Earle Hyman (born George Earle Plummer; October 11, 1926 – November 17, 2017) was an American stage, television, and film actor. Hyman is known for his role on ThunderCats as the voice of Panthro and various other characters. He also appeared on The Cosby Show as Cliff's father, Russell Huxtable. Singer Phyllis Hyman was his cousin.
Life and career Hyman was born in 1926 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, as George Earle Plummer according to the North Carolina Birth Index. He claimed Native American ancestry. His parents, Zachariah Hyman and Maria Lilly Plummer, seeking better educational opportunities, moved their family from the south to Brooklyn, New York, in the late 1920s, where Hyman primarily grew up. Hyman knew at age 4 that he wanted to become an actor after performing a poem at a church play and was determined to become one after seeing a production of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts.
He studied acting at HB StudioHB Studio Alumni in New York City. He made his Broadway stage debut as a teenager in 1943 in Run, Little Chillun, and later joined the American Negro Theater. The following year, Hyman began a two-year run playing the role of Rudolf on Broadway in Anna Lucasta, starring Hilda Simms in the title role. He was a member of the American Shakespeare Theatre beginning with its first season in 1955, and played the role of Othello in the 1957 season.
In December 1958, he came to London to play the leading role in Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, by Errol John, at the Royal Court.
In 1959, he again appeared in the West End, this time in the first London production of A Raisin In the Sun, alongside Kim Hamilton. The show ran at the Adelphi Theatre and was directed by Lloyd Richards. A life member of The Actors Studio, Hyman appeared throughout his career in productions in both the United States and Norway, where he also owned property. In 1965, he won a Theatre World Award and in 1988, he was awarded the St Olav's medal for his work in Norwegian theater.
In addition to his stage work, Hyman appeared in various television and film roles including adaptions of Macbeth (1968), Julius Caesar (1979), and Coriolanus (1979), and voiced Panthro on the animated television series ThunderCats (1985–1989). He played two roles (at different times) on television's The Edge of Night.
One of his most well known roles, that of Russell Huxtable in The Cosby Show, earned him an Emmy Award nomination in 1986. He played the father of lead character Cliff Huxtable, played by Bill Cosby.
Death Hyman died in 2017, at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey. He was 91.
In June 2020, the Folger Shakespeare Library, a private research library in Washington D.C., acquired Hyman's personal items and memorabilia to be displayed as the Earle Hyman Collection. In personal correspondences Hyman wrote that he and Rolf Sirnes (1926–2004), a Norwegian seaman, had lived together for fifty years. Hyman described their relationship as a passionate friendship and wrote that Sirnes was his partner.
In March 2026, actor Delroy Lindo, soon after receiving an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor nomination, tearfully told an interviewer how eternally thankful he was for Earle Hyman having been a "savior" in his life. When Lindo was still a young actor, out of work and feeling "hopeless...at such a low point when Earle gave me that affirmation. He said, 'Young man, you have nothing to worry about.' " And Lindo said he cries every time he recalls Hyman's compassionate, encouraging words.
Connections to Norway In Norway, Hyman was seen as a friend of the country"Give my regards to Norway" from The Washington Post (29.11.2006) and had a cabin in Skånevik."Earle Hyman snart hjem til Norge" from skaanevik.no Hyman learned to speak Norwegian through Sirnes, who was originally from Haugesund. In the 1990s, they lived in New York City.Karin Muri, "Bestefar Cosby kaster masken", VG, 28 August 1994.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1945 The Lost Weekend Smoking Man Uncredited 1954 The Bamboo Prison Doc Jackson, medic 1966 Afrikaneren Raymond Alternative title: The African 1972The Possession of Joel Delaney Charles Credited Earl Hyman 1975 The Super Cops Police Detective Uncredited1979 Julius Caesar Cicero Coriolanus Cominius 1982 Fighting Back Police Chief Freeman Alternative title: Death Vengeance 1985 Thundercats – HO: The Movie Panthro Voice 1987 Light Years Maxum Voice, Alternative title: Gandahar Television Year Title Role Notes1957 Hallmark Hall of Fame Adam 1 episode The United States Steel Hour Jim 1 episode1963 Espionage Premier Djatuma 1 episode East Side/West Side Mr. Marsden 1 episode1964 The Nurses Buratta 1 episode Playdate Crouch 1 episode The Defenders District Attorney 1 episodeEsso World Theater: Nigeria: Culture in TransitionSelf1 episode 1965 Seaway Tom Nkomo 1 episode 1968 Macbeth Macbeth Television movie 1969 Sesame Street "Big" tuba player Film about "Big and Little" musician friends, first aired on Episode 16Classic Sesame Street – "Big and Little" 1980 The Ivory Ape Inspector St. George Television movie 1982 Long Day's Journey Into Night James Tyrone Television movie 1984 The Edge of Night Bailiff Unknown episodes 1984–1992 The Cosby Show Russell Huxtable 40 episodes 1985 The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus King Awgwa Voice, Television movie 1985–1989 ThunderCats Panthro / Redeye Voice, 125 episodes 1987 A Different World Russell Huxtable Episode: "Sometimes You Get the Bear, Sometimes the Bear Gets You" 1989 A Man Called Hawk Jefferson Adams Episode: "Passing the Bar" 1994 Seier'n er vår Sammy Unknown episodes 1995 All My Children Mr. Patterson Unknown episodes 1996 Hijacked: Flight 285 Wayne Edwards Television movie 1997 Cosby Rev. Mitchell 1 episode 2000 The Moving of Sophia Myles Bishop Heath Television movie 2001 Twice in a Lifetime Charley Freeman Episode: "Moonshine Over Harlem"
Awards and nominations Year Award Result Category Film, series or play1956Theatre World AwardWon1980Tony AwardNominatedBest Featured Actor in a PlayThe Lady From Dubuque1983CableACE AwardWonActor in a Dramatic PresentationLong Day's Journey Into Night1986Emmy AwardNominatedOutstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy SeriesThe Cosby Show (For episode "Happy Anniversary")2009 Obie Award for Lifetime Achievement Won N/A n/A
References
External links
Audio Interview (2008)