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Adolph Caesar

 
American Theater Guide: Adolph Caesar

Caesar, Adolph (1934–1986), actor. A powerful African‐American character actor whose lined face and gravel voice made him distinctive, Caesar played a variety of classical and contemporary roles in notable regional theatres, but in New York he appeared mostly in new black works, such as The Sty of the Blind Pig (1971) and The Brownsville Raid (1976). Caesar was born in Harlem and was on the New York stage by 1962. His most famous role was the bigoted Sergeant Waters in A Soldier's Play (1981).

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Actor: Adolph Caesar
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  • Born: 1934 in New York City, New York
  • Died: Mar 06, 1986 in Los Angeles, California
  • Occupation: Actor
  • Active: '70s-'80s
  • Major Genres: Adventure, Drama
  • Career Highlights: A Soldier's Story, Fist of Fear, Touch of Death, Getting Even: A Wimp's Revenge
  • First Major Screen Credit: Fist of Fear, Touch of Death (1977)

Biography

Dynamic African American actor Adolph Caesar studied drama at NYU after a hitch in the navy. He worked as an announcer on ethnically oriented radio stations, then joined the Negro Ensemble Company, the first of many specialized repertory groups to be graced by his talents. In between his stage and TV assignments, Caesar made a good living as a commercial spokesman and cartoon voice-over artist. Though in films since 1969's Che, Caesar did not achieve movie prominence until he repeated his blistering stage performance as a vicious, self-hating Army sergeant in A Soldier's Story (1985), a role which won him an Oscar nomination. Adolph Caesar died of a heart attack suffered on the set of the Kirk Douglas-Burt Lancaster vehicle Tough Guys (1986). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Wikipedia: Adolph Caesar
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Adolph Caesar
Born 5 December 1933(1933-12-05)
New York City, New York, USA
Died 6 March 1986 (aged 52)
Los Angeles, California, USA
Occupation Theatre director, dancer, choreographer
Spouse(s) Diane (1986†)

Adolph Caesar (December 5, 1933 – March 6, 1986) was an American actor.

Contents

Biography

Born in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, he is best remembered for his role in director Norman Jewison's film, A Soldier's Story for which he received a nomination for "Best Actor in a Supporting Role" from both the Academy Awards and the Golden Globes. He also played the role of "Old Mister" in the Steven Spielberg film, The Color Purple.

In addition to his film career, Caesar did much voice-over work for television and radio commercials, including theatrical previews and radio commercials for many so-called Blaxploitation films such as Cleopatra Jones and The Spook Who Sat by the Door, as well the 1978 zombie classic Dawn of the Dead, according to the Internet Movie Database.

Caesar was working on the Los Angeles set of the 1986 film, Tough Guys when he suffered a heart attack and died a short time later. He was interred in the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. Caesar was survived by his wife, two daughters, and a son.

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1969 Che! Juan Almeida
1979 The Hitter Nathan
1980 Fist of Fear, Touch of Death TV Anchorman
1984 A Soldier's Story Sergeant Waters Nominated - Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1985 The Color Purple Old Mister
1986 Club Paradise Solomon Gundy

References

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Copyrights:

American Theater Guide. The Oxford Companion to American Theatre. Copyright © 2004 by Oxford University Press, Inc. All rights reserved.  Read more
Actor. Copyright © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC. All rights reserved.  Read more
Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Adolph Caesar" Read more