Brock Peters (born George Fisher; July 2, 1927 – August 23, 2005) was an American actor and singer, best known for playing the villainous "Crown" in the 1959 film version of ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play '' Porgy'', it ...

'', and the wrongfully convicted

Tom Robinson Thomas Giles Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is a British singer, bassist, radio presenter and long-time LGBT rights activist, best known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson ...

in the 1962 film ''

To Kill a Mockingbird ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' is a novel by the American author Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and was instantly successful. In the United States, it is widely read in high schools and middle schools. ''To Kill a Mockingbird'' has become ...

''. He was nominated for a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

and won a Drama Desk Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award for his lead performance as Rev. Stephen Kumalo in the 1972 Broadway revival of ''

Lost in the Stars ''Lost in the Stars'' is a musical with book and lyrics by Maxwell Anderson and music by Kurt Weill, based on the novel ''Cry, the Beloved Country'' (1948) by Alan Paton. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1949; it was the composer's last work ...

''. His film roles also included ''

The Pawnbroker ''The Pawnbroker'' (1961) is a novel by Edward Lewis Wallant which tells the story of Sol Nazerman, a concentration camp survivor who suffers flashbacks of his past Nazi imprisonment as he tries to cope with his daily life operating a pawn sh ...

'' (1964), ''

Soylent Green ''Soylent Green'' is a 1973 American ecological dystopian thriller film directed by Richard Fleischer, and starring Charlton Heston, Leigh Taylor-Young, and Edward G. Robinson in his final film role. It is loosely based on the 1966 science fict ...

'' (1973) and ''

Ghosts of Mississippi ''Ghosts of Mississippi'' is a 1996 American biographical courtroom drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods. The plot is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the ...

'' (1996). In the 1980s and 1990s, he voiced the role of

Darth Vader Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...

in the serial radio drama adaptations of the original trilogy of ''Star Wars'' films, and played two recurring roles in the '' Star Trek'' franchise: Starfleet Admiral Cartwright in two of the original-cast feature films, and Joseph Sisko (father of station commander

Benjamin Sisko Benjamin Lafayette Sisko is a fictional character in the '' Star Trek'' franchise portrayed by Avery Brooks. He first appeared in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (''DS9'') and became prominent on the TV show in the United ...

) in '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''.

Early life

Peters was born George Fisher in New York City, the son of Alma A. ( ''née'' Norford) and Sonnie Fisher, a

Senegal Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...

ese sailor with the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

. Peters set his sights on a show business career early on, at the age of 10. Avidly encouraged by his mother Alma to pursue a musical career, he studied the violin from 10 to 14 years of age, but he found out that his singing talents were more prodigious and upon enrolling at New York's famed

High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...

, he immediately signed up for several productions in its musical theatre program. Upon graduation, Peters initially fielded more odd jobs than acting jobs, often working as a hospital orderly at night while he worked his way through physical education studies at the City College of New York (CCNY), but he still stayed connected to the burgeoning theatre and creative community in New York, occasionally doing background parts in musical plays like "Black Aida".

Career

After auditioning and landing a spot touring with the Leonard DePaur Infantry Chorus (of which he was a civilian member from 1945 to 1947), however, he officially quit CCNY. Peters often joked that he "grew up" in the chorus, because his vocal range changed from baritone to bass baritone during his years with them. DePaur subsequently gave him the lead in the Chorus' popular rendition of "John Henry" (which became a repertoire mainstay of Peters in later years, singing the work on one of his two solo albums which was produced by United Artists Records in the 1960s). At the suggestion of his agent, he adopted a more memorable stage name, reversing the order of the names of childhood friend Peter Brock. After auditioning and landing a stage role in the touring company of ''

'' in 1949 on

contralto A contralto () is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto's vocal range is fairly rare; similar to the mezzo-soprano, and almost identical to that of a countertenor, typica ...

Etta Moten Etta Moten Barnett (November 5, 1901 – January 2, 2004) was an American actress and contralto vocalist, who was identified with her signature role of "Bess" in ''Porgy and Bess''. She created new roles for African-American women on stage ...

's suggestion, he went on tour with the opera, where

William Warfield William Caesar Warfield (January 22, 1920 – August 25, 2002) was an American concert bass-baritone singer and actor, known for his appearances in stage productions, Hollywood films, and television programs. A prominent African American artist ...

commended his performances and requested that Peters be his understudy as Porgy. It was during this time while he was touring in Europe with the opera that

Paul Robeson Paul Leroy Robeson ( ; April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976) was an American bass-baritone concert artist, stage and film actor, professional American football, football player, and activist who became famous both for his cultural accomplish ...

saw him in his career-defining role as "Crown" and purportedly declared that he was "a young Paul Robeson". Brock Peters Fess Parker Daniel Boone 1964

Peters made his film debut in ''

Carmen Jones ''Carmen Jones'' is a 1943 Broadway musical with music by Georges Bizet (orchestrated for Broadway by Robert Russell Bennett) and lyrics and book by Oscar Hammerstein II which was performed at The Broadway Theatre. Conceptually, it is Bizet's o ...

'' in 1954, but began to make a name for himself in such films as ''

'' and ''

The L-Shaped Room ''The L-Shaped Room'' is a 1962 British film directed by Bryan Forbes, based on the 1960 novel of the same name by Lynne Reid Banks. It tells the story of Jane Fosset ( Leslie Caron), a young French woman, unmarried and pregnant, who moves in ...

''. He received a

Tony Tony may refer to: People and fictional characters * Tony (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Gregory Tony (born 1978), American law enforcement officer * Motu Tony (born 1981), New Zealand international rugby leagu ...

nomination for his starring stint in Broadway's ''

''. Peters sang background vocals on the 1956 hit " Day-O" by

Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte (born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927) is an American singer, activist, and actor. As arguably the most successful Jamaican-American pop star, he popularized the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style with an interna ...

, as well as on Belafonte's 1957 hit, " Mama Look at Bubu". He led the chorus at recording sessions for Belafonte's iconic 1956 album '' Calypso''. He also sang on the song "Where" from

Randy Weston Randolph Edward "Randy" Weston (April 6, 1926 – September 1, 2018) was an American jazz pianist and composer whose creativity was inspired by his ancestral African connection. Weston's piano style owed much to Duke Ellington and Thelonious ...

's 1959 album '' Live at the Five Spot'' and shared vocal duties with Martha Flowers on Weston's album of the following year, '' Uhuru Afrika''. During this time, Peters and Belafonte became close friends, sharing similar political views and approaches to their careers. In 1963, he played Matthew Robinson in '' Heavens Above!'', a British satirical-comedy film starring

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

, directed by John and

Roy Boulting John Edward Boulting (21 December 1913 – 17 June 1985) and Roy Alfred Clarence Boulting (21 December 1913 – 5 November 2001), known collectively as the Boulting brothers, were English filmmakers and identical twins who became known for thei ...

. He played a supporting role as the gangster Rodriguez in the 1964 film, ''

'', one of the first confirmed homosexual characters in an American film. He played “Jesse” in a 1972 episode of '' Gunsmoke''. He was a special guest star in the third season of ''The Streets of San Francisco'', playing the character "Jacob" in the episode called "Jacob's Boy" (1974). In the film ''Abe Lincoln, Freedom Fighter'' (1978), Peters plays Henry, a freed black slave who is falsely accused of robbery but, defended by Abraham Lincoln, is found not guilty due to the fact he has a damaged hand and could not have committed the crime. In ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', Peters plays

, a black man falsely accused of raping a white girl, a crime Atticus Finch shows he could not have committed because his left hand and arm were damaged. In 1970 Peters portrayed the voice of African-American boxer Jack Johnson in

Bill Cayton William D'Arcy Cayton (June 6, 1918 – October 4, 2003) was a boxing promoter and manager. Clients included Mike Tyson, who sued him, yet retained him as manager when the two settled the lawsuit four years later, in 1988. Cayton also acted as ...

's film of the same name, and it is in this role that he can be heard at the end of

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

' soundtrack album, '' Jack Johnson'', saying: "I'm Jack Johnson. Heavyweight champion of the world. I'm black. They never let me forget it. I'm black, all right. I'll never let them forget it." Between 1981 and 1996, Peters lent his bass voice of

for the radio adaptations of the first three '' Star Wars'' films for

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

. He also played the role of a Colonial prosecutor trying to make a murder case against Starbuck in an episode of the original '' Battlestar Galactica''. He appeared in the films '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' and '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' as Fleet Admiral Cartwright of Starfleet Command. Peters portrayed Joseph Sisko, father of Deep Space Nine's commanding officer,

, on '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine''. In 1993, he was a member of the jury at the

43rd Berlin International Film Festival The 43rd annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 11 to 22 February 1993. The Golden Bear was awarded to American-Taiwanese film '' The Wedding Banquet'' directed by Ang Lee and Chinese film '' Xiāng hún nǚ'' directed by Xie ...

. In early 2005, six months before his death, Peters guest-starred in an episode of '' JAG'' during its final season, "Bridging the Gulf", season 10 episode 15. Peters worked with Charlton Heston on several theater productions in the 1940s and 1950s. The two became friends and subsequently worked together on several films, including ''

Major Dundee ''Major Dundee'' is a 1965 American Western film directed by Sam Peckinpah and starring Charlton Heston, Richard Harris, Jim Hutton, and James Coburn. Written by Harry Julian Fink, the film is about a Union cavalry officer who leads a content ...

'', ''

'', and ''

Two-Minute Warning In most levels of professional American football, the two-minute warning is a suspension of play that occurs when two minutes remain on the game clock in each half of a game, i.e., near the end of the second and fourth quarters, and overtime. It ...

''. He voiced

Lucius Fox Lucius Fox is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Bruce Wayne / Batman. He is Bruce Wayne's business manager at Wayne Enterprises who runs the business interests that s ...

in several episodes of '' Batman: The Animated Series'' and Morris Grant/Soul Power in the animated series ''

Static Shock ''Static Shock'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero List of animated television series, animated television series based on the Milestone Media/DC Comics superhero Static (DC Comics), Static. It premiered on September 23, 2000, on the W ...

'' (2000–2004). He was involved in many community projects, including being chairman and a co-founder of the

Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) is an American professional ballet company and school based in Harlem, New York City. It was founded in 1969 under the directorship of Arthur Mitchell and later partnered with Karel Shook. Milton Rosenstock served ...

Recognition

Brock was awarded the 26th Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1990 for his acting career and humanitarian contributions. He was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the live theater category in 1992.

Personal life and death

Peters was once romantically involved with actress

Ja'net Dubois Jeannette Theresa Dubois (August 5 – February 17, 2020), known professionally as Ja'Net DuBois, Ja'net DuBois, and Ja'Net Du Bois (), was an American actress and singer. She was best known for her portrayal of Willona Woods, the neighborhood g ...

. Peters was married to Dolores 'DiDi' Daniels from 1961 until her death in 1989. Their daughter Lisa Jo Peters was born November 3, 1962. Peters delivered the eulogy at Gregory Peck's funeral in 2003. His character, Tom Robinson, was defended by Peck's Atticus Finch in 1962's ''

''. He died in Los Angeles from complications from pancreatic cancer on August 23, 2005, at the age of 78. Peters is buried in the Revelation section at Hollywood Hills Forest Lawn Cemetery, in Los Angeles, CA.

Filmography

Film

* ''

'' (1954) – Sergeant Brown * ''

'' (1959) – Crown * ''

'' (1962) – Johnny * ''

'' (1962) –

* '' Heavens Above!'' (1963) – Matthew Robinson * ''

'' (1964) – Rodriguez * ''

'' (1965) – Aesop * '' The Incident'' (1967) – Arnold Robinson * '' PJ'' (1968) – Waterpark * ''

Daring Game ''Daring Game'' is a 1968 drama film starring Lloyd Bridges and Nico Minardos, filmed at the Ivan Tors studio in Miami and in the Bahamas. The working title was ''The Unkillables''. Plot Survival Devices, Inc., is an organization that employs a t ...

'' (1968) – Jonah * ''

Ace High Allied Command Europe Highband, better known as ACE High, was a fixed service NATO radiocommunication and early warning system dating back to 1956. After extensive testing ACE High was accepted by NATO to become operational in 1964/1965. The fr ...

'' (1968) – Thomas * '' The McMasters'' (1970) – Benjie * ''

Black Girl Black women are women of sub-Saharan African and Afro-diasporic descent, as well as women of Australian Aboriginal and Melanesian descent. The term 'Black' is a racial classification of people, the definition of which has shifted over time and a ...

'' (1972) – Earl * ''

'' (1973) – Lieutenant Hatcher * ''

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off ''Slaughter's Big Rip-Off'' is a 1973 blaxploitation film directed by Gordon Douglas and written by Charles Eric Johnson. The film stars Jim Brown, Ed McMahon, Don Stroud, Brock Peters, Gloria Hendry and Dick Anthony Williams. The film was rel ...

'' (1973) – Reynolds * ''

'' (1974) – Reverend Stephen Kumalo * '' Framed'' (1975) – Sam Perry * ''

'' (1976) – Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum security chief Paul * ''Abe Lincoln: Freedom Fighter'' (1978) – Henry * ''Samson and Delilah'' (1986, animated short) – (voice) * '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'' (1986) – Fleet Admiral Cartwright * '' Alligator II: The Mutation'' (1991) – Chief Speed * '' Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' (1991) – Fleet Admiral Cartwright * ''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' (1992) – Doctor Chasuble * ''

'' (1996) – Walter Williams * ''Believe'' (1996, Short) * ''Two Weeks from Sunday'' (1997, Short) * ''Park Day'' (1998) – Heseeit Turner * ''The Last Place on Earth'' (2002) – Jack Field * ''No Prom for Cindy'' (2002, Short) – Doctor * ''

The Wild Thornberrys Movie ''The Wild Thornberrys Movie'' is a 2002 American animated adventure film based on the television series of the same name. Directed by Cathy Malkasian and Jeff McGrath, the film follows Eliza Thornberry, on her quest to save a cheetah cub named ...

'' (2002) – Jomo (voice)

Television

* '' The Loner'' episode " The Homecoming of Lemuel Stove" (1956) - Ex-Union soldier Lemuel Stove * ''The Snows of Kilimanjaro'' (1960) * '' Gunsmoke'' (1969) – Cato * ''Daniel Boone'' (1964) - Pompey * ''Mission: Impossible (1967) The Money Machine-Walter Dubruis * '' Mannix'' (1970) - Sonny Carter * '' Welcome Home, Johnny Bristol'' (1972) – Berdahl * ''Gunsmoke'' (1973) – Jesse Dillard * ''Pomroy's People'' (1973) – Rev. Pomroy * '' Rawhide'' (1965) – Phinn Harper * '' SST: Death Flight'' (1977) – Dr. Therman * '' Seventh Avenue'' (1977) – Sergeant Rollins * ''The Million Dollar Dixie Deliverance'' (1978) – Zechariah * ''

The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel ''The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel'' is a 1979 American made-for-television medical drama film directed by Guy Green, starring Lindsay Wagner and Jane Wyman (credited as Miss Jane Wyman) with a supporting cast including Andrew Dugg ...

'' (1979) – Joe * ''A Bond of Iron'' (1979) *Battle Star Galactica - "Murder on the Rising Star" (1979) - Chief Opposer Solon * ''The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1981) – Jim * '' A House Divided: Denmark Vessey's Rebellion'' (1982) * ''

A Caribbean Mystery ''A Caribbean Mystery'' is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 16 November 1964 and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. The UK edi ...

'' (1983) – Dr. Graham * ''

The Young and the Restless ''The Young and the Restless'' (often abbreviated as ''Y&R'') is an American television soap opera created by William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell for CBS. The show is set in fictional Genoa City (not the real-life similarly-named Genoa City, ...

'' (1984) - Detective Frank Lewis * ''

Faerie Tale Theatre Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, ...

'' (1985) - The Ogre * '' Galtar and the Golden Lance'' (1985-1986) - Tormack (voice) * ''Broken Angel'' (1988) – Sgt. Mercurio * '' To Heal a Nation'' (1988) – Paul Turner * ''

Polly Polly is a given name, most often feminine, which originated as a variant of Molly (name), Molly (a diminutive of Mary (name), Mary). Polly may also be a short form of names such as Polina (given name), Polina, Polona (given name), Polona, Paula (g ...

'' (1989) – Mr. Pendergast * '' Gravedale High'' (1990) - Boneyard (voice) * ''

The Great Los Angeles Earthquake ''The Great Los Angeles Earthquake'' is a 1990 American made-for-television disaster film about a massive earthquake that strikes Los Angeles, California. The movie stars Joanna Kerns in the movie's lead role, seismologist Clare Winslow, who tries ...

'' (1990) – David Motubu * ''

The Pirates of Dark Water ''The Pirates of Dark Water'' is an American fantasy animated television series created by David Kirschner and produced by Hanna-Barbera. The series premiered as a five-part miniseries on Fox Kids early 1991. The first season, consisting of 13 ...

'' (1991-1993) - Bloth (voice) * '' Highway Heartbreaker'' (1992) – Bert Quinn * '' The Secret'' (1992) – Thurgood "Uncle T." Carver III * ''You Must Remember This'' (1992) – Gus * '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992-1994) -

(voice) * '' SWAT Kats: The Radical Squadron'' (1993-1994) - Dark Kat (voice) * ''

Cosmic Slop ''Cosmic Slop'' is the fifth studio album by Funkadelic, released in May 1973 on Westbound Records. While it has been favorably reevaluated by critics long after its original release, the album was a commercial failure, producing no charting si ...

'' (1994) – Minister Coombs * ''An Element of Truth'' (1995) * '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1995-1998) - Joseph Sisko * ''Samurai Jack: Jack, the Woolies and the Chritchellites'' (2001) - Lazzor (voice) * '' 10,000 Black Men Named George'' (2002) – Leon Frey * ''

The Locket The Locket may refer to: *The Locket (1946 film), an American film directed by John Brahm * ''The Locket'' (1970 film), a Spanish film directed by Rafael Gil * ''The Locket'' (2002 film), an American television film directed by Karen Arthur * "The L ...

'' (2002) – Henry McCord * ''

'' (2003) – Morris Grant / Soul Power (voice)

Other notable performances

Nat Turner Nat Turner's Rebellion, historically known as the Southampton Insurrection, was a rebellion of enslaved Virginians that took place in Southampton County, Virginia, in August 1831.Schwarz, Frederic D.1831 Nat Turner's Rebellion" ''American Heri ...

in ''The Original Confessions of Nat Turner As Made to T.R. Gray, November 1, 1831,'' LP, CMS Records (1968) * Stephen Kumalo in Kurt Weill and

Maxwell Anderson James Maxwell Anderson (December 15, 1888 – February 28, 1959) was an American playwright, author, poet, journalist, and lyricist. Background Anderson was born on December 15, 1888, in Atlantic, Pennsylvania, the second of eight children to ...

's ''

'' (stage revival and 1974 film version) – nominated for a

The Reverend The Reverend is an honorific style most often placed before the names of Christian clergy and ministers. There are sometimes differences in the way the style is used in different countries and church traditions. ''The Reverend'' is correctly ...

Canon Frederick Chasuble, DD in an all-black film version of Oscar Wilde's ''

'' (1992) *

in the ''Star Wars'' radio series * Voice-acting performance as the boxer Jack Johnson on the Miles Davis album ''

A Tribute to Jack Johnson ''Jack Johnson'' (also known as ''A Tribute to Jack Johnson'' on reissues) is a studio album and soundtrack by American jazz trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Miles Davis. It was released on February 24, 1971, by Columbia Records. The album ...

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Peters, Brock 1927 births 2005 deaths Male actors from New York City African-American male actors American male film actors American male television actors American male musical theatre actors American male radio actors American male voice actors Deaths from cancer in California Deaths from pancreatic cancer People from Harlem Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) The High School of Music & Art alumni 20th-century American singers 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American male singers 20th-century African-American male singers 21st-century African-American people