SHEMMY’S LIST: This week… 5 Legendary Caribbean Actors

Hello!

The debut of the 2012 edition of Trinidad and Tobago’s Film Festival is fast approaching and I couldn’t help but showcase some of the Caribbean’s film talent.

The Caribbean is filled with a lot of talented filmmakers; however, we are very blessed with a number of gifted legendary actors as well. This brings me to my list this week…

This week’s Shemmy’s list features 5 legendary Caribbean Actors who have done well for the region!

1. Harry Belafonte, 85, is an American actor and singer. Belafonte is the son a housekeeper of Jamaican descent and Harold George Bellanfanti, Sr., a Martiniquan who worked as a Chef “National Guard of the United States.” His double Caribbean background must be credited for his love of calypso. He was given the name of King of Calypso after his popularizing calypso in the early 1950s with songs such as his mega hit, The Banana Boat Song. He best is known for his roles in “Carmen Jones,” “Bright Ride,” “Island in the Sun,” “Odds Against Tomorrow” and “White Man Burden,” to name a few.

Belafonte is a civil rights, political and humanitarian activist. He has been married three times and has four children.

2. Sidney Poitier, 85, is Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat. In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field.

Pottier is also famous for this lead roles in the classic movies; “To Sir, With Love,” “Guess Who is Coming to Dinner,” “In The Heat Of The Night” among others.

On August 12, 2009, Sidney Poitier was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honor, by President Barack Obama

3. Calvin Lockhart, 72, was a Bahamian – American actor. His first major film was “Let’s Do It Again” where he played the role of “Biggie Smalls”. (Not to be confused rapper Biggie Smalls).

He is also know for appearing in “Rain,” “Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me,” “Predator 2,” “Coming to America” and “The Beast Must Die.”

He died in 2007 in the Bahamas.

4. Sullivan Walker, 65, was a Trinidadian-born actor, playwright and acting coach. Walker is best known for this role on the legendary television show, The Cosby Show.

He starred in movies such as “Crocodile Dundee,” “Earth 2,” and “Get Rich or Die Trying” in addition to his other television appearances on “Law & Order,” “Sentinel” and “The Pretender.”

Walker died earlier this year from a heart attack.

5. Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, 59, is an American actor and singer. He is the fifth child of nine to West Indian parents from St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.

He landed the part of Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington in a hit comedy series, “Welcome Back, Kotter” and then went on to starr in “Nocturnal Agony”, “Tamales and Gumbo”, “30 Miles” and “Indecent Behaviour.” (Wikipedia)

Do you remember any of these legendary men?

DRAMA: Harry Belafonte versus Beyonce? Find out what’s he said and her response!

SHEMMY’S LIST: This week… 5 Actors/Actress with Caribbean roots