Boris Kodjoe Joins 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof' Cast 4/15

The new Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams' Pulitzer Prize winning play CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, directed by Debbie Allen, will get a new 'Brick' when BORIS KODJOE joins the cast on April 15, 2008.  Kodjoe will take over this pivotal role for an exclusive limited engagement. 
 
Boris Kodjoe will smoothly segue into CAT's stellar cast which includes James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose, along with Lisa Arrindell Anderson, Lou Myers, Count Stovall and Giancarlo Esposito.  
 
CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF began previews on February 12 and opened at the Broadhurst Theatre on March 6, 2008.  This production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF is being presented by Front Row Productions and produced by Stephen C. Byrd.
 
Hypocrisy, greed and secret passions threaten to tear apart a wealthy but dysfunctional Mississippi family in Tennessee Williams' stunning American masterpiece. CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF searingly portrays the larger-than-life characters of Maggie "the Cat," her alcoholic husband, Brick, and the domineering family patriarch, Big Daddy.
 
Terrence Howard will return to the role on May 6, 2008. Tickets are currently being sold through June 22.  More ticket information can be found at www.telecharge.com or 212-239-6200.  In addition please visit the CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF web site at www.cat2008onBroadway.com 
 
Boris Kodjoe was born in Vienna, Austria, to Ursula Kodjoe, a German psychologist, and Eric Kodjoe, a physician from Ghana, West Africa. Boris, brother Patrick and sister Nadja, grew up in Germany, where he went to school and was exposed to athletics and the arts early in his life.  He became one of the best tennis players in the country, and accepted a tennis scholarship to Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall of 1992.
 
While studying in Richmond, he was approached by an agent of Ford Modeling agency in New York, but went on to earn his marketing degree in May of 1996.  In June he joined Ford and his career skyrocketed immediately when he booked twelve campaigns, including Ralph Lauren, Perry Ellis, Yves Saint Laurent, and The GAP, within the first seven months.  He worked with photographers like Bruce Weber, Herb Ritts, Matthew Rolston, and Marco Glaviano for major publications such as Vogue, GQ, and Esquire, making him one of the few truly recognizable faces amongst male supermodels.  Boris' impressive track record earned him a Supermodel Award at Fall '98 Fashion Week in Manhattan.  Boris' Polo Ralph Lauren magazine ads and billboards were seen worldwide.
 
Soon after his modeling success, Hollywood took notice of Boris.  While studying with acting coach Janet Alhanti, he booked numerous guest star roles on sitcoms such as For Your Love, and landed a supporting role in the Spike Lee produced feature film Love And Basketball, starring Omar Epps and Sanaa Lathan.
 
Boris got his first chance to play the lead in a major feature film with Brown Sugar, alongside Taye Diggs and Sanaa Lathan, for which he was nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture.  Audience test screenings for Brown Sugar rated Boris' character higher than any other cast member.  As a result, Fox Searchlight purchased Papa Was…an original pitch from Boris as a starring and producing vehicle.
 
Boris' real breakout role was playing 'Damon Carter' on Soul Food: The Series.  The show was a hit for Showtime, raking in record-breaking ratings and winning consecutive NAACP Awards in 2002, 2003, and 2004 for Best Dramatic Series.  Boris received NAACP Award Nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on Soul Food for three straight years, 2002 through 2004.
 
Boris has also starred in Screen Gems' feature Doing Hard Time playing the role of 'Michael Mitchell', a grieving father who deliberately has himself thrown in prison so that he can avenge the death of his son on the drug dealer who killed him in a drive-by shooting.
 
Boris starred alongside former Soul Food co-star and real life spouse, Nicole Ari Parker in the UPN half-hour series Second Time Around, produced by Ralph R. Farquhar for Paramount television.  Kodjoe played 'Jackson Muse', a man who remarried his ex-wife 'Ryan' (Parker).
 
Boris also starred opposite Nona Gaye and Idris Elba in Screen Gems' feature The Gospel.  He played a hugely successful R&B singer, with his most recent single at the top of the charts.  Raised in the church, the son of a much-loved Bishop, David made his mark in the secular world, seemingly having eschewed his roots.  However, when he learns of his father's illness, David returns home for a time, disturbed by the grasping, self-serving issues that plague the church.  Clearly at a crossroads, he begins to reconsider his direction in life.
 
Boris has also starred in Lions Gate's Madea's Family Reunion which had a $60 million plus domestic run.  He will next appear in Screen Gems' Marauder, part of the Starship Troopers franchise, later this year.
 
Boris' website (Boris-World.com) is one of the most popular sites among women and men of all ages.  His main personal interest is to encourage young people to value their education and strive for their own individual goals. Boris feels blessed and fortunate, and believes he has a certain responsibility to share his views and experiences with others, i.e. motivate them to reach for the stars.