Carl Gordon (January 20, 1932 – July 20, 2010) was an American actor who entered the acting profession later in life and was best known for his role in the

Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...

TV series '' Roc'', in addition to a wide range of roles in film, on stage and television as a character actor.

Life and career

Gordon was born Rufus Carl Gordon Jr. in

Goochland, Virginia Goochland is a census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Goochland County, Virginia, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 861. The community is also known as Goochland Courthouse or by an alternative spelling, Goo ...

, and was always known by his middle name. He moved with his family as a child and was raised in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Kings County is the most populous Administrative divisions of New York (state)#County, county in the State of New York, ...

's Bedford-Stuyvesant. He enlisted in the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

and served during the

Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top: ...

as an aircraft mechanic. After completing his military service, he attended Brooklyn College but dropped out to pursue employment.Fox, Margalit
"Carl Gordon, a Late-Blooming Actor, Dies at 78"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', July 23, 2010. Accessed July 23, 2010. Around 1970, Gordon had been twice married and twice divorced, had been unable to complete college and had only been able to find work as a sheet-metal worker and as a stockroom clerk that didn't interest and challenge him. As recounted by ''

'', he fell to his knees one night and cried out "Lord, tell me what I need to do" and received the answer "Try acting". He enrolled at

Gene Frankel Eugene V. Frankel (December 23, 1919 – April 20, 2005) was an American actor, theater director, and acting teacher especially notable in the founding of the off-Broadway scene. Frankel served in the Army during World War II in entertainment and ...

's Theatre and Film Workshop, where he was the oldest student and the only

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

. After many auditions, he started getting roles as a character actor on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

, in film and on television. He appeared in 1967 in the national tour of ''Happy Ending / Day of Absence'', a pair of one-act plays by Douglas Turner Ward, and performed on stage in 30 productions by Ward's Negro Ensemble Company. He appeared in films; in the 1973 movie "Gordon's War" and 1984

John Sayles John Thomas Sayles (born September 28, 1950) is an American independent film director, screenwriter, editor, actor, and novelist. He has twice been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, for ''Passion Fish'' (1992) and '' ...

movie ''

The Brother from Another Planet ''The Brother from Another Planet'' is a 1984 American science fiction film, written and directed by John Sayles. The low-budget film stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial trapped on Earth. Plot A mute space alien crash-lands his ship on Ellis ...

''. In 1990, Gordon played the role of Doaker in

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

's ''

The Piano Lesson ''The Piano Lesson'' is a 1987 play by American playwright August Wilson. It is the fourth play in Wilson's ''The Pittsburgh Cycle''. Wilson began writing this play by playing with the various answers regarding the possibility of "acquir nga s ...

'', the fourth of 10 plays in his '' Pittsburgh Cycle''. He also appeared on Broadway in the 1971 production of ''

Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death ''Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (Tunes from Blackness)'' is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Melvin Van Peebles. The musical contains some material also on three of Van Peebles' albums, '' Brer Soul'', '' Ain't Supposed to Die ...

'', a musical by

Melvin Van Peebles Melvin Van Peebles (born Melvin Peebles; August 21, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. He worked as an active filmmaker into the 2000s. His feature film debut, '' The Story of a Three-Day Pass'' ...

and a 2003 production of ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stud ...

'' with his ''Roc'' co-star Charles S. Dutton and

Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ' ...

. He appeared on television in episodes of '' ER'' On the CBS TV show '' JAG'' as Chief Aubrey McBride in the 2002 episode "Port Chicago" and in episodes of ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering o ...

''. His most notable role was on the 1991–1994

series '' Roc'', about an African American family in

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

. Starring Dutton as Roc Emerson, the show included Gordon in the role of the title character's father Andrew, an "irascible, sharp-tongued retired train porter".Weinraub, Bernard
"From Ashes, an Acting Career and a Role on 'Roc'"
''

'', February 8, 1992. Accessed July 23, 2010. Reviewer

Marvin Kitman Marvin Kitman (born November 24, 1929) is an American television critic, humorist, and author. He was a columnist for ''Newsday'' for 35 years and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1982. He is the author of nine books, ...

in ''

Newsday ''Newsday'' is an American daily newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island, although it is also sold throughout the New York metropolitan area. The slogan of the newspaper is "Newsday, Your Eye on LI", and ...

'' described Gordon's character in ''Roc'' as a "black

Archie Bunker Archie is a masculine given name, a diminutive of Archibald. It may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Archie Alexander (1888–1958), African-American mathematician, engineer and governor of the US Virgin Islands * Archie Blake (mathemati ...

". He gives portraits of

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of ...

as birthday presents. He is offended that his son watches ''

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...

'' because they're white and doesn't watch '' Cosby''. Andrew also insists that

Larry Bird Larry Joe Bird (born December 7, 1956) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Hick from French Lick" and "Larry Legend", Bird is widely regarded a ...

can't possibly be white and play basketball as well as he does, that Bird was raised in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Harl ...

and his real name is Abdul Mustafa.Goodman, Walter
"TV Weekend; All in the Family, Updated and Black"
''

'', August 23, 1991. Accessed July 23, 2010.Kitman, Marvin
"THE MARVIN KITMAN SHOW Fox' Sparks Of Innovation"
''

'', September 5, 1991. Accessed July 23, 2010. Gordon based his character on a strong-willed uncle who owned a grocery store in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Episodes in the second and third season of the show were broadcast live, which didn't faze Gordon, who described the experience as being "like going back to Broadway". The decision to air live shows was made as a promotional stunt, but was enabled by the extensive stage experience of Gordon, Dutton and other cast members. Gordon died at age 78 on July 20, 2010, at his home in Jetersville, Virginia due to

non-Hodgkin lymphoma Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight loss, and tire ...

. He was survived by his third wife, Jacqueline Alston-Gordon, as well as by five daughters, a son, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

Filmography

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Carl 1932 births 2010 deaths African-American male actors United States Air Force personnel of the Korean War American male film actors American male stage actors American male television actors Brooklyn College alumni Deaths from cancer in Virginia Deaths from non-Hodgkin lymphoma People from Amelia County, Virginia People from Bedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn People from Goochland, Virginia United States Air Force airmen Sheet metal workers 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people