Roger Robinson (May 2, 1940 – September 26, 2018) was an American actor. He was probably best known for playing Detective Gil Weaver in the American crime drama television series Kojak. Robinson received the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for the 2009 revival of Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson."2009 Tony Award Winner: Roger Robinson For 'Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play'", broadwayworld.com. June 7, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2018.

Life and career Born in Seattle, Washington, Robinson made his Broadway debut in 1969 in Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? opposite Al Pacino. Additional theatre credits include Amen Corner, The Iceman Cometh, and Seven Guitars, which garnered him his first Tony nomination.

Robinson appeared in six of August Wilson's ten plays chronicling African-American life in the 20th century. He felt the playwright's "use of language is second to none, except Eugene O'Neill and perhaps Tennessee Williams." Robinson was the first African American to receive the Richard Seff Award, presented annually by the Actors' Equity Foundation to an actor fifty years of age or older for his performance in a supporting role in a Broadway or off-Broadway production.

Robinson's film credits include Believe in Me (1971), Willie Dynamite (1974), Newman's Law (1974), Meteor (1979), It's My Turn (1980), The Lonely Guy (1984), Who's the Man? (1993), Wedding Daze (2006), and Brother to Brother (2004). The latter won him the LA Outfest Grand Jury Award Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film and a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male.

Robinson's television credits include the television miniseries King, TV-movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders, which led to a recurring role as Detective Gil Weaver on Kojak, a regular role on the short-lived Mary Stuart Masterson series Kate Brasher, and guest appearances on Ironside, Starsky and Hutch, The Jeffersons, A Man Called Hawk, Law & Order, New York Undercover, Homicide: Life on the Street, ER, Kojak, and NYPD Blue. On ABC's How to Get Away With Murder, he played Mac Harkness, the father of Viola Davis' Annalise Keating. He also wrote material for Martin Lawrence Presents: 1st Amendment Stand-Up.

Filmography

Film

+ Year Title Role Notes1971 Believe in Me Angel 1974 Willie Dynamite Bell 1974 Newman's Law Garry 1979 Meteor Bill Hunter 1980 It's My Turn Flicker 1984 The Lonely Guy Greeting Card Supervisor 1992 Flodder in Amerika Zwerver 1993 Who's the Man? Charlie 1995 Burnzy's Last Call Russell 2004 Brother to Brother Bruce 2005 On the One Butter 2006 Wedding Daze Dr. Favreau 2011 Smoking Nonsmoking Jeffries 2014 Foreclosure 2014 H. Harold 2016 Custody Martha's Father 2016 Vineland Father Gordon

Television

+ Year Title Role Notes 1973 The Marcus-Nelson Murders Bobbie Martin TV movie Ironside Shuggle Episode: "The Last Payment" 1973–1976 Kojak Gil Weaver 12 episodes1974The F.B.I. Floyd CarterEpisode: "Selkirk's War"Get Christie Love!Casey HunterEpisode: "The Longest Fall"This Is the West That WasTV movie 1975 Starsky and Hutch Dewey Hughes Episode: "Kill Huggy Bear"The Family HolvakLonnie BeckworthEpisode: "The Tribute"1976Mallory: Circumstantial EvidenceCliff WilsonTV movieCaptains and the Kings Cpl. Lincoln DouglasEpisode: "Chapter VII" 1976-1977 Baretta El Dorado, David 2 episodes 1978 King Reverend Free Shuttlesworth TV miniseriesQuincy, M.E.Dr. Eric TaylorEpisode: "Death by Good Intentions"1979Friends Warren Summerfield5 episodesThe Runaways Chuck BishopEpisode: "Wrong Way Street"EischiedDetective Chasin2 episodes The Jeffersons Mark Randolph Episode: "Baby Love"1980The Righteous ApplesCharlesEpisode: "Convictions" The Incredible Hulk Capt. Welsh Episode: "Prometheus: Part 1" 1981 The Dukes of Hazzard Roy Landry Episode: "Mrs. Daisy Hogg"The Two of Us Dr. MatthewsEpisode: "A Family Counseled"1982A House Divided: Denmark Vesey's RebellionGeorge WilsonTV movieCassie & Co.Joe PrincessEpisode: "A Ring Ain't Always a Circle"1983Voyagers!SethEpisode: "All Fall Down" 1986 The Equalizer Mr. Selby Episode: "Joyride" 1989 A Man Called Hawk Cy Ferris Episode: "Poison"Money, Power, MurderWillie BTV movie 1991 Law & Order Dr. Ames Episode: "Sonata for Solo Organ"1992The Cosby ShowMitch LawsonEpisode: “You Can't Stop the Music” 1997 New York Undercover Major Harold Williams Episode: “The Promised Land” Homicide: Life on the Street Burundi Robinson Episode: “Narcissus”1998VigPhilTV movie ER Mr. Wass Episode: “A Hole in the Heart” 2001 Kate Brasher Earl 6 episodes ER Carl Ferris 2 episodes2002The Education of Max BickfordCarlEpisode: “The Pursuit of Happiness” NYPD Blue Al Simons Episode: “One in the Nuts” 2010 Rubicon Ed Bancroft 6 episodes2013ElementaryBruce KushnerEpisode: “The Deductionist”2015American MastersBynumEpisode: “August Wilson: The Ground on Which I Stand” 2016–2018 How to Get Away With Murder Mac Harkness 4 episodes2017The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Day LacksTV movie

Stage + Year Title Role Notes 1969 Does a Tiger Wear a Necktie? Conrad Belasco Theatre, Broadway 1969 The Miser La Fleche Vivian Beaumont Theater, Broadway 1983 Amen Corner Luke Nederlander Theatre, Broadway 1985 The Iceman Cometh Joe Mott Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, Broadway 1987 Of Mice and Men Crooks Roundabout Theatre Company, Off-Broadway 1996 Seven Guitars Hedley Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway 1998 St. Louis Woman Ragsdale New York City Center, Off-Broadway 1998 Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida Amonasro Alliance Theatre 2000 The Cherry Orchard Firs McCarter Theatre 2001 Jitney Becker Royal National Theatre 2004 Drowning Crow Eugene Dawn Biltmore Theatre, Broadway 2009 Joe Turner's Come and Gone Bynum Belasco Theatre, Broadway 2018 Some Old Black Man Donald 59E59 Theater, Broadway

References

External links

Playbill.com interview, June 2, 2009