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Charles Reese Biography
Charles Reese is an award-winning, actor, writer, speaker and creative director known for carving out his own lane in the entertainment industry, including 25 years of acclaimed work as a purveyor of the literary icon James Baldwin.
As Founder of Teeth and Eyes Communications, LLC, Reese serves as Cultural Architect for Public Engagement (C.A.P.E.) curating entertainment programs that engage, inspire, and educate.
The Washington, D.C. native received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications & Theatre Arts from Morehouse College. He also holds a Certificate in Theatre Performance/Management from the Burt Reynolds Theatre Institute in association with Florida State University.
STAGE & SCREEN
Off-Broadway and regional theatre credits: In Dahomey (New Federal Theatre); Freedom Fighters & Friends (Arena Stage); Julie Hebert's St. Joan and the Dancing Sickness (Open Fist Theatre); and Myla Churchill's Griot Trio (Aaron Davis Hall).
Television credits: Reese can be seen as a series regular in the role of feisty chef Jalil Baldwin on the American TV sitcom Beauty and the Baller, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The show is based on the web series WHO...a micro web comedy, created by the late Emmy-winning, writer-producer, Michael Ajakwe Jr. Credits also include: Law & Order, Between the Lines, Grapevine, and In the Heat of the Night. His most recent work includes a guest role on the hit TV show A House Divided as Chef Iko.
Film credits: 40, On the Low, and Road Lawyers and Other Briefs. As a writer, Reese co-authored the book adaptation of the Off-Broadway play, James Baldwin: A Soul on Fire which includes the play version and commentary to pay homage to Baldwin's legacy as an author and civil rights activist. He also contributed an essay titled James Baldwin: Artist as Activist and the Baldwin /Kennedy Secret Summit of 1963 to the book volume, James Baldwin: Challenging Authors, edited by Paul L. Thomas & A. Scott Henderson. (Furman University).
SPEAKING & LECTURES
Reese is a highly sought-after performer, and literary conversationalist having worked with colleges, universities, and cultural venues in the United States and abroad. His unique history-telling salon series, An Evening In History with James Baldwin, Featuring Charles Reese has taken him around the globe as he keeps Baldwin's work alive!
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
In 2016, Reese was a guest speaker at the International James Baldwin Conference which took place at the American University of Paris in France. From 2018 - 2023, he also served as Artist in Residence for the inaugural James Baldwin Writers’ Colony at the Emerson College European Center at Kasteel Well in The Netherlands.
Reese is the 2021 Medal of Honor Recipient for his long-standing work on James Baldwin, given to him by the In the Meantime Men’s Group. He is a founding associate and former Board Member for the world's first web series festival, The Los Angeles Web Series Festival. He is also a New York Audelco Award Nominee.
To commemorate the 100th birthday of James Baldwin, Reese launched a campaign featuring the release of his very first spoken-world album. James Baldwin & Me: A Centennial Tribute was released on June 6, 2024 to rave reviews. The album received a Voice Arts® Award for Best Performance in the Outstanding Spoken Word or Storytelling category.
Charles continues to celebrate the life and legacy of James Baldwin and is now booking engagements through 2026. For more information on upcoming events, or for booking details visit his website at www.charlesreeseexperience.com.