William Horace Marshall American actor, director and opera singer Date of Birth: 19.08.1924 Country: USA

Biography of William Horace Marshall

William Horace Marshall was an American actor, director, and opera singer. He was known for his impressive height of 6'5" (1.96m) and his deep bass voice. Marshall gained widespread recognition for his leading role in the classic film "Blacula" (1972) and its sequel "Scream Blacula Scream" (1973). In the 1980s, Marshall portrayed the character of the "King of Cartoons" in the children's television show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" starting from its second season. He also played the role of Daystrom in the original science fiction series "Star Trek".

William Horace Marshall was born on August 19, 1924, in Gary, Indiana. He was the son of Thelma Edwards and Vereen Marshall, a dentist. He graduated from Governors State University and briefly studied art at New York University before deciding to pursue a career in acting. Marshall became a member of the professional actors' organization Actors Studio and honed his acting skills at the American Theatre Wing and the prestigious Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. He made his Broadway debut in 1944 in the musical "Carmen Jones" and went on to participate in numerous other Broadway productions, including replacing Boris Karloff in the role of Captain Hook in the musical "Peter Pan" in 1950. In 1951, he landed a leading role in the revived play "The Green Pastures".

Marshall's imposing stature and powerful presence led to invitations to perform in Shakespearean plays on both European and American stages, where he notably portrayed the lead role of Othello in at least six productions. Harold Hobson of the "London Sunday Times" praised Marshall as the "best Othello of our time" and compared his performance favorably to other actors who played the Venetian Moor. In 1968, Marshall reprised the role of Othello in the jazz-infused production "Catch My Soul" in Los Angeles, with Jerry Lee Lewis playing Iago. He also portrayed singer and actor Paul Robeson and social reformer and writer Frederick Douglass, who shared his physical attributes, in various productions. Marshall's extensive research on Frederick Douglass allowed him to realistically portray the reformer in the television film "Frederick Douglass: Slave and Statesman" (1983).

Marshall's film career began in 1952 with the role of Haitian King Dick in the historical adventure film "Lydia Bailey". Following this promising start, he landed a prominent role as Glycon, a companion of the freed slave Demetrius, in the film "Demetrius and the Gladiators" (1954). Despite his success, Marshall, like many other black actors of his generation, faced challenges in being typecast in roles as slaves or servants.

In the early 1950s, William had a brief stint as the star of the series "Harlem Detective," which focused on African American police officers. He is perhaps best remembered by television audiences for his portrayal of Dr. Richard Daystrom in the "Ultimate Computer" episode of "Star Trek" and as the traveling opera singer Thomas Bowers in the series "Bonanza". He also appeared alongside Ivan Dixon in the first season of "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." in the episode titled "The Vulcan Affair", and he played Death itself in the series "Benson".

Marshall spent 42 years in a relationship with Sylvia Gussin Jarrico, the ex-wife of blacklisted screenwriter Paul Jarrico. He passed away on June 11, 2003, due to complications from diabetes and Alzheimer's disease. He left behind four children, sons Tariq, Malcolm, and Claude, and a daughter, singer Gina Loring.

In addition to his acting and producing work, Marshall won two local Emmy awards for his involvement in the theater play "As Adam Early in the Morning". He also taught acting classes at various universities, including the University of California, Irvine, and the Mufandi Institute.