Leonard Jackson (actor)
Leonard Jackson | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 7, 1928 |
| Other names | L. Errol Jaye |
| Education | Fisk University |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1965-1997 |
Leonard Jackson (born February 7, 1928) is an African-American stage, film, and television actor, perhaps most widely known for his roles in several PBS television series for children as well as his roles in films such as The Brother from Another Planet, Car Wash, and The Color Purple.
Early years and stage career
Jackson, in his early years known as L. Errol Jaye, was born February 7, 1928 in Jacksonville, Florida.[1] After attending Fisk University, his professional acting debut was on the stage, in New York Shakespeare Festival's 1965 off-Broadway production of Troilus and Cressida.[1] He played a pastor in the Broadway premiere of The Great White Hope, which ran for over 500 performances at the Alvin Theatre during 1968-1970.[2] As Leonard Jackson, he returned to Broadway two years later, first in the premiere of Conor Cruise O'Brien's Murderous Angels and after its short run, to a Broadway revival of the Kurt Weill musical Lost in the Stars at the Imperial Theatre.[3]
A dozen years later, Jackson returned to Broadway for the premiere of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which ran for 276 performances and was chosen "Best Play" by the New York Drama Critics Circle.[4] In 1991, Jackson was part of the cast for the Broadway premiere of Mule Bone, an unfinished play written by Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.[3] The production, mounted for the first time sixty years after it was written, received a negative review by Frank Rich, who said the "three principal performers ... are at best likably amateurish, [though] their efforts are balanced by the assured center-stage turns of such old pros as Leonard Jackson, as a fuming man of the cloth, and Theresa Merritt."[5]
Television and film career
His film roles include:[6]
- Conspiracy Theory (1997) ... Old Man in Bookstore
- Basquiat (1996) ... Jean Michel's Father
- Palookaville (1995) ... Bus Driver
- Boomerang (1992) ... Lloyd the Chemist
- A Rage in Harlem (1991) ... Mr. Clay
- Basket Case 2 (1990) ... Police Commissioner
- Second Sight (1989) ... Doorman
- Eddie Murphy Raw (1987) ... Uncle Gus
- The Color Purple (1985) ... Pa Harris
- The Brother from Another Planet (1984) .... Smokey
- Car Wash (1976) ... Ear
- Five on the Black Hand Side (1973) ... John Henry Brooks
On television, he had a recurring role on several PBS television series for children, including Sesame Street, Shining Time Station, and Square One TV/Mathnet.[6] He has also been featured in episodes of dramas such as Law & Order, Homicide: Life on the Street, and Spenser: For Hire, and comedies such as Amen, The Cosby Show, and The Jeffersons.[7]
His made-for-television films include Separate But Equal (1991) and Rage of Angels, the 1983 adaptation of the Sidney Sheldon novel.[7]
References
- ^ a b John Willis' theatre world, Volume 28, page 241 from Google Books
- ^ The Great White Hope from the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ a b Leonard Jackson at the Internet Broadway Database
- ^ Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, with Goldberg and Dutton, Opens Feb. 6, a February 6, 2003 article from Playbill
- ^ A Difficult Birth For Mule Bone, a February 15, 1991 review by Frank Rich of The New York Times
- ^ a b Leonard Jackson at IMDb
- ^ a b Leonard Jackson Credits from TV.com
External links
- Leonard Jackson at IMDb
- Leonard Jackson and L. Errol Jaye at the Internet Broadway Database
- Press Photos from Yale Repertory Theatre, including two from 1984 that feature Jackson in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom