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{{Short description|American actor (1953–2016)}}
[[Image:Billnunn.jpg||right|thumb|Bill Nunn]]
{{other people}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Bill Nunn
| image = Bill Nunn 2013 Introducing August Wilson (69991098).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Nunn in ''Introducing August Wilson'' (2013)
| birth_name = William Goldwyn Nunn III
| birth_date = {{birth date|1953|10|20|mf=y}}
| birth_place = [[Pittsburgh|Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
| death_date = {{nowrap|{{death date and age|2016|9|24|1953|10|20}}}}
| death_place = [[Hill District (Pittsburgh)|Hill District]], Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1974–2016
| spouse = Donna Nunn
| children = 2
| website =
}}


'''Bill Nunn''' (born [[October 20]], [[1953]] in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]) is an [[African American]] [[actor]] who made his debut in the [[1988 in film|1988]] [[Spike Lee]] film ''[[School Daze]]'', and is perhaps best remembered for his role as [[Radio Raheem]] in Lee's ''[[Do the Right Thing]]''. Nunn's other credits include Lee's ''[[Mo' Better Blues]]'' and ''[[He Got Game]]'', as well as ''[[Regarding Henry]]'', ''[[Sister Act]]'', ''[[Spider-Man (movie)|Spider-Man]]'' and ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'', and the television series ''[[The Job (TV series)|The Job]]''.
'''William Goldwyn Nunn III''' (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor known for his roles as [[Radio Raheem]] in [[Spike Lee|Spike Lee's]] film ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'', [[Robbie Robertson (comics)|Robbie Robertson]] in the [[Sam Raimi]] [[Spider-Man (2002 film series)|''Spider-Man'' film trilogy]] and as Terrence "Pip" Phillips on ''[[The Job (2001 TV series)|The Job]]'' (2001–02).


==External link==
==Early life==
Bill Nunn III was born in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], the son of Frances Nunn and [[Bill Nunn (American football)|William G. Nunn, Jr.]], a journalist and editor at the ''[[Pittsburgh Courier]]'' and a [[National Football League]] [[scout (sport)|scout]].<ref name= PPGobit /><ref>{{cite web| url= http://news.steelers.com/article/74104/| publisher= Pittsburgh Steelers| title= Long-time scout Bill Nunn is a man who made a difference| date= February 27, 2007 | first= Teresa| last= Varley| url-status= dead| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070305164312/http://news.steelers.com/article/74104/| archive-date= March 5, 2007 |website= steelers.com | access-date= January 12, 2017}}</ref> His paternal grandfather was the first [[African American]] football player at [[George Westinghouse High School (Pittsburgh)|George Westinghouse High School]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06205/708138-66.stm|work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|title=Q&A|first=Chuck|last=Finder|date=2006-07-24|access-date=2007-04-01|archive-date=2011-05-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522013926/http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06205/708138-66.stm|url-status=dead}}</ref> While [[ball boys]] for the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]], Bill Nunn and current Steelers president [[Art Rooney II]] stole [[Joe Greene|"Mean" Joe Greene]]'s car during training camp at [[Saint Vincent College]] in [[Latrobe, Pennsylvania]].<ref name= underway>{{cite news|url=https://m.steelers.com/news/article-1/2015-Training-Camp-is-underway/44a62c8b-11c0-4f0e-b1f4-e2f014e246c0 |title=2015 Training Camp is underway |first=Mike |last=Prisuta |date=2015-07-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160224194655/https://m.steelers.com/news/article-1/2015-Training-Camp-is-underway/44a62c8b-11c0-4f0e-b1f4-e2f014e246c0 |archive-date=2016-02-24 }}</ref> "Joe Greene showed up in a beautiful green [[Lincoln Continental]], and me and Bill Nunn, Jr. were ball boys. Somehow Bill got the keys one night and we decided to take it for a ride. We only told Joe that story about 10 years ago. We figured that enough time had passed that we could disclose our little [[Joyride (crime)|joy ride]]."<ref name= underway />
*{{imdb name|id=0638056|name=Bill Nunn}}


Nunn was a 1970 graduate of [[Schenley High School]] and a 1976 graduate of [[Morehouse College]].<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.morehouse.edu/news/releases/archives/002221.html |title= Morehouse Celebrates 143 Years |publisher=[[Morehouse College]] |access-date=March 12, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100527192516/http://www.morehouse.edu/news/releases/archives/002221.html |archive-date=May 27, 2010 }}</ref> He attended college with [[Spike Lee]] and appeared in several of Lee's early feature films.<ref name= PPGobit />
[[Category:1953 births|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:Living people|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:African-American actors|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:American film actors|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:American television actors|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:People from Pittsburgh|Nunn, Bill]]
[[Category:Spider-Man actors|Nunn, Bill]]


==Career==
[[sv:Bill Nunn]]
Nunn made his credited film debut in the [[1988 in film|1988]] Spike Lee film ''[[School Daze]]'',<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://www.myajc.com/entertainment/movies/spike-lee-appear-30th-anniversary-school-daze-screening-fox/eBmZTzjfJhRbPWxp2hNS2H/ |title=Spike Lee to appear at 30th anniversary 'School Daze' screening at Fox |first=Ronda Racha |last=Penrice |date=13 February 2018 |access-date=14 August 2018 |journal=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]] |publisher=[[Cox Media Group]]}}</ref> and is best known for his roles as [[Radio Raheem]] in Lee's ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'',<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.goldderby.com/article/2018/spike-lee-greatest-films-ranked-worst-to-best-do-the-right-thing-malcolm-x-blackkklansman-news/ |title=Spike Lee movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Do the Right Thing,' 'Malcolm X,' 'BlacKkKlansman' |first1=Zach |last1=Laws |first2=Chris |last2=Beachum |date=10 August 2018 |access-date=14 August 2018 |work=[[Gold Derby]] |publisher=[[Penske Business Media, LLC.]]}}</ref> and as [[Nino Brown]]'s bodyguard Duh Duh Duh Man in ''[[New Jack City]]''.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2016/09/do_the_right_thing_new_jack_ci.html |title='Do the Right Thing,' 'New Jack City' actor Bill Nunn dies at 62 |date=25 September 2016 |access-date=14 August 2018 |newspaper=[[Al.com]] |publisher=Advance Local Media LLC.}}</ref> Some of his other film credits include Lee's ''[[Mo' Better Blues]]'' and ''[[He Got Game]]'', as well as ''[[Regarding Henry]]'', ''[[Sister Act]]'', ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'', ''[[The Last Seduction]]'', ''[[Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead]]'', ''[[Runaway Jury]]'', ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film series)|Spider-Man trilogy]]'' (as [[Joseph "Robbie" Robertson]]), ''[[Firehouse Dog]]'', the television series ''[[The Job (2001 TV series)|The Job]]'', ''[[Randy and The Mob]]'', and the 2016 televised adaptation of ''[[A Raisin in the Sun]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mcshane |first=Larry |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/bill-nunn-radio-raheem-dies-63-article-1.2804911 |title=Bill Nunn, Radio Raheem in 'Do the Right Thing,' dies at 63 |work= [[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>


Nunn also performed on stage, including [[August Wilson]]'s ''[[Fences (play)|Fences]]'', a Pittsburgh-based play in which Nunn performed with [[Anthony Mackie]], who played Nunn's character's son.<ref name= PPGobit /> He was also very involved in community outreach, and he formed his own Pittsburgh-area outreach project in 2008.<ref name= PPGobit />


== Death ==
{{US-actor-stub}}
Nunn died on September 24, 2016, at his home<ref name= timeobit>{{cite magazine| title= Celebrities Mourn the Death of Do the Right Thing Actor Bill Nunn| url= https://time.com/4507013/bill-nunn-dead/| first= Mahita| last= Gajanan |magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]] | date= September 25, 2016| access-date= January 12, 2017}}</ref> in Pittsburgh's [[Hill District (Pittsburgh)|Hill District]]; he was 62 years old.<ref>{{cite news|last=Stack|first=Liam|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/25/movies/bill-nunn-who-played-radio-raheem-in-do-the-right-thing-dies-at-63.html|title= Bill Nunn, Who Played Radio Raheem in 'Do the Right Thing,' Dies at 63| work= [[The New York Times]] |date=September 24, 2016|access-date=September 25, 2016| postscript=. Nunn was 62 years, 11 months old, so the headline is incorrect.}}</ref> His widow, Donna, confirmed that he had [[leukemia]].<ref name= timeobit /><ref name= PPGobit>{{cite news| last2= Lord |first2=Rich |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/movies/2016/09/24/Actor-Bill-Nunn-dies/stories/201609240142 |title=Actor Bill Nunn dies |first1= Andrew |last1= Goldstein| first3= Sharon| last3= Eberson| work= Pittsburgh Post-Gazette| date= September 25, 2016 |access-date=September 25, 2016}}</ref>

==Filmography==
* 1981 ''[[Sharky's Machine (film)|Sharky's Machine]]'' as Kitten's Bouncer (uncredited)
* 1988 ''[[School Daze]]'' as Grady
* 1989 ''[[Do the Right Thing]]'' as [[Radio Raheem]]
* 1989 ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' as School Teacher
* 1989 ''[[Glory (1989 film)|Glory]]'' (uncredited)
* 1990 ''[[Def by Temptation]]'' as Dougy
* 1990 ''[[Cadillac Man]]'' as Grave Digger
* 1990 ''[[Mo' Better Blues]]'' as Bottom Hammer (Bass)
* 1991 ''[[New Jack City]]'' as "Duh Duh Man"
* 1991 ''[[Regarding Henry]]'' as Bradley, Physical Therapist
* 1991 ''[[White Lie (1991 film)|White Lie]]'' as Chief Adams
* 1992 ''[[Sister Act]]'' as Lieutenant Eddie Souther
* 1993 ''[[Loaded Weapon 1]]'' as Police Photographer
* 1993 ''Blood Brothers'' as William Crawford
* 1994 ''[[The Last Seduction]]'' as Harlan
* 1994 ''Save Me'' as Detective Vincent
* 1995 ''[[Candyman: Farewell to the Flesh]]'' as Reverend Ellis
* 1995 ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' as Kabral
* 1995 ''[[Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead]]'' as "Easy Wind"
* 1995 ''[[True Crime (1996 film)|True Crime]]'' as Detective Jerry Guinn
* 1995 ''[[The Affair (1995 film)|The Affair]]'' (TV Movie) as Sergeant Rivers
* 1995 ''[[Money Train]]'' as Crash Train Motorman
* 1995 ''[[New York Undercover]]'' (TV Series) as Lieutenant Carver
* 1996 ''[[Touched by an Angel]]'' (TV Series) as Frank Champness
* 1996 ''[[Mr. and Mrs. Loving]]'' as Leonard
* 1996 ''[[Bulletproof (1996 film)|Bulletproof]]'' as DEA Agent Finch
* 1996 ''[[Extreme Measures]]'' as Detective Bob Burke
* 1997 ''[[Quicksilver Highway]]'' as Len
* 1997 ''[[Kiss the Girls (1997 film)|Kiss the Girls]]'' as Detective [[John Sampson (character)|John Sampson]]
* 1997 ''[[Mad City (film)|Mad City]]'' as Cliff Williams (uncredited)
* 1997 ''[[Ellen Foster (film)|Ellen Foster]]'' as Mr. Douglas
* 1998 ''[[Always Outnumbered]]'' as Howard M'Shalla
* 1998 ''[[He Got Game]]'' as Uncle Bubba
* 1998 ''[[Ambushed (1998 film)|Ambushed]]'' as Watts Fatboy
* 1999 ''[[The Legend of 1900]]'' as Danny Boodman
* 1999 ''[[The Tic Code]]'' as Kingston
* 1999 ''[[Passing Glory]]'' as Howard Porter
* 1999 ''[[Foolish (film)|Foolish]]'' as Jimmy Beck
* 1999 ''[[The Hungry Bachelors Club]]'' as Moses Grady
* 2000 ''[[Lockdown (2000 film)|Lockdown]]'' as Charles
* 2001–2002 ''[[The Job (2001 TV series)|The Job]]'' (TV Series) as Terrence "Pip" Phillips
* 2001 ''[[The Substitute 4: Failure Is Not An Option]]'' as Luther
* 2002 ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' as [[Robbie Robertson (comics)|Joe "Robbie" Robertson]]
* 2002 ''[[People I Know]]'' as Reverend Lyle Blunt
* 2003 ''[[Runaway Jury]]'' as Lonnie Shaver
* 2004 ''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' as Joe "Robbie" Robertson
* 2006 ''Out There''<ref>{{IMDb title|0473502|Out There}}''</ref> as Desmond
* 2006 ''[[Idlewild (film)|Idlewild]]'' as G.W.
* 2007 ''[[Firehouse Dog]]'' as Joe Musto
* 2007 ''[[Spider-Man 3]]'' as Joe "Robbie" Robertson
* 2007 ''[[Randy and the Mob]]'' as Wardlowe Gone
* 2008 ''[[A Raisin in the Sun (2008 film)|A Raisin in the Sun]]'' as "Bobo"
* 2008 ''Little Bear and the Master'' as The Warden
* 2009 ''[[Fences (play)|Fences]]''
* 2009 ''Help Me, Help You'' as Detective
* 2012 ''[[Won't Back Down (film)|Won't Back Down]]'' as Principal Holland
* 2014–2015 ''[[Sirens (2014 TV series)|Sirens]]'' (TV series) as "Cash" (final appearance)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|0638056|Bill Nunn}}
*[http://www.cremationfuneralcare.com/obituary_listing/william-bill-goldwyn-nunn-iii Obituary] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927032536/http://www.cremationfuneralcare.com/obituary_listing/william-bill-goldwyn-nunn-iii |date=2016-09-27 }} at cremationfuneralcare.com
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20161019060155/https://www.death-notices.co.uk/obituaries-celebrities-death/122/Spiderman-Star-Bill-Nunn-Lost-His-Battle-With-Leukaemia Life of Bill Nunn] from death-notices.co.uk (archived)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nunn, Bill}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:2016 deaths]]
[[Category:African-American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from leukemia in Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Male actors from Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Morehouse College alumni]]
[[Category:Schenley High School alumni]]

Latest revision as of 10:32, 17 November 2024

For other people named Bill Nunn, see Bill Nunn (disambiguation).
Bill Nunn
Nunn in Introducing August Wilson (2013)
Born
William Goldwyn Nunn III

(1953-10-20)October 20, 1953
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedSeptember 24, 2016(2016-09-24) (aged 62)
Hill District, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1974–2016
SpouseDonna Nunn
Children2

William Goldwyn Nunn III (October 20, 1953 – September 24, 2016) was an American actor known for his roles as Radio Raheem in Spike Lee's film Do the Right Thing, Robbie Robertson in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man film trilogy and as Terrence "Pip" Phillips on The Job (2001–02).

Early life

[edit]

Bill Nunn III was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the son of Frances Nunn and William G. Nunn, Jr., a journalist and editor at the Pittsburgh Courier and a National Football League scout.[1][2] His paternal grandfather was the first African American football player at George Westinghouse High School.[3] While ball boys for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Bill Nunn and current Steelers president Art Rooney II stole "Mean" Joe Greene's car during training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.[4] "Joe Greene showed up in a beautiful green Lincoln Continental, and me and Bill Nunn, Jr. were ball boys. Somehow Bill got the keys one night and we decided to take it for a ride. We only told Joe that story about 10 years ago. We figured that enough time had passed that we could disclose our little joy ride."[4]

Nunn was a 1970 graduate of Schenley High School and a 1976 graduate of Morehouse College.[5] He attended college with Spike Lee and appeared in several of Lee's early feature films.[1]

Career

[edit]

Nunn made his credited film debut in the 1988 Spike Lee film School Daze,[6] and is best known for his roles as Radio Raheem in Lee's Do the Right Thing,[7] and as Nino Brown's bodyguard Duh Duh Duh Man in New Jack City.[8] Some of his other film credits include Lee's Mo' Better Blues and He Got Game, as well as Regarding Henry, Sister Act, Canadian Bacon, The Last Seduction, Things To Do In Denver When You're Dead, Runaway Jury, Spider-Man trilogy (as Joseph "Robbie" Robertson), Firehouse Dog, the television series The Job, Randy and The Mob, and the 2016 televised adaptation of A Raisin in the Sun.[9]

Nunn also performed on stage, including August Wilson's Fences, a Pittsburgh-based play in which Nunn performed with Anthony Mackie, who played Nunn's character's son.[1] He was also very involved in community outreach, and he formed his own Pittsburgh-area outreach project in 2008.[1]

Death

[edit]

Nunn died on September 24, 2016, at his home[10] in Pittsburgh's Hill District; he was 62 years old.[11] His widow, Donna, confirmed that he had leukemia.[10][1]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Goldstein, Andrew; Lord, Rich; Eberson, Sharon (September 25, 2016). "Actor Bill Nunn dies". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  2. ^ Varley, Teresa (February 27, 2007). "Long-time scout Bill Nunn is a man who made a difference". steelers.com. Pittsburgh Steelers. Archived from the original on March 5, 2007. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  3. ^ Finder, Chuck (2006-07-24). "Q&A". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2007-04-01.
  4. ^ a b Prisuta, Mike (2015-07-26). "2015 Training Camp is underway". Archived from the original on 2016-02-24.
  5. ^ "Morehouse Celebrates 143 Years". Morehouse College. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved March 12, 2010.
  6. ^ Penrice, Ronda Racha (13 February 2018). "Spike Lee to appear at 30th anniversary 'School Daze' screening at Fox". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Cox Media Group. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  7. ^ Laws, Zach; Beachum, Chris (10 August 2018). "Spike Lee movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Do the Right Thing,' 'Malcolm X,' 'BlacKkKlansman'". Gold Derby. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  8. ^ "'Do the Right Thing,' 'New Jack City' actor Bill Nunn dies at 62". Al.com. Advance Local Media LLC. 25 September 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  9. ^ Mcshane, Larry. "Bill Nunn, Radio Raheem in 'Do the Right Thing,' dies at 63". Daily News. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Gajanan, Mahita (September 25, 2016). "Celebrities Mourn the Death of Do the Right Thing Actor Bill Nunn". Time. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  11. ^ Stack, Liam (September 24, 2016). "Bill Nunn, Who Played Radio Raheem in 'Do the Right Thing,' Dies at 63". The New York Times. Retrieved September 25, 2016. Nunn was 62 years, 11 months old, so the headline is incorrect.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  12. ^ Out There at IMDb
[edit]
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