Cleavon Little: Difference between revisions
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===Later career=== |
===Later career=== |
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After ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'', Little appeared in a large amount of, unfortunately, less successful films, such as ''[[FM (film)|FM]]'', ''[[High Risk]]'', ''[[Jimmy the Kid]]'' and ''[[Toy Soldiers (1984)|Toy Soldiers]]''. Little also made guest appearances on ''[[The Mod Squad]]'', ''[[The Rookies]]'', ''[[Police Story]]'', ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[ABC Afterschool Specials]]'', ''[[The Fall Guy]]'' and ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]''. In 1989 he appeared in an episode of ''[[Dear John]]'' and won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actor]] [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy]], defeating [[Robert Picardo]], [[Jack Gilford]], [[Leslie Nielsen]] and [[Sammy Davis, Jr.]]<ref name="IMDB2">{{cite web|title=The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1989)|url=http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Emmy_Awards/1989| work=The Internet Movie Database |accessdate=2008-06-07}}</ref> Little also had a part in ''[[Fletch Lives]]'', the least successful sequel to 1985's ''[[Fletch (film)|Fletch]]''. Little was slated to star in the TV series ''[[Mr. Dugan]]'', where he was to play a black congressman, but that series was poorly received by real black congressmen and was canceled before making it to air. He replaced [[Frankie Faison]] as Ronald Freeman, a [[African American|Black]] dentist married to Ellen Freeman, a white housewife on the short-lived FOX sitcom [[True Colors (TV series)|True Colors]]. In 1991 Little was cast as a civil rights lawyer in the TV docu-drama, "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL", starring [[Sidney Poitier]], who portrayed the first black U. S. Supreme Court Justice, [[Thurgood Marshall]], [[NAACP]] lead attorney in the 1954 [[Supreme Court]] case desegregating public schools. His last appearance overall was a guest part on an episode of ''[[Tales from the Crypt]]'', before he died in [[Sherman Oaks, California]], of [[colon cancer]] in 1992. |
After ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'', Little appeared in a large amount of, unfortunately, less successful films, such as ''[[FM (film)|FM]]'', ''[[High Risk]]'', ''[[Jimmy the Kid]]'' and ''[[Toy Soldiers (1984)|Toy Soldiers]]''. Little also made guest appearances on ''[[The Mod Squad]]'', ''[[The Rookies]]'', ''[[Police Story]]'', ''[[The Rockford Files]]'', ''[[The Love Boat]]'', ''[[Fantasy Island]]'', ''[[ABC Afterschool Specials]]'', ''[[The Fall Guy]]'' and ''[[ALF (TV series)|ALF]]''. In 1989 he appeared in an episode of ''[[Dear John]]'' and won the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor - Comedy Series|Outstanding Guest Actor]] [[Primetime Emmy Awards|Emmy]], defeating [[Robert Picardo]], [[Jack Gilford]], [[Leslie Nielsen]] and [[Sammy Davis, Jr.]]<ref name="IMDB2">{{cite web|title=The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1989)|url=http://www.imdb.com/Sections/Awards/Emmy_Awards/1989| work=The Internet Movie Database |accessdate=2008-06-07}}</ref> Little also had a part in ''[[Fletch Lives]]'', the least successful sequel to 1985's ''[[Fletch (film)|Fletch]]''. Little was slated to star in the TV series ''[[Mr. Dugan]]'', where he was to play a black congressman, but that series was poorly received by real black congressmen and was canceled before making it to air. He replaced [[Frankie Faison]] as Ronald Freeman, a [[African American|Black]] dentist married to Ellen Freeman, a white housewife on the short-lived FOX sitcom [[True Colors (TV series)|True Colors]]. In 1991 Little was cast as a civil rights lawyer in the TV docu-drama, "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL" [http://us.imdb/Title?0102879], starring [[Sidney Poitier]], who portrayed the first black U. S. Supreme Court Justice, [[Thurgood Marshall]], [[NAACP]] lead attorney in the 1954 [[Supreme Court]] case desegregating public schools. His last appearance overall was a guest part on an episode of ''[[Tales from the Crypt]]'', before he died in [[Sherman Oaks, California]], of [[colon cancer]] in 1992. |
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==References== |
==References== |
Revision as of 23:52, 23 August 2008
Cleavon Little | |
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File:Cleavon Little.jpg Blazing Saddles, 1974 | |
Born | Cleavon Jake Little |
Occupation(s) | Actor, theatre actor, film actor |
Years active | 1964-1992 |
Spouse | Valerie Wiggins (1972-1974) |
Awards | Hollywood Walk of Fame 7080 Hollywood Boulevard |
Cleavon Jake Little (June 1, 1939 – October 22, 1992) was an American film and theatre actor, best known for his lead role as Bart in the 1974 Mel Brooks comedy Blazing Saddles and as the irreverent Dr. Jerry Noland in the early 1970s situation-comedy television series program Temperatures Rising. In 1978 he played "The Prince of Darkness" in the radio station comedy FM. He was also in the 1984 action film Toy Soldiers and acted out the role of Super Soul in the film Vanishing Point in 1971.[1]
Biography
Early Life
Little was born in Chickasha, Oklahoma. He grew up in California and attended college at San Diego State University. After receiving a full scholarship to Juilliard he moved to New York and trained at the American Academy of Dramatic Art.[2]
Career
Little started off with small, and uncredited parts. He had small roles in films such as What's So Bad About Feeling Good, John and Mary and Cotton Comes to Harlem. In 1971 he was chosen to portray Super Soul in the movie Vanishing Point, after a few more films and guest appearances Little was cast to portray Sheriff Bart in the 1974 comedy film Blazing Saddles, beating Richard Pryor, who co-wrote the script intending to play the role himself. Studio execs were apparently nervous over Pryor's reputation as a racy comedian and thought Little would be a safer choice.[3] This role earned him a BAFTA Award nomination as Most Promising Newcomer. He would also play in a supporting role for Richard Pryor in the the racing movie Greased Lightning, based on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first black stock car racing champion in America. Little made his off-Broadway debut in the 1968 political satire MacBird!, 1970 he won a Tony award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award for his work in the Broadway musical Purlie. A year later Little was hired as an ensemble player on the syndicated TV variety weekly The David Frost Revue.
Later career
After Blazing Saddles, Little appeared in a large amount of, unfortunately, less successful films, such as FM, High Risk, Jimmy the Kid and Toy Soldiers. Little also made guest appearances on The Mod Squad, The Rookies, Police Story, The Rockford Files, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, ABC Afterschool Specials, The Fall Guy and ALF. In 1989 he appeared in an episode of Dear John and won the Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy, defeating Robert Picardo, Jack Gilford, Leslie Nielsen and Sammy Davis, Jr.[4] Little also had a part in Fletch Lives, the least successful sequel to 1985's Fletch. Little was slated to star in the TV series Mr. Dugan, where he was to play a black congressman, but that series was poorly received by real black congressmen and was canceled before making it to air. He replaced Frankie Faison as Ronald Freeman, a Black dentist married to Ellen Freeman, a white housewife on the short-lived FOX sitcom True Colors. In 1991 Little was cast as a civil rights lawyer in the TV docu-drama, "SEPARATE BUT EQUAL" [1], starring Sidney Poitier, who portrayed the first black U. S. Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall, NAACP lead attorney in the 1954 Supreme Court case desegregating public schools. His last appearance overall was a guest part on an episode of Tales from the Crypt, before he died in Sherman Oaks, California, of colon cancer in 1992.
References
- ^ "Cleavon Little Biography". filmreference. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
- ^ "Biography: Cleavon Little". Allmovie. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
- ^ "Cleavon Little Trivia". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
- ^ "The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards (1989)". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2008-06-07.
External links
- Cleavon Little at Find a Grave
- Please use a more specific IBDB template. See the documentation for available templates.
- Please use a more specific IMDb template. See the documentation for available templates.
Template:Persondata {{subst:#if:Little, Cleavon|}} [[Category:{{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1939}}
|| UNKNOWN | MISSING = Year of birth missing {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1992}}||LIVING=(living people)}} | #default = 1939 births
}}]] {{subst:#switch:{{subst:uc:1992}}
|| LIVING = | MISSING = | UNKNOWN = | #default =
}}
- Living people
- 1992 deaths
- African American actors
- American film actors
- American musical theatre actors
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Deaths from colorectal cancer
- Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Oklahoma (state) actors
- People from Grady County, Oklahoma
- Tony Award winners
- San Diego State University alumni