Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years Filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles attends the 18th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, in New York. Van Peebles, a Broadway playwright, musician and movie director, died Sept. 21, 2021, at age 89. Keep clicking to see more photos from his career. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, File)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 1970: American actor and director Melvin Van Peebles (third from left) with members of his film crew. (Columbia Pictures/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 1972: Actor, director, screenwriter, playwright, novelist and composer Melvin Van Peebles photographed in 1972. (Jack Mitchell/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 1984: American actor, filmmaker, writer and composer Melvin Van Peebles on Feb. 15, 1984. (Barbara Alper/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 1986: Portrait of American film actor and director Melvin Van Peebles, New York, 1986. (Anthony Barboza/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 1996: Gordon Parks and Melvin Van Peebles appears at Sportsball '96 benefitting the Arthur Ashe Foundation on April 18, 1996, in New York City. (Al Pereira/Getty Images/Michael Ochs Archives)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2004: Melvin Van Peebles with New Era during 2004 Sundance Film Festival - Hot House Day 5 at Deer Valley Private Residence in Deer Valley, Utah. (J. Merritt/FilmMagic)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2007: Harry Belafonte (right) and filmmaker Melvin Van Peeples at a reception before the New York City premiere of "Angels in the Dust" on Monday, September 10, 2007, in New York City. (Paul Warner/WireImage)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2008: Director Melvin Van Peebles at the 7th annual Tribeca Film Festival - Variety at the Tribeca Film Festival Press Center on April 25, 2008, in New York City. (Brian Ach/WireImage)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2008: Honoree director Melvin Van Peebles speaks onstage during the 18th annual Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on December 2, 2008, in New York City. (Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2009: Melvin Van Peebles attends MoMA's 41st annual Party in the Garden at The Museum of Modern Art on May 26, 2009, in New York City. (Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2010: Playwright, novelist and composer Melvin Van Peebles directs a rehearsal of a musical theatre performance of his acclaimed classic film "Sweet Sweetback" at the BRIC Arts Center in Brooklyn in New York on Thursday, January 7, 2010. (Ramin Talaie/Corbis via Getty Images)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2012: Melvin Van Peebles poses next to the beach closet dedicated to him on the Promenade des Planches during the 38th Deauville American Film Festival on September 5, 2012, in Deauville, France. (Francois G. Durand/WireImage)
Photos: Melvin Van Peebles through the years 2018: Mario Van Peebles, Melvin Van Peebles and Makaylo Van Peebles attend the 2018 TCM Classic Film Festival Opening Night Gala 50th Anniversary World Premiere Restoration of 'The Producers' at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 26, 2018, in Hollywood, California. (Tara Ziemba/WireImage)
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