2011 | Co-starred with Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs on the CBS sitcom "2 Broke Girls" |
2008 | Cast opposite Ice Cube in the family comedy "The Longshots" |
2007 | Acted in the comedy feature "Who's Your Caddy?" |
2005 | Guest-starred on the Logo series "Noah's Arc" |
2001 | Reteamed with the Polish brothers for "Jackpot," playing the road manager of a country singer |
1998 | Landed a pivotal role in the independent "Twin Falls Idaho," written by and starring the Polish brothers |
1996 | Cast as Junior King, a regular on The WB sitcom "The Jamie Foxx Show" |
1995 | Cast as a regular on The WB sitcom "Cleghorne!" as the protagonist's overbearing postal worker-father Sidney |
1995 | Reprised the role of Stan Winters for a guest shot on Fox's "Martin" |
1995 | Appeared as himself on the premiere of The WB sitcom "The Wayans Brothers"; returned two months later playing Uncle Leon |
1992 | Appeared as a regular on the first two seasons of the Fox sitcom "Martin" as Martin Lawrence's boss and radio station owner Stan Winters |
1990 | Appeared as Wiz, a regular on the Fox sitcom "Roc" |
1986 | Joined the cast of the NBC cop drama "Hunter" in the supporting role of Sporty James |
1984 | Played the recurring role of Principal Dwight Ellis on the NBC youth sitcom "It's Your Move" |
1982 | Produced second play "Daddy Picou and Marie Le Veau" |
1978 | Made his first TV special appearance with the other "SNL" regulars in the TV-movie "Things We Did Last Summer" (NBC) |
1976 | Played a supporting role in the Schultz-directed comedy feature "Car Wash" |
1975 | Gained fame as an ensemble member on the landmark late night comedy-variety series "Saturday Night live" |
1975 | Auditioned with Lorne Michaels to become a writer for "Saturday Night Live;" hired as a performer on the strength of his performance in "Cooley High" |
1975 | Played Mr. Mason in the well-received Michael Schultz-directed comedy "Cooley High" |
1974 | Made first collaboration with director Michael Schultz with an appearance on "Change at 125th Street," a busted CBS sitcom pilot |
1973 | Made his TV series debut with a regular role on "Roll Out," a short-lived military sitcom on CBS |
1972 | Produced his first play "The Secret Place" at NYC's Playwrights Horizons |
1970 | Made his feature acting debut, "Where's Poppa?/Going Ape," directed by Carl Reiner |
1967 | Appeared in the City Center Light Opera Company production of "Finian's Rainbow" |
1966 | Played second barker in "Show Boat" at the Music Theater of Lincoln Center; later appeared in U.S. touring company |
| Made his Broadway debut in "I'm Solomon" |
1964 | Played Peter in "Porgy and Bess" with the City Center Light Opera Company |
1961 | Reprised the role of Leroy in "The Bible Salesman" at the Martinique Theater in NYC |
1961 | Drafted into the U.S. Army; served 18 months as an X-ray technician before securing a special leave (date approximate) |
1960 | Made his stage debut as Leroy in "The Bible Salesman" at the Broadway Congregational Church in NYC |
| Became a soloist with Harry Belafonte; remained with the Harry Belafonte Singers for ten years |
1958 | Entered a music competition with the National Association of Negro Musicians; while traveling with the group back to New Orleans, got off the bus in NYC; found housing at the Harlem YMCA; became involved in the Harlem YMCA Drama Club where Cicely Tyson, Clarence Williams III, Isabel Sanford, Godfrey Cambridge and Diana Sands were also participants |
| Sang with the church choir |
1942 | Began singing at age five (date approximate) |
| Raised in New Orleans by his Baptist minister grandfather |
