Boot Camp, Hollywood Style - Actor-director Bill Duke trains aspiring African Americans to achieve the same success he's had in Hollywood. The graduates of his demanding program are finding out that he's a tough act to follow.

Had he pursued acting, his chances of success would have been slim not long ago--opportunities for African Americans were limited. But in today's Hollywood, Eddie Murphy and Will Smith are among the most popular of stars, Samuel L. Jackson and Denzel Washington among the most respected. The casting of a dark face in television and film productions, even if often for marketing reasons, has become almost de rigueur.

Moore got a lucky break--producers called him after seeing his picture in a magazine. Today he is seen by millions on the daytime soap opera "The Young and the Restless." Young girls squeal at mention of his name. "I'm the darling of grandmothers everywhere," he says and laughs.

But overnight success comes with a price: "When I got into acting," he says, "I heard voices over my shoulder; I kept looking back. I felt like I had fooled somebody. I felt like the day would come when they would see through me and see that I wasn't good enough."

Probably every actor feels that way deep inside. Uncertainty is the nature of the business. The doors of opportunity that allowed an unprecedented number of black actors into the industry swings both ways. That is why, in recent months, a group of African Americans who made it through the door has been meeting in a rented Hollywood rehearsal space. They want to make sure that they not only manage to stay inside but also make their presence felt.

They range in age from their early 20s to their mid-30s. Most of them are actors, but some want to write or produce. Some are unknown, but others are familiar faces such as Tempestt Bledsoe from the old "Cosby Show," Tisha Campbell from "Martin" and the "House Party" movies, Kelly Williams from "Family Matters" and Chris Spencer, the first host of the short-lived talk show "Vibe." What unites them is dedication to their art and the help and good graces of Bill Duke.

The actor and director of such films as "A Rage in Harlem" and "Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit" has become a godfather of sorts for a segment of young Hollywood that is still finding its way. "He taught me a lot not just about filmmaking and producing but also about how to live and [specifically] how to live in this business, how to have your soul secure in this business," says Paul Eckstein, a filmmaker Duke mentored. Eckstein and his writing partner, Chris Brancato, had tried for years to get the movie "Hoodlum" made. Duke agreed to direct the film and took the younger men under his wing as co-producers, teaching them about the business at every step. "He's just a great man," Eckstein says.