Moses Gunn (October 2, 1929 – December 16, 1993) was an American actor of stage and screen. An

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the ...

-winning stage player, he is an alumnus of the Negro Ensemble Company. His 1962

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer th ...

debut was in

Jean Genet Jean Genet (; – ) was a French novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist. In his early life he was a vagabond and petty criminal, but he later became a writer and playwright. His major works include the novels '' The Thief ...

's ''The Blacks,'' and his Broadway debut was in ''A Hand is on the Gate,'' an evening of African-American poetry. He was nominated for the 1976

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 c ...

for Best Actor in a Play for his performance in ''The Poison Tree'', and he also played

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cyp ...

on Broadway in 1970. For his screen performances, Gunn is best known for his roles as Clotho in '' WUSA'' (1970), Bumpy Jonas in ''

Shaft Shaft may refer to: Rotating machine elements * Shaft (mechanical engineering), a rotating machine element used to transmit power * Line shaft, a power transmission system * Drive shaft, a shaft for transferring torque * Axle, a shaft around whi ...

'' (1971) and Joe on '' Little House on the Prairie'' (1977-1981).

Early life, family and education

Gunn was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was the son of Mary and George Gunn, a laborer, and was one of seven siblings. After his mother died, his family separated. Moses left home and rode the railroad at just 12 years old. He returned to St. Louis and attended school while living at the home of Jewel Richie, his English teacher. He graduated from

Tennessee State University Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tenness ...

, where he became a member of

Omega Psi Phi Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. () is a historically African-American fraternity. The fraternity was founded on November 17, 1911, by three Howard University juniors Edgar Amos Love, Oscar James Cooper and Frank Coleman, and their faculty a ...

fraternity Rho Psi chapter. After serving in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

, he attended graduate school at the

University of Kansas The University of Kansas (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Lawrence, Kansas, United States, and several satellite campuses, research and educational centers, medical centers, and classes across the state of Kansas. T ...

, earning a master's degree. He taught briefly at Grambling College before attempting an acting career in New York City.

Career

character actor A character actor is a supporting actor who plays unusual, interesting, or eccentric characters.28 April 2013, The New York Acting SchoolTen Best Character Actors of All Time Retrieved 7 August 2014, "..a breed of actor who has the ability to b ...

of film and television, Gunn also enjoyed a successful career on stage. He made his

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

stage debut in the original

production of Jean Genet's ''The Blacks'' (1962). He performed many Shakespearean roles in

Joseph Papp Joseph Papp (born Joseph Papirofsky; June 22, 1921 – October 31, 1991) was an American theatrical producer and director. He established The Public Theater in what had been the Astor Library Building in Lower Manhattan. There Papp created a ...

's Shakespeare in the Park, winning an

for his portrayal of Aaron in ''

Titus Andronicus ''Titus Andronicus'' is a tragedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593, probably in collaboration with George Peele. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first tragedy and is often seen as his attempt to emul ...

''. Gunn won a second Obie for his work in the NEC produced ''First Breeze of Summer'', which moved to Broadway. His acclaimed performance as Othello at the

Stratford, Connecticut Stratford is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is situated on Long Island Sound at the mouth of the Housatonic River. Stratford is in the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was settled ...

Shakespeare Festival moved to Broadway in 1970. Other Broadway plays in which Gunn performed were: ''A Hand is on the Gate'', ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'', ''I Have a Dream'', and ''The Poison Tree''. He received a 1976

nomination for Best Actor for ''The Poison Tree''. In 1991, he toured in a production of

Athol Fugard Athol Fugard, Hon. , (born 11 June 1932), is a South African playwright, novelist, actor, and director widely regarded as South Africa's greatest playwright. He is best known for his political and penetrating plays opposing the system of apart ...

's "My Children! My Africa!" the role of Mr. M, which included a run at Baltimore's Center Stage Theater. He may be best remembered in film for his portrayal of mobster Ellsworth Raymond "Bumpy" Jonas in the first two ''

'' movies,

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

in the 1981 movie ''

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that flourished from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers such as Scott J ...

'', a performance which won him an

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&n ...

Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

, and as Cairon, the Childlike Empress's imperial physician, in the 1984 film '' The NeverEnding Story''. He was nominated for an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

in 1977 for his role in the television mini-series ''

Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusing ...

''. He also co-starred with

Avery Brooks Avery Franklin Brooks (born October 2, 1948) is an American actor, director, singer, narrator and educator. He is best known for his television roles as Captain Benjamin Sisko on ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', as Hawk on '' Spenser: For Hire'' ...

on the television series ''

A Man Called Hawk ''A Man Called Hawk'' is an American action drama series, starring Avery Brooks, that ran on ABC from January 28 to May 13, 1989. The series is a spin-off of the crime drama series '' Spenser: For Hire'', and features the character Hawk, who f ...

''. Gunn appeared in six episodes as

atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

shop owner Carl Dixon on ''

Good Times ''Good Times'' is an American television sitcom that aired for six seasons on CBS, from February 8, 1974, to August 1, 1979. Created by Eric Monte and Mike Evans and developed by executive producer Norman Lear, it was television's first Afric ...

'', as boxer-turned-farmer Joe Kagan on '' Little House on the Prairie'', and as "Moses Gage" in ''

Father Murphy ''Father Murphy'' is an American western drama television series that aired on the NBC network from November 3, 1981, to September 18, 1983. Michael Landon created the series, was the executive producer, and directed the show in partnership wit ...

''. In 1989, Gunn appeared in two episodes of ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...

'' as two different characters. His final acting role was as murder suspect Risley Tucker in " Three Men and Adena", an episode of '' Homicide: Life on the Street''.

Personal life and demise

Gunn married Gwendolyn Mumma Landes in 1966, becoming stepfather to her daughter Kirsten Sarah Landes. In 1970, they had a son, Justin, who became a musician and composer in the Copenhagen-based band, The Reverend Shine Snake Oil Co. Gunn died from complications of

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, co ...

Guilford, Connecticut Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the Connecticut seacoast. The population was 22,073 at the 2020 census. History Gui ...

on December 16, 1993, aged 64.

Film / Television

*1964: '' Nothing But a Man'' as Mill Hand *1968: ''

What's So Bad About Feeling Good? ''What's So Bad About Feeling Good?'' is a 1968 American comedy film directed by George Seaton and starring George Peppard and Mary Tyler Moore. The film was a box office disappointment. Plot Pete (George Peppard) is a former advertising exec ...

'' (uncredited) *1970: '' Carter's Army'' (TV Movie) as Private Doc Hayes *1970: '' WUSA'' as Clotho *1970: ''

The Great White Hope ''The Great White Hope'' is a 1967 play written by Howard Sackler, later adapted in 1970 for a film of the same name. The play was first produced by Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. and debuted on Broadway at the Alvin Theatre in October 1 ...

'' as Scipio *1971: '' Wild Rovers'' as Ben *1971: ''

'' as Bumpy Jonas *1971: '' Hawaii Five-O'' (TV Series) as Willy Stone *1972: ''

Eagle in a Cage ''Eagle in a Cage'' is an Anglo-American historical drama film, produced in 1972. Plot summary After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo and surrender to the British Empire, Napoleon Bonaparte is delivered into exile and imprisonment on St. He ...

'' as General Gourgaud *1972: '' The Hot Rock'' as Dr. Amusa *1972: ''

Shaft's Big Score ''Shaft's Big Score!'' is a 1972 American blaxploitation action- crime film starring Richard Roundtree as private detective John Shaft. It is the second entry in the ''Shaft'' film series, with both director Gordon Parks and screenwriter Ernest T ...

'' as Bumpy Jonas *1972: ''

Haunts of the Very Rich ''Haunts of the Very Rich'' is a 1972 made-for-TV thriller, broadcast as an ''ABC Movie of the Week''. Plot A group of rich tourists and business people fly to a mysterious tropical resort, the Portals of Eden, hosted by Seacrist. There, they s ...

'' (TV Movie) as Seacrist *1973: '' Kung Fu'' (TV Series) as Isaac Montoya *1973: ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perf ...

'' as Joe Mott *1974: '' Amazing Grace'' as Welton J. Waters *1975: ''

The Jeffersons ''The Jeffersons'' is an American sitcom television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 18, 1975, to July 2, 1985, lasting 11 seasons and a total of 253 episodes. ''The Jeffersons'' is one of the longest-running sitcoms in history, ...

'' (TV Series) as Monk Davis *1975: '' Cornbread, Earl and Me'' as Benjamin Blackwell *1975: '' Rollerball'' as Cletus *1975: '' Movin' On'' (TV Series) as Otis Andrews *1975: '' Aaron Loves Angela'' as Ike *1975: '' The Secret of the Pond'' (Disney TV Movie) as Sharbee *1977: ''

'' (TV Series) as Carl Dixon *1977: ''

'' (TV Mini-Series) as Kintango *1977-1981: '' Little House on the Prairie'' (TV Series) as Joe Kagan *1977: ''

Quincy M.E. ''Quincy, M.E.'' (also called ''Quincy'') is an American mystery medical drama television series from Universal Studios that aired on NBC from October 3, 1976, to May 11, 1983. Jack Klugman starred in the title role as a Los Angeles County medi ...

'' (TV Series) as Ben McDade *1978: '' Remember My Name'' (1978) as Pike *1978: '' Vega$'' (TV Series) as Domo *1980: '' The Ninth Configuration'' as Major Nammack *1981: ''

'' as Booker T. Washington *1982: '' Amityville II: The Possession'' as Detective Turner *1984: '' The NeverEnding Story'' as Cairon *1984: '' Firestarter'' as Dr. Herman Pynchot *1985: ''

Certain Fury ''Certain Fury'' is a 1985 American action/drama film directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and starring Tatum O'Neal and Irene Cara, who also wrote and performs the title track. Plot Scarlett (Tatum O'Neal) is a hardened street kid who supports hersel ...

'' (1985) as Dr. Lewis Freeman *1985: ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Vi ...

'' (TV Series) as Ted Tilley *1986: ''

Heartbreak Ridge ''Heartbreak Ridge'' is a 1986 American war film produced and directed by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film. The film also co-stars Marsha Mason, Everett McGill, and Mario Van Peebles, and was released in the United States on Decemb ...

'' as Staff Sergeant Webster *1987: '' Bates Motel'' (TV Movie) as Henry Watson *1987: '' Leonard Part 6'' as Giorgio Francozzi *1988: ''Dixie Lanes'' as Isaac *1989: ''The Luckiest Man in the World'' (voice) *1989: ''

'' (TV Series) as "Old Man" *1989: '' Amen'' (TV Series) as Benjamin Tillman *1989: ''

'' (TV Series) as Joe Kendall / Dr. Lotus *1989: '' The Women of Brewster Place'' (TV Series) as Ben *1990: ''

Tales From The Crypt Tales from the Crypt may refer to: * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo * ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s ** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...

'' (TV Series) as Uncle Ezra *1991: '' Perfect Harmony'' (TV Movie) as Zeke *1991: '' Brother Future'' (TV Movie) as Isaac *1993-1996: '' Homicide: Life on the Street'' (TV Series) as Risley Tucker (final appearance)

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gunn, Moses 1929 births 1993 deaths Tennessee State University alumni University of Kansas alumni American male film actors American male stage actors United States Army soldiers Male actors from St. Louis Deaths from asthma African-American male actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Obie Award recipients 20th-century African-American people