A tribute to dad's direction

"Do you know how smart you are, Sanaa?" "Yes, dad," my 8-year-old self wearily would reply, bored with his question as I'd try not to roll my eyes from pre-adolescent embarrassment. When I was a child, my dad, Stan Lathan, constantly told me that he loved me and that I was smart and beautiful, and how proud of me he was. Today, I see him saying the same things to my 10-year-old sister, Coco, and now I know he is planting precious seeds of confidence, self-esteem and worth.

Dad is bossy, but he can't help it. He is a noted television and film director and producer who, over the last 30-plus years, has worked on a wide variety of projects, including Sesame Street, Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry, Def Comedy Jam, and such TV shows as Martin, Moesha and Run's House. The director/producer hat that he wears at work doesn't always come off when he gets home. He produces and directs Thanksgiving, Christmas dinners and even Sunday barbeques! He's a great cook, but when he's done, it looks like a tornado hit the kitchen, and he's definitely not cleaning it up.

Dad, a child of working-class Philadelphia parents, instilled in his children a strong work ethic in ways that ranged from washing Thanksgiving dishes to getting a job. He taught us that there were no free rides. As cliched as it sounds, one of his favorite lines when we were growing up was, "Do you think money grows on trees?"

He also instilled a strong sense of the value of education. I have a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's in fine arts from Yale Drama School. Dad was almost overbearingly present when it came to applying to college, and even selecting courses. He made me take economics (uuugh!) and art history (yawn). When I was very young, dad was on the road a lot, working all the time. And often he would write me letters telling me how much he missed me, how I was in his thoughts, how special I was to him. I absolutely loved these letters. They were somehow more special and fun than a phone call. And now that I think about it, they were a great early example of the power of the written word for me. I went on to become an avid reader, a bookworm, and to this day I love to write.

When I first started my professional acting career, I'd often come home in tears. The process of auditioning isn't for the faint of heart. You subject yourself to a judgment, day in and day out, that can be very destructive to your self-esteem. I was lucky to have a father who understood this business. He helped me put things in perspective, reminded me that it's a long journey and that it's not about one audition or even a job. He encouraged me to focus on always doing my best work and eventually the work would come.

As I navigate the often-turbulent waters of Hollywood, I often think of him and what he must have gone through as one of the first Black television directors. His struggle gives me strength. He persevered, and so will I. He is a true pioneer for Black people in Hollywood. I continue to be amazed at the vast array of people who come up to me and say with a huge grin, "Your dad gave me my first job." These people are not limited to any one race or profession, and they range from actors to producers.

Dad has five children: Me; my brother, Tendaji, a world-renowned DJ; Liliane, a photographer, who just graduated from New York University; Arielle, who just graduated from Sarah Lawrence and is going on to get her master's degree in education; and Colette, who is 10 years old and plays the guitar. He also has a beautiful grandson, Hideo, my brother's 1-year-old son. Well, maybe two grandsons, if you count, Pops, my lovable English bulldog ... Not bad, dad. Not bad.

BY SANAA LATHAN Actress

COPYRIGHT 2007 Johnson Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning