Roscoe Lee Browne Biography (1925-)

Born May 2, 1925, in Woodbury, NJ; son of a minister. Education: Earned a degree from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania; graduate study at Middlebury College; also attended Columbia University. Addresses: Agent-- Susan Smith and Associates, 121 North San Vicente Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211. Career: Actor, director, and writer. Shenley Import Corp., national sales representative, 1946-56; Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Lincoln University, PA, teacher of literature and French, 1952; Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, member of the company, 1966-67; Pittsburgh Playhouse, Pittsburgh, PA, member of the company, 1966-67; Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, member of the company, 1966-67; New Theatre for Now, Los Angeles, CA, member of the company, 1969-70; American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco,CA, member of the company, 1988-89; Spoleto Festival, Spoleto, Italy, guest artist; performer of Shakespearean roles for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; reader of modern poetry and classics atcolleges and universities throughout the United States. Member of the boardof trustees for various institutions, including the Millay Colony for the Arts, the Los Angeles Free Public Theatre, and KPFK, Pacifica Radio. Member: Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild, American Federationof Television and Radio Artists. Awards, Honors: Track and field awards, including two American indoor championships and a world championship in the 800-yard dash, 1951; Obie Award, best actor (with Frank Langella and LesterRawlins), 1965, for Benito Cereno; Los Angeles Drama Critics Award, best actor, 1970, for The Dream on Monkey Mountain; Emmy Award nomination, outstanding single performance by a supporting actor in a supporting rolein a comedy or drama series, 1975, for "The Escape Artist" episode of Barney Miller; inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, 1977; Emmy Award, outstanding guest performer in a comedy series, 1986, for "The Card Game" episode of The Cosby Show; Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award,1989, for Joe Turner's Come and Gone; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best performance by a featured actor in a play, 1992, for Two Trains Running. Addresses: Agent: Susan Smith and Associates, 121 NorthSan Vicente Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality: American
Gender: Male
Occupation: Actor, director, writer
Birth Details: May 2, 1925; Woodbury, New Jersey, United States

Famous Works

CREDITS
Film Appearances
(As Roscoe Brown) The Connection, Allen/Clarke, 1962
The Cool World, Cinema Five, 1963
Bertolt Brecht: Uebungstuecke fuer Schauspieler(also known as Bertolt Brecht: Practice Pieces and Bertolt Brecht: Ubungstucke fur Schauspieler), 1964
Christopher, Black Like Me(also known as No Man Walks Alone), Continental, 1964
Preacher, Pie in the Sky(also known as Terror in the City),Allied Artists, 1964
Petit Pierre, The Comedians(also known as Les comedians), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1967
Clarence, Uptight(also known as Up Tight!), Paramount, 1968
Philippe Dubois, Topaz, Universal, 1969
Photographer, Me and My Brother, New Yorker, 1969
Lord Byron "L. B." Jones, The Liberation of L. B. Jones, Columbia,1970
Narrator, Ra(also known as The Ra Expeditions), Universal,1971
Music store operator, Cisco Pike, Columbia, 1971
Jedediah Nightlinger, The Cowboys, Warner Bros., 1972
Dr. Lamine Sonko, Superfly T.N.T., Paramount, 1973
Gazenga, The World's Greatest Athlete, Buena Vista, 1973
Congressman Lincoln, Uptown Saturday Night, Warner Bros., 1974
Box, Logan's Run, United Artists, 1976
James Forrest, Twilight's Last Gleaming(also known as Nuclear Countdown and Das Ultimatum), Allied Artists, 1977
Gideon Gibbs, Double Take,1979
Mr. Paxton, Nothing Personal, American International Pictures, 1980
Is Everybody Happy but Me?, AIMS Media, 1983
Archer Lincoln, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986
Judge Dawkins, Legal Eagles, Universal, 1986
Voice of Francis, Oliver and Company(animated), Buena Vista, 1988
Narrator, Night Angel, Fries Entertainment, 1990
Chairperson, Moon 44(also known as Intruder), LIVE Home Video, 1991
Doc, Eddie Presley, Raven Pictures International, 1992
Fernando Perez, The Mambo Kings(also known as The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love), Warner Bros., 1992
Mr. Reid, Naked in New York, Fine Line Features, 1994
Narrator, Brother Minister: The Assassination of Malcolm X(documentary), 1994
Freddy, Last Summer in the Hamptons, Rainbow Releasing, 1995
Leonard Folder, The Pompatus of Love, CFP Distribution, 1995
Narrator, Babe(also known as Babe, the Gallant Pig), Universal, 1995
Clovis Madison, Forest Warrior, Turner Home Entertainment, 1996
Idris Abraham, Dear God, Paramount, 1996
Voice characterization, Spider-Man: Sins of the Fathers(animated),Marvel Films/New World Entertainment, 1996
Narrator, Babe: Pig in the City(also known as Babe in Metropolis and Babe 2), Universal, 1998
Pebo, Morgan's Ferry, Artist View Entertainment, 1999
Also appeared in The Fifth Door.
Television Appearances
Series
Gideon Gibbs, McCoy, NBC, 1975-76
Harold Devore Neistadter, Miss Winslow and Son, CBS, 1979
Saunders, Soap, ABC, 1980-81
Voice of Reekon (one source says Merklyn), Visionaries(animated),PBS, 1987
Rosemont, Falcon Crest, CBS, 1988
Voice of Max Miles, Ring Raiders(animated), syndicated, beginningin 1989
Voice of Wilson Fisk (the Kingpin), Spider-Man(animated), Fox/UPN,c. 1995-99
Voice of Leadbelly, The Notorious 7(animated), beginning in 1997
Miniseries
Philip Harrison, King, NBC, 1978
Charles Farquar, Space(also known as James A. Michener's Space), CBS, 1985
Movies
Dr. Cresus, Dr. Scorpion, ABC, 1978
Calhearn, Stuck with Each Other, NBC, 1989
Omar DeLacy, Lady in a Corner(also known as Lady in the Corner), NBC, 1989
Dr. Steadman, "Rest in Peace, Mrs. Columbo" (also known as "Columbo"), The ABC Saturday Mystery, ABC, 1990
"Open Window," Showtime 30-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1991
Buck, You Must Remember This,1992
Chief Bleeker, The Judas Kiss, Cinemax, 1998
Sebastian Allgood, The Premonition(also known as Hard Time: ThePremonition), TNT, 1999
Specials
"Green Pastures," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1952
Babu, "Benito Cereno," Festival of the Arts, syndicated, 1965
W. E. B. DuBois, "Free at Last," History of the Negro People, PBS,1965
Host (with others), Unknown Powers,1978
Diogenes "D. C." Chase, The Haunting of Harrington House,1981
"For Us, the Living: The Story of Medgar Evers" (also known as "For Us, the Living" and "For Us, the Living: The Medgar Evers Story"), American Playhouse, PBS, 1983
Ghost of Christmas past, John Grin's Christmas, ABC, 1986
Gordon Parks: Moments without Proper Names, PBS, 1988
Narrator, Marilyn Monroe: Life after Death, Showtime, 1994
Mr. Wortham, "Crosstown," CBS Schoolbreak Specials, CBS, 1996
Voiceover, The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story, PBS, 2000
Awards Presentations
The 19th Annual NAACP Image Awards, NBC, 1987
Episodic
"The Benefactor," The Defenders, CBS, 1962

"The Whistling Shrimp," Espionage, NBC, 1963
That Was the Week That Was(also known as TW3), NBC, 1964
"Deadfall," Mannix, CBS, 1968
"Watts Made Out of Thread," Insight, syndicated, 1968
Arnold Warren, "The Vise," The Invaders, ABC, 1968
"Gideon," Outcasts, ABC, 1969
"The Third Choice," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1969
"The Time Is Now," The Name of the Game, NBC, 1970
"He Was Only Seven," Bonanza, NBC, 1972
Hugh Victor Thompson III, "The Elevator Story," All in the Family,CBS, 1972
Osgood Wilcox, "Jealousy," Sanford and Son, NBC, 1972
Jean Duval, "Archie in the Hospital," All in the Family, CBS, 1973
Yale Courtland Dancy, "A Trout in the Milk," The Streets of San Francisco, ABC, 1973
"Epicac," Rex Harrison's Short Stories of Love, NBC, 1974
"This Case Is Closed," Planet of the Apes, CBS, 1974
"Tomorrow's Tide," Planet of the Apes, CBS, 1974
Reverend Sam, "God's Business Is Good Business," Good Times, CBS, 1974
"The Escape Artist," Barney Miller(also known as The Life and Times of Captain Barney Miller), ABC, 1975
Mr. Butterfield, "Victoria's Boyfriend," Maude, CBS, 1977
Quatraine, "Starsky and Hutch on Playboy Island," Starsky and Hutch, ABC, 1977
Merlin, "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court," Once upon aClassic, PBS, 1978
Mr. Butterfield, "Mr. Butterfield's Return," Maude, CBS, 1978
"Sixth Sense," Hart to Hart, ABC, 1980
Carlton, "Of Sound Mind," Magnum, P.I., CBS, 1983
"Death Goes to the Movies," Blacke's Magic, NBC, 1986
Dean Morton, "Reading between the Lines," The Ellen Burstyn Show,ABC, 1986
Dr. Bennington Foster, "The Card Game," The Cosby Show, NBC, 1986
Dr. Bennington Foster, "Shakespeare," The Cosby Show, NBC, 1987
Dr. Foster, "All's Fair," A Different World, NBC, 1988
Dr. Foster, "Speech Therapy," A Different World, NBC, 1988
Dr. Hudsbeth, "Country Doctor," Highway to Heaven, NBC, 1988
Dennis Cray, "The Passionate Painter Mystery," Father Dowling Mysteries, ABC, 1990
Dr. Foster, "Almost Work Girl," A Different World, NBC, 1991
Voice of Roscoe, "Star Is Newborn," Baby Talk, ABC, 1991
"Songs of Freedom," Evening at Pops, PBS, 1992
Dr. Foster, "Do the Write Thing," A Different World, NBC, 1992
Sir Idris Balewa, "Consultation," Law and Order, NBC, 1992
Dr. Raleigh Young, "The Devil's Window," seaQuestDSV(also known as seaQuest 2032), NBC, 1993
Sweet Justice, NBC, 1994
Mr. Davis (an interviewer), "The Job," The John Larroquette Show,NBC, 1994
Voice of Dr. Wataki, "Time Out of Joint," Batman: The Animated Series(animated), Fox, 1994
Voice characterization, "Rumpelstiltskin," Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child(animated), HBO, 1995
Dr. Johnson, "Bad Blood," New York Undercover, Fox, 1996
George Lucas (Hilton's brother), "The Two Lucases," Cosby, CBS, 1996
Mayor Davidson's supporter, EZ Streets(also known as Easy Streets), CBS, 1996
Reverend Soames, Kirk(also known as Life Happens), The WB,1996
Judge Baily, "It Takes a Voyage to Learn," Hope Island, PAX TV, 1999
Reverend Matthew Lynn, "Rites of Spring," ER(also known as Emergency Room), NBC, 1999
Himself, "The Papp Project," American Masters, PBS, 2001
Also appeared in Benson, ABC; East Side, West Side, CBS; and Meeting of Minds, PBS. Provided voice characterizations for episodesof the animated series Pirates of Dark Water(also known as Dark Water), Fox; and The Real Ghostbusters, ABC.
Pilots
Silky Gideon Gibbs, The Big Rip-Off(also known as The Big Ripoff), NBC, 1975
Truman Murdock, The High Five, NBC, 1982
Stage Appearances
The Taming of the Shrew, New York Shakespeare Festival, East RiverPark Amphitheatre, 1956
Soothsayer and Pindarus, Julius Caesar, New York Shakespeare Festival, East River Park Amphitheatre, New York City, 1956
Aaron, Titus Andronicus, New York Shakespeare Festival, Theatre ofEmmanuel Presbyterian Church, New York City, 1957
Cothurnus, Aria da Capo, Theatre Marquee, New York City, 1958
Understudy for the title role, Othello, New York Shakespeare Festival, Belvedere Lake Theatre, New York City, 1958
Understudy for the title role, Purlie Victorious, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1961
Archibald Wellington, The Blacks, St. Mark's Playhouse, New York City, 1961-62
Corporal, General Seeger, Lyceum Theatre, New York City, 1962
Deacon Sitter Morris, Tiger, Tiger, Burning Bright, Booth Theatre,New York City, 1962
Fool, King Lear, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre,New York City, 1962
Brecht on Brecht(revue), Theatre de Lys, New York City, 1962 thenArena Stage, Washington, DC, performed as a staged reading at Sheridan SquarePlayhouse, New York City, and at Delacorte Theatre, all 1963
Autolycus, The Winter's Tale, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, 1963
Narrator, The Ballad of the Sad Cafe, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1963
Street singer, The Threepenny Opera, Arena Stage, 1963
Babu, Benito Cereno, American Place Theatre, New York City, beginning in 1963 later produced as part of a double-bill titled The Old Glory, Theatre of St. Clement's Church, New York City, 1964
Hell Is Other People(readings), Carnegie Hall, New York City, 1964
Male lead, The Empty Room, Village South Theatre, New York City, 1964
St. Just, Danton's Death, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1965
Ulysses, Troilus and Cressida, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, 1965
Beyond the Fringe, Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, 1966
Babu, Benito Cereno, Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1966
The gardener, Sodom and Gomorrah, Playhouse in the Park, 1966
Mendoza, Man and Superman, Playhouse in the Park, 1966
Sheridan Whiteside, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven, CT, 1966
An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music, Delacorte Theatre, 1966produced as A Hand Is on the Gate, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1966 revived at Afro-American Studio, New York City, 1976-77
Mosca, Volpone, New York Shakespeare Festival, Mobile Theatre, NewYork City, 1967
Makak, The Dream on Monkey Mountain, Center Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA, 1970 then St. Mark's Playhouse, New York City, 1971
A Rap on Race, New Theatre for Now, Los Angeles, CA, 1971-72
As You Like It, Pilgrimage Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1973
Ephraim Cabot, Desire under the Elms, Academy Festival Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1974
(With Anthony Zerbe) Behind the Broken Words(poetry reading), Washington Theatre Club, Washington, DC, 1974 revived at American Place Theatre,1981
Babu, Benito Cereno, American Place Theatre, 1976
Albert Perez Jordan, Remembrance, New York Shakespeare Festival, Other Stage, Public Theatre, New York City, 1979
Pantomime, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1981-82
Right Reverend J. D. Montgomery, My One and Only, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1983-84
M. Noirtier, The Count of Monte Cristo, Eisenhower Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington, DC, 1985
Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles, CA, 1989 then Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, 1989-90
Two Trains Running, Eisenhower Theatre, John F. Kennedy Center forthe Performing Arts, 1991 then Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, 1992
Major Tours
Balthazar, Romeo and Juliet, New York Shakespeare Festival, New York cities, 1957
Stage Work
Director, An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music, Delacorte Theatre, 1966 produced as A Hand Is on the Gate, Longacre Theatre, 1966 revived at Afro-American Studio, 1976-77
Radio Appearances
Performer of Shakespearean roles for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
RECORDINGS
Taped Readings
Enjoyment of Poetry: Memorial Program for Claude McKay, Archive ofRecorded Poetry and Literature, 1967
Poems(recitation of poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay), Archive ofRecorded Poetry and Literature, 1968
Caribbean, Random House Audio, 1989
Selected Shorts: A Celebration of the Short Story, Listening Library, 1989
Martin Luther King Edition: New Testament Value Pack, World BiblePublishing Company, 1991
Bible for Today New Testament,1992
(With Joe Morton) The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Simon & Schuster Audio, 1992
The Word Workout: 10 Easy Exercises for a Stronger Vocabulary, Dove Books Audio, 1995
The Complete Sonnets of William Shakespeare: With A Lover's Complaint and Selected Songs, Dove Books Audio, 1996
The Poetry of Robert Frost, Dove Books Audio, 1996
The Haunting of Hill House, New Star Media, 1999
WRITINGS
Writings for the Stage
An Evening of Negro Poetry and Folk Music, Delacorte Theatre, 1966produced as A Hand Is on the Gate, Longacre Theatre, 1966 revived atAfro-American Studio, 1976-77
Other Writings
Author of poems and short stories.

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