Damaine Radcliff

Out of the Highbridge section of the northern Bronx borough is the up-and-comer Damaine Radcliff. As a youth he was thought to have potentially excelled in two areas other than acting. While at IS 229 he was a part of the nationally ranked chess team (which coincidentally became a movie). His athletic prowess then shone as he became an All-City basketball star at Samuel Gompers High School. While at Milford Academy Prep he sustained an injury which preempted an athletic scholarship. It seems, luckily, that Damaine's star simply was meant to shine in another galaxy. Upon returning home he began pursuing another love, acting and filmmaking. He would write comedy skits and then film them with friends, family or anyone who happened to be walking down Macombs Road where the Radcliffs lived. It soon became common for people from the neighborhood to be recognized from a role in one of these skits which were then on DVDs, copied and circulating around the city. Damaine then began the grind of show biz. He began with doing tons of background/extra work, which he was able to parlay into a couple of PSA's and a Sprite Campaign. His big break could almost be considered a "break-in." An acting buddy told him about auditions being held for a 'little' basketball movie and suggested that Damaine crash the audition. He did as his friend suggested and that little movie actually was Jerry Bruckhiemer's Glory Road. And the role was a lead portraying another Bronx native, legend Willie Cager. After months of filming and more months of waiting for release, the reward is the number one movie in America, which is drawing comparisons to great sports movies like "Hoosiers." Damaine next appeared in "Step Up" with Channing Tatum, Jenna Dewan, platinum recording artists Mario Drew, Sidora and rapper/actor Heavy D, which was released in 2006. He also starred in an episode of "Law and Order-Trail By Jury" (Pattern of Conduct episode 1.6). Due to the nature of the business Damaine reluctantly had to move to Hollywood. Not to despair, he returns home often to extend his hand to those who were with him "on the come up." His acting troupe, known as The Drama Unit, still collaborate with him on projects. He also gives back to the neighborhood by producing audition reels for kids who want to get into the business. Show less «