fiction.wikisort.org - Actor

Joe Seneca (January 14, 1919 – August 15, 1996)[1] was an American actor, singer, and songwriter. He is best known for Willie Brown in Crossroads (1986), Dr. Meadows in The Blob (1988), and Dr. Hanes in The Cosby Show.

Joe Seneca
Seneca during filming of 1986's Crossroads
Born	Joel McGhee Jr. (1919-01-14)January 14, 1919 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Died	August 15, 1996(1996-08-15) (aged 77) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, singer, songwriter
Years active	1940s–1996

Life and career

Seneca was born Joel Seneca McGhee, Jr. in Cleveland, Ohio. Before his acting career, he belonged to the R&B singing group The Three Riffs, which was active from the late 1940s and performed at upscale supper clubs in New York City.[2] He was also a songwriter and had big hits with "Talk to Me", sung by Little Willie John, and "Break It to Me Gently," which was a smash hit by Brenda Lee in 1962 and by Juice Newton in 1982.

In the 1982 film, The Verdict, Seneca plays the supporting role of Dr. Thompson, a small-town women's hospital physician brought in by attorney Frank Galvin (Paul Newman) to support his belief that two famous doctors' incompetence left his client alive but in a coma. Arguably his most well-known roles are that of bluesman Willie Brown in Crossroads (1986) and Dr. Meddows in The Blob (1988), the evil head of a government team sent to contain the title creature.

Seneca also made multiple appearances on The Cosby Show as Hillman President Dr. Zachariah J. Hanes. He also played Alvin Newcastle, a man suffering from Alzheimer's disease, on an episode of The Golden Girls titled "Old Friends".[3] Seneca appeared in Spike Lee's School Daze as Mission College President McPherson.

Seneca played Eddie Haynes on Matlock in the May 9, 1989 episode "The Blues Singer." He later played a murder witness in the October 13, 1993 Law & Order episode "Profile."

Seneca appeared in Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" music video in 1987.

Seneca played "Blind Otis Lemon", based on Muddy Waters,[4] a homeless blues legend who gets one last chance to sing and play in a club the night before an operation that may leave him deaf, on Doogie Howser, M.D., season 2 episode 6, "Doogie Sings the Blues", October 17, 1990.

He died from coronary arrest or asthma August 15, 1996 at the age of 77. He was married to his wife, Betty Seneca, until his death. [5]

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1974	The Taking of Pelham One Two Three	Police Sergeant
1979	The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh	Mr. Sweets
1979	Kramer vs. Kramer	Partygoer #6
1982	The Verdict	Dr. Thompson
1984	The Evil That Men Do	Santiago
1985	Heart of the Garden
1985	Silverado	Ezra
1986	Crossroads	Willie Brown
1987	Big Shots	Ferryman
1987	Moments Without Proper Names
1988	School Daze	President McPherson
1988	The Blob	Dr. Meddows
1989	Matlock	"The Blues Singer"
1990	Mo' Better Blues	Big Stop's Friend
1991	Mississippi Masala	Williben Williams
1992	Malcolm X	Toomer
1993	The Saint of Fort Washington	Spits
1996	A Time to Kill	Reverend Isaiah Street

References

External links

• Joe Seneca at IMDb
• New York Times: Joe Seneca, a Character Actor In 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'
• Joe Seneca at Find a Grave
• Joe Seneca discography at Discogs

На других языках

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[de] Joe Seneca

Joe Seneca (* 14. Januar 1919 in Cleveland, Ohio; † 15. August 1996 in New York City, New York; eigentlich Joel McGhee) war ein US-amerikanischer Komponist und Schauspieler.

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- [en] Joe Seneca

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[ru] Сенека, Джо

Джо Сенека англ. Joe Seneca, имя при рождении — Джоэл МакГи (англ. Joel McGhee), 14 января 1919 года, Кливленд, штат Огайо, США — 15 августа 1996 года, Нью-Йорк) — американский актёр.

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