Badja Medu Djola (born Bernard Bradley; April 9, 1948 – January 8, 2005) was an American actor from Brooklyn, New York who worked primarily within
black film.
Mississippi Burning
''Mississippi Burning'' is a 1988 American crime thriller film directed by Alan Parker that is loosely based on the 1964 murder investigation of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi. It stars Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe as two F ...
'',Penitentiary
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...
'',A Rage in Harlem
''A Rage in Harlem'' is a 1991 American crime film directed by Bill Duke and loosely based on Chester Himes' novel ''A Rage in Harlem''. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines. Producer Stephen W ...
'',[ and '' Who's the Man?''.][
]
Career
Djola's breakout role was as Leon Isaac Kennedy’s cellmate, the villainous "Half Dead" Johnson, in the 1979 movie ''Penitentiary
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol (dated, standard English, Australian, and historically in Canada), penitentiary (American English and Canadian English), detention center (or detention centre outside the US), correction center, correcti ...
'', which led to many more feature films, including a supporting role in Wes Craven
Wesley Earl Craven (August 2, 1939 – August 30, 2015) was an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and editor. Craven has commonly been recognized as one of the greatest masters of the horror genre due to the cultural imp ...
’s 1988 movie '' The Serpent and the Rainbow''.[ He starred alongside Danny Glover in the 1991 film '']A Rage in Harlem
''A Rage in Harlem'' is a 1991 American crime film directed by Bill Duke and loosely based on Chester Himes' novel ''A Rage in Harlem''. The film stars Forest Whitaker, Danny Glover, Badja Djola, Robin Givens and Gregory Hines. Producer Stephen W ...
'' and Dr. Dre in '' Who's the Man?'' (1993).[ In addition to movies, Djola appeared in several television shows, including '']The X-Files
''The X-Files'' is an American science fiction drama television series created by Chris Carter. The series revolves around Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), who ...
'', '' Nash Bridges'', and '' NYPD Blue''.[ He also starred in theatre performances, with shows including '' Once in a Wife Time'' (1981)," '' Edmond'' (1984), '']227
Year 227 ( CCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Senecio and Fulvius (or, less frequently, year 980 '' Ab urbe cond ...
'', '' Southern Rapture'' (1993), and '' Dancing on Moonlight'' (1995),
Personal life
Djola died of a heart attack on January 8, 2005, in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
.[
]
Filmography
Film
Television
References
External links
*
*
1948 births
2005 deaths
African-American male actors
American male film actors
American male television actors
Burials at Inglewood Park Cemetery
People from Brooklyn
20th-century American male actors
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American people
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