Could you tell us about your charity?
Um, the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation was founded by me, yours truly, uh, about five years ago when I published my first book, Letters to a Young Brother: MANifest Your Destiny, and we are, you know, very proud of the foundation. We send a lot of underprivileged young people to college. We give college scholarships. And we also have a Summer Empowerment Academy where we bring underpriviledged kids in the summertime to college campuses and teach them leadership training, study skills, time management, and we--and when they finish the program, they get one college credit. So, uh, we're helping them create and manifest their destiny.
Do you think you are going to win?
I don't think I'm going to win. In fact, I-I-I know I'm gonna lose. And, but I'm comfortable with that. You see, I've done this show once before, and I realize how difficult it is, and I also realize that I'm not very good at it. But I'm here for my charity. And I think in--in all seriousness it's awesome that you guys--that Jeopardy!'s putting up $25,000 no matter how we do. Because with that money I'm going to be able to send a number of kids to college and change some lives. So, I'm here to do this show to change lives of some kids.
How did you prepare for the show?
I bought a bunch of Trivial Pursuit games and I would read the backs of the cards while I'm on set. I also would go around speaking in the form of a question, even when I introduce myself: uh, instead of just saying, "Hi, I'm Hill", I'd say, [reaches a hand out for a handshake] "Hello! Who is Hill Harper?" I'm subconsciously training myself to speak in the form of a question, and I think that you'll see the depth of that training manifest itself in the way I play the game. |
"As an award-winning author, he's written three New York Times best sellers for young adults. As an actor, he plays Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the hit TV series CSI: NY. Here's..."
Playing on behalf of Manifest Your Destiny Foundation.
Hill Harper is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: Letters to a Young Brother, Letters to a Young Sister, and The Conversation. Letters to a Young Brother was named "Best Book for Young Adults" by the American Library Association in 2007, and to date, his collective work has been recognized with three NAACP Image Awards: Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author (2007) and Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens (2007, 2008). Hill currently stars on the hit television drama CSI: NY as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes; internationally, CSI is the most successful television franchise in history. He has also appeared in numerous prime-time television shows and feature films, including The Sopranos, ER, The Game, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Lackawanna Blues, He Got Game, The Skulls, In Too Deep, The Nephew, and The Visit. He is the founder of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, dedicated to empowering, encouraging, and inspiring underserved youth to succeed through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs. Hill graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Brown University (and was valedictorian of his department) and cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He also holds a master's degree with honors from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. Hill travels frequently as a motivational speaker and resonates with a wide range of audiences including youth, adults, and couples. Named one of People's Sexiest Men Alive, he lives in Los Angeles.
RECENT AWARDS AND HONORS
2009
• NAACP, Image Award: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, CSI: NY
• NAACP, Image Award: Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Alpha Award of Honor
• Americans for the Arts and the US Conference of Mayors, National Award for Artist-Citizen
• Americans for the Arts and the US Conference of Mayors, National Award for Artist-Citizen
• Men Stopping Violence, True Ally Award for Outstanding Efforts to Promote Gender Justice, Safety & Respect for Women
• Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Gene Siskel Renaissance Award
• Morehouse College, National Award for Philanthropic Service
• UNCF, Appreciation Award for Outstanding and Dedicated Service
• Black Women Lawyers Association, Outstanding Contribution to the Literary Arts Award
2008
• National Surrogate, Obama for America
• NAACP, Image Award: Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series, CSI: NY
• Black Aids Institute, Hero in the Struggle Award
• Urbanworld Film Festival, Audience Award, Best Film, This Is Not a Test
• African American Pavilion at BEA, Sidney Poitier Distinguished Writer Award
• I Have a Dream Foundation, Dreamkeeper Award
• Talladega College, Activist Award
• Holman United Methodist Church, Youth Advocate Award
• City of Los Angeles, Mayoral Resolution
• City of Inglewood, Mayoral Commendation
• California Legislature Assembly Resolution
• Black Administrators and Child Welfare Inc., Appreciation Award
• ETA Creative Arts Foundation, "Challenging the Energy" Honoree
2007
• NAACP, Image Award: Outstanding Literary Work: Youth/Teens
• NAACP, Image Award: Outstanding Literary Work: Debut Author
• Trumpet Awards, Usher Raymond Altruism Award
• Tavis Smiley Foundation, Youth Advocate Award
• Torch Foundation, L.I.G.H.T. Honor
• Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Architect of Inspiration Award
• City of Dallas, Mayoral Proclamation for Community Outreach
• National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE), Appreciation Award
• The Fatherhood and Marriage Leadership Institute (FAMLI), Mentoring Service Award
2006
• Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Reclaim Our Youth Award
• Bishop Noel Jones Scholarship Foundation, Youth Empowerment Award
• Sarasota, Florida, Mayoral Presentation of Key to the City |
