Salim Akil

Salim Akil is a television and film producer, writer, and director whose breakthrough came in the late 1990s when he began working as a writer and director for the hit TV series "Soul Food," a groundbreaking drama centered on the lives of an African American family. There, he quickly worked his way up to be the program's executive producer.

Akil is perhaps most recognized for his work on the CW/BET series "The Game," UPN's "Girlfriends" and BET's "Being Mary Jane," all of which he produced and directed alongside his wife, Mara Brock Akil. Their collaboration became one of the most influential partnerships in television, creating shows that centered on Black experiences and often portrayed complex, dynamic African American characters.

In 2018, Akil expanded his reach with "Black Lightning," a DC Comics-based drama that marked the first Black-led superhero show on the CW. As showrunner, executive producer and occasional director, Akil brought fresh perspectives to the genre, intertwining elements of social justice, race, and family dynamics into the narrative, which earned widespread praise. In 2021, Akil confirmed a spin-off of "Black Lightning" entitled "Painkiller" was in production.

Beyond television, Akil has also directed and produced films such as "Jumping the Broom," which explored the intersection of class and culture in a Black family setting. The film was nominated for a BET Award for Best Movie; he also won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Director in a Motion Picture for the film that same year. He also directed and co-produced a remake of the musical film "Sparkle." Akil began his career with the 1998 film "Drylongso," which centers on a young black photography student and deals with numerous issues relating to race, gender and identity. The feature, which he co-wrote, played at the Sundance Film and Berlin Film Festivals.