Graham Brown (actor)
Graham Brown (October 24, 1924 – December 13, 2011) was an American actor best known for his work in theatre.[1]
Graham Brown | |
---|---|
Born | Robert Brown October 24, 1924 |
Died | December 13, 2011 87) | (aged
Life and career
Born Robert E. Brown in New York, New York, and was a one-time boxer. He attended Howard University where he earned a BA in theater. He also studied method acting at the Actors Studio in New York. He began his career as a Shakespearean actor at Guthrie Theater where he appeared in productions such as Hamlet and Richard III.[2] Brown was an original member of Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) and played in many NEC productions like: Malcochon by Derek Walcott, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men by Lonne Elder III, District Line and The River Niger both by Joseph A Walker. He was part of the original cast of controversial play Song of the Lusitanian Bogey by Peter Weiss which toured Europe and was subject to a riot in a London theatre in August 1968. Graham Brown was often cast as professional and/or highly educated people such as doctors and clergymen.
One of his best remembered roles was as "Jared Philibert", the 50-year-old patriarch of a Caribbean-American family in Steve Carter's critically acclaimed play, Nevis Mountain Dew. He originated the role in NEC's Off-Broadway production and reprised the role in the West Coast premiere of the play. For the latter he received a Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for his performance.[3]
Brown died on December 13, 2011 of pulmonary failure at the Lillian Booth Actors' Fund Nursing Home.[4]
Selected credits
Theatre
Year | Production | Role | Theatre(s) | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1963 | Hamlet[5] | Horatio | Minnesota Theater Company | |
1968 | Weekend[6] | Dr. Hampton | Broadhurst Theatre | |
The Man in the Glass Booth[7] | Sam | Royale Theatre | ||
1971 | Behold! Cometh the Vanderkellans[8][9] | Dr. Vanderkellans | Theatre de Lys | |
1972 | The River Niger[10][11][12] | Dr. Dudley Stanton | St. Mark's Playhouse[10] Brooks Atkinson Theatre[11][12] |
Originally an Off-Broadway production that was transferred to Broadway.[10][11][12] |
1975 | Black Picture Show[13] | Norman | Vivian Beaumont Theater | |
1976 | Eden[14] | Joseph Barton | St. Mark's Playhouse Theatre de Lys |
Transferred to Theatre de Lys on May 14, 1976. |
Kings[15] | Tiresias in "Oedipus" | Alvin Theatre | ||
1978 | Nevis Mountain Dew[16] | Jared Philibert | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
1980 | Lagrima del Diablo[17] | Archbishop Stephen Emmanuel Pontiflax | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
1981 | Nevis Mountain Dew[3] | Jared Philibert | Los Angeles Actors Theatre | Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award, Lead Performance[3] |
1985 | Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[18] | William Jenkins | Theatre Four | |
1989 | The Talented Tenth[19] | Father/ Sam Griggs |
Manhattan Theatre Club Stage I |
Film
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1984 | The Muppets Take Manhattan | Mr. Wrightson | |
1989 | Bloodhounds of Broadway | Dr. Frischer | |
1992 | Malcolm X | Dr. Payson | |
1994 | Blues in C | Bucky Webb | Short |
1995 | Clockers | Mr. Herman Brown |
Television
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1965 | Days of Our Lives | Jeffrey Jones | |
1968 | N.Y.P.D | Episode: "Deadly Circle of Violence" | |
1972 | Ironside | Tom | Episode: "The Countdown" |
1974 | Sanford and Son | Principal | Episode: "Julio and Sister and Nephew" |
1978 | Police Story | Eustic McCoy | Episode: "Day of Terror...Night of Fear" |
1982 | Lou Grant | Price McCann | Episode: "Blacklist" |
1982 | Cagney and Lacey | Dr. Norell | Episode: "Suffer the Children" |
1983 | One Life Left to Live | Gaston Dupree | Episode: "1.3814" |
1985 | All My Children | Professor Lakeland | Episode: "1.3895" |
1990-1993 | Law and Order | Appellate Judge Barry Marshall / Appellate Judge Barry Marton / Minister | 3 episodes |
References
- "'Sanford & Son' actor Graham Brown dies in NJ". Tdn.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- Hill, Anthony D.; Douglas Q. Barnett (2009). Historical dictionary of African American theater. Scarecrow Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0810855342.
- "1980-1989 Awards". United States: Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
- Desk, BWW News. "Actor Graham Brown Passes Away at 87". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
- Johnson, John H., ed. (February 21, 1963). "New york beat". Jet. Chicago, Illinois: Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. 23 (18): 63–64.
- "Weekend". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "The Man in the Glass Booth". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Behold! Cometh the Vanderkellans". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Behold! Cometh the Vanderkellans". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "The River Niger". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2007-10-02. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "The River Niger". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "The River Niger". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Black Picture Show". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Eden". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Kings". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Nevis Mountain Dew". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Lagrima del Diablo". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "Ceremonies in Dark Old Men". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
- "The Talented Tenth". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
External links
- Graham Brown at the Internet Broadway Database
- Graham Brown at IMDb
- Graham Brown at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Graham Brown at the Internet Theatre Database
- Graham Brown Papers at Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library