Adolph Caesar (December 5, 1933 – March 6, 1986) was an American film and theater actor. Known for his signature deep voice, Caesar was a staple of off-Broadway as a member of the Negro Ensemble Company, and as a voiceover artist for numerous film trailers. He earned widespread acclaim for his performance as Sgt. Vernon Waters in Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning A Soldier's Play, a role he reprised in the 1984 film adaptation A Soldier's Story, for which he received Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations, and won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture.
Early life, family and education Caesar was born in Harlem, New York City, New York, in 1933, the youngest of three sons born to a Dominican mother and an African-American and Indigenous American father. At age 12, he contracted laryngitis which resulted in his notably deep voice.
After graduating from George Washington High School in 1952, Caesar enlisted in the United States Navy during the Korean War era, serving as a hospital corpsman for five years, and achieving the rank of chief petty officer. Upon his discharge from service, he decided to pursue a career in theater, studying drama at New York University, graduating in 1962.
Career Early career Caesar made his film debut in 1969 in Che!, playing Cuban revolutionary Juan Almeida Bosque. A year later, Caesar became an announcer for and then joined the Negro Ensemble Company in 1970 for productions such as The River Niger, Square Root of the Soul, and The Brownsville Raid. Caesar also later worked with the Minnesota Theater Company, Inner City Repertory Company, and the American Shakespeare Theatre. He had a stint on the soap operas Guiding Light and General Hospital in 1964 and 1969, respectively.
Thanks to his voice, Caesar found frequent work as a voiceover artist for television and radio commercials, including theatrical previews and radio commercials for many blaxploitation films such as Cleopatra Jones, Superfly, Truck Turner and The Spook Who Sat by the Door. For many years, he was the voice of the United Negro College Fund's publicity campaign, reciting the iconic slogan "...because a mind is a terrible thing to waste."
Later in his career, Caesar also lent his voice to the animated series Silverhawks, in which he voiced Hotwing, a magician and skilled illusionist.
In 1980, Caesar appeared in the infamous Bruceploitation mockumentary Fist of Fear, Touch of Death, playing himself as a fictional television news reporter investigating the death of Bruce Lee.
A Soldier's Play Caesar’s most iconic work started with his role as US Army Sergeant Vernon C. Waters in Charles Fuller's Pulitzer Prize-winning stage drama, A Soldier's Play, for which Caesar won Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play and an Obie Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Achievement. A Soldier’s Play is set in Louisiana during World War II. Sgt. Waters is an ambitious Black drill sergeant who strives for recognition for African-American soldiers while detesting "Geechees", as he terms uneducated, subservient, and unintelligent southern Blacks, as an obstacle to racial equality and the success of the future African American upper class, and who need to be removed at all costs. The play and film are a murder mystery that unfolds in flashbacks, as a Black JAG Captain investigates Sgt. Waters' murder.
In a 1985 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Caesar stated, while crafting the character of Waters, he drew on his experiences with racism in Classical theatre. "I’d studied Shakespeare to death.... After I did one season at a Shakespearean repertory company, a director said to me, ‘You have a marvelous voice. You know the king’s English well. You speak iambic pentameter. My suggestion is that you go to New York and get a good colored role.' Waters has tried his best, but no matter what you do, they still hate you." Caesar subsequently coined the character's signature phrase, "They still hate you."
Caesar reprised his role as Waters in Norman Jewison's 1984 film A Soldier's Story, an adaptation of Fuller's play. His performance was acclaimed and earned him numerous accolades, including Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor, and an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture. He also won the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Later career On the basis of his Soldier's Story success, Caesar was cast in Steven Spielberg's The Color Purple as Old Mister Johnson, the father of Danny Glover's character. He also appeared on an episode of The Twilight Zone and an ABC Afterschool Special. Caesar's last completed film was Club Paradise, which was released posthumously.
Personal life and death Caesar had three children with his wife Diane, whom he was married to until his death.
Caesar was working on the Los Angeles set of the 1986 film Tough Guys (with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas) when he suffered a heart attack and died a short time later. His role was recast with Eli Wallach. He was interred at the Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.
Works Film Year Title RoleDirector Notes 1969 Che! Juan AlmeidaRichard Fleischer 1975 Tarzoon: Shame of the Jungle Brutish (voice)PichaBoris Szulzinger English-language version 1979 The Hitter NathanChristopher Leitch 1980 Fist of Fear, Touch of Death HimselfMatthew Mallinson 1984 A Soldier's Story Sgt. Vernon WatersNorman Jewison 1985 The Color Purple Old Mister JohnsonSteven Spielberg 1986 Club Paradise Prime Minister Solomon GundyHarold Ramis Released posthumously
Television Year Title Role Notes1968The Wild Wild WestVidoqEpisode: "The Night of the Gruesome Games"1969General HospitalDouglas Burke1970The ChallengeClarence OpanoTelevision film1978Watch Your MouthJeff Cremer2 episodes1984Guiding LightZamana1985Tales from the DarksideMars GillisEpisode: "Parlour Floor Front"1986The Twilight ZoneThe SupervisorEpisode: "A Matter of Minutes"Fortune DaneCharles DaneEpisode: "Pilot"ABC Afterschool SpecialsDr. RancidEpisode: "Getting Even: A Wimp's Revenge"SilverHawksHotwing / Seymour (voices)Main cast
Theatre (partial) Year Title RoleDirectorTheatre Notes1965–67Happy Ending / Day of AbsenceJacksonPhilip MeisterSt. Mark's Playhouse1971Rosalee PritchettRobert BarronShauneille PerryPerry's MissionLester "Bobo" JohnsonDouglas Turner WardRide a Black HorseHaroldMary StuartCount BellievreJules IrvingVivian Beaumont TheaterBroadway debut1971–72The Sty of the Blind PigDocShauneille PerrySt. Mark's Playhouse 1972A Ballet Behind the BridgeLalsinghDouglas Turner Ward Also choreographerFrederick Douglass...Through His Own WordsFrederick DouglassAlso playwright1974Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to HideThe NewscasterDean Irby1975Waiting for MongoDoodybugDouglas Turner Ward1976–77The Brownsville RaidPvt. James HollimanIsrael HicksLucille Lortel Theatre1977The Square Root of SoulPerry SchwartzAs playwright1979Plays from AfricaDean IrbySt. Mark's Playhouse1979A Season to UnravelGarrisonGlenda Dickerson1980Lagrima del DiabloAquiloRichard Gant1981–83A Soldier's PlaySgt. Vernon WatersDouglas Turner WardJulia Miles Theater
Awards and honors Award Year CategoryNominated work OutcomeAcademy Award1985Best Supporting ActorA Soldier's StoryDaytime Emmy Award1987Outstanding Performer in Children's ProgrammingABC Afterschool Specials ("Getting Even: A Wimp's Revenge")Drama Desk Award1982Outstanding Featured Actor in a PlayA Soldier's PlayGolden Globe Award1985Best Supporting Actor – Motion PictureA Soldier's StoryLos Angeles Film Critics Association1984Best Supporting ActorNAACP Image Award1985Outstanding Actor in a Motion PictureObie Award1983Outstanding Off-Broadway AchievementA Soldier's Play
References
External links
Adolph Caesar's Entry at the Lortel Archives Adolph Caesar's Entry at the Grindhouse Database Los Angeles Times