Rupert Crosse

American television and film actor

Not to be confused with the British lawyer Rupert Cross.

Rupert Crosse

Crosse (center) with Bill Cosby and Beah Richards on The Bill Cosby Show, 1970

Born| (1927-11-29)November 29, 1927

New York City, U.S.

Died| March 5, 1973(1973-03-05) (aged 45)

Nevis, British West Indies

Nationality| American
Alma mater| Bloomfield College
Occupation| Actor
Years active| 1959–1972
Spouse|

Chris Calloway

(m. 1970⁠-⁠1973)​

Children| 1
Relatives| Cab Calloway (father-in-law)

Rupert Crosse (November 29, 1927 – March 5, 1973) was an American television and film actor[1] noted as the first African American to receive a nomination for a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award — for his role in the 1969 adaptation of William Faulkner's The Reivers.[2]

## Background[edit]

Born Robert A. Crosse, Jr. in New York City, Crosse was raised by his grandparents in Nevis after the death of his father. He returned to the United States to serve in the Army for two years before entering Bloomfield College. Crosse later worked at Brooklyn College as a counselor.

In 1970, Crosse married singer Chris Calloway, daughter of Cab Calloway. They had one son, Rupert Osaze Dia Crosse, who was nine months old at the time of Crosse's death.[3] Their son died in 2002 from a heart condition brought on by prior drug abuse.[4] Calloway died of breast cancer in August 2008.[5]

Crosse died March 5, 1973, of lung cancer in Nevis.[6]

## Career[edit]

After studying acting under John Cassavetes, Crosse appeared in two of Cassavetes' films: Shadows (for which he won a Venice Film Festival Award) and Too Late Blues (1962).[6]

A life member of The Actors Studio,[7] Crosse made numerous guest appearances on television in the decade prior to landing the role of Ned McCaslin in the 1969 film The Reivers, directed by and starring fellow Studio members Mark Rydell and Steve McQueen, respectively. His last onscreen role was in the sitcom The Partners, alongside Don Adams.[8] Shortly before his death, Crosse was cast as Mulhall in The Last Detail (1973), withdrawing from the role after learning he suffered from terminal cancer.[9]

## Filmography[edit]

Year  | Title  | Role  | Notes

|
|
|

1959  | Shadows | Rupert  |
1959  | Johnny Staccato | Redtop  | Episode: "Collector's Item"
1961  | Rawhide | A Trooper  | S3:E10, "Incident of the Buffalo Soldier"
1961  | Have Gun – Will Travel | Aaron Jedediah Gibbs  | Episode: "The Hanging of Aaron Gibbs"
1961  | Too Late Blues | Baby Jackson  |
1962  | The Dick Powell Show |  | Episode: "Borderline"
1963  | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Dr. Paul Mackey  | Episode: "Diagnosis: Danger"
1963  | Twilight of Honor | Jailer's assistant  | Uncredited
1963  | The Great Adventure | William Still  | Episode: "Go Down, Moses"
1963–1964  | Ben Casey | George  | 2 episodes
1964  | The Best Man | Reporter  | Uncredited
1964  | Marnie | Office worker  | Uncredited
1964–1966  | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | General Molte Nobuk
Corporal Remy  | 2 episodes
1965  | Wild Seed | Hobo  | Alternative title: Fargo
1965  | The Wackiest Ship in the Army |  | Episode: "The Lady and the Luluai"
1966  | Dr. Kildare | George Parker  | 2 episodes
1966  | That Girl | Police officer  | Episode: "I'll Be Suing You"
1966  | Daktari | Kukuia  | Episode: "The Test"
1966  | Ride in the Whirlwind | Indian Joe  |
1966  | Run for Your Life | Hotel Clerk  | Episode: "The Treasure Seekers"
1966  | The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. | Tchelba  | Episode: "The Jewels of Topango Affair"
1967  | CBS Playhouse | Funeral director  | Episode: "The Final War of Olly Winter"
1967  | I Spy | Chester  | Episode: "Cops and Robbers"
1967  | Cowboy in Africa | Jama  | Episode: "Incident at Derati Wells"
1967  | Waterhole#3 | Prince  |
1967  | The Monkees | Thursday  | S2:E8, "Monkees Marooned"
1968  | Felony Squad | Ray Hawkins  | 2 episodes
1969  | The Reivers | Ned McCaslin  | Nominated: Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
1970  | Bonanza | Davis  | Episode: "The Power of Life and Death"
1970  | Storefront Lawyers | Johnson  | Episode: "The Emancipation of Bessie Gray"
1970  | The Bill Cosby Show | Felix E. LeBlanc  | Episode: "The Lincoln Letter"
1970  | Bracken's World | Freddy Webster, Sr.  | Episode: "Will Freddy's Real Father Please Stand Up?"
1971  | Confessions of a Top Crime Buster | Detective George Robinson  | Television movie
1971–1972  | The Partners | Detective George Robinson  | 20 episodes, (final appearance)

## References[edit]

1. ^ Obituary Variety, March 28, 1973
2. ^ Mapp, Edward (2008). African Americans and the Oscar: Decades Of Struggle and Achievement (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 21\. ISBN 978-0-8108-6106-0.
3. ^ "Sexy Chris and 'Daddy'". The Afro American. 1979-03-10. p. 11. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
4. ^ Foster, Catherine (2009-11-09). "In Cab Calloway's family, one intrepid woman inspires another". boston.com. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
5. ^ Weideman, Paul (2008-08-08). "Chris Calloway, 1945-2008: Jazz diva gracious in battle with cancer". santafenewmexican.com. Archived from the original on 2012-09-09. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
6. ^ a b "Television's Rupert Crosse Dies of Cancer In Jamaica". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. 44 (1): 59. 1973-03-29. ISSN 0021-5996.
7. ^ Garfield, David (1980). "Appendix: Life Members of The Actors Studio as of January 1980". A Player's Place: The Story of The Actors Studio. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc. p. 278. ISBN 0-02-542650-8.
8. ^ "Rupert Crosse Gets Role On New Show". Waycross Journal-Herald. 1971-07-12. p. P3. Retrieved 11 December 2012.
9. ^ Mapp, Edward (2008). African Americans and the Oscar: Decades Of Struggle and Achievement (2 ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. p. 22\. ISBN 978-0-8108-6106-0.

## External links[edit]

* Rupert Crosse at IMDb

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Spain
* Germany
* Israel
* United States

This article about a United States film and television actor born in the 1940s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[m.]: married
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template