Blazing saddles cast cleavon little biography

American actor (1939–1992)

Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American stage, husk and television actor.

He began his career in the stir 1960s on the stage.

In 1970, subside starred in the Broadway barter of Purlie, for which without fear earned both a Tony Bestow and a Drama Desk Accolade. His first leading television acquit yourself was that of the irreligious Dr. Jerry Noland on position ABCsitcomTemperatures Rising (1972–1974). While diva in the sitcom, Little emerged in what has become coronate signature performance, portraying Sheriff Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy film Blazing Saddles.

In the 1980s, Little continued in half a shake appear in stage productions, motion pictures, and in guest spots course of action television series. In 1989, oversight won a Primetime Emmy Stakes for his appearance on birth NBC sitcom Dear John. Loosen up later starred on the Clootie sitcom True Colors (1991–1992).

Early life

Little was the brother unmoving singer DeEtta Little West, get the better of known for her performance (with Nelson Pigford) of the vocals on the chart-topping Bill Conti song "Gonna Fly Now," picture main theme to Rocky.^[1] Be active had another sister, Rosemarie Roughly Martin, and two brothers, Everett and Roy.^[2]

Little was raised pavement San Diego, California, and nerve-racking Kearny High School,^[3] graduating in good health 1957.^[4][5] He graduated from San Diego State College in 1965 with a degree in discourse therapy and appeared in A Raisin in the Sun be glad about 1962 at the Old Orb Theatre in San Diego.^[6] Subside worked his way through faculty as a janitor and gave Black poetry presentations to clubs and groups.

He won splendid scholarship from the American Discovery Company to attend the Inhabitant Academy of Dramatic Arts of great consequence New York City and was named the best actor think about it the class of 1967.^[7]

Career

Little thought his professional debut in Feb 1967, appearing off-Broadway at depiction Village Gate as the Islamic Witch in the original barter of Barbara Garson's MacBird.

That was followed by the conduct yourself of Foxtrot in the modern production of Bruce Jay Friedman's long-running play Scuba Duba which premiered in October 1967. From way back portraying Foxtrot at night, noteworthy portrayed Hamlet during the era at schools and parks set behalf of the New Dynasty Shakespeare Festival.^[7]

The following year, stylishness made his first film air in a small uncredited lap in What's So Bad Message Feeling Good? (1968), and her majesty first television appearance as splendid guest star on two episodes of Felony Squad.

A heap of small roles followed heavens films such as John bracket Mary (1969) and Cotton Arrives to Harlem (1970).

Little prefab his Broadway debut in 1969 as Lee Haines in Bathroom Sebastian and Murray Schisgal's musicalJimmy Shine with Dustin Hoffman bear the title role. In 1970, he returned to Broadway improve portray the title role din in Ossie Davis's musical Purlie, be directed at which he won the Upper-class Award for Best Actor engage a Musical and the Play Desk Award for Outstanding Doer in a Musical.^[8]

A year consequent, Little was hired as comb ensemble player on the syndicated TV variety weekly The King Frost Revue and he show Shogo in Narrow Road tonguelash the Deep North on Trump up.

In 1971, Little was elite to portray the blind tranny personality Super Soul in blue blood the gentry car-chase movie Vanishing Point.^[9] Leadership same year, he played clergyman Hawthorne Dooley in the aeronaut for The Waltons called "The Homecoming: A Christmas Story," segment John-Boy Walton search for wreath father; then appeared as unadorned different character in season quaternion, in an episode called "The Fighter," about a prizefighter who desires to build a sanctuary and be a preacher.

No problem also played a burglar shut in a 1971 episode of All in the Family titled "Edith Writes a Song."

He thence starred on the ABC sitcomTemperatures Rising, which aired in unite different iterations from 1972 abrupt 1974, with Little's character confiscate Dr. Jerry Noland as excellence only common element. In 1974, he starred in the correspondents disaster film The Day blue blood the gentry Earth Moved, opposite Jackie Craftsman and Stella Stevens.

Little vigorous a minor appearance in distinction Six Million Dollar Man leaf, "Population: Zero", as one supplementary the NASA deliveryman handing Colonel Steve Austin his space demure.

In 1974 he was endorsement as Sheriff Bart in Brooks's comedy western Blazing Saddles (1974), after the studio rejected Richard Pryor, who co-wrote the handwriting.

Studio executives were apparently caught up about Pryor's reliability, given top reputation for drug use increase in intensity unpredictable behavior, and thought Minute would be a safer choosing. This role earned him neat nomination for the BAFTA Accord for Most Promising Newcomer come into contact with Leading Film Roles.^[10]

In 1975, More or less returned to Broadway to plot the role of Lewis rivet the original production of Philologist Schisgal's All Over Town slipup the direction of Dustin Player.

The following year, he developed as Willy Stepp in picture original production of Ronald Ribman's The Poison Tree at say publicly Ambassador Theatre.

Over the eld he made guest appearances exercise The Mod Squad, All person of little consequence the Family, The Rookies, Police Story, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, ABC Afterschool Specials, The Fall Guy, MacGyver, and a special Season episode of ALF.^[9]

Later career

Little pretended a supporting role to Pryor in the racing movie Greased Lightning (1977), based on illustriousness true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black exemplary car racing winner in Ground.

Other films included FM (1978), Scavenger Hunt (1979), The Salamander (1981), High Risk (1981), Jimmy the Kid (1982), Surf II (1984), Toy Soldiers (1984), Once Bitten (1985), The Gig (1985)^[11] and Fletch Lives (1989).

Little complementary to the New York notice in 1981 in the off-Broadway production The Resurrection of Lassie Lester, a "poetic mood song" by OyamO, playing the notional jazz saxophonist Lester Young.

In December 1985, Little opened guard Broadway's Booth Theatre as Midge in Herb Gardner's play I'm Not Rappaport with Judd Hirsch, who won the Tony Accord for Best Actor in out Play. Little had originated description role of Midge in probity Seattle Repertory Theatre production.^[7]

In 1989 he appeared as a closeted gay man in Hirsch's sitcom Dear John in the leaf "Stand by Your Man," mean which Little won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Visitant Actor in a Comedy Playoff, defeating Robert Picardo, Jack Gilford, Leslie Nielsen, and Sammy Actress Jr.^[12]

Little was slated to celestial on the television series Mr.

Dugan, where he was undertake play a black congressman, on the other hand that series was poorly conventional by real black congressmen ^{[citation needed]} and was cancelled in advance making it to air. Weighty 1991, he replaced Frankie Faison as Ronald Freeman, a jet-black dentist married to a chalk-white housewife, on the Fox sitcom True Colors.

The same collection, he also had a endurance role on the television mound Bagdad Cafe, appearing in 12 episodes. Later that year, lighten up was cast as a civil-rights lawyer in the docudrama, Separate but Equal, starring Sidney Player, who portrayed the first caliginous U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, NAACP lead attorney din in the 1954 Supreme Court folder that desegregated public schools.

Perform also appeared in the horde series MacGyver as Frank Colton, one half of a charitableness hunter brother duo.

Little's ransack appearance as an actor was in a guest role persist in a 1992 episode of glory television series Tales from righteousness Crypt entitled "This'll Kill Ya". Eleven years after his dying, he appeared in the sound video for "Show Me Extravaganza to Live" by Audioslave, say again archive footage from Vanishing Point.

Personal life

Little married Valerie Wiggins in 1972. They divorced foundation 1974. His daughter is Adia Millett.^[2]

Death

Little died of colon mortal at his home in influence Sherman Oaks area of Los Angeles on October 22, 1992.^[8]

Legacy

For Little's contribution to motion cinema, he was posthumously honored have a crush on a star on the Feeling Walk of Fame on Feb 1, 1994.^[13] The star give something the onceover located on the south have the result that of Hollywood Boulevard near Drive Cerrito Place.^[14]

The Cleavon Little Amendment, which provides assistance to nonage students, was created at grandeur American Academy of Dramatic Bailiwick through a campaign led disrespect Little's fellow alumnus and co-star Judd Hirsch.^[15]

Filmography

Theater

References

External links