Considered one of the most versatile talents in Hollywood today, many regard Robert Townsend a renaissance man. He's an actor, director, producer, comedian and writer with a career that spans a mere 15 years. Robert's brilliance first revealed itself while studying at Chicago’s famed Second City, going onto New York’s renowned comedy club The Improvisation that initiated his career as a stand-up comedian. Soon after, Robert Townsend, the independent filmmaker was born. Without a formal film education or outside funding (using his own credit cards) Robert co-wrote, directed and starred in the critically acclaimed, ”Hollywood Shuffle.” Other film projects followed, including “The Meteor Man,” “The Five Heartbeats,” “Eddie Murphy Raw” and more. For the small screen, he created and produced two groundbreaking variety shows, the Cable Ace award winning ”Robert Townsend and His Partners in Crime” for HBO and the Fox Television Variety Show "Television.” Robert also starred in the WB sitcom, "The Parent Hood."