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My Quest

Please read the following pages in their entirety so as not to be misunderstood.

I don’t call this information my bio, it’s sharing some factual information of my life in the entertainment business. This is by no means my entire life in the entertainment business, just a portion…..

When I started working in the entertainment business as an actor, I was a kid living in London, England. As I grew up watching television in England, we had only two TV stations, the BBC and ATV. They were only on about five hours a day. I couldn’t understand why I didn’t see anyone on TV that looked like me. Getting the bug to act came when I went to see a Shakespeare play at the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain at the Old Vic Theatre. (About ten years later I was invited to be a member of the National Theatre. I was a member for two years). Before getting to that point, I attended drama school at LSDA. I was the only black face. I never felt different, until I watched TV and never saw anyone like me.

One night, I watched a show on television, the story was a love story between a black boy and a white girl. I wasn’t comfortable watching since before that show, I never felt any racism toward me. If there was, I never noticed, I was very young. Seeing black actors that day gave me hope of one day getting work on TV.

At the end of my studies at LSDA, I appeared in two plays, The Apollo de Bellac and the Twelfth Night. The drama teacher/director in every play I did she had me made up white. An agent, Vincent Shaw, sent a note to my drama school that he wanted to see me. When I met him, he was surprised. He had no idea the actor he saw and liked was black. I got my first job in the business when Vincent Shaw got me working in a Repertory Theatre company in Chelmsford England. I did a few jobs in Theatre before I got my first part in a TV show, Hugh and I. It was a non-speaking part. I was young and didn’t realize until when I look back on my career how special my beginning was. I made a living working mainly on doing print jobs, modeling, and I was the first black person to appear in a commercial in England. Later I worked a lot acting in BBC television plays and ATV episodic shows, I was also a regular on two TV series. I also appeared in three movies. I got to be quite well known in London. There’s much more to tell, but I will now jump to coming to America, and you can read the rest in the book I’m writing.

I came to America in the 70’s. Most people black and white I met said they were surprised to see that I was a dignified black man. They felt that looking the way I do and speaking the Queen’s English, it was going to be very difficult for me in America. It took me many years to understand what they meant. I was lucky in England to never have experienced face to face racism like most black people who are born in the USA, that kind of stuff goes way over my head. I never allowed anything to stop me trying to get work as an actor. At first I got work in commercials. Then I was written in the show Room 222 playing the part of an English exchange student Marshall Leads. I later met with a few casting people. They would call my agent to say I am talented, but because I was English they don’t know what to do with me. I felt the main reason was the parts for my type wasn't written. It was very hard for me to get work in movies and TV. I made a living doing print and commercial work, I also never saw anyone looking like me working on American TV or films.

I put acting on hold. I worked with Spelling/Goldberg Productions learning to direct film and TV shows. I directed a half hour TV show with video cameras I borrowed from a public access station. In those days there were only low budget black exploitation films in the cinemas. I worked as an assistant director on one of those films Dolemite in 1975. I continued working in commercials and print work. I also got work co-starring on episodic TV. I continued going to acting classes including Milton Katselas at the Beverly Hills Playhouse and John Lehne in Burbank California. I also took up show jumping horses and appeared in a number of horse shows in the 80’s and 90’s in California.

I kept leaving and coming back to the entertainment business because I love it and truly believe I will be a success worldwide. All it takes is one break, then when I leave the planet earth after getting my break, I will leave behind my talent for the world to enjoy. I will never give up. I directed a short film, I Met Susan, and a made for TV pilot, "What’s Bothering You?",before I took my last break from the business.

I will get my break. Think of this…if you know you are the best football player and the coach won’t let you in the game, no one will know how good you are.

I have done some good work and have left my mark on everything I did. I’m writing a book and very soon people will be able to read my incredible story. All I ever ask from people in the entertainment industry is to see me as a man with no labels attached. I am very talented. Allow me to prove it to you. The past is behind me. It made me a stronger man. I am a winner, and I am proud to be a member of the human race. I show gratitude to everyone I come in contact with on this journey call life. After all is said and done I am still working in the entertainment business. I am now closer to my goals today.

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YOU NEVER FAIL UNTIL YOU STOP TRYING.