William Marshall

Biography: A large black actor with a booming voice and heroic posture, he began appearing onscreen in the early '50s in audacious, overpowering roles. He projected a mix of power and intelligence, and displayed more sexuality than other black actors of his time were allowed to manifest. However, his film career was sporadic, mostly because he was offered few good roles. He briefly enjoyed stardom in the early '70s, when he played the title character of the films Blacula (1972) and Scream, Blacula, Scream (1973). He began working on TV in 1951 and accumulated many TV credits over the next four decades. He has also done a substantial amount of work onstage.