User:Violet Rose/sandbox

Mara Brock Akil page could use a inspiration section explaining what other African American women behind the camera inspirie her

Her page could also link to pages of other African American producers, directors, etc.

Unlink the TV Series she has worked on and make an separate Television section Add Writer/Producer section

Maybe a Future Projects page

Add an Other Works section, has she worked in film, theatre.

Before the Awards and Nominations section add a TV Series section including a table that highligts the shows she has worked on, the year, her role for series, and any accoladed about that show worth mentioning

added some bold text

Mara Brock Akil (Born: Mara Dionne Brock) was born in Los Angeles,[1][2] California and was raised primarily in Kansas City. She graduated from Raytown South High School in 1988. She is also a graduate of Northwestern University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. Akil knew that with many students from her high school planning to attend the University of Missouri for a higher education, she wanted to do something different. Northwestern became the only college Akil applied to, explaining to the Medill at Northwestern "I wanted to go to the best journalism school," she say. "Despite the cost, my mom let me follow my dreams." After she graduated college in 1992, Akil decided to bypass a career in journalism and began working as a manager at the Howard Street Gap in Chicago, while looking for opportunties to work within Chicago's entertainment industry. She was fortunate to secure the role of Ms. Moore in the 1994 film With Honors, after taking a screenwriting class at Northwestern Akil already had her mind set on working behind the scenes. Brock returned to Los Angeles to start her career.[3]

Career [edit | edit source]

Brock Akil first began her career in 1994 writing for the critically acclaimed but short-lived Fox series South Central. In 1999, she served as supervising producer and writer on The Jamie Foxx Show after writing for Moesha for four seasons. In 2000, Brock Akil created and executive produced (along with Kelsey Grammer) another UPN series Girlfriends.[4] She also created and executive produced Girlfriends spin-off series The Game.In 2009, Brock Akil became a consulting producer and writer for the ABC suburban sitcom Cougar Town.She is the creator of BET's Being Mary Jane, which premiered in 2013.

TV Shows

Girlfriends (2000-2008)

Brock Akil went straight to UPN and sold her idea for her hit series to the network. She shopped the series around to studios to start the filming process but even through the show sold to a major network no filming company wanted to take the bait. That was until she struck a deal with Kelsey Grammar and his involement with Paramount pictures was able to sign on as an executive producer for the show. Girfiends premiered on September 11, 2000 and became apart of UPN's Monday night primtime line up. Chronicling the life of Joan Clayton played by Tracee Ellis Ross, and her four freinds the show ran for eight seasons lasting through the production switch from UPN and the launch of the CW network. The show's two-part series finale aired on the CW on February 11, 2008.

The Game (2006-2015)

Follwing the launch of the CW network Brock Akil created a spin off series to her first show that follows the life of Joan's cousin, Melanie, played by Tia Mowry. As she places her dreams of being a doctor and moves to San Diego to be a supportive backbone to her boyfriend, professional football player, Derwin Davis played by Pooch Hall. The series ran on the CW network for three seasons until its abrupt ending in 2009. The show was canceled for about two years until it was picked by BET and began filiming production in Atlanta. The Game brought in 7.7 million viewers in its season four premier on BET. After adding six more seasons to the series the network released a statement on their website stating that the show will conclude after production of the seventh and eighth seasons.

Being Mary Jane (2013-present)

With an already established relationship with the BET network, Brock Akil workied alongside her husband to co-write and produce their first show on BET. Being Mary, starring Gabrielle Union premeiered July 2, 2013 and became the couple's first hour long scripted. The show choricnicles the life of Mary Jane Paul a successful news anchor and attempts to adressess the statistic that within the black community 42 percent of successful women will never marry.

Personal Life [edit | edit source]

Early Life

Brock Akil was born to Joan Demeter, who divorced her then husband and Brock's father when she was just eight years old and coincidentally became the vision behind Brock Akil's main character in Girlfriends. Demeter left Los Angeles and moved her to Kansas City. Demeter was able to successfully work her way up form an entry level position at Marion Labs to computer programmar while raising Brock Akil and her two sibilings, including younger sister actress, Kara Brock.

Religion

Brock Akil's mother advised her children to honor and respect aspects of every faith. Brock Akil's were practicing muslims so she was born into the Nation of Islam. Her family then became methodist, then became members of the African Methodist Episcopal church. She and her husband, Salim, currently practicing Sufi Muslims.

Relationship

She met Salim Akil while working on the set of Moesha and the two married in 1999. Salim also went on the establish a career in the industry as a television director. She and her husband are practicing Muslims.[7] They have two sons; Yasin Ali Akil, born on April 16, 2004 and Nasir Lukmon Akil, born on November 16, 2009 [8][9][10] In June 2007, Brock Akil and her husband signed to The Weinstein Co.[5] Their first project under the new pact will be a film about a woman who starts a business to investigate the mates of high-powered women after she herself is left at the altar. Mara Brock Akil will write the screenplay and Salim Akil will direct, reports Variety. The pair’s Happy Camper Productions banner will produce.[6] The couple has established a name for themselves within the entertainment industry but have become an imapactful force together. Together the pair created a production company under Salim's surname. Under Akil productions , Brock Akil worked alongside her husband to co-produce the 2012 remake of the movie Sparkle starring Whitney Houston and Jordin Sparks. The couple also worked together to produce their first orginal, hour long, scripted TV drama series on BET (Being Mary Jane). The duo left BET in 2015 after signing a three year deal with Warner Brothers. Now moving back to the CW and working alongside Warner Borthers the Akils will create and executive produce a scripted superhero series based on DC Comics' Black Lightening book series. The show is expected to premiere during a 2018 release date.

Legal Issues

Staci Robinson, writer and author of Interceptions filed a 40 million dollar lawsuit against Brock Akil and the CW network, accusing Brock Akil of stealing the concept of her hit CW comedy series from her novel that was unpublished when she showed it to her in 2001. In her claim Robinson claimed she thought of the show first becuase her novel chornocnicles the life of Stefanie Porter, a senior studying Law at UCLA, who ceases her hopes of becoming a lawyer, to support the dreams of her boyfriend, star football player Ricky Powers.