Broadway star Anthony Chisholm who starred on Oz and in Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq dies aged 77
Broadway star Anthony Chisholm, who also acted on the HBO drama Oz and in Spike Lee’s film Chi-Raq, has died aged 77.
The Tony nominee’s management firm The Katz Company broke the news this Friday, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
He spent three seasons on the prison drama Oz playing inmate Burr Redding, who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder.
Dearly departed: Broadway star Anthony Chisholm, who also acted on the HBO drama Oz and in Spike Lee’s film Chi-Raq, has died aged 77; pictured in 2016
Although he frequently worked onscreen Anthony was mainly known as a stage star, often appearing in the work of legendary playwright August Wilson.
He earned his Tony nomination for his supporting the 2007 original Broadway production of August’s last play Radio Golf.
Anthony had previously appeared in the original Broadway casts of August’s works Two Trains Running in 1993 and Gem Of The Ocean in 2004.
Just three years ago he acted in the original Broadway cast of August’s play Jitney which first ran in Pittsburgh in the 1980s.
In character: He spent three seasons on the prison drama Oz playing inmate Burr Redding, who is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder
The actor and the playwright became personal friends and Anthony was a pallbearer at August’s funeral in 2005, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Anthony was born in Cleveland and absorbed his appreciation of the arts from his mother who had unfulfilled dreams of her own.
‘My moms, rest her soul, was an unpublished novelist and wrote a lot of poetry. She taught me as a toddler the appreciation of the spoken word,’ he told Broadway World while promoting his Broadway run in Jitney.
Throwback: Just three years ago he acted in the original Broadway cast of August’s play Jitney which first ran in Pittsburgh in the 1980s; he is pictured at its opening night afterparty
Before his theatrical career, his draft number came up and he was packed off to Vietnam where he was a platoon leader in the Army, per The History Makers.
After returning America he acted in New York’s Negro Ensemble Company with Mary Alice who went on to star on the NBC sitcom A Different World.
Although his first Broadway gig was Two Trains Running he worked extensively in the theater before then in various cities across the country.
In his own hometown shortly after his stint in Vietnam he played in Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera as well as Rodgers and Hart’s The Boys From Syracuse.
Throwback: Although he frequently worked onscreen Anthony was mainly known as a stage star, often appearing in the work of legendary playwright August Wilson; pictured in 2017
He also featured in movies beginning with a part in the 1968 film Uptight directed by Jules Dassin and co-written by Ruby Dee.
Anthony also featured in the 2007 film Reign Over Me starring Don Cheadle and Adam Sandler as well as Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq in 2015.
His roles included the comedy film Going In Style which was directed by Zach Braff and started Michael Caine, Alan Arkin and Ann-Margret.
Anthony’s last film released before his death was The Dark Side Of The Street written and directed by debutant Kevin Tran.