Antwon Tanner has been in the entertainment industry for many years, but is still best known for his role as Antwon “Skills” Taylor on the hit CW series, One Tree Hill. While he was a part of the show right from the start to the finish, his stardom never took off like much of the rest of the cast. He clearly has talent, and has continuously worked to make it big in the industry, but still remains largely off the radar of many. Check out 10 things you didn’t know about Antwon Tanner!
9. Career Plans
Antwon Tanner is a very talented guy and, after graduating from high school in 1993, he had some difficult decisions to make. After playing sports all through high school, he decided to distance himself from athletics a little to focus on his musical talents instead before going to college. He wasn’t even thinking about taking up acting…yet.
photo by Michael Germana/Everett Collection.
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8. Horror Star
Back in 2007, Tanner starred in his first ever horror film 7eventy 5ive and while it wasn’t a blockbuster, he was very proud of it. When talking about the film before it came out, he had a hilarious response as to why it is a good horror film. “It’s a really good movie. It’s my first horror movie, and I’m the black guy and I actually live a really long time. I don’t die in the first 10 minutes.”
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7. Act Your Age
Although many teen shows don’t actually cast teenagers in the roles, Tanner was the oldest of the high school cast on One Tree Hill as he was 28 when season one was filmed. Then, two years later, he played a teen again in the hit film Coach Carter when he was 30!
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6. One Tree Hill Days
Although his character Antwon “Skills” Taylor was on One Tree Hill right from the start, he didn’t really get more development or a story until season five when his character, as one of Nathan’s best friends, began dating Nathan’s mom, Deb played by Barbara Alyn Woods. At the time, he was asked if he thought it was at all awkward to take on this relationship with an actress he had already been working with for five years, and he had another hilarious response. “Nope! I always thought Barbara was fine. When they told me it was my turn, I was like, ‘Word! I’m there.’ I was at work early that day.” In the same interview with Buddy TV, he also made the good point that out of all the characters he wished he had more scenes with Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) because as his best friend’s (Lucas Scott) girlfriend they should have hung out more.
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5. Basketball Star
Given Skills’ role as river court turned Ravens star alongside Lucas who then pursues a career as a basketball coach for L.A. sets, it shouldn’t be surprising that Antwon Tanner is actually pretty good at basketball. He began playing basketball young in Chicago where he grew up, and after moving to California as a senior in high school was one of his new school’s top players. He then played for two seasons on the Pasadena City College men’s team and, while at school there, he took up acting. “Antwon is the epitome of what you’d want in a student-athlete,” his former PCC coach, Coach Moore, stated. “He was an ambitious young man back then and he badly wanted to play college basketball. He set his sights high and he’s become a successful adult.”
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4. Role Model
Tanner gives credit to none other than iconic actor Samuel L. Jackson for being his role model, mentor and reason for getting into acting.
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3. One Tree Hill Fanatic
There are A LOT of One Tree Hill fans out there, and Tanner is among them. Although the show has been over for a few years now he is always up for a One Tree Hill convention and loves reuniting with his former co-stars. His Instagram is also full of throwback pictures from their days on set as well as their time spent together during these amazing conventions/reunions.
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2. Arrest
While everything seemed to be going well for Tanner, it was shocking when he was arrested in April 2009 for “knowingly and intentionally” transferring Social Security cards with “intent to defraud.” That August he plead guilty to the charges which included selling more than a dozen Social Security numbers and was given a prison sentence of 3 months. At the time, his lawyer stated that Tanner had “suffered financial reversals and lost a $1 million house in California to foreclosure.”
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1. Family
Due to his lack of spotlight attention, many fans don’t realize that Tanner is a husband and a father. He has two sons and one daughter.