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
Jessie Nelson (filmmaker) Jessie Nelson (filmmaker) Jessie Nelson is an American film producer, director, and writer. Her first feature was "Corrina, Corrina" which she wrote, directed, and produced. It starred Whoopi Goldberg and Ray Liotta. She went on to write, direct, and produce "I Am Sam" with Sean Penn. Jessie received the Stanley Kramer Award from the Producers Guild. She began her directing career with the award-winning short, "To The Moon Alice", which starred Chris Cooper. Her most recent film is "Love the Coopers" (2015), starring a large ensemble cast, including Diane Keaton, John Goodman, and Alan Arkin. She co-wrote "Stepmom" and "The