Darnell Martin Is ‘Cadillac Records’ Director

Meet Darnell Martin, director and writer of the 1950s era music biopic “Cadillac Records.” See photos, video and a biography of Darnell Martin here.

Darnell Martin

Darnell Martin was the first African-American woman to direct a major studio movie, the comedy-drama “I Like It Like That” (1994) for Columbia. Her latest movie, “Cadillac Records” stars Beyonce Knowles as legendary singer Etta James and Academy Award winner Adrian Brody (”The Pianist”) as record pioneer Leonard Chess who launched the careers of numerous music legends, including Muddy Waters (Jeffrey Wright), Chuck Berry (Mos Def), Willie Dixon (Cedric the Entertainer) and Little Walter (Columbus Short).

Darnell Martin Biography

As a biography Darnell Martin was born on January 7, 1964 in Bronx, New York, so her age is 44. She is of biracial heritage; her father, an African-American attorney and her mother, an Irish-American dancer. She attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York where she received a B.A. in theater and literature. She studied film at New York University Film School.

She began her professional career in Spike Lee’s movie “Do The Right Thing” (1989), as 2nd assistant camera. She was also assistant camera operator for the 1992 Jonathan Demme documentary “Cousin Bobby.”

She directed a short film, “Suspect” which was shown at the New York Public Theater’s Young Black Cinema showcase where it received critical acclaim in 1992, the same year that Columbia picked up her script for “I Like It Like That,” and the movie went into production the following year. The movie, which draws upon Darnell Martin’s life growing up in the Bronx, chronicles the experiences of an African-American housewife who embarks upon a music career after her husband imprisoned for looting. The movie starred Lauren Velez, Jon Seda, Griffin Dunne Jesse Borrego, and music legend Rita Moreno.

“I Like It Like That” was shown at the Cannes Film Festival and was critically acclaimed. Darnell Martin won a Best New Director Award for the movie at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards in 1994. The movie received five nominations in the 1995 Independent Spirit Awards.

Darnell Martin also has an extensive career as a television director, having directed the 2005 TV movie “Their Eyes Were Watching God” as well as episodes of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent,” “Life on Mars,” “Grey’s Anatomy” among others.

Darnell Martin is married to Italian artist Giuseppe Ducret.

More photos and a video of Darnell Martin are below.