Actor. He is best remembered for his motion picture appearance as Sergeant Vernon C. Waters in the 1984 production of "A Soldier's Story," for which he received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Motion Picture Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. He served in the United States Navy following high school, where he rose to the rank of chief petty officer. Following military service he studied drama at New York University before joining the Negro Ensemble Company in 1970, where he appeared in several black theater productions. He was a regular contributor to the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Lincoln Center Repertory Company, the American Shakespeare Company of Stratford, Connecticut and the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles. He made his motion picture debut in the 1969 film "Che!" His other film credits include: "The Hitter" (1979), "Fist of Fear, Touch of Death" (1980), "The Color Purple" (1985) and "Club Paradise" (1986). His notable television appearances include "The Wild Wild West," "General Hospital," "The Guiding Light," "Tales from the Darkside," "The Twilight Zone" and as the commercial voice for the United Negro College Fund. He died during the filming of "Tough Guys" after suffering a fatal heart attack on the set at the age of 52.
Actor. He is best remembered for his motion picture appearance as Sergeant Vernon C. Waters in the 1984 production of "A Soldier's Story," for which he received nominations for Best Supporting Actor from the Motion Picture Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. He served in the United States Navy following high school, where he rose to the rank of chief petty officer. Following military service he studied drama at New York University before joining the Negro Ensemble Company in 1970, where he appeared in several black theater productions. He was a regular contributor to the New York Shakespeare Festival, the Lincoln Center Repertory Company, the American Shakespeare Company of Stratford, Connecticut and the Center Theater Group in Los Angeles. He made his motion picture debut in the 1969 film "Che!" His other film credits include: "The Hitter" (1979), "Fist of Fear, Touch of Death" (1980), "The Color Purple" (1985) and "Club Paradise" (1986). His notable television appearances include "The Wild Wild West," "General Hospital," "The Guiding Light," "Tales from the Darkside," "The Twilight Zone" and as the commercial voice for the United Negro College Fund. He died during the filming of "Tough Guys" after suffering a fatal heart attack on the set at the age of 52.
Bio by: Nils M. Solsvik Jr.
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