Jophery Brown

Jophery Clifford Brown (January 22, 1945 – January 11, 2014) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who made one relief appearance for the Chicago Cubs. He became an award-winning stunt man and actor.

Early life and family

Brown was born in Grambling, Louisiana, the seventh of eight children of Sylvester and Ida Mae (née Washington) Brown. His older brother, Calvin Brown, was a pioneering Black stuntman, a founding member of the Black Stuntmen's Association, and Bill Cosby's stunt double in the television series ''I Spy''.

Brown attended Grambling High School and Grambling College (1964–1966). He did not graduate from Grambling, but he had a 12–2 win–loss record, with a 0.88 earned run average (ERA) and a shutout for the Grambling Tigers.

Baseball career

Brown was drafted three times by major league teams, first by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1965, then by the Boston Red Sox in 1966, before finally signing with the Cubs on June 20, 1966. He spent the next couple of years in the minor leagues. He made his only major league appearance on September 21, 1968, against Pittsburgh at Forbes Field. Brown relieved Bobby Tiefenauer, who had in turn relieved the Cubs' starter that day, Joe Niekro. He gave up two hits, including a single by Maury Wills, and issued an intentional walk to Roberto Clemente. He allowed one run in two innings of work, retiring opposing pitcher Dock Ellis on a line drive back to the mound for the final out of his debut. Brown was removed for pinch-hitter Clarence Jones in the next inning. He would never pitch in the majors again. The following season, he played in Double-A with San Antonio, going 9–10, and suffered a rotator cuff injury. He had played baseball only because his father loved the sport. His brother Calvin advised him to come out to Hollywood.

Acting and stuntman career

Brown's first television role was uncredited as a police officer on a 1964 episode of ''Arrest and Trial'' titled "The Black Flower", courtesy of his brother Calvin. He first worked as a stunt man the next year on episodes of ''I Spy''. Brown also played an uncredited role as a reporter on the 1965 ''I Spy'' episode "So Long, Patrick Henry".

His next work in Hollywood did not come until 1973 in ''Coffy'', when Brown played uncredited roles as both a party guest and a stunt man. That began a 35-year career during which he acted in 35 films and performed stunts in 115. Brown worked in as many as seven movies in a year. Perhaps his best-known stunt is doubling for Sandra Bullock in the action film ''Speed'' and driving the bus over a freeway "gap"; in fact, he drove up a ramp and went airborne on an intact freeway, wearing a special harness to protect his vertebrae. Other career highlights included working as a stunt double for Morgan Freeman in three films: '' Along Came a Spider'' (2001), '' The Sum of All Fears'' (2002) and ''Dreamcatcher'' (2003). Brown was the stunt coordinator on seven motion pictures: ''The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings'' (1975), '' Scarface'' (1983), '' Action Jackson'' and ''Miracle at Beekman's Place'' (1988), '' Graffiti Bridge'' (1990), ''House Party 3'' (1994), ''Sudden Death'' (1995), '' Sometimes They Come Back... Again'' (1996) and '' The Relic'' (1997). He also played the gatekeeper in ''Jurassic Park''. His baseball background was helpful for ''Bingo Long'', in which he worked both as stunt coordinator and as All-Stars third baseman Emory "Champ" Chambers; according to his wife Lois, it was one of his favorite films. Brown's last acting role was an uncredited part as a chef in '' Spider-Man'' (2002).

Recognition came in the form of a World Stunt Award for Best Work with a Vehicle, sharing the award with nine others for a car-chase scene in ''Bad Boys II'' (2003). Brown also was nominated with six others for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture in '' Wanted'' (2008). That was the last film in which he worked. In 2010, he was awarded the Taurus Lifetime Achievement Award for his stuntwork.

Death

Jophery Brown died on January 11, 2014, at the age of 68 from complications related to a cancer treatment.

Filmography

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Jophery
1945 births
2014 deaths
African-American baseball players
American stunt performers
Baseball players from Louisiana
Chicago Cubs players
Grambling State Tigers baseball players
Major League Baseball pitchers
Sportspeople from Grambling, Louisiana
Stunt doubles
20th-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century American male actors
21st-century African-American people