Ron O'Neal

Biography: From 1957-66 he performed onstage in 40 productions with Cleveland's Karamu Playhouse. In 1967 he moved to New York and appeared in several productions with the Negro Ensemble Company. In 1970 he joined Joseph Papp's Public Theater and starred in No Place to be Somebody, for which he won several awards including an Obie and a Drama Desk award. He had appeared in two films when he was cast as the lead in Super Fly (1972); the films became a hit and for a time he was a major star, and moreover directed the film's sequel (1973). Afterwards, however, he slipped into supporting roles, and also worked on TV. He costarred in the TV series Bring 'Em Back Alive and The Equalizer.