| Arthur French | |
| Birth Name: | Arthur Wellesley French Jr. |
| Birth Date: | 6 November 1931 |
| Birth Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Death Place: | New York City, U.S. |
| Years Active: | 1960s–2021 |
| Spouse: | Antoinette Williams |
| Children: | 2 |
| Occupation: | Actor, director |
Arthur Wellesley French Jr. (November 6, 1931 – July 24, 2021) was an American actor and director, best known for his work in the theatre.
French was born in Harlem, New York City, on November 6, 1931,[1] the son of Arthur and Ursilla French, who both emigrated to the U.S. from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.[2] [3]
Throughout a career that spans over fifty years, French is best known for his work on the stage. He worked extensively with the Negro Ensemble Company (NEC) and has played a wide variety of roles. He was also a supporting character in the 1976 comedy film Car Wash.
His later film credits were in 2 Days in New York and Red Hook Summer, both released in August 2012. He died on July 24, 2021, at the age of 89 in Manhattan, New York.
| Year | Production | Role | Theatre(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Raisin' Hell in the Son | Provincetown Playhouse | ||
| 1969 | Ceremonies in Dark Old Men[4] | William Jenkins | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1971 | Black Girl[5] | Earl | Theatre de Lys | |
| 1971 | Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | ||
| 1978 | Nevis Mountain Dew[6] | Ayton Morris | St. Mark's Playhouse | |
| 1981 | The Amen Corner | Brother Boxer | Crossroads Theater Company | |
| 1983 | You Can't Take It With You[7] | Donald | Plymouth Theatre Royale Theatre | |
| 1991 | Mule Bone[8] | Rev. Singletary Mayor Joe Clark (understudy) | Ethel Barrymore Theatre | |
| 1995 | Henry VI[9] | Earl of Salisbury | Theater at St. Clements Church | |
| 2001 | Fire Drill | Carl | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. |
| Kickin Summit | Ski | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| Give Us This Day | Dad | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| The Border Crossers Lounge | Mother Perez | Urban Stages | Part of "Free Market," a collection of eight short plays. | |
| 2005 | The Master Builder[10] | Doctor Herdal | Pearl Theatre | |
| 2006 | Two Trains Running[11] | Holloway | Peter Norton Space | Lucille Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actor |
| 2007 | Dividing the Estate[12] | Doug | 59E59 Theater A | |
| 2009 | Medea | The Riverside Theatre | ||
| The Book of Lambert | La MaMa etc. | |||
| Dividing the Estate | Doug | Hartford Stage |
| Year | Title | Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Car Wash | Charlie | |
| 1986 | 'Round Midnight | Booker | |
| 1992 | Malcolm X | Pullman Porter | |
| 1994 | Crooklyn | West Indian Store Manager | |
| 2012 | Where is Joel Baum? | Detective Robertson | |
| 2013 | 2 Days in New York | Lee Robinson | |
| Movie 43 | Old Man | ||
| 2014 | God's Pocket | Lucien "Old Lucy" Edwards |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986–1987 | Another World | Al Edwards | 2 episodes | |
| 2018 | New Amsterdam | Brent | Season 1, Episode 15 |