The names and faces of character actors like Steve Buscemi, Burgess Meredith, and Peter Lorre are etched into the minds of most film and television lovers, but black actors, character actors or otherwise, often go unnoticed in Hollywood. The purpose of this profile is to shed light upon those forgotten black character actors from the 70’s – we may not always know their names, but their faces immediately conjure up the days when television and movies were all about good writing, good acting, and good stories.
Tamu Blackwell
Tamu Blackwell normally appeared as the troubled black youth in her roles throughout the 1970’s. Usually credited by first name only, Tamu burst onto the screen as Francine Potter, the feisty kid from the ghetto who spends a comical night in the Findlay household on Maude.Tamu Blackwell also made a big splash playing Edna on Good Times. Edna was the young woman who attempted to rob the Evans household with her big sister Shirley (Shirley Hemphill from What’s Happening).
Tamu Blackwell’s last television appearance was an episode of the 1990’s drama Sisters. Since the 1970’s, Tamu Blackwell has kept herself busy on the other side of the camera as an assistant director.
Helen Martin
During the 1970’s Helen Martin was all over the place. She had a small appearance in the blaxploitation classic, Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), and she made countless appearances on many sitcoms throughout the 70’s. Most people will remember Helen Martin for her appearances on Good Times where she played Wanda, the emotional neighbor with an odd penchant for funerals. Helen Martin also made a memorable impression as Pearl, the downstairs neighbor on Marla Gibbs’ television show 227.
Helen Martin enjoyed a vigorous acting career in television throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s, then in 1996 she made a side-splittingly funny appearance as Loc Dog’s grandmother in Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. Sadly, Helen Martin succumbed to a heart attack in 2000 at the age of 90, but she worked steadily until her death.
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs seemed to be the “go to guy” wherever a 70’s film called for a teen black male. Tall, lanky, and full of white, toothy smiles, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs was somewhat of a sex symbol. Many of his appearances were in 70’s classic movies, such as Cooley High (1975), Roots (1977), and Claudine (1974). Most of his appearances were on 70’s classic tv, but his standout performance was as Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington on Welcome Back Kotter. As Freddie, Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs made the crossover from character actor guest spot to regularly recurring cast member.
Lawrence Hilton-Jabobs has kept himself busy with television guest spots since his hey days in the 1970’s. Currently, he is working on a project that parodies the situation of black Hollywood (lack of realistic urban story lines, etc.), the film is called Hollywont, and it is due to be released in 2010.
Antonio Fargas
The bulk of the roles Antonio Fargas has portrayed have been somewhat to the left of the law. Such a stereotypical circumstance is not out of the ordinary for minority actors, but Antonio Fargas made the trend into an art. His niche was the 70’s crime dramas, and one particular 1970’s crime drama allowed him to accomplish the same feat as did Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs above. Starsky and Hutch was clearly a two hero show, but Antonio Fargas was definitely the antihero therein. Appearing on a regular basis as a loyal street informant named “Huggy Bear,” he would drop a dime on anyone he could think of to keep himself tight with detectives Starsky and Hutch. Although Huggy Bear was a snitch, audiences eventually came to care about him.
Antonio Fargas has also kept himself busy. Currently, he has four films in post production and he has a semi-regularly recurring role on Everybody Hates Chris as Doc Harris, the owner of the local neighborhood store.
