Morris Thorpe was reportedly voted[weaselwords] one of America's 100 favorite characters in the history of television. He is an actor, known for Trouble Man (1972), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Passenger 57 (1992). Also in 1964, Hooks formed the Group Theater Workshop, offering training in the arts to underprivileged youth. These days, the brotha is still happy, healthy, and married at 83. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; He was raised in Edgewood where he attended school all twelve years. I was doing The Blacks and producer Sidney Bernstein came back to the dressing roomsand said we were going to have a surprise that nightthat Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, were coming to see the play.Now, Im doing one of the plays leads, Deodatus Village, which is just a great role. The Rev. Its in the Congressional Record. At NEC, he helped guide the companys productions to 11 Obie Awards, 2 Tony Awards, 4 Vernon Rice Drama Desk Awards, the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, one Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and other distinguished theatre awards. All my buddies said how much they liked what I did in the play. There was one bed for all five of us. target_type: 'mix' I notice that your name was listed as Bobby Dean Hooks at that time.That was my real name before I changed it. More at IMDbPro Contact info Actor, producer, and cultural activist Robert Hooks is now best known as one of the founders of the historic Negro Ensemble Company(NEC),where he served as executive director and producer. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Bob is. Diahann Carroll had been asked to give the award for the Best Actor in a Musical. In 1986, he then starred in Hes the Mayor, but which was short lived. Son of Mae Bertha Ward, and Edward Hooks. Early life and acting career [ edit] I walk in, theres Ivan Dixon, Lou Gossett, Douglas Turner Ward, Ed Hall theres Lonne Elder III. The auditorium was packed. At any rate, this is a good miniseries with a lot of well-known actors and actresses including Olivia Cole (excellent at Maggie Rogers), Cloris Leachman (as the snarky Mrs. Jaffrey), Louis Gossett, Jr. and Robert Hooks as Levi Mercer and Mays (two good friends of Maggie's) and countless other stars representing the First Families. T in the 70s film Trouble Man (1972); Grandpa Gene Donovan in the comedy, Seventeen Again (2000); and Fleet Admiral Morrow in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984). He also portrayed Doctor Walcott in the 1980s television series, Dynasty.. Finally it comes down to the Best Actor in a Musical. ROBERT HOOKS: We grew up in whats called the Foggy Bottom in segregated Washington, maybe 10 blocks from the White House, but still segregated Washington. How would you describe your childhood there, and how did it lead you to the theatre? Eric Hooks mostly acted during his childhood years, with one of his most popular roles being in the film, Sounder. In that dramatic 1972 classic, Eric starred alongside his brother, Kevin, as well as Hollywood heavyweights, Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield. His mother supported the family by working as a seamstress. Additional members included Julian Adderley, Alvin Ailey, Margaret Walker, James Baldwin, Imamu Baraka, Romare Bearden, Harry Belafonte, Lerone Bennett, Arna Bontemps, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee Davis, St. Clair Drake, Ernest Dunbar, Katherine Dunham, Lonne Elder III, Duke Ellington, Alex Haley, Ruth Inge Hardison, Vertis Hayes, Chester Himes, Lena Horne, Jacob Lawrence, Elma Lewis, Henry Lewis, Paule Marshall, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, Frederick ONeal, Gordon Parks, Sidney Poitier, Benjamin Quarles, Lloyd Richards, Lucille D. Roberts, and Nina Simone. Among the instructors were Barbara Ann Teer, Frances Foster, Hal DeWindt, Lonne Elder III, and Ronnie Mack. Official Sites, He is father of actor turned director/producer. There are 3 director records in this entity. Robert H Hooks Jr. from Killeen, TX. Al did the movie version; he was wonderful in the movie, as was Shirley Knightbut Shirley was no Jennifer West. 1.COLONEL David1 Hooks was born Abt. View Profile. Kevin Hooks (born September 19, 1958) is an American actor, and a television and film director he is notable for his roles in Aaron Loves Angela and Sounder, but may be best known as Morris Thorpe from TV's The White Shadow. Hooks lived in Southwest, Washington, D.C. in the late-1970s. She came backstage, glided into my dressing room and we hugged, and she said, Oh, I hope you win. Mind you, she was presenting the award. I say, But I thought Al Freeman Jr. was doing it? For some reason, they still offered me the role. Because I had produced Dougs two one-acts to great success, the attention and acclaim led the Ford Foundation to ask us to propose what our ideal Black theatre company would look like. Veteran actor who had his breakout role as Det. Along with Douglas Turner Ward and Gerald S. Krone, he founded The Negro Ensemble Company. Having trained at the Bessie V. Hicks School of Theatre in Philadelphia, and after seeing A Raisin in the Sun in its Philadelphia tryout in February 1959, Hooks moved to New York to pursue acting. 1750 in Wayne or DuplinCounty, North Carolina.He married Susan Dickson, daughter of MAJOR Robert Dickson.She was born Abt. Leaders of organizations like NAACP, Martins organization SCLC, SNCC, and CORE would raise needed operational funds in New York City. From that point on, my professional name was Robert Hooks, but everybody that knew me from back in the day still calls me Bobby, and thats okay. Robert J. She invited me to a meeting at her apartment up in Harlem. ROBERT HOOKS ( CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER) 5969 W 86TH PLACE, LLC. Elmer Mervin Hooks Sr., age 70, of Adrian, died on Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020 at his home. In response to his hometown 1968 Washington, D.C., riots, in the wake of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and aided by a small grant from the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, Hooks took a leave of absence from the Negro Ensemble Company to create The D.C. Black Repertory Company (19701981). 3rd Street, Visalia, CA 93291 in Tulare County. Robert Hooks talks about the street he was raised on, Newport Place, Washington, D.C. Robert Hooks talks about his mother's work as a seamstress, Robert Hooks talks about being bit by a rat when he was seven years old. Five persons linked to this address. He liked me, even though I was picketing another one of his shows. Hooks, Robert T. Jr. Rev. In fact, I did apply to Temple University and was accepted. All rights reserved. We took pictures, and then we went and had food and drinks at our favorite after-show hangout spot, the Orchidia, all on the tab of our producer, Sidney Bernstein.Now here I am sitting across the table from our righteous hero Martin Luther King, apologizing to him for not being with him and the others on the frontlines in the SouthI mean, Im up on the stage acting and having fun in New York. Their names are . 1963 Zero Mostel - A Funny . And now their careers are blooming. And theres young Glynn Turmanat the time he was just a youngster playing Travis in the play. In 1968 Hooks was the host of the new public affairs television program, Like It Is.[7]. Hooks experienced his first integrated school experience at West Philadelphia High School. Father. 2017 Theatre Communications Group. A black New York career girl, who has made it big in the fashion world, is torn between her new life "downtown" and her roots in Harlem with an old boyfriend. Age: 68 years old . I always wanted to know what moved her to do that, and I asked her to talk to me about what she was doing with and for the workers. I never learned the answer to that. Now hes doing grandfather roles, for crying out loud! You actually played Clay in the original stage version of LeRoi Jones/Amiri Barakas Dutchman in 1964. mode: 'thumbnails-rr1', After we did those Congressional hearings, the industry opened its doors to Black producers. Just a lot of excited young theatre wannabees, 18- and 19-year-olds.Because these were youngsters, and I wanted to experiment and do a real adult stage piece, the young performers would have to play grown-up roles. He was a retired heavy equipment operator and township supervisor. We labored hard on my approach to the role, and it turned out beautifully in the end. I almost fell to the floor in shock. Additionally, Hooks is the sole founder of two significant black theatre companies: the D.C. Black Repertory Company, and New York's Group Theatre Workshop.[4]. Click. In 1992, Hooks co-founded (with writer Lonne Elder III) Arts in Action. But I ran up Broadway to 57th Street, 10 blocks up Broadway to get to Phil Roses office to audition, to be Lou Gossetts replacement in the biggest Black play on Broadway. Name Robert Hooks License Number 12312023 Status Active Street 130 Dalrymple Rd City Sandy Springs State GA Zipcode 30328 First Name Robert Mailing Address 130 Dalrymple Road Last Name Hooks Brokerage Page Link Licensing BoardGeorgia Real Estate Commission & Appraisers Board Georgia Real Estate Commission & Appraisers Board SearchLicense Search Bob Hooks Roddy Hooks Robert W Hooks Jr R Hooks Robert Hook Jr R Hool. But his career stretches beyond that milestone; he also created two other major Black theatre companies during the 1960s, and worked as an actor on Broadway, on TV, and in film for decades. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Robert A. Hooks Jr. I said, Ed Hall told me about it. Conrad and I were taking a break; were standing there, and cars started screeching and pulling over, people were yelling, They shot John F. Kennedy in Dallas! I knew John F. Kennedy was a friend of Tallulahs.I had to go in and tell Tallulah what had just happened, but she was onstage working with the director, Tony Richardson. Get our latest U.S. theatre coverage sent directly to your inbox each week, and our roundup of theatre education content each month. We were trying to get the industry to open its doors and level the playing field for Blacks to come into the industry as producers, directors, writers, whatever. WILMINGTON Robert Reid Hooks Sr., 67, passed away Monday, April 19, 2021, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. ), as well as a Nuclear Planner. Malcolm was doing his thing his way, and Martin was doing his thing his way. Robert A Hooks Jr of Dallas County, Texas was born c. 1954. So as you can see, acting was in their blood because they had their Pops set a great example for them. When you support American Theatre magazine and TCG, you support a long legacy of quality nonprofit arts journalism. Hooks played the lead in his first play The Pirates of Penzance at the age of nine. Among his numerous awards and accolades are an NAACP Image Award for Lifetime Achievement, an induction into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, a producing Emmy for his PBS special Voices of Our People, and a Tony nomination for his lead role in Hallelujah, Baby! Thats what I want to be remembered by. 405 East Busbee Str, East Camden, AR 71701 is the current address for Robert. She and her husband Bill had a big family; they were a Japanese family that had become American citizens. | He played the title role of "Henry V" at the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1965. She and I get set to read the two scenes. TV Series executive producer - 11 episodes, TV Series executive producer - 5 episodes, TV Series executive producer - 17 episodes, TV Series executive producer - 59 episodes, 2006 - 2009 co-executive producer - 9 episodes, 2006, TV Series executive producer - 13 episodes, TV Series co-executive producer - 4 episodes, TV Series executive producer - 22 episodes, Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry Story, Can You Hear the Laughter? He has been married to Lorrie Marlow since June 15, 2008. What is Robert Hooks-jr's current address? container: 'taboola-right-rail-thumbnails', This particular summer she was putting on a play called Pirates of Penzance. I was doing a play with Tallulah Bankhead, and we were in rehearsals, and it was an amazing, scary scene, because I thought maybe she was dead. Robert Hooks is listed as a Chief Financial Officer with Christian Temple Ministries Inc. in California. According to New York Times, Robert Hooks is also a founder of the Negro Ensemble Company, a theater group in Manhattan of which he was the executive director from 1965 to 1978. In the interview below, Robert Hooks explained how Sidney Poitier and Douglas Turner Ward, encouraged him to relocate from Philadelphia to New York on pretty much a wing and a prayer to hopefully spark a successful acting career. I had moved to New York, and I was working as an IBM machine operator at a sweater factory, Greyson-Robinson and Company. I read the second scene as well. | My buddies will all run me off the block. I just said, I wont do it, and she said, You will do the play.We all lived in a railroad flat. One of my teachers had seen Penzance and decided she wanted to start a drama club at Stevens Elementary School, and she wanted me to be a part of it, which I was happy to say yes to. Hooks father died while working on a railroad track. Find the obituary of Elmer Hooks Sr. (1949 - 2020) from Adrian, PA. Leave your condolences to the family on this memorial page or send flowers to show you care. also known as Bob Hooks Robert Hooks Contact Us About The Company Profile For 5969 W 86th Place, LLC. Eventually The Inner Voices performed more than 500 times in other prisons, including a Christmas special entitled, "Holidays, Hollowdays." Business Owner at Media Mille LLC Simply put, Kevins dad is a legend and if you dont know who he is, get ready to learn a lil somethin today ILOSM fam., Meet Kevin Hooks father, actor Robert Hooks. His name is Eric Hooks and many of yall may not know him by name, but if you know anything about classic Black films from back in the day, youll probably remember his face. Required fields are marked *. 2, Robert Hooks reflects on the reasons it is a struggle to produce good films about the African American experience, Robert Hooks talks about his experience struggling to convince influential African Americans in Hollywood to read his scripts, Robert Hooks talks about the obstacles in Hollywood for independent African American filmmakers, Robert Hooks talks about independent African American filmmakers finding alternative ways to complete their projects, Robert Hooks talks about his idea for a cooperative African American production company, Robert Hooks talks about African Americans in Hollywood not using their leverage to help other African Americans, Robert Hooks talks about his tribute to playwright Lonne Elder III, Robert Hooks talks about his favorite movies in which he has acted, Robert Hooks talks about his favorite plays in which he has acted, Robert Hooks talks about the highlights of his career, Robert Hooks talks about how he would like to be remembered, Occupation(s): Can you say more about that? Published October 17th 2019 by Robert Hooks Jr . I didnt have an agent. I did the play with Jennifer West. She opens the envelope, and she looks over my way and she said, The winner is Robert. I actually had gotten up and I am out of my seat, I was on my way out to the aisleand she finished, Goulet. And there I stood in the aisle, looking like a fool. Robert's most popular roles include 'Reeve Scott"' in "Hurry Sundown" (1967); 'Mr. T' in the 70's film "Trouble Man" (1972); 'Grandpa Gene Donovan' in the comedy, "Seventeen Again" (2000); and 'Fleet Admiral Morrow' in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)." He also portrayed 'Doctor Walcott' in the 1980s television series, "Dynasty." In 1964, you were in Tennessee Williamss The Milk Train Doesnt Stop Here Anymore. Kevin always pays homage to his dad online, just as he did this past Fathers day with his Instagram tribute to him: The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature. Happy Fathers Day! Family (1) Spouse I was up for the award with three other actors: Robert Goulet, Tony Roberts, and David Wayne. We wanted to do a series of plays every season. (Greater MD and VA included). Robert Hooks was born on April 18, 1937 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. We collect and match historical records that Ancestry users have contributed to their family trees to create each person's profile. Actors, you name them, they came through the Negro Ensemble Company, including Denzel Washington and all the rest of them. What can you tell me about that experience? in Duplin adj. Kevin Hooks was born on 19 September 1958, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA, and is an actor and director, probably best known for his roles in "Sounder" and "Aaron Loves Angela". Legacy is about loss of inheritance and what we can do to reclaim it. In addition to having one actor son, Robert actually has another one! Members of the board are appointed both by The Carter Center and Emory University, with the president of Emory serving as an ex-officio member. In 1945, at the insistence of his sister Bernice who was doing community arts outreach for youngsters at Francis Junior High School, he performed the lead in his first play, The Pirates of Penzance, at the age of nine. Previously, he was married to Yvonne Hickman and Rosie Lee Hooks. He loved to play pool and listen to classic rock. You could see him orating on the street corners in Harlem, which I did on occasion because I lived there, but I never thought I would be face to face with him. Stage Producer, Birth Location: Washington, District of Columbia, Favorite Vacation Spot: Laguna Beach, California. Support American Theatre: a just and thriving theatre ecology begins with information for all. (1967 - 1969) and Seventeen Again (2000). I graduated in June 1956 and got a job, though my mother and everyone else wanted me to go to college. 1, Robert Hooks talks about acting in his first movie 'Sweet Love Bitter,' which debuted in 1967, pt. 2018 October 18 proclaimed Robert Hooks Day by Mayor Muriel Bowser, Washington, D.C. 2018 Hooks is entered into The Congressional Record by the Hon. And then I looked down at the end of the hall to the mens dressing room, so I go down there to meet some of the guys. If youre from the Old School era of the late 1970s/early 80s, you more than likely are very familiar with actor, Kevin Hooks (59). In 1986, he starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom He's the Mayor. iloveoldschoolmusic.com. In 1964, as a result of a speaking engagement at the Chelsea Civil Rights Committee (then connected to the Hudson Guild Settlement House) he founded The Group Theatre Workshop, a tuition-free environment for disadvantaged urban teens who expressed a desire to explore acting. He is the youngest of five children. A lot of people who were in itRoscoe, Cicely, Maya Angelouwould go off and do other shows, TV shows or whatever, and the producer would let them go. for which he won the Theatre World Award and he was nominated for Best Male Lead in a Musical for Hallelujah Baby while he was simultaneously starring in David Susskind's N.Y.P.D.the first African American lead on a television drama. Kevin Hooks is also a film director, and cast his father in two of his films: Passenger 57 (1992) and Fled (1996). but widely considered[weaselwords] a weakly plotted failure. AKA Robert Dean Hooks. [2][3] The Negro Ensemble Company is credited with the launch of the careers of many major black artists of all disciplines, while creating a body of performance literature over the last thirty years, providing the backbone of African-American theatrical classics. But Yuri was always into Civil Rights, and she also knew, and worked with, Malcolm X. Tony, of course, was going out of his mind. A Taste of Honey was being produced by David Merrick, and at the same time you were in his show, you were picketing Merricks Subways Are for Sleeping, which was on Broadway and did not have any Black dancers or singers. Cecelia Ann Hooks Onibudo Daughter: Michelle Thomas Hooks Son: Robert Hooks, Jr. Maurice Evans - Tenderloin Reverend Brock. Legacy brings the past into the present with the story of Jeff Carter, a Black man born during "slavery" who, by 1916, acquired over 800 acres of mineral-rich land in the Middle . Robert Hooks. Robert Hooks (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia) One man had a grander vision, and for a time here in Washington, DC that vision was a reality. (Davis) Hooks and was a lifelong resident of the community. In 1965, you played the lead in the New York Shakespeare Theatre Festivals production of Henry V. It was called a triumph by a critic, who said, Robert Hookss King Henry was especially good, combining fiery grace with an almost tragic sensitivity. You were 28 and you were the talk of the town. The youngest of five children, Hooks was born in Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C. to Mae Bertha (ne Ward), a seamstress, and Edward Hooks who had moved from Rocky Mount, North Carolina with their four other children, Bernice, Caroleigh, Charles Edward "Charlie", and James Walter "Jimmy". One day while I was on the picket line, his right-hand man, Jack Schlissel, walked over to me and said, You know David Merrick likes you. Written in a style that is direct, engaging, and inspiring, Dreamer is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and a testament to the power of dreams. Robert was once married to Kevins mother, Yvonne Hickman (whom there are no photos of, because she apparently wasnt into the spotlight like her ex-husband and son), whom he also has two more children with. In 1954, just as Brown vs. Board of Education was being implemented in the north, he moved to Philadelphia to be with his mother, her second husband, and his half-sister, Safia Abdullah (ne Sharon Dickerson). Hes also well-known for being a part of the television show The White Shadow playing Morris Thorpe. Description. Gender: Male Race or Ethnicity: Black Sexual .