Arthur French was an actor who was a founding member of the Negro Ensemble Company and appeared in movies including “Car Wash” and “Crooklyn.”
- Died: July 24, 2021 (Who else died on July 24?)
- Details of death: Died at a hospital at the age of 89.
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Acting career
French joined New York City’s pioneering Negro Ensemble Company early in his career, appearing in their productions including “Three Days of Absence.” He made his Broadway debut in 1971 in the musical “Ain’t Supposed to Die a Natural Death.” He went on to appear in Broadway productions including “The Iceman Cometh” and “Death of a Salesman.” On the big screen, French had a supporting role as Charlie in 1976’s “Car Wash” and appeared in the Spike Lee films “Malcolm X” (1992) and “Crooklyn” (1994). He made several TV appearances on “Law & Order.” Also an acting teacher, French was honored with an Obie Award for Sustained Excellence and a Paul Robeson Citation from the Actors’ Equity Association and the Actor’s Equity Foundation.
French on how he became an actor
“I wanted to be a disc jockey. Alan Freed was a popular DJ then and I used to hear him on the radio. So I decided to go to a Disc Jockey School, but the payola scandal hit the music scene and the school was closed. That stopped me from pursuing becoming a DJ. …The Disc Jockey School that was closed was in the same building as Lee Strasberg’s Dramatic Workshop. (laughs) I just signed up for acting, movement and speech classes.” —from a 2020 interview for Gallery & Studio
Tributes to Arthur French
Full obituary: The New York Times
