Black, White and Blues

Van Peebles was born in Mexico City, Mexico, the son of writer, director and actor Melvin Van Peebles and German actress and photographer Maria Marx. He graduated from Saint Thomas More School in Connecticut in 1974 and from Columbia University in 1978 with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

Over the next 30 years, Van Peebles starred in and directed many television shows & films with Pam Grier , including Lost, Panther, Ali and New Jack City.

His 2004 biopic BAADASSSSS! describes the making of his father’s seminal film, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. Van Peebles also directed Malcolm Takes a Shot, a CBS Schoolbreak Special about an aspiring high-school basketball-star whose obstacles include epilepsy and a disparaging attitude towards teamwork. Mario gave himself a cameo in the special, as Malcolm’s doctor.

Van Peebles stars on the television show Damages, as Agent Harrison. Van Peebles was first brought on to the FX series to direct a few Season 1 episodes, and was then cast in a small role as an agent. Now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, Harrison will be back for six more episodes in Season 2 (which begins in early 2009). He is also on board to direct new episodes of FX’s new biker drama Sons of Anarchy. He is good friends with fellow actors, Christopher Lambert and Jean Claude Van Damme. Van Peebles and his family embrace green living in a new eco-reality series, Mario’s Green House, which premiered on TV-One September 27, 2009. —wikipedia