Mel Stewart to 1978. In the 1980s, Stewart starred on "Scarecrow and Mrs. King" as section chief Billy Melrose during the show's four-year run from 1983 through 1987, and continued guest starring in both television and films. His last on screen appearance came in the 1993 film "Made in America", starring Whoopi Goldberg and Ted Danson. In addition to acting and directing, Stewart was an accomplished jazz saxophonist. A longtime resident of San Francisco, he also taught acting at San Francisco State University. His students included actor Danny Glover. He established the theater group Black Actors Now Through Unity (BANTU) and directed
Kimberly Elise Actress in a Motion Picture for her performance. Elise has had starring roles in a number of independent films in 2000s, include a leading role in "Ties That Bind" (2011). She co-starred alongside Whoopi Goldberg in the Lifetime television film "A Day Late and a Dollar Short" in 2014. In 2013, she began starring in the VH1 comedy-drama series "Hit The Floor". In 2015, she has appeared in the well-received comedy-drama film "Dope", and the following year co-starred opposite Kerry Washington in the HBO film "Confirmation". Later in 2016, Elise starred in the Christmas comedy-drama film "Almost Christmas" opposite Danny