Sam Sarpong

Sam Sarpong, the son of a Ghanaian father, was one of the first Black male faces of Tommy Hilfiger and modelled for the brand for more than six years. He went on to act in more than sixty films and host MTV's Yo Momma.

London to Los Angeles

Samuel Osei Sarpong Jr. was born in London on 19 December 1974 At 11 he went to live in Los Angeles with his father, Sam Sarpong Sr. At El Camino Real High School in Woodland Hills he was a basketball star, and he stayed with a friend's family to finish there when his father moved to Pasadena. When a basketball career did not work out, he turned to modelling and acting.

Career

His films include Love Don't Cost a Thing, Carmen: A Hip Hopera and Keeping Up with the Steins, plus No Weapons, which earned him a lead actor award from a San Diego festival for Black film, and Anchor Baby, in which he played Paul Unanga. He guest-starred in Veronica Mars, co-hosted three seasons of Yo Momma and hosted the BET Awards pre-show for seven years. He also modelled for Louis Vuitton and Boy London and fronted the Nelson Mandela Foundation clothing line.

Death

He died in Pasadena on 26 October 2015, aged 40; the Los Angeles County coroner ruled his death a suicide. He appeared after his death in an episode of American Crime Story.