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Charles S. Dutton

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Charles S. Dutton
Dutton at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Born
Charles Stanley Dutton
OccupationActor/Director
Years active1984–present
SpouseDebbi Morgan (1989–1994)

Charles Stanley Dutton (born January 30, 1951-March 17, 2009) is an American stage, film, and television actor and director. He is perhaps best known for starring in the television series Roc (1991–1994) and House MD (as the father of Foreman).

Career

In 1984, Dutton made his Broadway debut in August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, winning a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor. In 1988, Dutton played a killer in the television miniseries The Murder of Mary Phagan opposite Jack Lemmon and Kevin Spacey. 1990 brought him a second Best Actor Tony nomination for his role in another Wilson play, The Piano Lesson. From 1991-94 he starred in the Fox Television series Roc. Dutton co-starred in Alien 3, the debut film of director David Fincher, then co-starred in 1993's Rudy. Other films he has appeared in include A Time to Kill; Cookie's Fortune; Crocodile Dundee II; Cry, the Beloved Country; Menace II Society; and Secret Window.

Dutton won Outstanding Guest Actor Emmy Awards in 2002 and 2003 for his roles in The Practice and Without a Trace. He was previously nominated In 1999, for his guest-starring role as Alvah Case in the HBO prison drama Oz in its second season premiere episode. For this role he was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Also in 1999, he starred in an ensemble cast in Aftershock: Earthquake in New York in which he played the Mayor of New York City. Dutton gained acclaim for his comedy show Roc shown on FOX television (but produced by HBO) from 1991 to 1994, especially mid-run when the show was broadcast live. His work in this role won him an NAACP Image Award. He co-starred in the popular but short-lived 2005 CBS science fiction series, Threshold.

In 2000, Dutton directed the HBO miniseries The Corner. The miniseries was close to his heart for Dutton grew up on the streets of East Baltimore. It was adapted from The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood (Broadway Books, 1997) by David Simon (a reporter for the Baltimore Sun) and Ed Burns (a retired Baltimore homicide detective). The Corner won several Emmys in 2000, including Best Miniseries. Dutton won for his direction of the miniseries. He worked with Simon previously in a 1996 episode of Homicide: Life on the Street.

He starred as Montgomery County, Maryland Police Chief Charles Moose in the 2003 made-for-TV movie D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear, and appears in Season 2 of The L Word. Dutton also appeared in "Another Toothpick," an episode of The Sopranos. He guest starred on House as the father of Doctor Eric Foreman (Omar Epps) and on Sleeper Cell: American Terror as the father of undercover FBI agent Darwyn Al-Sayeed. He also directed two episodes of Sleeper Cell.

On 9 October 2007, HBO announced that it has arranged a deal with Dutton where he will develop, direct and star in series and movies for the network.[1] He also appeared in the 2007 film Honeydripper.

Personal life and death

Dutton was born and raised on the Eastside of Baltimore, Maryland to a truck driver father.

In his youth, Dutton dropped out of school before finishing middle school. He had a short-lived stint as an amateur boxer with the nickname "Roc." When he was seventeen, he was charged and convicted of manslaughter, and he spent most of the next several years in prison. It was in prison, however, that he finally found his passion.

Several months into his second prison term, Dutton was sentenced to six days of solitary confinement, which allowed prisoners to take one book. By accident, he grabbed an anthology of black playwrights. He enjoyed the plays so much that, upon his release from confinement, he petitioned the warden to start a drama group for the Christmas talent show. The warden agreed on the condition that Dutton go back to school and get his GED. Dutton accomplished that and went on to eventually complete a two-year college program. Upon his release, he enrolled as a drama major at Towson State University (now known as Towson University) in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland.

After his time at Towson, Dutton earned a master's degree in acting from the Yale School of Drama.[2]

Dutton owns a farm in Ellicott City, Maryland. He was married to actress Debbi Morgan in 1989, but the couple divorced in 1994.

In 2010, Dutton passed away in his farm house in Ellicott, Maryland from natural casues in his sleep on the 17 March 2009, and was pronounced dead by Debbi Morgan on 18 March 2009.

Filmography

References

  1. ^ Michael Schneider (2007-10-10). "Dutton back in biz at HBO". Daily Variety. p. 4. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  2. ^ "Charles S. Dutton" at Allmovie

Blind Faith (1998)

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