Georg Stanford Brown (born June 24, 1943) is a Cuban actor, perhaps best known as one of the stars of the ABC police television series The Rookies from 1972 to 1976. On the show, Brown played the character of Officer Terry Webster.
Early life and education Brown was born in Havana, Cuba, the son of Jamaican immigrants. He was seven years old when his family moved to Harlem, New York City. At age 15, he formed the singing group The Parthenons, which had a single TV appearance shortly before breaking up. Brown quit high school, after being invited to do so by a few frustrated teachers. He left New York to move to Los Angeles at 17.
After a few years of not being sure what he wanted to do, he decided to go back to school. He passed the college entrance exam and was admitted to Los Angeles City College where he majored in Theater Arts to "take something easy". He ended up really enjoying it and returned to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. He worked as a school janitor to pay his tuition.
Early career Brown says he feels acting is just something he "fell into". Six months out of school, he appeared in Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival (now called Shakespeare in the Park), and next in The Comedians with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. His work then took him to Africa for four and a half months, Paris, then to Southern France and a chance meeting with Alex Haley who was on his way to Africa to work on a story he was writing, which later was revealed to be Roots.
Career
During the 1960s, Brown had a variety of roles in films, including Henri Philipot in The Comedians (1967), Theon Gibson in Dayton's Devils (1968), and Dr. Willard in Bullitt (1968). His 1970s films included Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), The Man (1972), and Wild in the Sky (1972), co-starring Brandon deWilde, as anti-war, anti-establishment guerrillas, who devise a scheme to destroy Fort Knox with an atomic bomb.
Brown later played Tom Harvey (son of Chicken George, great-grandson of Kunta Kinte, and great-grandfather of Alex Haley) in the 1977 television miniseries Roots, and 1979's Roots: The Next Generations. In 1980, he starred in the TV movie The Night the City Screamed, and in Stir Crazy opposite Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Later in 1984 he starred in the TV movie The Jesse Owens Story in the role of Lew Gilbert. He then went on to a supporting role in yet another miniseries North & South in 1985 as the character Garrison Grady.
When Brown was still on The Rookies, producer Aaron Spelling suggested he try directing. Brown directed four episodes of The Rookies and when the show was canceled, Spelling hired him to direct eight episodes for other series he was producing. In 1986, he won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for directing the final episode ("Parting Shots") in season 5 of Cagney & Lacey. His directing career continued with the television film Alone in the Neon Jungle (also known by its earlier name Command in Hell), which was network premiered by CBS on Sunday January 17, 1988.John Tiech, Pittsburgh Film History: On Set in the Steel City (Charleston, SC: The History Press, 2012). It was characterized in The Washington Post by Tom Shales as 'a stupefyingly preposterous bungle, but only in its better moments',Tom Shales, 'On CBS, A Case of 'Jungle' Rot: Suzanne Pleshette, Adrift In a Ludicrous Cop Caper', The Washington Post (16 January 1988), p. B1. while a marginally more favorable assessment praised 'cop characters that are humanized with humor and the realistically gritty feel that comes with filming on location in Pittsburgh instead of Hollywood'.Joan Hanauer, 'TV Movie Dud of the Year', United Press International (13 January 1988).
Brown co-starred in the comedy sequel House Party 2 in 1991, and the Showtime television show Linc's from 1998 thru 2000. Brown also directed several second-season episodes of the television series Hill Street Blues.
Personal life Brown met his ex-wife, actress Tyne Daly, while at AMDA, where they both studied under Philip Burton, Richard Burton's mentor. They were married from 1966 to 1990. They have three daughters.
Filmography
As actor
Film YearTitleRoleNotes1966How to Steal a MillionWaiteruncredited1967The ComediansHenri Philipot1968Dayton's DevilsTheon Gibson1968BullittDr. Willard1970Colossus: The Forbin ProjectDr. John F. Fisher1972Wild in the SkyLynch1972The ManRobert Wheeler1980Stir CrazyRory Schultebrand1983Imps*Charliesegment "Unhappy Hour"1991House Party 2Professor Sinclair1994Ava's Magical AdventureClayton 'Clay'2003Cuban BloodBlack Bum2005ShacklesWardenDirect-to-Video2015Madea's Tough LoveMystery Man (voice role)uncredited
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1967Dragnet 1967Billy JonesEpisode: "The Big Problem"1968Judd, for the DefenseHarry CrewsEpisode: "The Ends of Justice"1968It Takes a ThiefBatesEpisode: "Hans Across the Border"1968The F.B.I.George KernEpisode: "The Intermediary"1969The Young LawyersTed RobinsonEpisode: "The Young Lawyers"1969JuliaAdam SpencerEpisode: "The Eve of Adam"1969–1970The Bold Ones: The LawyersKenneth Miller / Richie Morris2 episodes1969–1971MannixSam Thomas / Brad Turner2 episodes1970Here Comes the BridesObie BrownEpisode: "A Bride for Obie Brown"1970Ritual of EvilLarry RichmondTelevision Movie1970The Bold Ones: The New DoctorsBakumbaEpisode: "Killer on the Loose"1970The Name of the GameKajidEpisode: "The Time Is Now"1970The InternsHamidEpisode: "Dancy"1970–1972Medical CenterDr. Roy James3 episodes1972Room 222JerryEpisode: "And in This Corner..."1972Mission: ImpossibleLuke JenkinsEpisode: "Bag Woman"1972Norman Corwin Presentsunknown roleEpisode: "A Son, Come Home"1972–1976The RookiesOfficer Terry Websterseries regular (93 episodes)1976Dawn: Portrait of a Teenage RunawayDonald UmberTelevision Movie1977RootsTom HarveyMiniseries (2 episodes)1979Roots: The Next GenerationsMiniseries (2 episodes)1979ParisDonald HolmesEpisode: "Dead Men Don't Kill"1980The Night the City ScreamedCharles NevilleTelevision Movie1982Police Squad!Police under the SafeEpisode: "Ring of Fear (A Dangerous Assignment)"1982The Kid with the Broken HaloRudy DesautelTelevision Movie1983In Defense of KidsBen HumphriesTelevision Movie1984Cagney & LaceyADA BurkeEpisode: "Choices"1984The Jesse Owens StoryLew GilbertTelevision Movie1985North and South, Book IGarrison GradyMiniseries (4 episodes)1987–1989MatlockJudge Stuart Franklin / Maj. Jeffrey Hamilton4 episodes1988Alone in the Neon JungleSgt. Clevon JacksonTelevision Movie1990Jake and the FatmanLee PrestonEpisode: "Who's Sorry Now?"1992Murder Without Motive: The Edmund Perry StoryDarwin TolliverTelevision Movie1995MartinReverend WatsonEpisode: "Love is a Beach"1997The Legend of Calamity JaneAdditional Voices (voice role)English version; 13 episodes1997Malcolm & EddieMr. BellamyEpisode: "Roofless People"1998Team Knight RiderGeneral William SimonsonEpisode: "The Return of Megaman"1998The Wild ThornberrysKito (voice role)Episode: "Temple of Eliza"1998–2000Linc'sJohnnie B. Goodeseries regular (25 episodes)2000Family LawReverend PerryEpisode: "Media Relations"2000FreedomWalter YoungEpisode: "Alpha Dogs"2001The DistrictPreston KembridgeEpisode: "Cop Hunt"2002Strong MedicineAdmiral Thomas CarterEpisode: "House Calls"2003The Lyon's DenJudge Ed RossiEpisode: "The Fifth"2004Nip/TuckJames Sutherland4 episodes2005Judging AmyDetective SandersEpisode: "Dream a Little Dream"2005Mystery WomanToby (uncredited)Episode 5: Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder2005The Reading RoomRahimTelevision Movie2012Electric CityCommander Welles (voice role)2 episodes
Video games YearTitleRoleNotes2004Men of ValorRoland Shephardvoice role
As director
Television YearTitleNotes1975–1976The Rookies4 episodes1977Starsky and Hutch3 episodes1977–1979Charlie's Angels8 episodes1978The FitzpatricksEpisode: "The New Fitzpatrick"1978FamilyEpisode: "Fear of Shadows"1978LucanEpisode: "Nightmare"1978Fantasy IslandEpisode: "Carnival/The Vaudevillians"1979Roots: The Next GenerationsEpisode: "Part V (1932-1933)"1979–1980Paris2 episodes1980Tenspeed and Brown ShoeEpisode: "The Millionaire's Life"1981Lou GrantEpisode: "Violence"1981Palmerstown, U.S.A.Episode: "Dry Hole"1981Grambling's White TigerTelevision Movie1981The Greatest American HeroEpisode: "The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fast Ball"1981–1986Hill Street Blues7 episodes1982Police Squad!Episode: "The Butler Did It (A Bird in the Hand)"1982–1986Cagney & Lacey5 episodes1983FameEpisode: "...Help from My Friends"1983Trauma CenterEpisode: "Notes About Courage"1983The MississippiEpisode: "The Shooting"1984Hardcastle and McCormickEpisode: "Third Down and Twenty Years to Life"1984The Fall GuyEpisode: "Olympic Quest"1984Call to GloryEpisode: "Call It Courage"1984Magnum P.I.2 episodes1984–1985Miami Vice2 episodes1984–1986Dynasty4 episodes1985Finder of Lost LovesEpisode: "Deadly Silence"1985HotelEpisode: "Illusions"1985The Paper ChaseEpisode: "The Source"1987Miracle of the Heart: A Boys Town StoryTelevision Movie1986Tough CookiesEpisode: "The Stoolie"1987Vietnam War StoryEpisode: "The Mine"1987Kids Like TheseTelevision Movie1988Alone in the Neon JungleTelevision Movie1989Stuck with Each OtherTelevision Movie1992The Last P.O.W.? The Bobby Garwood StoryTelevision Movie1993Father & Son: Dangerous RelationsTelevision Movie1996ViperEpisode: "On a Role"1999Linc'sEpisode: "From Here to Eternity"2000The Brothers GarciaEpisode: "Love Me Tender"2004The Long ShotTelevision Movie2004Wedding DazeTelevision Movie2004Angel in the FamilyTelevision Movie2005Mystery Woman Episode 3: Mystery Woman: Snapshot2005The Reading RoomTelevision Movie
As producer
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1987Kids Like TheseExecutive ProducerTelevision Movie1987Vietnam War StoryExecutive Producer3 episodes1989Stuck with Each OtherExecutive ProducerTelevision Movie2004The Long ShotCo-Executive ProducerTelevision Movie
Accolades AssociationYearCategoryNominated workResultsRef Directors Guild of America Awards 1982 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series Hill Street Blues Primetime Emmy Awards 1981 Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for Episode: "Up In Arms") 1985 Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for Episode: "El Capitan") 1986 Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series (for Episode: "Parting Shots") Cagney & Lacey
References
External links