=HBO|date=December 3, 2018|website=Medium|access-date=2019-01-25}}

Lathan executive produced and directed Dave Chappelle's Equanimity{{Citation|title=Dave Chappelle: Equanimity|date=December 31, 2017|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7806998/|access-date=2019-01-25}} (2017) which received a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).

Lathan won another Grammy Award for the 2019 Best Comedy Album for Dave Chappelle's Equanimity and The Bird Revelation.{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/news/dave-chappelle-wins-best-comedy-album-equanimity-bird-revelation-2019-grammys|title=Dave Chappelle Wins Best Comedy Album|date=February 3, 2019|website=GRAMMY.com|language=en|access-date=2019-02-11}}

In 2020, Latham won an Emmy in the Outstanding Directing in a Variety Special for Dave Chappelle's Sticks & Stones. As Executive Producer he also won an Emmy in the Outstanding Variety category for the same film.{{cite news |url=https://www.emmys.com/bios/stan-lathan |title=Stan Lathan |work=Emmys |publisher=Emmys |date=2020-09-21 |accessdate=2024-08-04 }}