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== Acting career ==
== Acting career ==
Cumbuka appeared in such television productions as the [[Roots (1977 miniseries)|''Roots'' miniseries]], ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'', ''[[Young Dan'l Boone]]'', ''[[Knots Landing]]'', ''[[The A-Team]]'', ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'', “[[Murder She Wrote]]”,''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'', ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'', ''[[Sanford and Son]]'', and ''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV series)|In the Heat of the Night]]''. He was a regular cast member of the short-lived spy series ''[[A Man Called Sloane]]''.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|191783}}</ref>
Cumbuka appeared in such television productions as the [[Roots (1977 miniseries)|''Roots'' miniseries]], ''[[Daniel Boone (1964 TV series)|Daniel Boone]]'', ''[[Young Dan'l Boone]]'', ''[[Knots Landing]]'', ''[[The A-Team]]'', ''[[The Dukes of Hazzard]]'', ''[[Murder She Wrote]]'',''[[Walker, Texas Ranger]]'', ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'', ''[[Sanford and Son]]'', and ''[[In the Heat of the Night (TV series)|In the Heat of the Night]]''. He was a regular cast member of the short-lived spy series ''[[A Man Called Sloane]]''.<ref name="imdb">{{IMDb name|191783}}</ref>


Cumbuka also appeared in numerous films. He appeared as former NBA guard [[Oscar Robertson]] in the biodrama pic ''[[Maurie]]'' (1973) about the life of [[Maurice Stokes]].<ref name="imdb" /> In ''[[Harlem Nights]]'' (1989), he plays the toothless drunk gambler who gets shot over money. Other films include ''[[Change of Habit]]'' with Elvis Presley (1969), ''[[Blacula]]'' (1972), ''[[Trader Horn (1973 film)|Trader Horn]]'' (1973), ''[[Lost in the Stars (film)|Lost in the Stars]]'' (1974), ''[[Mandingo (film)|Mandingo]]'' (1975), ''[[Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde]]'' (1976), ''[[Bound for Glory (1976 film)|Bound for Glory]]'' (1976), ''[[The Jericho Mile]]'' (1979), ''[[Doin' Time (film)|Doin' Time]]'' (1985), ''[[Brewster's Millions (1985 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'' (1985), ''[[Volunteers (1985 film)|Volunteers]]'' (1985), ''[[Out of Bounds (1986 film)|Out of Bounds]]'' (1986), ''[[Moving (1988 film)|Moving]]'' (1988) and ''[[Caged in Paradiso]]'' (1990), as well as appearances in other films.
Cumbuka also appeared in numerous films. He appeared as former NBA guard [[Oscar Robertson]] in the biodrama pic ''[[Maurie]]'' (1973) about the life of [[Maurice Stokes]].<ref name="imdb" /> In ''[[Harlem Nights]]'' (1989), he plays the toothless drunk gambler who gets shot over money. Other films include ''[[Change of Habit]]'' with Elvis Presley (1969), ''[[Blacula]]'' (1972), ''[[Trader Horn (1973 film)|Trader Horn]]'' (1973), ''[[Lost in the Stars (film)|Lost in the Stars]]'' (1974), ''[[Mandingo (film)|Mandingo]]'' (1975), ''[[Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde]]'' (1976), ''[[Bound for Glory (1976 film)|Bound for Glory]]'' (1976), ''[[The Jericho Mile]]'' (1979), ''[[Doin' Time (film)|Doin' Time]]'' (1985), ''[[Brewster's Millions (1985 film)|Brewster's Millions]]'' (1985), ''[[Volunteers (1985 film)|Volunteers]]'' (1985), ''[[Out of Bounds (1986 film)|Out of Bounds]]'' (1986), ''[[Moving (1988 film)|Moving]]'' (1988) and ''[[Caged in Paradiso]]'' (1990), as well as appearances in other films.

Revision as of 21:48, 28 July 2019

Ji-Tu Cumbuka
Born(1940-03-04)March 4, 1940
Helena, Alabama, U.S.
DiedJuly 4, 2017(2017-07-04) (aged 77)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1968–2004
Children1

Ji-Tu Cumbuka (March 4, 1940 – July 4, 2017) was an American actor.[1][2]

In 2011, Cumbuka published his autobiography A Giant to Remember: The Black Actor in Hollywood.[3][4] He has a son and a granddaughter.

Early life

Born in 1940 in Helena, Alabama,[5] to a Baptist minister who believed acting was "the devil's work", he left home and moved to New York. After several difficult years, he enlisted in the Army, where he played football and ran track. He made All-Army in both sports. He was offered many college scholarships, but chose to attend Texas Southern University.[citation needed]

After Texas Southern, he moved to California to pursue his acting career, and later continued his education at Columbia College in New York City, earning a bachelor of arts in theatre and a master's degree in cinematography. After three years of attending acting classes and acting in community plays and workshops, he landed a role in the 1968 movie Uptight directed by Jules Dassin.[6]

Acting career

Cumbuka appeared in such television productions as the Roots miniseries, Daniel Boone, Young Dan'l Boone, Knots Landing, The A-Team, The Dukes of Hazzard, Murder She Wrote,Walker, Texas Ranger, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Sanford and Son, and In the Heat of the Night. He was a regular cast member of the short-lived spy series A Man Called Sloane.[7]

Cumbuka also appeared in numerous films. He appeared as former NBA guard Oscar Robertson in the biodrama pic Maurie (1973) about the life of Maurice Stokes.[7] In Harlem Nights (1989), he plays the toothless drunk gambler who gets shot over money. Other films include Change of Habit with Elvis Presley (1969), Blacula (1972), Trader Horn (1973), Lost in the Stars (1974), Mandingo (1975), Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976), Bound for Glory (1976), The Jericho Mile (1979), Doin' Time (1985), Brewster's Millions (1985), Volunteers (1985), Out of Bounds (1986), Moving (1988) and Caged in Paradiso (1990), as well as appearances in other films.

Death

Cumbuka died at the age of 77 on July 4, 2017, after a six-month battle with cancer.[2][8]

References

  1. ^ "Ji-Tu Cumbuka". TV Guide.
  2. ^ a b Barnes, Mike (July 9, 2017). "Ji-Tu Cumbuka, Actor in 'Roots' and 'Harlem Nights,' Dies at 77". The Hollywood Reporter.
  3. ^ Cumbuka, Ji-Tu (2011). A Giant to Remember: The Black Actor in Hollywood. Google Books.
  4. ^ "A Giant to Remember". Agianttoremeber.com.
  5. ^ "Ji-Tu Cumbuka: A Giant to Remember". books.google. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  6. ^ Ji-Tu Cumbaka bio, VH1.com; accessed April 8, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Ji-Tu Cumbuka at IMDb
  8. ^ Croom, Tene` (July 5, 2017). "We Remember Ji-Tu Cumbuka: Veteran Actor Who Starred In 'Roots' Dies At 77". Eurweb.com.
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