Arthur French (actor)
Arthur French | |
|---|---|
| Born | Arthur Wellesley French Jr. November 6, 1931 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | July 24, 2021 (aged 89) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, director |
| Years active | 1960s–2021 |
| Spouse | Antoinette Williams[1] |
| Children | 2 |
Arthur Wellesley French Jr.[1] (November 6, 1931 – July 24, 2021) was an American actor and director, best known for his work in the theatre.
Life and career
French was born in Harlem, New York City, on November 6, 1931,[1] the son of Arthur and Ursilla French, who both emigrated to the U.S. from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[2][3]
Throughout a career that spans over fifty years, French is best known for his work on the stage. He worked extensively with the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) and has played a wide variety of roles. He was also a supporting character in the 1976 comedy film Car Wash.[citation needed]
His later film credits were in 2 Days in New York and Red Hook Summer, both released in August 2012. He died on July 24, 2021, at the age of 89 in Manhattan, New York.[1]
Selected credits
Theatre
Acting
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Raisin' Hell in the Son | Provincetown Playhouse | ||
| 1969 | Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[4] | William Jenkins | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1971 | Black Girl[5] | Earl | Theatre de Lys | |
| 1971 | Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death[1] | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | ||
| 1978 | Nevis Mountain Dew[6] | Ayton Morris | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1981 | The Amen Corner | Brother Boxer | Crossroads Theater Company | |
| 1983 | You Can't Take It With You[7] | Donald | Royale Theatre
|
|
| 1991 | Mule Bone[8] | Rev. Singletary Mayor Joe Clark (understudy) |
Ethel Barrymore Theatre | |
| 1995 | Henry VI[9] | Earl of Salisbury | Theater at St. Clements Church | |
| 2001 | Fire Drill | Carl | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. |
| Kickin Summit | Ski | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| Give Us This Day | Dad | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| The Border Crossers Lounge | Mother Perez | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| 2005 | The Master Builder[10] | Doctor Herdal | Pearl Theatre | |
| 2006 | Two Trains Running[11] | Holloway | Peter Norton Space | Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actor |
| 2007 | Dividing the Estate[12] | Doug | 59E59 Theater A | |
| 2009 | Medea | The Riverside Theatre | ||
| The Book of Lambert | La MaMa etc. | |||
| Dividing the Estate | Doug | Hartford Stage |
Directing
| Year | Production | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | One Last Look[13] | Old Reliable Theatre Tavern | One of the first produced plays written by steve carter |
Film
Acting
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Car Wash | Charlie |
| 1986 | 'Round Midnight | Booker |
| 1992 | Malcolm X[1] | Pullman Porter |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | West Indian Store Manager |
| 2012 | Where is Joel Baum?
|
Detective Robertson |
| 2013 | 2 Days in New York | Lee Robinson |
| Movie 43 | Old Man | |
| 2014 | God's Pocket | Lucien "Old Lucy" Edwards |
Television
Acting
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1987 | Another World | Al Edwards | 2 episodes |
| 2018 | New Amsterdam | Brent | Season 1, Episode 15 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f Roberts, Sam (August 5, 2021). "Arthur French, Negro Ensemble Company Pioneer, Dies at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
- ^ "United States Census, 1940, index and images, Arthur Franch in household of Arthur Franch, Assembly District 22, Manhattan, New York City, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 31-1938, sheet 13A, family 323, NARA digital publication T627, roll 2671". United States: FamilySearch. April 15, 1940. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
- ^ "U.S. Public Records Index, Volume 2 [database on-line]". Provo, Utah: The Generations Network. 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
- New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the originalon August 12, 2014. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
- New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the originalon October 12, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
- New York, New York: Lortel Archives: The Internet Off-Broadway Database. Archived from the originalon September 13, 2007. Retrieved November 25, 2009.
- ^
"You Can't Take It With You". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
- ^
"Mule Bone". New York, New York: Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
- New York, New York: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Archived from the originalon October 7, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
- New York, New York: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Archived from the originalon September 11, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
- ^ "Two Trains Running". United States: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on October 19, 2007. Retrieved December 4, 2009.
- ^ "Dividing the Estate". United States: Lortel Archives:The Internet off-Broadway Database. Archived from the original on September 8, 2007. Retrieved December 5, 2009.
- ISBN 0-88145-043-X.
External links
- Arthur French at the Internet Broadway Database
- Arthur French at IMDb
- Arthur French at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
- Arthur French at the Internet Theatre Database
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