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Gina Prince-Bythewood

Highest Rated: 94% The Woman King (2022)

Lowest Rated: 22% Biker Boyz (2003)

Birthday: Jun 10, 1969

Birthplace: Not Available

Before making a splash at 2000's Sundance Film Festival with her debut feature "Love & Basketball," writer-director Gina Prince-Bythewood worked in television, helming and penning episodes of series including NBC's "A Different World" and The WB's "Felicity." This UCLA graduate began working on "A Different World" in 1992 and saw three of her scripts on the small screen that season. She served as story editor of 1994's "South Central" (Fox) and wrote one of the comedy/drama series' ten aired episodes. Prince-Bythewood returned to NBC, where she was the executive story editor of the NBC courtroom drama "Sweet Justice" (1994-95). Here she also proved her writing skills, penning a pair of compelling and memorable episodes. She stayed with the courtroom drama genre after the demise of "Sweet Justice," co-producing and writing episodes of the short-lived CBS series "Courthouse" (1995). In 1995, Prince-Bythewood made her TV directing debut with the "CBS Schoolbreak Special" presentation "What About Your Friends?." A drama about three middle-class African-American teenage girls and their post-high school plans, the program featured sympathetic, multidimensional characters and was emotionally credible. Prince-Bythewood's fresh, even-handed style also helped to set the tone for the college-set drama "Felicity." She served as a consulting producer on the series, and wrote one of the series' most honestly affecting and believable episodes, where adopted Julie (Amy Jo Johnson) finds for her birth mother. Prince-Bythewood's own upbringing (adopted into a predominately Caucasian family at six months old) may have informed her sensitive and realistic portrayal of Julie's search, much as her love of sports surely enriched her feature debut, the time-spanning, court-set romance "Love and Basketball." Written and directed by Prince-Bythewood, the uniquely appealing romance starred Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan as the athletes in love. Prince-Bythewood won notice and acclaim for her Spike Lee co-produced debut, the African-American woman standing out in a field still overwhelming dominated by white males. Prince-Bythewood followed up "Love & Basketball" with an HBO-produced adaptation of Terry McMillan's popular novel "Disappearing Acts" (2000). A passionate and touching Brooklyn, New York-set romance, "Disappearing Acts" chronicled the unlikely and often tumultuous relationship between an intelligent but uninspired construction worker (Wesley Snipes) and an ambitious music teacher seeking a singing career (Sanaa Lathan). McMillan's multidimensional characters would benefit from Prince-Bythewood's proven ability to bring remarkably convincing human portrayals to the screen.

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Highest rated movies

94% 99% The Woman King
Watchlist
85% 95% Love & Basketball
Watchlist
83% 75% Beyond the Lights Watchlist 80% 70% The Old Guard Watchlist 71% 70% Nappily Ever After Watchlist
69% 87% The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat
Watchlist
60% 85% Disappearing Acts
Watchlist
60% 78% The Secret Life of Bees
Watchlist
22% 54% Biker Boyz
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
69% 87% The Supremes at Earl's All-You-Can-Eat Screenwriter - 2024
94% 99% The Woman King Director $67.1M 2022
80% 70% The Old Guard Director - 2020
71% 70% Nappily Ever After Screenwriter - 2018
83% 75% Beyond the Lights Director,
Screenwriter
$14.6M 2014
60% 78% The Secret Life of Bees Director,
Screenwriter
$37.8M 2008
22% 54% Biker Boyz Producer $21.7M 2003
60% 85% Disappearing Acts Director - 2000
85% 95% Love & Basketball Director,
Writer
$27.4M 2000

TV

Credit
71% 62% Genius Executive Producer 2024
86% No Score Yet Project Greenlight: A New Generation Executive Producer,
Host
2023
91% 78% Women of the Movement Executive Producer,
Director
2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet What Happens in Hollywood Self 2021
84% 95% Shots Fired Executive Producer 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tavis Smiley Guest 2014
96% 98% Everybody Hates Chris Director 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet Girlfriends Director 2005
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Bernie Mac Show Director 2003
No Score Yet 71% Felicity Writer 1999
No Score Yet No Score Yet Courthouse Writer 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Schoolbreak Director,
Writer
1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet South Central Writer 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Different World Writer 1992-1993