Ben Vereen

By ASH2270193

  • Birth of Ben Vereen

    Ben Vereen born 1946, in Miami Florida adopted by James Vereen (a paint-factory worker) and his wife, Pauline Vereen (maid and theatre wardrobe mistress).

  • Education

    From a young age he showed talent for dancing and drama, his mother realized his potential and enrolled him in New York City's High School for the Performing Arts.

  • Adopted

    He discovered he was adopted when seeking for a passport in the late 1960s. His birth certificate listed his given name as Benjamin Augustus Middleton.

  • First Marriage

    First married Andrea Townsley who was 14 while he was 19 from February 1965 to August 1974 and had his first son, Benjamin Vereen Jr.

  • First professional job

    The play Prodigal Son, Directed by Vinnette Carroll, marked Vereen’s first professional job post-high school he was a dancer.

  • After high school

    Attended Emerson College but don't specify the degrees he got. At the age of 21-year-old Vereen auditioned for Bob Fosse's production of Sweet Charity and won the part.

  • Who influenced him

    A person who provided an important role in Vereen life was Sammy Davis, Jr. who he meet during the filming of Sweet Charity in 1968 and became good friends and help him built his career.

  • Tony Award

    He was nominated for a Tony Award for his performance in Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972 and won one for his performance in Pippin in 1973.

  • Second Marriage

    He thought he divorced Andrea and married Nancy Bruner, from 1976 to 2012 but he was still married and had to pay $10,000 to Andrea but ended up divorcing Nancy because he is active Democrat and she wasn't, but had four daughters with her , Karon Vereen, Malaika Vereen, Kabara Vereen, and Naja Vereen.

  • Places he lived in

    While still an infant his family moved north from Miami Florida to Brooklyn, New York and in the early 1980s, Vereen moved with his family to Saddle River, New Jersey. Now lives in Los Angeles CA.

  • Performance at Ronald Reagan's first inauguration

    Ben Vereen performed the first part of the show in blackface style but before to the the end, ABC cut the live performance, causing confusion and outrage among spectators at home. The viewers didn't see the second part which was Vereen being refused service because of his color while trying to buy the Republican elite a congratulatory drink. Vereen's performance was meant to be a critique of Republican civil rights policy, but it was not shown to the television audience.

  • Fame

    In 1985, Vereen co-starred with Gregory Hines in the Faerie Tale Theatre series as Puss in Boots. He played Will Smith's biological father Lou Smith in the episode "Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse" of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and he has made several appearances in the 1980s.

  • Zoobilee Zoo

    It is a kids show, and was something he had been wanting to do for year and was really proud of it, as said in an interview. He played a snow leopard named Mayor Ben.

  • Addiction

    In the year 1987 after the death of his daughter in a car accident, he developed an addiction to cocaine, as a result, he joined a drug rehabilitation clinic in Southern California.

  • His own organization

    Ben Vereen founded "Celebrities for a Drug-Free America" in 1989, which continues to raise funds for drug rehabilitation clinics, educational programs, and inner-city community-based projects. The Community Mental Health Council awarded Ben with their 2004 Lifeline Celebration Achievement Award.

  • Health issues

    He had a stroke in June 1992 as a result of a minor vehicle accident.
    He was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2007 and has a website where he discusses his own story.
    He was in a car accident which injurer his legs and was told he was not going to walk again but with rehabilitation he was able to get back on his feet.

  • Biggest accomplishment

    Vereen's biggest accomplishment came in 1977, when he was nominated for an Emmy for his performance as Chicken George in the TV miniseries Roots.

  • Award

    In 2002, he received the Black Theatre Award. His first love and passion has always been and will always be the stage. “The theater was my first training ground. It taught me discipline, dedication and appreciation of hard work and values that will stay with me a lifetime. The stage sharpens the creative instrument and encourages you to go deeper inside and try new things,” states Ben Vereen.

  • Hall of fame

    Vereen, was elected into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in 2011, is recognized and admired across the world for his musical, dramatic, and humorous appearances on stage, film, and television.

  • Encourage others

    Since the death of his daughter and son, it drove him to seek out to other parents that have been in the same position as him, to encourage them to never give up and to keep on moving forward.