'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAYACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAIBAwQDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEBgUREkEHExUiAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGEQACAgICAwAAAAAAAAAAAAACAwERACEEBQYUQf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AiPiTH9I07N9CayxS+CHXbp8iRNivUz8GQrdtrl+dOtUt+nbnmuMt5IEpHcdns0pTHx1SWde4zUsy9mRsggtQMTW8M9010c8AFrBGEXQlI7kq+Z//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
HBO Max is set to premiere the adult animated mystery comedy TV series Velma. Sam Richardson, an African-American, voices the character of Shaggy.
Velma stars Mindy Kaling as Velma Dinkley, Sam Richardson as Norville "Shaggy" Rogers, Constance Wu as Daphne Blake, and Glenn Howerton as Fred Jones. Questions were raised when the show did not feature Scooby-Doo, but the showrunners came forward and explained the reason.
Traditionally, Velma and Shaggy are caucasian, but this is the first time ever that they are getting portrayed by actors of South Asian and African origins, respectively.
Let's dive into the life and career of the new Shaggy, Sam Richardson.
Sam Richardson: Career and filmography
American actor, comedian, writer, and producer Sam Richardson was born in Detroit on January 12, 1984. His mother is Ghanaian, and his father is African-American. He is related to the late Barbara-Rose Collins, who in 1990 became the first black woman from Michigan to be elected to the United States Congress.
At the beginning of his career, he performed stand-up comedy at Second City in Detroit and then in Chicago. He then moved to LA, California, and appeared in a couple of episodes of the insanely popular mockumentary titled The Office. He also briefly appeared on Arrested Development, Drunk History, New Girl, Teachers, and Harder Than It Looks.
He then became a regular on HBO's Veep. Richardson then went on to appear in several movies like We're the Millers, Horrible Bosses 2, Spy, Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, and Ghostbusters.
Sam Richardson and Tim Robinson also created Detroiters, which debuted on Comedy Central in 2015. The show stars the two men, who also co-wrote and produced the series. The show follows Richardson and Robinson playing struggling advertising men in Detroit who make local TV commercials.
Unfortunately, it was canceled by Comedy Central after two seasons. Richardson accompanied Conan O'Brien on The Conan Show during their trip to Ghana.
In 2016, he received nominations for Best Performance in a Variety or Sketch Comedy Program or Series (Individual or Ensemble) award at the Canadian Screen Awards for his work on The Second City Project. He was also nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards for his work on Veep, and he won the award in 2018.
He has played various characters in the Netflix sketch show I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson and also appeared in the YouTube Premium series Champaign ILL.
In 2022, he appeared on the Apple TV+ mystery comedy series The Afterparty and will now play Shaggy in Velma.
What is Velma about?
Velma is an upcoming animated series about the adventures of the titular character from the Scooby-Doo universe. She will be voiced by Mindy Kaling, best known for her portrayal of Kelly Kapoor in The Office.
The show's synopsis, according to its YouTube trailer, reads:
"VELMA is an adult animated comedy series telling the origin story of Velma Dinkley, the unsung and under appreciated brains of the Scooby-Doo Mystery Inc. gang. This original and humorous spin unmasks the complex and colorful past of one of America’s most beloved mystery solvers."
Executive producers of the show include Charlie Grandy, Mindy Kaling, Howard Klein, and Sam Register.
Don't forget to watch Velma on HBO Max on January 12, 2023.
