Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
October 29, 1876
Place of Birth:
Charleston, South Carolina, USA
Social Media
Leigh Whipper
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Leigh Rollin Whipper (October 29, 1876 – July 26, 1975) was an American actor on the stage and in motion pictures. He was the first African American to join the Actors' Equity Association, and one of the founders of the Negro Actors Guild of America. He is best known for creating the role of Crooks in the original Broadway production of Of Mice and Men, which he reprised in the 1939 film version.
Educated at Howard University Law School, he left in 1895 and never practiced as a lawyer. Without any dramatic training, he made his first Broadway appearance in Georgia Minstrels. His first film role was in the 1920 silent film The Symbol of the Unconquered.
During the Second World War, Whipper was a member of the steering committee of Negro Division the Hollywood Victory Committee.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | The Young Don't Cry | Doosy |
| 1955 | The Shrike | Mr. Carlisle |
| 1947 | Untamed Fury | Uncle Gabe |
| 1946 | Undercurrent | George |
| 1946 | Young Widow | Nate (Uncredited) |
| 1945 | The Hidden Eye | Alistair |
| 1945 | The Negro Sailor | Editor |
| 1943 | The Ox-Bow Incident | Sparks (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Happy Land | Old Ben (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Mission to Moscow | Haile Selassie (uncredited) |
| 1942 | White Cargo | Jim Fish |
| 1942 | Heart of the Golden West | Rango |
| 1942 | The Vanishing Virginian | Uncle Josh |
| 1941 | Road to Zanzibar | Scarface |
| 1941 | Bahama Passage | Morales |
| 1941 | Virginia | Ezechial |
| 1941 | Robin Hood of the Pecos | Kezeye |
| 1941 | King of the Zombies | Momba |
| 1939 | Of Mice and Men | Crooks |
| 1920 | The Symbol of the Unconquered | Tugi - an Indian Fakir |
| 1920 | Within Our Gates |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|