Glynn Turman

Infobox actor


imagesize = 150px
name = Glynn Turman
birthdate = birth date and age|1946|1|31
birthname = Glynn Russell Turman
location = New York, New York,
USA
notable role = Travis Younger in "A Raisin in the Sun" (Broadway)
Preach in "Cooley High"
Isaac in "J.D.'s Revenge"
Col. Taylor in "A Different World"
Clarence Royce in "The Wire"
academyawards =
spouse =

Glynn Turman (born January 31, 1946 in New York, New York) is an Emmy-award winning stage, television, and film actor as well as a writer, director, and producer. He was married to singer Aretha Franklin (1978–1984) and now is married to Jo-An with whom he has a daughter. He is perhaps known for his role in the Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun" as well as the role of the young African-American man Lew Miles on the ABC serial-drama "Peyton Place" during that show's final season. (He was one of the show's writers also.)

Career

Glynn Turman had his first prominent acting role at the age of 12 as Travis Younger in the Broadway play of Lorraine Hansberry's classic "A Raisin in the Sun", opposite Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil and Diana Sands. While he did not play the role when it transferred to film in 1961, he intensified his studies at Manhattan's School of Performing Arts. Upon graduation he apprenticed in regional and repertory companies throughout the country including Tyrone Guthrie's "Repertory Theatre" in which he performed in late 60s productions of "Good Boys," "Harper's Ferry," "The Visit" and "The House of Atreus." He made his Los Angeles stage debut in Vinnette Carroll's "Slow Dance on the Killing Ground." An impressive 1974 performance in "The Wine Sellers" earned him a "Los Angeles Critics Award" nomination and a Dramalogue Award. The play was also produced on Broadway as "What The Wine Sellers Buy." He won his first NAACP Image Award for his work in the play "Eyes of the American."

A stage director as well, he received his second NAACP Image award for his directing of "Deadwood Dick" at the "Inner City Cultural Center". He segued these directing talents to TV where he helmed several episodes of "The Parent 'Hood", "Hangin' with Mr. Cooper", and "The Wayans Bros," among others. He also directed during his seasons of steady employment on "A Different World", in which he played the role of Colonel Taylor for five seasons (1988–1993). The show's theme song was sung by his ex-wife, legendary "Queen of Soul" artist Aretha Franklin. They divorced in 1984 after six years.

He began his film career in the 1970s with such blaxploitation flicks as "Five on the Black Hand Side" and "Together Brothers", then progressed to roles in the cult classic "Cooley High" in 1975, plus "The River Niger" and "A Hero Ain't Nothin' But a Sandwich". TV-movies included the prestigious "Centennial", 1978 mini-series, "Attica", and "Minstrel Man", for which he won his third "NAACP Image Award". The quality of Glynn's work has shown over the decades with his participation in such prominent TV-movies as "Race to Freedom: The Underground Railroad" in 1994, "Buffalo Soldiers" and "Freedom Song". More notable films include "Gremlins", and "How Stella Got Her Groove Back". In 2004 he joined the series "The Wire" portraying the recurring role of Mayor Clarence Royce becoming full-time regular in 2006. His portrayal of Mayor Royce has given him an NAACP Image award nomination for Outstanding Support Actor in a Drama Series for the 2007 awards ceremony.Cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/features/e3i1df4dfd4706f9fc31fefc3974392be1d|title=2007 Image Award nominees and winners|accessdate=2007-11-05|publisher=Hollywood Reporter|year=2007]

In 2008, he won a Primetime Emmy award for his guest appearance on the HBO series "In Treatment".

He is currently performing and producing a one-man show, "Movin' Man," about his life and plans a book as well.

External links

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* [http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hc&cf=gen&id=1800038919 Glynn Turman] on Yahoo! movies

References