PRETTY TONY profile picture

PRETTY TONY

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me

New Demo Reel
San Diego born, Detroit raised, TONY WINTERS is second generation show business. His father, singer John "Net" Winters, was a founding member of the legendary 50's Doo Wop group THE PELICANS who recorded the hit "Aurelia" and his uncle later recorded the 80's R&B slow jam classic "Magic Man" under the moniker ROBERT WINTERS AND FALL. However, Tony has blazed his own unique trail through the business of show. That is, he began his career simply as an actor and over the past two decades has evolved into the multi-hyphenate actor/screenwriter/producer.After graduation from Detroit's Redford High School, young Mr. Winters headed West to the place of his birth to attend college. It was there while attending San Diego City College that he was bitten by the "acting bug". Hard. Under the the tuteledge of Lyman Saville he began his theater training in earnest. Saville first cast Winters in a supporting role in LITTLE MURDERS and later in the lead role of Axel in Woody Allen's DON'T DRINK THE WATER. But college theater was not enough for the eager thespian, so he looked beyond City's small campus and found a thriving African-American theater scene -- and a mentor in the person of Dr. Floyd Gaffney. Under "Dr. G", Winters tackled a succession of pivotal roles; Brick in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, Lou in SPELL #7, Prince in MOON ON A RAINBOW SHAWL and Homer in the LILIES OF THE FIELD. He even spent time in the choruses of GUYS AND DOLLS and DON'T BOTHER ME, I CAN'T COPE.


Old Demo Reel
In an effort to expand his career into film and television he moved on to Tinseltown. A long time movie buff, he fittingly landed a job as a Tour Guide at the famed Universal Studios Tour and was discovered there by actor/producer Leon Isaac Kennedy. So impressed was Kennedy with Winters' witty delivery that he cast him as a reporter in the third installment of his gritty prison film series PENITENTIARY III. "I was cut from the finished movie," said Winters. "Occupational hazzard. But I earned my SAG card and I've continued to work ever since." A recurring role as Tony on television's DAYS OF OUR LIVES soon followed and his breakthrough turn as Dr. Ossie Dunbar M.E. on NBC'S HUNTER have together cemented a place for him on the small screen. As he has become one of Hollywood's busiest journeyman actors with scores of guest shots on such hit shows as DYNASTY, HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN, E.R., SEINFELD, THE DIVISION, THE BERNIE MAC SHOW, DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, BOSTON LEGAL and CRIMINAL MINDS. His commercial credits include; MCDONALD'S, COORS, SATURN, IBM, REEBOK, HBO, MERRILL LYNCH and many, many others. He appeared opposite four Academy Award winners in SNEAKERS and has enjoyed roles in other big box office fare such as PRIMARY COLORS, GREMLINS 2 and VIRTUOSITY. At the midpoint in his career, he boasts of having shared the screen with WESLEY SNIPES, DENZEL WASHINGTON and even SIDNEY POITIER.Always one to seek new challenges, Winters began writing screenplays and formed DETROIT WINTERS PRODUCTIONS to produce them. His first effort was the romantic comedy RETIRING TATIANA, winner of the "Audience Favorite" award at The Pan African Film & Arts Festival. The upstart company's sopohmore offering was the stage production and film version of the poingant family drama SECTION 8. The play was nominated for three NAACP Theater Awards; Best Production, Best Set Design and Best Supporting Actor. While the film garnered "Best Feature Film" at The Arizona Black Film Showcase. "The awards have happened because I strive for truth in my writing. Truth resonates with people," said Winters. The films were acquired by Ventura Distribution and Image Entertainment, respectively and have been successfully distributed throughout the United States and Canada.


Ambition: To book a series regular role on a television show, perform some larger roles in some larger films and to continue writing and producing my own movies. layout powered by HOT FreeLayouts.com / MyHotComments

My Interests

business, physical fitness, politics, traveling, reading, flying kites, water sports of any and every kind...to be continued

..

I'd like to meet:

Daring individuals! Bold individuals!! Those who dare to dream and are bold enough to Act.

Music:

I am truly an old school fool: Sam Cooke, The Rat Pack, Marvin Gaye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Donny Hathaway, Jackie Wilson, Parliament/Funkadelic, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, The Beatles, Luther,(the original) The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Duke Ellington, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Ray Charles, The Dramatics, John Coltrane, Alanis Morrisette, TuPac, Rakim, Lou Rawls, Public Enemy, R. Kelly, Anthony Hamilton, Miles Davis, Classic Rock, Motown, Stax and The Sound of Philidelphia

Movies:

Everything from the ridiculous to the sublime...


Make Your Own Led Message at MySpaceCity.com

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." That qoute seems particularly appropos as the realease date for our new film, SECTION 8, has come to pass. From a germ of an idea, to the writing of the script, to the staged reading, through the theatrical and filmed productions it was an arduous task, to say the very least. But its sheer difficulty to complete does not necessarily render it worthy. The project must stand on its own and our film has done just that. During an extremely successful run on the film festival circuit, SECTION 8, played to rapt audiences in Detroit, Atlanta, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The run culminated with the film winning top honors at the Arizona Black Film Showcase. That is, this "little film that could" bested all competitiors and garnered the "Best Feature" award down in the "Valley of the Sun." While it may be narrow in scope, its impact on the human spirit is vast. Now the time is at hand to share our work with you, as SECTION 8 is now available on DVD! Pick it up (Wal-Mart, Blockbuster.com, Netflix, Amazon.com, etc.) when you get the chance 'cause "Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent." Section 8 - Trailer

It has been more than a few years now, since I gathered a group of my friends together and we attempted to produce a little film I'd written titled, RETIRING TATIANA. With little money, loads of ambition and no aversion to sweat we managed to complete this very complex, yet heartfelt, piece of work. It premiered at The Pan African Film & Arts Festival and won the coveted Audience Favorite award. It is still readily available at your local BLOCKBUSTER VIDEO, NETFLIX, FRYS ELECTRONICS and AMAZON.COM. Please give us a look when you are so inclined. While I have continued writing and producing TATIANA still holds a special place in my heart. For me the making of this film was a life elevating experience and I will be forever indebted to those many talented individuals, both in front and behind the cameras, who helped me realize a dream. Retiring Tatiana - Trailer

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Television:


Books:

I enjoy reading about people. Therefore, I have read everything from serious life changing tomes such as THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOMB X to trash like CONFESSIONS OF A VIDEO VIXEN. People just facinate me

Heroes:

My mother Ann and my grandfather Thomas have been my greatest heroes. The rest are in no particular order: Preston Sturges, Thurgood Marshall, Sidney Poitier, Spike Lee, Melvin Van Peebles, Billy Wilder, Woody Allen, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Maya Angelou, Albert Brooks, Steve Martin, Medgar Evars, Bill Russell, Alex Haley, Charlie Chaplin, Muhammad Ali, Corretta Scott King, Cicely Tyson, Oscar Micheaux, Stanley Kramer and Gordon Parks, Sr, Frank Capra...to be continued

My Blog

THE LOOK ON HIS FACE

For me, Myspace has been and is presently a tool with which to promote my work as an actor, screenwriter and producer.  So, as a rule, I refrain from writing much about my personal life. Like th...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Mon, 12 May 2008 08:42:00 PST

COACHING

As a man who was raised, for the most part, by his divorced mother, I made a promise to myself a long time ago that when my time came I would be involved in every aspect of my children's lives.  ...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Tue, 29 Apr 2008 08:44:00 PST

HEATH LEDGER

I have mixed emotions about the tragic death of this young man.  It of course saddens me, as does the untimely death of any young person; be they the local high school standout, Am...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 12:29:00 PST

COUNTRY MUSIC

NOT YOUR FATHER'S COUNTRY MUSIC It all began about two years ago.  I moved from the San Fernando Valley to a suburb about an hour outside of Los Angeles.  Since I continue to work in th...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:26:00 PST

MAD MEN

It has been my firm belief that series television only really exists on cable for sometime now.  Cable's worst can often be better than the four major networks best.  Cable just en...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Sun, 30 Dec 2007 10:20:00 PST

AMY WINEHOUSE is the shis -- nit!

AMY WINEHOUSE is the shit!  I know, I know.  I'm late to the party once again.  Not entirely, however, because I was at least familiar with her catchy REHAB.  But that tr...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Sun, 16 Dec 2007 09:54:00 PST

PRETTY TONY?

To many my Display Name has come off as some kind of conceit.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  While I don't exactly think of myself as Qausimoto, I wouldn't exactly desc...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Sat, 24 Nov 2007 10:39:00 PST

ZOEY 101

Tony Winters guest stars on ZOEY 101 as Chief Becker Sunday, October 21st at 8:00pm NICKELODEON
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:55:00 PST

PREMIUM

I will begin by saying that I am done with romantic comedy. At the risk of tooting my own horn, when I produced mine RETIRING TATIANA in 2000, African American filmmakers just were not inter...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Fri, 21 Sep 2007 04:18:00 PST

ELMER GANTRY

A friend recently cleaned out her office and gave me some old videos she had lying around.  Among the titles were Tim Reid's ASUNDER (I couldn't finish it), The 6th season of THE ANDY GRIFFITH SH...
Posted by PRETTY TONY on Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:28:00 PST