Born of African and West Indian parentage in New York City, Brock Peters set his sights on a show business career early on, at age ten. A product of NYC's famed Music and Arts High School, Peters initially fielded more odd jobs than acting jobs as he worked his way up from Harlem poverty. Landing a stage role in "Porgy and Bess" in 1949, he quit physical education studies at CCNY and went on tour with the acclaimed musical. His film debut came in Carmen Jones (1954), but he really began to make a name for himself - having dropped his real name, George Fisher, in 1953 - in such films as To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) and The L-Shaped Room (1962). He received a Tony nomination for his starring stint in Broadway's "Lost in the Stars."
IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Weaver| Dolores Daniels | (29 July 1961 - 25 February 1989) (her death) 1 child |
Sang background vocals on Harry Belafonte's hits "Banana Boat (Day-O)" and "Mama Look At Bubu".
Has one daughter, Lise Jo
Played Darth Vader in the NPR adaptations of the Star Wars Trilogy
Read the eulogy at the funeral of Gregory Peck, on June 16, 2003. Peters played Tom Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) - the black man accused of raping a white girl that Atticus Finch (Peck's character) defended in court.
His accolades include a National Film Society Award, a Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, and a nomination for Broadway's 1973 Tony Award as Best Actor (Musical) for "Lost in the Stars".
Member of the jury at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1993
He had a longtime companion, Marilyn Darby.
Inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1976.
He provided the singing voice for the song "Whizzin' Away Along De Track" in _Carmen Jones (1959)_, performed on screen by Roy Glenn.
Buried at Forest Lawn,Hollywood Hills, California. Revelation Section Plot Number 3529 next to his wife DiDi. The cemetery is located at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Glendale, CA. It borders Griffith Park and has spectacular views of Hollywood and the valley.
Not counting Frank Welker's voice in "Star Wars"-related video games, he and Clive Revill are the only "Star Trek" actors who have also played characters from "Star Wars", and they both played Sith Lords. Revill was the original voice of Darth Sidious in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Peters played Darth Vader in the NPR radio adaptation.
His birth name was George Fisher. Appropriately, he shares his first name with Star Wars creator George Lucas and his last name with Carrie Fisher, who played Darth Vader's daughter, Princess Leia.
He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Live Theatre at 7000 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.
| Carmen Jones (1954) | $1,250 |
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