Reginald Eurias Cathey (August 18, 1958 – February 9, 2018) was an American character actor. He was best known for various roles on the children's math show Square One Television, as well as Norman Wilson in The Wire, Martin Querns in Oz, and Freddy Hayes in House of Cards. The latter garnered him three consecutive Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series, including a win in 2015.U-M alum Reg E. Cathey on his 'House of Cards' Emmy Julie Hinds. Detroit Free Press. September 18, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015
Early life Cathey was born on August 18, 1958, in Huntsville, Alabama, to Red Cathey, an Army colonel who fought in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, and his wife, who was a DOD worker and an educator. He had a sister, Donza. He spent his childhood with his family on a rural farm in West Germany before returning to Alabama at the age of 14. His interest in theater began at age 9, after attending a United Service Organization show in West Germany. Cathey graduated from J.O. Johnson High School, where he acted in plays such as To Kill a Mockingbird. He subsequently studied theatre at the University of Michigan and the Yale School of Drama.
Career Cathey's breakout role was on Children's Television Workshop's Square One Television, a sketch comedy-oriented children's TV series about mathematics. The program aired on PBS from 1987 to 1992. Cathey later referred to himself and the cast as the "Not Ready for Prime-Time Mathematicians".
This was followed by guest roles in such series as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Homicide: Life on the Street. In 1994, he appeared in The Mask as Freeze, the main antagonist's friend and bodyguard who gets inadvertently killed by the title character."From Huntsville to Hollywood". The Huntsville Times. December 10, 1993. He also appeared in 1995's Se7en as the coroner. He played the villain Dirty Dee in the cult comedy film Pootie Tang and had a regular role on the HBO series The Wire as Norman Wilson during the fourth and fifth seasons. He also worked with The Wire creator David Simon on the Emmy Award-winning miniseries The Corner; Cathey played a drug addict known as Scalio. He had a recurring role on the HBO prison drama Oz as unit manager Martin Querns. In the film Tank Girl, he played the role of Deetee. He narrated Aftermath: Population Zero, a National Geographic Channel special which imagines what Earth might be like if humanity no longer existed. He played the homeless man Al, murdered by Patrick Bateman, in the film American Psycho. He narrated TLC's Wonders of Weather, a TV series. On Between the Lions, he played King Ray in the story of "Rumpelstiltskin" in the episode, "Hay Day".
In 2009, Cathey performed in The People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States.
In Fall 2009, Cathey played the role of Ellis Boyd "Red" Redding in a theatrical production of The Shawshank Redemption at Wyndham's Theatre, London. He has made two guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as an undercover police officer involved with animal smuggling (episode: "Wildlife") and later as a high-priced defense attorney to a hooker (episode: "Rhodium Nights"). He also made a guest appearance on Law & Order: Criminal Intent in the episode "Anti-Thesis" as a college professor suspected of murder. He also played boxing promoter Barry K. Word on the FX series Lights Out.
In 2013, Cathey began a recurring role as Freddy Hayes, the owner of Freddy's BBQ, in Netflix's original series House of Cards, as well as on Grimm, in the recurring role of Baron Samedi. His portrayal of Hayes in the second, third, and fourth seasons of House of Cards earned three Emmy nominations and one win for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series.
Cathey had expressed a wish to appear in the Irish soap opera Fair City.
Cathey co-starred in Josh Trank's Fantastic Four (2015), as Dr. Franklin Storm, the father of The Invisible Woman and The Human Torch.Siegel, Tatiana. "Fox's 'Fantastic Four' Reboot Adds 'The Wire's' Reg E. Cathey". The Hollywood Reporter. May 8, 2014. He also played the county sheriff in the city of Rome, WV, in the Cinemax series Outcast. One of Cathey's final TV roles was portraying James Lucas in the Netflix series Marvel's Luke Cage.
Death Cathey died at his home in New York City on February 9, 2018, at the age of 59. He was reported to have had lung cancer. He was cremated, and his ashes were spread in New York City.TMZ 'House of Cards' Star Reg E. Cathey Left Behind Nearly $500,000". TMZ. June 18, 2018.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1988 Funny Farm Reporter #2 Crossing Delancey Cab Driver Ich und Er Waiter 1989 Penn & Teller Get Killed Fan's Friend Born on the Fourth of July Speaker 1990 Loose Cannons Willie Quick Change Sound Analyst Astonished Wayne 1991 What About Bob? Howie Katrell 1994 Clean Slate 1st Cop The Mask Freeze Credited as Reginald E. Cathey Clear and Present Danger Sergeant-Major Airheads Marcus The Hard Truth Shotgun cop 1995 Napoleon Frog Voice, English version Tank Girl Deetee Se7en Dr. Santiago 1997 Ill Gotten Gains Nassor 2000 American Psycho Homeless Man 2001 Pootie Tang Dirty Dee 2003 Head of State Officer Waters A Good Night to Die Avi S.W.A.T. Lt. Greg Velasquez 2004 The Machinist Jones Everyday People Akbar Men Without Jobs Mr. Morgan The Cookout Frank Washington 2006 508 Nelson Frank Harmon 2008 20 Years After Samuel Patsy Dr. Joshua 2011 My Last Day Without You Pastor Johnson 2012 Arbitrage Earl Monroe The Normals Rodney Sampling Leonard Short 2014 Two Men in Town Supervisor Jones Alex of Venice Walt St. Vincent Gus 2015 Nasty Baby The Bishop Sweet Kandy Curtis Coleson Fantastic Four Dr. Franklin Storm 2016 Hands of Stone Don King 2017 Flock of Four Pope Dixon 2018 Tyrel Reggie
Television Year Title Role Notes 1984 A Doctor's Story Richie Television movie 1987 Spenser: For Hire Shepard Episode: "The Man Who Wasn't There" 1987–1992 Square One Television Various 240 episodes 1988–1989 Sesame Street Blue Bird (voice only) 2 episodes 1990 Great Performances Guildenstern Episode: "Hamlet" 1991 Eyes of a Witness Prosecutor Television movie 1992 Fool's Fire Minister Gunther Television movie 1993 And the Band Played On Staff doctor #2 Television movie Star Trek: The Next Generation Morag Episode: "Aquiel" 1994 Roc Fred Episode: "The Concert" 1995 Tyson Attorney Winston Television movie 1996 ER IAD Investigator David Haskell Episode: "Take These Broken Wings" 1997–1998 Arli$$ Alvin Epps 3 episodes 1998 Homicide: Life on the Street Bernard Weeks Episode: "Full Court Press" 2000 The Corner Scalio 6 episodes Homicide: The Movie Bernard Weeks Television movie 2000–2003 Oz Martin Querns 8 episodes 2001 Boycott E.D. Nixon Television movie 2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Professor Roland Sanders Episode: "Anti-Thesis" Between the Lions Himself Episode: "Hay Day" 2004 Law & Order Gerald Episode: "Darwinian" The Jury Mr. Grove Episode: "Mail Order Mystery" 2005 Third Watch Jaime Castro Episode: "Welcome Home" 2006–2008 The Wire Norman Wilson 23 episodes 2008 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Victor Tybor Episode: "Wildlife" 2009 Une aventure New-Yorkaise Marcus Television movie 2010 30 Rock Rutherford Rice Episode: "Let's Stay Together"Inside the Milky WayNarratorDocumentary Film 2011 Earth: Making of a Planet Narrator Documentary Film Lights Out Barry K. Word 12 episodes 2012 Person of Interest Davidson Episode: "Blue Code" 2012–2013 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Barry Querns 4 episodes 2013 Grimm The Baron / Baron Samedi 3 episodes 2013–2016 House of Cards Freddy Hayes 15 episodesPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2015)Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series (2014, 2016) 2014 Banshee Origins Det. Julius Bonner 3 episodes Banshee 2 episodes The Divide Uncle Bobby 5 episodes 2015 The Good Wife Judge Aaron Coleman Episode: "The Deconstruction" Neon Joe, Werewolf Hunter Dad 2 episodes Masters of the Clock: The Legend of Martinsville Narrator Television movie 2016 The Blacklist The Caretaker Episode: "The Caretaker (No. 78)" Horace and Pete Harold 2 episodesInside Amy Schumer Congressman #2 Episode: "The World's Most Interesting Woman in the World" Adviser Episode: "Madame President" 2016–2017 Outcast Chief Byron Giles 20 episodes 2017 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Zakariyya Lacks Television movie 2018 Elementary Mr. Clay Episode: "Our Time Is Up"; posthumous release Luke Cage James Lucas 7 episodes; posthumous release Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Captain Quaid Voice, 2 episodes; posthumous release
Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1980 As You Like It Silvius Williamstown Theatre Festival 1980 Pilk's Madhouse Tramp Two/Dr. Phillimon/Arhtur/Robert/Doctor/Tinker Keogh Williamstown Theatre Festival 1980 Who's Life is it Anyway? John Williamstown Theatre Festival 1983 Richard III Sir William Brandon The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1985 Measure for Measure Gentleman No. 1 The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1986 The Merchant of Venice Salerio Classic Stage Company, Off-Broadway 1988 The Show Off Mr. Gill Williamstown Theatre Festival 1989 In A Pig's Valise The Bop Op Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway 1989 Bad Penny Man Lake in Central Park 1990 Crowbar Mr. Rioso Victory Theatre, Off-Broadway 1990 Hamlet Guildenstern The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1990 Macbeth Various The Public Theater, Off-Broadway 1997 The Changeling Lollio Theatre for a New Audience, Off-Broadway 1999 The Taming of the Shrew Hortensio Shakespeare in the Park, Off-Broadway 2000 The Green Bird Brighella Cort Theatre, Broadway 2001 The Winter's Tale Polixenes Williamstown Theatre Festival 2002 Talk Crito The Foundry Theatre, Off-Broadway 2004 White Chocolate Brandon Beale Century Center for the Performing Arts, Off-Broadway 2004 Henry IV Falstaff California Shakespeare Theater 2006 Blue Door Lewis Playwrights Horizons, Off-Broadway 2009 Three Sisters Chebutykin Classical Theatre of Harlem 2011 Timon of Athens Alcibiades Shakespeare Lab, Off-Broadway 2017 Endgame Clov Long Wharf Theatre
Video games Year Title Voice role Notes 1997 D.A. Pursuit of Justice Courtwatcher 2013 Star Wars: The Old Republic – Rise of the Hutt Cartel Additional Voices
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