Graham Brown (actor)

For other people named Graham Brown, see Graham Brown (disambiguation).
Graham Brown
Born
Robert E. Brown

(1924-10-24)October 24, 1924
New York, New York, United States
DiedDecember 13, 2011(2011-12-13) (aged 87)
Englewood, New Jersey, U.S.

Graham Brown (October 24, 1924 – December 13, 2011) was an American actor known for his work in theatre.[1]

Life and career

He was 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, including Malcochon by Derek Walcott, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men by Lonne Elder III, and District Line and The River Niger 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

  1. ^ "'Sanford & Son' actor Graham Brown dies in NJ". Tdn.com. Associated Press. Retrieved 2011-12-17.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Hill, Anthony D.; Douglas Q. Barnett (2009). Historical dictionary of African American theater. Scarecrow Press. pp. 60–61. ISBN 978-0810855342.
  3. ^ a b c "1980-1989 Awards". United States: Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards. Archived from the original on 2009-02-10. Retrieved 2009-11-24.
  4. ^ BWW News Desk. "Actor Graham Brown Passes Away at 87". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
  5. ^ Johnson, John H., ed. (February 21, 1963). "New york beat". Jet. 23 (18). Chicago, Illinois: Johnson Publishing Company, Inc.: 63–64.
  6. ^ "Weekend". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  7. ^ "The Man in the Glass Booth". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  8. ^ "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.
  9. ^ "Behold! Cometh the Vanderkellans". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  10. ^ a b c "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.
  11. ^ a b c "The River Niger". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  12. ^ a b c "The River Niger". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  13. ^ "Black Picture Show". United States: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  14. ^ "Eden". New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on 2010-04-15. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  15. ^ "Kings". United States: Internet Theatre Database. Retrieved 2009-11-25.
  16. ^ "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.
  17. ^ "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.
  18. ^ "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.
  19. ^ "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.